My Life Howdy Neighbor Coco's Tunic

With the wonders of preposting I'm half way through April as I write this but almost into May as I'm posting.

This is another pattern found in Darski's free Howdy Neighbor pattern found here.

The shoes are from Sweet Silver Creations Sailor Pattern that can be purchased here.

Notes:

This was made with Red Heart Bright Yellow and white. The hat calls for a darker yellow contrast but not having any currently in stock I went with a solid yellow with white trim.

I used an I hook for the tunic following the directions as written. I took the picture below to demonstrate the back closing as it has been a while since I made this outfit.

Darski makes her pants one leg at a time and joins them and this is a perfectly legitimate method. I only use this method when making footed pajamas because I can't avoid it for those. I much prefer to start top down and split for legs.

For this outfit I don't chain for legs I join at the crotch split. I start by sc over a hair elastic and then move to dc rows until I feel it is long enough to split for the legs. I chose to match the spikes on the top of the tunic to the bottom of the pant legs.

This year I needed a J hook to get the hat to fit the doll. The hair on this doll is a bit different but similiar to the models I've been donating so it seemed a good idea to go with the larger hat. The only other change I made to the hat is I finished it with white crab stitch along the top border.

My Life Madison

This free pattern is part of the Howdy Neighbor set found here.:

Notes:

In looking at my notes it appears the last few times I've made this dress it has been for the Our Generation doll not the My Life doll. All good as it is nice to shift things around a bit.

I've noticed my gauge has been a bit off the last week so I'll note my previous hooks and current for future projects. Previously I've needed a J for the bodice and an I for the skirt. This time I was able to follow the directions as written using an I hook for the whole dress.

I used Red Heart Super Saver Spring Green. There are a couple of yarn eating Darski patterns that use this shade of worsted but it is one of the colors I can't get at my local Walmart. I do stock up when I find it. Unlike the Rivulets pattern I used worsted 4 white for the trim for this pattern.

Row 3 should read sc 9 not 19 as the numbers do not work for the stitch count without this change. I love it when there are stitch counts.

Row 11: Row 10 sadly doesn't have a stitch count so having made this a number of times now I'm making this note for myself others may find it works differently for them. I dc in 5 in order to get a stitch count of 55.

Rows 12-16 I increased to 20 for the length I wanted. Thus making row 17 row 21

Bodice trim and strap changes:

Instead of slst in 5 I sc in 5 then I chained 8 for the arm strap. This was just a better look and feel for me. This changes the next chain direction to chain 8 ending with sc 5 at end.

I chose to finish back with green not white trim. I used a button not a snap for a close this time.

The shoes are made using Sweet Silver Creations Sailor Doll Pattern that can be purchased here.

I used an H hook for the shoes with my current gauge issues I'll be using a g for the next My Life project I'm working to complete.

I'm continuing to prepost so today was drop off day for Kits for Kids. Unlike Aztec Wishes this was just a drop off. However, all things being good I've been invited to help pack the bags in May so I'm looking forward to learning more about what donations would work best for the project.

Our Generation Madison

Darski's Madison pattern from her Howdy Neighbor pattern set has become a go to pattern for both the Our Generation and the My Life doll. It is a quick and easy pattern but with the spike stitches it has a fun summer look to it.

You can find the free pattern set with additional patterns here. The shoes are part of a pattern set no longer available from Sweet Silver Creations.

Notes:

I use a J hook for the bodice section of the dress returning to an I hook once the dress has been joined. The skirt gets very puffy if I continue with a J.

Row 3 should read sc 9 not 19 as the numbers do not work for the stitch count without this change. I love it when there are stitch counts.

Row 11: Row 10 sadly doesn't have a stitch count so having made this a number of times now I'm making this note for myself others may find it works differently for them. I dc in 5 in order to get a stitch count of 55.

Rows 12-16 I increased to 20 for the length I wanted. Thus making row 17 row 21

Bodice trim and strap changes:

Instead of slst in 5 I sc in 5 then I chained 8 for the arm strap. This was just a better look and feel for me. This changes the next chain direction to chain 8 ending with sc 5 at end.

I chose to finish back with green not white trim. I also closed it with a snap which is why the sc are more important at the top as it gives a better spot for snaps to sit.

I feel like I'm getting a bit more balanced in finishing outfits for all the dolls rather than focusing on certain dolls and leaving some neglected.

Our Generation Howdy Neighbor Madison

Guage is always an interesting adventure for me. I can follow the directions I've used for years with a doll and some years it just changes. Last year I wrote down the changes for the Madison pattern to fit the My Life doll and I followed them using a ball of yarn I believe I was using last year when I made the doll for the My Life donation in 2022. However, this year the dress was a better fit for the Our Generation doll. No real loss since I generally have more outfits for the two My Life Dolls than the Our Generation Doll, but I always find it strange to see what works and what doesn't from year to year.

Notes:

I used a J hook for the bodice as it was tight with an I hook. After the joining round I returned to the I hook.

I finished the back in green rather than the white trim. It just worked better for me. I also used a snap to close the back rather than buttons.

Row Changes:

Row 3: It says sc 19 I believe this should read 9 to match the stitch count. This is why I love designers that give you a stitch count. It is so much easier to figure out what they intended when I make a mistake or when there is a mistake in the pattern.

Row 11: There was no stitch count for row 10 so I could be off, however, based on what I did in row 10 to reach the stitch count in row 11 I dc in 5 3dce in next 11 times to get a count of 55.

To get the length I wanted on the dress I added rows.

I went from 12-16 to 12-20.

Trim:

I did not finish the back in white and I adjusted the top trip. I did not ss I crocheted 5 sc across back. I chained 8 instead of 5 for the strap, it was too tight with 5. Then I continued pattern as written making these changes for the other side of the dress.

Since this works up quick I may try it later for the My Life dolls with an I hook to see if I can get a better fit with a different colored yarn.

It feels good to get some items finished for the project. There are many wonderful positive things going on outside of doll world but this donation is near and dear to me and I want to make sure I don't neglect it.

My Life Howdy Neighbor Madison Dress

I did warn I was on a crusade to use up the Michael's green Craft Smart yarn. The dress is another of Darski's free patterns Madison fround in the Howdy Neighbor collection here.

The shoes are from Sweet Silver Crochet Patterns School Uniform pattern that can be purchased here.

I went back and looked at my notes from last year and I didn't document either on my pattern or blog the changes I made this year. Sometimes I do just make the changes and forget to write them down so I decided this year to record as I went. Next year things like guage may be different. I find my stitches can be looser or tighter depending on when I make something so hook sizes do vary. I've gone down in hooks on some patterns and increased hook sizes on others. I'm finding it helps to have a benchmark.

Notes: I used a J hook for the bodice as it was tight with an I hook. After the joining round I returned to the I hook.

I finished the back in green rather than the white trim. It just worked better for me. I also used a snap to close the back rather than buttons.

Row Changes:

Row 3: It says sc 19 I believe this should read 9 to match the stitch count. This is why I love designers that give you a stitch count. It is so much easier to figure out what they intended when I make a mistake or when there is a mistake in the pattern.

Row 11: There was no stitch count for row 10 so I could be off, however, based on what I did in row 10 to reach the stitch count in row 11 I dc in 5 3dce in next 11 times to get a count of 55.

To get the length I wanted on the dress I added rows.

I went from 12-16 to 12-20.

Trim:

I did not finish the back in white and I adjusted the top trip. I did not ss I crocheted 5 sc across back. I chained 8 instead of 5 for the strap, it was too tight with 5. Then I continued pattern as written making these changes for the other side of the dress.

Shoe notes: This might be another guage issue but I've started using an I hook for the bottom of these shoes and the Mary Jane's switching to an H hook after the 3rd round is completed. I find the shoes fit better. If I stick with one hook they are either too large or too small.

This is another quick dress if you need one for an 18 inch doll.

My Life Howdy Neighbor Madison Dress

I mentioned last week that I set out to make the Madison dress from the free Howdy Neighbor pattern set found here.

I didn't give up when the first one fit the 15 Inch Rag Doll I just had to find different yarn that would work better.

For this project I targeted some Michael's Craft Smart yarn that I bought shortly after A.C. Moore closed and it hasn't been my favorite of the craft stores house brands. So I am determined I am going to finish off what I bought and then not have to look at it in my stash any longer. I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn, White for the trim.

If you need a quick dress project this one works up fairly quickly.

Notes:

I followed the directions for hook size and dress construction except I did finish the back with green yarn prior to adding the trim. As I mentioned in the Rag Doll post I found this made the back neater and made it easier adding the buttons and button holes.

15 Inch Rag Doll Howdy Neighbor Madison Dress

I was continuing to work through Darski's Howdy Neighbor pattern and thought perhaps I cold make the free Madison dress pattern found here with Herrschners Worsted yarn I've been trying to use up for the My Life Doll. The fit was a little tighter than I liked so I decided it would be a nice addition to the 15 Inch Rag Doll's donation.

I added a row to the bodice for this doll and removed a row from the skirt prior to adding the spiked trim to the bottom of the skirt. I used a dc spike rather than a sc. I just found it easier to make. The suggested hooks worked with this yarn for this doll, though it proved to be too small for the intended My Life doll. I also finished the back and top with a row of sc prior to changing to the trim color as this gave back a more finished look and made adding buttons and button holes easier.

My Life Howdy Neighbor Tunic

This is the last pattern found in Darski's free Howdy Neighbor pattern set found here.

I followed the directions as written for the tunic. I went up a hook size on the hat and added a row of reverse sc on the open top to finish it off. I made my pants top down splitting for the crotch but not adding chains as I've done in the past. I used the spike stich suggested for the shirt on the leg bottoms.

The shoes once again are from Sweet Creations School Girl Pattern that can be purchased here. I added some spike stitches as an extra decorative row just for fun.

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.

American Girl Chef

This has to be one of my favorite outfits of the year. It is one the outfits in Darski's free pattern Howdy Neighbor and you can find the pattern at Crochetville here.

I searched through my friend's stash and had a trip back into time as she had a skein of white baby yarn purchased from Rich's to make the Chef's hat. Rich's has been out of business for years. However, it was a shopping staple of my Mom's for years when I was a kid. I spent many hours in their yarn aisle while my Mom picked up yarn for her latest knitting project. Finding that skein brought back pleasant memories.

After making a mistake reading the yarn requirements where I used up some pink and white baby yarn I had on hand for the shirt and apron that turned into a baby doll outfit I'll post later, I stuck with worsted weight yarn for the rest of the outfit.

I chose light pink because other than the light sport yarn I didn't have any darker pink worsted weight yarn. I'm on a bit of a yarn diet. Not a fast because I will buy yarn for a specific project. For instance, I got the pattern for the special Red Heart Red Cross nurse outfit and I don't have the yarn to make it. I'll pick up the yarn for that project. However, I'm resisting the urge to build up colors to have them on hand until I reduce the yarns I have on hand. I need to get the yarn under control before it becomes a hoard. It needs to be contained.