Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Hello Kitty Plane



I have one person on my Easter list that is starting to outgrown the Hello Kitty phase, but I thought would still appreciate something different. I saw the Hello Kitty Plane pattern on Etsy and my DH was kind enough to pick it up for me.



I really like this pattern, but I am not sure if it is the language barrier, the writer is from Spain, or if it is just a different style, the directions were extremely minimal. Not having seen the original Spanish pattern I do not know if the Spanish directions are more detailed and the problem is in the English translation or if this is just the way her patterns are written. Having only made this pattern, I cannot be sure this was just an issue for this pattern or if all are this minimal in their descriptions.

For instance, my plane is larger than I expected. There was no hook size listed and I went with the traditional G hook for ami's. When I went to look up the pattern link for this blog entry, the listing actually states the hook size C, but the written PDF does not. I have made a few cars and planes now, so I have a "general" idea how the patterns work, but if I had not this pattern would have been very frustrating as there are very limited explanations for how to assemble the plane. This is why I question the translation. The parts of the plane are carefully numbered and you are given instructions to make them. The picture is labeled with the parts. However, there are no directions about how to assemble the carefully numbered parts. In one case, I went back to Mysterious Cat's pattern to figure out how to approach a couple of items. I am not sure I would have finished this if it had been my first attempt at a vehicle.



Now that I have worked my way through the pattern, I can see making another one of these. With color changes and other animals, it would be a great boy's toy, too. I am glad I had the pattern to make, but a few more directions from the writer would make this a much better pattern for the general public.


If you arrived here looking for free patterns you may be interested in the following blog pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.





Tuesday, February 26, 2013

American Girl Hippy Outfit



I thought I was done making AG clothes for family members. Most of the girls seemed to have lost interest in the dolls and then Julie arrived for Christmas. While the other dolls had been interesting, for one girl in the family, Julie has become a hit. Julie is the AG doll from the 70's and as much as it pains me to admit it, that time period is now considered "historical." So, it appears I won't only be crocheting 18" doll clothes for charity.

At some point I had picked up Maggie Weldon's 18" Doll Hippy Wardrobe Pattern, so I decided this would make a great May birthday present now that I can actually use the size 10 thread required to make certain parts of the outfit.

I had a huge ball of white size 10 thread so I started with the shirt. This was actually my first clothing thread project and I loved working on it. As my thread crocheting improves, I think there will be less signs of issues with changes in tension. One disappointment is that I could not get the pants pattern to work. I tried it a couple of times, but I obviously misunderstood the directions. I went back to my fall back pattern Abby, Allie, and Annie and added a bell-bottom look to those pants. I loved the crocheted rainbows and flowers. I remember my older sisters and my mother embroidering details to clothing. I am not sure they ever considered crocheting them.

I am still hopeful I can finish the dress from this set to add to the birthday package going out in May. It will be nice for Julie to have some period clothing.

One of the added benefits of the project is it helped me work on my stash busting goals. Other than the thread, the rest of the yarn came from my rather overgrown stash that I am working on using up. The vest was made from yarn I used during for last year's doll donation projects. I joined a stash busting CAL at Crochetville and it is helping me focus on keeping track of what I acquire and what I am actually using for yarn.

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

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.







Monday, February 25, 2013

Fox in the Car



After making Mysterious Cat's Plane, I knew I wanted to go back and make the Fox in the Race Car. My husband purchased the pattern for me and it has been on my list of pattern to make for a while now. As I was mentally making my crochet list for Easter, I knew I wanted some fun toys. After making the carrot car, it seemed time to tackle the Fox.



The directions were great. The one challenge I had were the headlights. Mine seemed to have a slightly odd shape as I finished them off and attached them. They were not quite as flat as I had hoped to make them. I added the steering wheel from the Carrot Car for a little added detail. I also gave the fox a scarf that came from the Carrot Car pattern.



This was a fun project and one I suspect I will make again. It was also a great way to work from my stash. Thanks to an earlier afghan project, I had all the colors on hand and did not need any additional yarn purchases to complete this project.

If you arrived here looking for free patterns you may be interested in the following blog pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.




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