Patriotic Granny Ripple

I posted about making this afghan, but never got around to posting the finished picture. I made this for my Mom's new house. I liked it enough that I'm working on one in fall colors for my house. I may actually make a Christmas one to use up some Christmas yarn I was given in a swap, too.

This pattern comes from an out of print leaflet I picked up from American School of Needlework, Booklet 14, called Afghan Favorites Grannies and Ripples. I find once I establish the original granny ripple, the pattern is pretty easy to follow.

The fall one I am working on now is helping me use up a stash of fall colors that I have had around way too long. It makes a great stash busting project.

Most of my time I spend making toys. I don't make lots of afghans. Part of my challenge is I love the beauty of the square patterns, but I lack the patience to ensure the squares will fit and to sew them all together. I prefer patterns like this that allow me to crochet in one piece, even if I do have to weave in all the ends when I finish.

Itty Bitty Pilgrim Girl

I have been fascinated with the 5" Lots to Love dolls for a while. However, until I learned to work with thread, there was not much hope that I could do much with them. Once I found thread hooks I could use, I knew which projects I wanted to tackle first, The Holiday Itty Bitties by Sheila Leslie. While I have lots of commitments for gifts and charity, I couldn't resist stopping to make a set for my own Thanksgiving decorations. I was sorry to see this was book is out of print. I am sure those who are interested can still find it in the second hand market.

I got the majority of the outfit finished a while back and then just had the snap and the threads to weave in. I was in a finishing mode last weekend and got this one done.

What I found interesting as I moved the dress from my model doll to the display doll is that these dolls aren't just different in features, the body types seem to be just a little different, too. The bloomers and the dress fit just a little differently on the finished doll than they did on the model doll. While no two dolls are ever exactly the same, these two dolls had real differences in shape that I had not expected.

I am looking forward to tackling the Pilgrim boy soon. I hope to have both ready for my Thanksgiving decorations.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Doll Diaper Bags

This is the first year I have included baby dolls as part of my donation project. So, it meant getting new patterns and ideas for what to make. One possibility I found as I was exploring was a pattern for a doll's diaper bag. I received Crochet 'N Play Designs Diaper Bag Crochet pattern as a gift.

The pattern includes a diaper bag with pocket(s), a changing pad, wipes, and a bottle. I made mine a little larger, so I could include other items as I made them. I made the purple one with acrylic yarn. I decided to experiment with the second one and used up some cotton yarn I had in my stash. Both worked out well. My favorite accessory was the wipes. I am not sure why, but it just struck me as a really cute idea and they worked up really easily.

I have a couple of other finished projects to post this week, but I am currently working on another 15" doll dress. This one is a little more complicated. It uses Caron Spa yarn, which is new to me. I love how soft it feels, but it constantly slides off the hook. I have a couple of personal projects I hope to get finished along with the charity projects, too.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.