Aztec Wishes Donations 2021 Have Been Delivered

I am so thrilled that the tech high school is back doing Aztec Wishes for 2021. While we were able to donate directly to the charity last year working with the high school students makes this project so much more fun.

Secondly I want to send out a THANK YOU to all my friends at Crochetville for their thoughful and creative donations that make this project work. I am always blown away by their generous hearts and sprirts as they donate to this project. I also had a kind new Blogger join the efforts from Canada this year and I send out a thank you to her as well. This is a tough year for many families and we made Christmas a little brighter for a few children. Thank you all.

We packed 16 boxes into my husbands car. He's decided 16 is the cut off point before items get pushed to the next year's donation. Once again thank all of you who donated and on to 2022!!

My Life Claret Dress

This is the second outfit from Darski's free Harriet pattern found here. This may in fact be the last of the donation outfits for 2021 as I've begun work on my Christmas gifts and I want to make a box of Barbie clothes for a family member which will probably be a post Christmas gift for her granddaughters. When those projects are done it will be time to start the 2022 doll donation work.

This used up the end of a skein that's been in a misc yarn pile for a bit now. It was nice to see it gone. I did end up using an old skein of Red Heart sport to trim the bottom as I didn't have quite enough to finish the dress. The colors were a match and the change in weight was not relevent in the trim.

I used an I hook for the dress to get the fit right.

My Life Pilgrim

My now adult nieces were the ones that introduced me to the American Girl dolls and they always seemed to like the historical stories that went with the dolls.

I've always tried to include some historical themed clothes with the 18-inch dolls I donate. In the past I've used Darski's free We Gather pattern for my Pilgrim costume. You can find it here. This year I wanted to try Adoring Dolls pattern which can be purchased here.

This pattern was easy to follow but for my own notes I did make some adjustments. First I used an I hook instead of an H as I found the dress was a bit tight. I also added a few rows to the torso prior to joining as it was hard to get the arms into the arm holes when I joined it as suggested. Even remaking with I hook did not change this challenge but the added rows did. This could just be a factor of my guage and these notes are for my use when I make this pattern again.

I love the boots for this pattern and will definetly be using them with other 18-inch doll patterns as they work up quickly and easily and fit well. The bonnet was slightly disappointing and I ended up reworking it as I do with the We Gather pattern. I will continue to work mine and at some point do need to write down the pattern so I have it for my records.

I ended up adding a few rows to the apron again could just be my guage to make it the length in the picture. To make the ties more secure I chained 40 and then crocheted across the top of the apron chained 40 sc into the chains across the top again and then into the chains at the other end. When I do this again I'd ss not sc into the chains. It would make for less bulky ties.

I'm getting closer to my donation date and have been shopping the holiday sales settling on some of the Lil Cutesies sets for my Christmas package. I've decided along with the dolls and accessories I purchased I'm going to try to put together a wardrobe including some accessories using patterns I make for the donation dolls. With this in mind I'll likely be wrapping up the donation project soon to have enough time to finish my Christmas items. I want to make sure they have quite the wardrobes.

Of course the donation project never really ends once my Christmas projects are done it will be time to start working on Doll Donation 2022.

I've already got many of the dolls purchased for next year. I managed to pick up Barbie the same time I found the Lil Cutesies Christmas gifts and I purchased a few of the same doll so I should be good for a few years without having to look for a new model. I also picked up another couple of Chelsea dolls as I'm hoping to do better with her outfits if I start earlier. Still need Stacie, Skipper, and Ken. I know the dolls I want for the first two but am waiting on price. Still haven't found a replacement Ken I like as they discountinued the farmer I used this year. That leaves me with the JC Toys - Lots to Love Babies 14" Doll that I haven't found at a price I like. I also still need the 2 JC Toys - La Baby16-inch Baby Dolls which with all the supply chain issues could be challenging. I've been remarkably blessed so far. These may just be something I end up buying after Christmas.

16 Inch Baby Doll Sunny Days

I have a date now for the donation drop off. The dolls will be headed out at the beginninng of December so I'm finishing up what I can before the date and anything that doesn't make the cut will go towards next year's donation.

This is another of Darski's free patterns Sunny Days found here. The shoes are taken from her Peachy Keen set found here.

I did add some rows to the dress this year as it seemed short using the combination of Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, Bright Yellow and White with the suggested hook. I also added an additional finish row on the button hole side as the back was just a little tight. I think when I make this again I'd think about a larger hook for the top and a smaller than suggested hook for the skirt as it gets a bit wide. I'd rather add rows for length than have it get too wide. I also added trim to the arms. I just liked the look.

I posted Friday that I'm still looking for deals before purchasing next year's Barbie dolls, a 14 inch Lots to Love Baby Doll, and the JC Toys - 16-inch Baby Dolls. I did find a good deal for the 18 inch Our Generation dolls for the 2022 donation so those are off my list. I'm pleased to have done this well this early.

My Life Chef Hat

I mentioned earlier in the week that I'd donated the chef hat from the My Life Chef outfit to a Halloween display. That meant I had to go back to Darski's free Howdy Neighbor pattern found here to make sure this outfit was complete to send off with the donation. I didn't want to put it off for fear I'd get distracted and it wouldn't get finished.

I was able to order the My Life 18 inch Dolls I need for the 2022 dolls this week as I got them on sale. Now I just have to hope they aren't damaged in shipping. I had an issue with the Our Generation Dolls I ordered last year as these sales can result in boxes not arriving as you'd hope. I'm hoping they arrive in donation shape so I don't have to deal with returns.

I've got 10-inch Lots to Love baby dolls back ordered. I'm slowly working on acquiring my next round of donation dolls and accessories as I find them on sale. I already found the Lil Cutesies Dolls and the Melissa & Doug Mine to Love Time to Eat Doll Accessories Feeding Sets for next year.

Still looking for good deals on the Barbie dolls, the JC Toys -16-inch Baby Dolls, Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll, and Our Generation Doll, and I have to decide what I'm going to do about the Rag Dolls for next year.

I am hoping the dolls I've ordered arrive after I drop off this year's donation as space will begin to become an issue if I don't drop off before adding more dolls to my donation area.

My Life Raincoat

I have a binder that I've been filling with outfits from Adorable Dolls for the 18-inch dolls. Her patterns are quite affordable, easy to follow, use available yarns or yarns easy to substitute from my stash and I generally can follow them to completion.

The one challenge I do find with her patterns sometimes is the formating. She has interesting ways of creating the shaping in her patterns so the stitch counts can be long in each row but I sometimes end up making notes as they can be challenging to follow as printed. The directions are clear and once I've written them out I never have trouble following them but formating them a little more clearly would make this situation ideal.

This pattern was worked from my Joann's Big Twist Stash. While a slightly lighter worsted I love the color selection and especially when on sale the price is very attractive, especially for my donation projects where spending less means I can do more.

You can purchase the pattern here.

My Life Howdy Neighbor Shorts, Shirt and Shoes

After making the Chef's outfit I decided it would be a great idea to add another short outfit to the donation using the same free pattern from the Howdy Neighbor set found here.

It was a great chance to use up the green Herrschners worsted yarn and the Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, Petal Pink left over from making the last doll carrier. Sometimes it feels like I've barely made a dent in either goal but I'm still working on it. The shoe pattern is from Sweet Silver Creations School Girl Uniform available for purchase here.

The shirt was made following the pattern using the suggested hook size. I make my pants top down but this time did not chain for the crotch but joined to split for the legs after finishing the top section. I actually liked the fit for this better. I did a sc chain 3 trim for the legs. I used a g hook with the lighter Herrchners yarn and the shoes fit fine.

My Life Chef

I've been revisiting patterns I haven't made in a few years. This chef outfit is from Darski's free Howdy Neighbor pattern found here. The shoes are part of Sweet Silver Creations School Uniform pattern and can be purchased here.

With the exception of the hat this outfit was made with Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, White and Shocking Pink. The hat was made with Bernat Big Ball Baby Yarn -White.

Notes:

The shorts are not from the pattern I make most of my pants/shorts top down and split for the crotch. This time I didn't add chains for the crotch and I like this look a bit better. I also added sc chain 3 for the legs as a trim for the shorts.

I followed the hook suggestions for the various pieces of the pattern with the exception of the shorts which I made on my own and the fit was correct.

I used a g hook for the shoes this time and didn't need to add an extra row or add a reduction row.

My Life Dovetailed

This is one of Darski's free patterns found here that I often revisit. It has a nice historical look to it and it works up fairly quickly and easily. The shoes come from Sweet Silver Creations School Girl Uniform available for purchase here. I wanted a strapless shoe for this outfit and this fit the need. I added an extra row to the shoe reducing the front of the shoe with an additional 4 sc decreases.

I followed the suggested hook sizes. I chose not to use elastic and did a sc 4 then decrease around waist to make the waist a bit smaller. It worked well for me to keep the skirt from sliding down.

This dress was made with Caron One Pound , Medium Grey and White using the left over Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, Petal Pink from making the last baby doll carrier.

16 Inch Doll Dress, Shoes, and Hat

I mentioned last week that I'd be reversing colors and making another dress for the second JC Toys 16-inch Baby Doll using up the donated Herrschner's Worsted Weight Yarn. I finally finished a skein of the green but have at least 2 more skeins to finish.

You can find the free pattern for the dress here. To adapt the 14 inch doll pattern to the larger 16 inch doll I used a J hook with the lighter Herrschners worsted yarn for the upper section of the dress. I joined the rows after the first row rather than needing to close it with buttons or snaps. I switched to a g hook for the skirt.

With my experience of making the hat with a G hook the last time I switched up and made it with an H hook this time and I think I'd stick with the G hook next time.

I had to adjust the Peachy Keen free shoe pattern found here to a J hook in order to make them fit with the lighter yarn.

15 Inch Rag Doll Dress

As I've been working through patterns this year, I've been experimenting to see which dolls I can adapt the patterns to fit. After finishing the free pattern found here for the JC Toys - 16-inch Baby Doll I tried it on the 15 inch Rag doll.

The dress needed a lighter yarn than the Herrschner's Worsted I'd used for the baby doll dress. Thankfully, the donation I'd received from a member of the Ravelry Knitting Charity group also included some Herrchner's Baby Yarn and this worked well for the project using the same G hook suggested in the pattern.

Notes:

I did follow the directions for this pattern in not joining at the first row. I did this for this doll because there is little distance between head and shoulders. This creates a need for smaller straps than on the 16-inch doll. This makes a sliding on and off dress a more difficult prospect. I had to add two rows to make the torso long enough so I joined the dress before adding the two additional peach rows and continued on to the skirt in the round. I closed the dress with a button in the back.

The straps look close to the edge of the shoulder. I tried experimenting with moving them in one chain and the result did not look great so I pulled them out and removed them to the suggested pattern design.

If I get another Herrschner's shipping coupon I'd think about picking up some of the baby yarn. I like the way it worked up for this project and the greens, darker shade of peach, and purple options are not colors I regularly find when buying baby yarn.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll Sweetly Dress

I promised myself I was going to finish up the Euro Babe yarn in my stash so I decided to use it for my next doll outfit along with Bernat Baby Sport Big Ball Yarn, Ombres, Baby Baby. Still have more yarn to go so expect to see it popping up on more doll outfits.

This is another outfit made from Darski's free Sweetly pattern found here.

I used a G hook for the dress and a C hook for the arm trim. The trim was too large until I reached the C hook.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll Sweetly Nightgown

I'm continuing to work my way through Darski's free Sweetly pattern for the 10 inch baby dolls found here. My first attempt at the nightgown fit the Lots to Love 14" Baby Doll .

For my second attempt I used an E hook and Lion Brand Babysoft Yarn, Pastel Print and arrived at a better fit.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll Spring Set

This is another one of the Amy Carrico doll patterns I picked up when I realized she'd added more patterns to her Etsy store and I wanted to make sure I bought them in case they disappeared again. You can purchase the pattern here.

I used a C hook with Big Ball Baby Sport Yarn - White and a discontinued version of Euro Babe yarn for the pink which is leaning purple in the pictures.

This was another occasion to start in on a stash of yarn that I don't remember buying and therefore have no idea what project it was intended for originally. Using it up on donation projects eems a great idea.

Notes:

I expereminted with the B hook and settled on going up to the C hook for the entire project as the dress was too tight with the B.

When I make this again I'd add more rows to the sleeves and decrease the stitch count.

The "pearl" shaped button is LeMode 1/4 inch button card that came 5 to a set I bought at Joann's. I also bought the 1/2 inch 3 to a card set as I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted. I did not see them sold on the website when I looked. I mention this because I know I'll be looking back here and trying to remember where I bought the buttons as the style is different from most of the buttons I pick up in store or online from various vendors and writing it down is a gift to myself.

15 Inch Rag Doll Sweetly Sweater and Pants

I'm always looking for opportunities to adapt patterns that fit the other dolls to the 2 Rag Dolls. When I realized the free Sweetly sweater pattern found here would fit the Lots to Love 14" Baby Doll I realized there was a chance the pattern might fit the rag dolls as well. Previous exchanges had worked.

This project was made with a G hook and Bernat Baby Big Ball Sport Yarn, Baby Blue and Ombre,Funny Prints along with the dark blue no longer available Red Heart Baby Sport Yarn.

Notes:

The construction of the sweater fit the doll well it was just short. I fixed this by adding rows prior to the final two finishing rows to get the length I wanted for the sweater.

The pants were made chaining the distance around the waist and joining and then making rows of dc until it was time to split for the crotch. I don't have a pattern for the pants but they are a pretty basic construction. To tighten the waist since I tend to overestimate the distance around to make them easy to pull on and off I sc 4 decrease for 2 rounds and I'm generally at a good pull on and off spot. I suggest testing to see how it works.

Lots to Love 14" Doll Nightgown

I'm continuing to work my way through Darski's free Sweetly pattern found here for the Lots to Love 10 inch dolls. While the first one fit without any adjustments for the doll I've been finding the other patterns are fitting the Lots to Love 14" Baby Doll when I make them as written.

This hasn't been an issue for me since I'll be donating both dolls and it is easy enough to adapt hook and yarn to get the patterns to work for the smaller dolls. It actually has worked out because while I often think of working these patterns down in size I'm not sure I would have naturally made the jump from the 10 inch to the 14 inch doll on my own. I'd likely have moved to other larger doll patterns and made them smaller.

The nightgown is made with a g hook and Bernat Baby Sport Big Ball Ombre Yarn, Funny Prints.

Notes:

I shortened the nightgown by two rows prior to adding the two finishing rows. I also finished the neck as I was adding the closing ties by crocheting the required ties, sc across the neck and then making the second tie. This might have been what was intended but not written.

The picture on the pattern shows arms for the nightgown but not directions. I chose not to add. I rather liked the sleeveless look. I've started this nightgown for the smaller doll and will likely add the sleeves as it will give me a chance to tighten the armholes as they are bigger on the smaller dolls.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Romper with Tam

I mentioned last week I was working on adapting the Romper with Tam from the free Berenguer Baby Layette pattern found here for the two small baby dolls. For the Lots to Love Doll I used Knit Picks Fingering Palette yarn and an e hook. I followed the pattern down to the crotch were instead of using elastics I split for the legs using a chain 4. I did a row of sc around each leg and finished with a sc chain 3.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress for Summer

I believe with this last outfit made from the free Dress for February pattern found here I'm done with the pattern for this donation year. The La Baby 16-inch Baby Doll is the fourth outfit made from this pattern this year so I've gotten quite a bit of mileage from a pattern that wasn't designed to fit any of the dolls.

I'm still targeting yarn in the stash that needs to go. The green is Michael's Craft Smart yarn. I bought a few colors on a whim shortly after AC Moore closed and I've never been crazy about the feel of the yarn. I've promised myself to finish off my supply though and this dress was a great time to work on that goal. The pink is Red Heart Super Saver, Pretty n Pink I had left over from the Lil Cutesies Doll Moses Basket. This is the second outfit I've used it on since than and I still haven't finished it off yet. The yellow is Joann's Big Twist.

The free pattern for the shoes is the one I'm always writing about and can be found here. The hat is a work in progress. I don't quite have a pattern mastered yet which is why I've been taking the extra brim shots. I used the pictures from the Fall outfit when I was working on this hat. At some point I'm going to have to get around to writing down the actual pattern.

Lots to Love 10 inch Doll Top, Pants, Bonnet, and Booties

As I was searching through patterns trying to decide where to go next I stumbled across one of Darski's free pattern sets for the 10 inch dolls called Sweetly found here. This set like the Layette one have multiple outfits and I'll be working my way through them and likely trying to adapt them for the smaller dolls as well.

I used Bernat Baby Big Ball Sport Yarn, Baby Pink and Baby Yellow with an E hook for most of the outfit. The bonnet required a G hook.

Notes:

The shirt, bonnet, and booties worked up as written.

In the future I might try a smaller hook for the booties as they were a little larger than I had hoped for but they don't fall off the doll.

There are multiple ways to make pants but two you often see in doll clothes are making the waist and splitting for the crotch conintuing with the legs and the second making the legs and connecting them at the crotch and making the top of the pants.

Darski's patterns tend to be legs first, I tend to prefer top first so I remade the pants to be top down. It is just something I find easier when making doll pants. Unless I'm doing footed outfits I tend to stick with the top down and work around what ever challenges that presents.

One last note the ties should have been attached a little further back for optimal fitting but each project is a learning experience.

Rag Doll Fall Dress

I have a shopping bag of Knit Picks Palette yarn that I bought years ago when I was originally making Barbie clothes for my nieces and then when I stopped I'd occasionally use some for a project but I still have a bag that I'd like to finish off and start fresh knowing I'm using up yarn as I buy it.

Having adapted Amy Carrico's 14 inch Baby Doll Spring Set for the 15 inch Rag doll I was looking for the right yarn to adapt the pattern for use for with the smaller Rag doll. I setteled on this yarn because I had 2 skeins which is always a good idea when you aren't sure how much yarn a pattern would take and it is a yarn I've had trouble finding a project to move it out of my stash. I believe this is one of the heather yarns in the Palette line and I think it was oringally purchased for Barbie office wear. However since that never got done its been holding up in long term stash storage and it was time for a new project idea.

I had used a fingering acrylic yarn for the 15 inch doll and it worked really well for the project. I decided the Palette yarn might do for the smaller doll and since this color has been on my radar to move out it was one of the first I checked to see if I had 2 skeins to meet my project requirements. I've been know to lose the will the yarn last game and I prefer not to when the option is there.

Amy Carrico's pattern is available for purchase here.

Notes:

This one worked up slightly differently than the 15 inch doll so I wanted to make sure I included my notes for any future proejcts.

First if using Palette yarn I need 2 skeins to complete outfit with panties. Can complete dress and sweater with one but not enough for complete outfit.

Hook sizes:

Dress E hook

Sweater body G hook fits better over bulk of dress. C hook for arms.

Panties G hook to 32 stitches.