Post-Holiday Projects - Doll Clothes

   Sasha's Pants (rear: pockets)

So the holidays have come and gone, and I'm still working on my holiday knits - kinda. I received a request for some doll clothes for my niece's vintage Cabbage Patch Kids, but I didn't really make the deadline for either holiday. Fitting the dolls has turned out to be harder than anticipated. I figure dressing the girls is a worthwhile pursuit, Lucy will probably play with them for years. I also feel a little responsible for the kids, as they used to be mine - every time I see them semi-dressed I cringe and feel guilty, like I'm neglecting them.

   Cornelia's Pants (rear: pockets)

So the plan is to make each kid a full get-up, or at least fill in the gaps. Sasha, the big sister, gets pants, a pullover and socks. I made Cornelia, the preemie, a dress last summer, so she gets pants, socks, and if I have time or inclination a pullover. Both will be clad entirely in stripes, when I'm done I want them to look like an art installation. Also, it's really boring knitting normal doll clothes. 

Although, I came across a cool pattern in a vintage Vogue Knitting magazine from the hight of the cabbage craze, an Aran sweater & tam! Isn't it too cute?!  I might have to make one. 

And of course this project has launched me into an exploration of vintage knitting patterns for vintage Cabbage Patch Kids.

Sorry I haven't been able to take pics on the dolls: fittings have to take place after dark because Lucy is pushing 2 and well into the 'mine' phase. The funny silhouette has a function - I wanted the pants to fit snugly on the hips & waist, but have room in the legs to make it easy to pull on. I've been using Cascade 220 Superwash Sport - its soft, washable, isn't too thick, comes in small skeins, and won't break the bank. 

Anyway, wish me luck!  

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Slipper Season

Helloooo!  I think the desire to blog is a good sign that I'm starting to recover from my Holiday exhaustion.  I even have a project worth chatting about - I made Chris felted slippers for x-mas this year!  

I used the Fiber Trends Felt Clogs pattern, it is tried-and-true, and the author, Bev Galekas, is a felting master.  The pattern calls for 2 strands of worsted weight yarn held together, but I wasn't inclined to take the rest of the Lamb's Pride Worsted grey yarn off the shelf right before Christmas, so I used Cascade Eco+. The Eco is a bit thicker, but other people on Ravelry had used it, so I figured it would be fine.  Yeah ... not quite. They felted a size too big. If you use Eco, I suggest going up to a 10mm needle and making a size smaller in the pattern. I had to felt the shit out of the slippers to get the size down. I went over to my parents house (their washer has lots of controls) and kept the agitator going for about an hour.  One good thing about the super felting is that the slippers are really nice and dense, I love the texture. 

So, the lesson is that thicker yarns do not felt in the same way as thinner yarns. If you want to do research online, there is an older version of the pattern that has many more projects. Some people have used a single strand of Lamb's Pride Bulky, but I don't know if it felts larger or smaller. janwise seems to knit them larger and then super-felt them, so does cadrake. 

To finish them off I cleaned off all the fuzzy woofies with a sweater stone (first time I've been happy with the sweater stone) and sewed on some suede slipper bottoms from Fiber Trends (12") with matching yarn (I use the sock reinforcing yarn from Regia, it comes in small packs so I didn't have to open a whole skein). 

I got lucky with the final fit, but they look great, and now I kind of want a pair too. Which colour do you think?  I could use Lamb's Pride Bulky (in Violet Fields maybe?), or Lanaloft Bulky (less mohair means less fuzz, and Twist of Lime looks fun), or I could just make them the way the pattern suggests and hold 2 strands of Nature Spun Worsted together. Maybe a turquoise or a violet? Top of the Lamb Worsted in Peacock would also be nice.

Addenda Jan 2, 2012

I think I am going to make my slippers using 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Co. Shepherd's Shades in SS572 Celery. 

You can find us at knitomatic.com!

Lucy's Stash Enrichment

Witness Lucy's first stash acquisition at the tender age of 23 months. It is a skein of Cascade 220 Superwash Paints, colour 9867 Princess Pink. She yanked it off the shelf, handed it to me, and said "make something." Okey-dokey.  Perhaps a neck-warmer & mitts that actually stay on?

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

GAP-Tastic Success!

Tah-Dah!  Our GAP-Tastic Cowl (pattern FREE via Ravelry) was a fantastic success!  We made it with 3 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky (colour Intenso) and 8mm-36" circular needles. 

Because we took the needle size down a bit to accommodate the yarn, we cast on an extra 10 stitches (total cast on 141 sts).  I think it would be absolutely sumptuous made with Misti Alpaca Chunky (3 skeins, 8mm needles)

If you don't want to shell out for the fancy yarn, you could also make this cowl using any of the following:

• 3 skeins of Berroco Peruvia Quick ($32.91) & 9mm-29" circular needles
• 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky ($29.91) & 8mm-29" circular needles
• 4 skeins of Berroco Vintage Chunky ($31.88) & 6.5mm to 7mm-29" circular needles (cast on 151 sts)

For a narrower, shorter cowl, you can get away with using 2 skeins and casting on 111 sts. 

You can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Tuesday Night Cowl

Check out the Tuesday Night Cowl we just finished with Misti Alpaca Chunky! It looks and feels so good (I knew it would) that I think these might be my gift project this Holiday. Misti Alpaca Chunky is a totally a petting yarn and I know the cowl will be very well received. 

We used 2 skeins of super-soft Misti Alpaca Chunky (total $33.94) and 6.5mm needles (but I think you can go up to a 7mm).  The pattern is free, via Ravelry, and we used the instructions for the thickest yarn. I think it would also look sensational as a long cowl, knitted twice the length and then wrapped around the neck. 

Tips

• Use a Chained Cast On (alias: crochet cast-on) for your Provisional Cast on - it undoes so easily it's like a zipper! 
• The texture is created with some very simple cable stitches, a real no-brainer, just use a big cable hook (the kind that looks like a fishing hook works best).
• It is knit side to side, and then joined at the end. You can either go the easy way and finish with a 3 needle bind off, or take the high road and graft using kitchener stitch. 

If Baby Alpaca isn't in the budget this season try using 6mm needles and any of the following yarns:

• 1 skein of Cascade Eco +  (total $19.97)
• 2 skeins Berroco Vintage Chunky (total $15.94)
• 2 Skeins Berroco Comfort Chunky (total $13.94)

If you want to go even bigger, try 8mm needles and 2 skeins of Berroco Peruvia Quick (total $21.94) or Malabrigo Chunky (total $35.94).

You can always find us at Knitomatic.com!

Top-Down Hallowig

Lucy's head is bigger than my doll, but the doll stays still longer.

My first Hallowig did not fit my niece, Lucy (she is 21 months and dressing as Dora the Explorer this Halloween). I've de-constructed the pattern and re-jigged it from the top-down, so if it is too short I can go back and add length, and if it is too long I can rip it back. Just one caveat - this is a more fiddly way to make the Hallowig, so beginners beware. Actually, here's another. I'm rushing this so you can use it before Halloween, but I haven't had the chance to knit a second version to check the pattern. If there are some small errors, I apologize. 

Notes
I used sport weight yarn (1 skein Cascade 220 Sport Superwash) and 2 circular 3.5mm needles.

Materials
Locking stitch markers
Yarn, see pattern for size
2 circular needles, see pattern for size (or a set of 5 double pointed needles)
scrap yarn
crochet hook

Special Techniques
Lifted Increases (LL1, LLP1, RL1, RLP1)
Crocheted Provisional Cast-On
Knititng on 2 Circular Needles

Abbreviations
K ....... Knit
LL1 ... Left Lifted Increase
LLP1 . Left Lifted Purlwise Increase
P ....... Purl
PM ..... Place Marker on needle
RL1 .... Right Lifted Increase
RLP1 .. Right Lifted Purlwise Increase
SLM ... Slip marker
St/s ... Stitch/es

Directions
With scrap yarn, provisionally cast on 23 sts. knit 1 row with your working  yarn. remove provisional cast on and pick up sts on another needle. With right side facing, knit these stitches.  (46 sts)

From here on out you'll be knitting in the round on 2 circular needles (or you can work in the round on a set of 5 double pointed needles). 

R1. *PM, k4, PM, p1, (k2, p1) 6 times; rep from * one more time . (46 sts)

R2. *SLM, k1, LL1, k to 1 st before marker, RL1, k1, SLM, p1, RLP1, (k2, P1, RLP1) 5 times, k2, RLP1, p1; rep from * to end of round.  (64 sts).

R3. *K1, LL1, k1, p2, k1, RL1, k1, SLM, work in pattern to next marker, SLM; rep from *one more time. (68 sts)

R4. *K1, LLP1, k2, p2, k2, RLP1, k1, SLM, work in pattern to next marker, SLM; rep from * one more time. (72 sts)

R5. *K1, LLP1, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, RLP1, k1, SLM, work in pattern to next marker, SLM; rep from *one more time. (76 sts)

R6. *K1, LL1, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, RL1, k1, SLM, work in pattern to next marker, SLM; rep from *one more time. (80 sts)

R7 to 18. Continue to increase in this manner, maintaining the rib stitch, until there are 38 sts between first two markers (total of 16 increase rounds). (128 sts)

Work in rib until bangs measure appropriate length (based on original pattern: approx another 2"/10 rounds in yarn at a tension of 5.5 rows per inch). 

If you aren't sure how long the bangs should be, continue to knit the 32 bang sts (see below) separately and then you can either rip them back if they need to be shorter, or add more length if they aren't long enough. Seam the sides of the bangs to the main portion using mattress stitch.

Next row: knit 3, cast off 32 sts, knit 3, work in rib to end of row. 

Working back and forth, work in rib as established for length preferred (6.5" based on original pattern). 

Cast off loosely.

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com

Belly Flops

Some times things just don't work out the way you wanted them to. I'm currently on a mis-sizing jag. The last 3 projects have ended up either too big or too small. Part of the reason I'm sharing the details is because people are always assuming that because I'm experienced, everything I make works out perfectly, if not flawlessly. Is anything in life ever like that? 

I finally got around to finishing this hoodie for my niece Lucy. I thought it would be a Christmas or birthday gift. I used some stashed Koigu Kersti, it was pink enough for her, and un-pink enough for me to work with. The pattern is a basic hoodie pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple. I especially liked this version on Ravelry. I worked hard to keep the colours from pooling, I knit the whole thing alternating 2 balls of yarn. On the arms I even threw in a third when necessary. 

I wasn't sure which size to make. Lucy will be 2 this January. The baby version of this pattern goes up to 24 months, but the child's version starts at size 2 to 4. I erred on the side of safety and went with the child size. I now know that when it comes to kids there is no such thing as a size 2 to 4, there is only a size 2 or a size 4. When finished, the sweater was a size 4. Not the end of the world, but she wasn't going to be wearing it this year.

The edges were curling up on the bottom and the hood, so I set about blocking it. I washed it in Eucalan and lay it out on the dining room table. It grew in a very unusual and unexpected way. Kersti is routinely used by other people as a worsted weight yarn, and I had taken this for granted. The manufacturer, however describes it as a DK weight yarn. It seems that while Kersti knits like a worsted, it blocks like a DK. Hence, my sweater was knit on too large a needle for the yarn, and when washed the stitches stretched to their normal size. The sweater jumped up another size. Lesson learned - always listen to the manufacturer, they know their yarn. 

Regardless, I took it over to my brother & sister-in-law's house, in the hopes of getting a picture of Lucy  swimming in it.  She refused, I guess it felt more like drowning. My sister in law held it up and yelled across the house to my brother "Hey, look what Haley made for Lucy! It's a sweater that'll fit her when she's six!"  Whatever, it looks great, and it'll fit her *some* day. 

So there you go, sometimes the universe has different plans. Lucy will be starting grade 1 when she's 6, maybe she will need a really special sweater from her aunt to help her out with the change that year. 

More flops to follow ... :-)

You can always find us at Knitomatic.com

Tissue Box Woes

This is a "Meh" project - it is a tissue box cover that did not turn out properly. My Kleenex box is literally swimming in it, and I don't love how the colours worked out. That said, I actually really like having the tissues 'dressed'. The boxes are so ugly, I always want to always want to hide them.  I wish they would get Amy Butler or Kaffe Fasset to design them - I'd be grateful for anything by Rowan Fabrics or Marimekko. Anyway, I'm going to give it another shot in a different yarn and fewer stitches. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!