American Girl Little Red Riding Hood

I received the Hooded Cape pattern for Christmas and thought it would make an interesting start for a Red Riding Hood outfit. I then needed a simple skirt and sweater pattern to complete the outfit.

I went back into my 18 inch doll pattern binder and pulled out the Abby, Allie and Annie pattern set, from Maggie's Crochet, for the skirt along with an out of print Springfield Collection Sweater Trio from Fibre Craft FCM494 for the sweater. The Abby, Allie, and Annie set is not only one of my favorite 18 inch patterns, but likely the one I use the most every year. I plan to start the pants soon, as it is the easiest pair I've found to make. I often substitute these pants when I find another pair that looks similar, but is more complicated to create. Fibre Craft printed a series of patterns for the Springfield doll. While out of print, they are generally not too hard to find in the market place. I was fortunate to have been gifted a set by my Aunt. However, I see them offered frequently at places that offer used crochet patterns and the prices are generally pretty reasonable.

I'm working on a St. Patrick's Day outfit that is far more complicated than I first realized. It has extra pieces that were not evident when I was looking at the pattern and requested it on one of last year's wishlists. I am finding the challenge fun. It is also nice to finally use up the yarn I bought for this project and then never got to use.

I attempted yesterday to pick up my donation dolls at A.C. Moore after seeing the paper and my email had provided me with 50% off coupons. Usually I can catch one 50% off coupon where the dolls aren't marked down and I get my 2 dolls for one. I suspected my effort would fail when yesterday; I received an email with a 55% coupon. Sure enough, the dolls were on sale and the coupons not valid. However, I did pick up some shoes for the dolls using the coupons. I don't think I was the only one with that idea. There was a significant dent in the shoe population. I was also able to pick up some sale yarn, so the trip was not wasted.

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.

Everything the Internet Didn't Teach You About Crochet Review

I borrowed Everything the Internet Didn't Teach You About Crochet from the library because the titled intrigued me. I was wondering what the author thought the Internet didn't cover.

The author was a bit pretentious in the idea that the Internet didn't cover the concepts she covered. I have seen all these issues addressed in various formats on the Internet. As a fairly experienced crocheter, I was wondering if she'd have some hints about more advanced concepts that aren't always well explained on the Internet. There I was disappointed.

This is a book designed for beginners and it does achieve that goal. I will say it is a very clear guide and the photographs and illustrations are some of the best I have seen. For instance, the explanation of where to place your stitch after making the turning chain was one of the best I’ve seen. I remember being frustrated at the illustrations in some of the books I purchased. This book has a clear illustration that leaves you no doubts about where the next stitch should be placed. Another explanation I found particularly strong was the explanation of how to make and measure a gauge swatch. This gave me a tip I hadn't considered trying before.

For the price, this is a nice guide for new crocheters. It is small enough to slip in a bag and provide basic references for new learners. The instructions for reading a pattern and getting started are worth reading. I suspect as the beginner moves on a more advanced reference will likely be wanted.

American Girl Pioneer Nightgown

I received the Pioneer Nightgown in the last round of Crochetville's wishlists. I ordered the Babybee Hushabye Camo from Hobby Lobby and then the holidays hit. I did get back to the project after the holidays and now have another outfit ready my doll donation.

I love this yarn and would like to order some in other colors to try with other projects. It was very soft and I'll be looking for other patterns where it would be useful. I'm also looking forward to seeing what other 18 inch doll patterns this designer creates.

Just as a pattern note, I needed slightly more yarn than the pattern called for, but I always order extra when I now I can't get the yarn locally so that wasn't an issue for me. I also adapted the pattern so I could use a button instead of velcro. I have found velcro that you can sew, but I still don't enjoy using it.

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.