Crochet Outfit for Baby Doll

There’s one guarantee in life and that is if kids can take the clothes off a doll, they will. I don’t want to get into the kind of trouble the kids in our program get into with that. Instead, I try to make sure all the dolls have permanent clothes. If I find a naked doll (yes, this is a thing), I put it away until I can properly outfit her with locked-on, can’t-take-off, clothes. Even THEN, if I don’t make it fool proof, they find a way.

I was rummaging through an old drawer when I stumbled upon several naked dolls that I must have confiscated over the years. I’m sure I had every intention of making them clothes, or at least, permanently sewing on their original outfits. These dolls are so cute and the kids absolutely love playing with them, so I pulled them out and took them home.

I didn’t have time to make them outfits at work before school let out but I was scheduled to work a week of our summer program. The majority of the kids in the summer program are not kids I know. They are from our sister school. I figured making crochet outfits for dolls would make a nice ice-breaker with them while introducing them to crochet. It worked beautifully. I  pulled out the doll and started making her an outfit and I had a circle of kids crocheting with me in no time.

I was only there one week but I was pleasantly surprised that quite a few of them (three Kinders!) picked up chaining fairly quickly and I had two older girls trying out single crochet. It was a lot of fun. They wanted to help dress the doll so they made her a necklace and a bracelet.

Now she’s ready to go out and play!

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Freebie Friday – Tiny Crochet Doll

I’ve created all kinds of dolls over the years. I’ve even attempted a life-size doll (which is still missing legs). I’ve made small dolls too, but never a tiny doll. Well, I pulled out a ball of cotton thread that was lurking in a yarn drawer and thought it was about time to try it. I’ve been seeing these really cute miniature dolls created by other crocheters that have inspired me. I pulled out a C hook and went for it.

Life Size Crochet Doll Progress

Picture it, three small children, smitten with half of a life size doll. I finally attached arms to my doll and three of my Kindergarten students couldn’t stop hugging her and dare I mention, one of them couldn’t stop kissing her. The doll is a bit heavy because I stuffed her body with rags but that didn’t stop them from picking her up and squeezing her (and kissing her).

Scary Life Size Doll Head

I mentioned in a previous post that I was crocheting a life size doll of myself at work. Alas, I had to place it on the back burner in lieu of other, more pressing projects. Well, it’s day has come! I will not pick up any other projects until that doll is done. So I in that spirit…

I resumed work on the head. My little minions (Kindergarteners) couldn’t help themselves from helping me work on the doll. I had completed the head and had embroidered the face, using their suggestions of course. It was ready for stuffing.

Before I stuffed, I had to get up for something and left my work on the table. I can see all of you shaking your heads thinking to yourselves that I was asking for it. I see no pity in your eyes. I did indeed ask for it. I came back to a student running around with his hand in the opening of the doll head, using it like a puppet. A long string of yarn was tailing him around the room as it unwound from the ball of yarn. I quickly had him bring it back. Luckily, I had my stitch marker in so it didn’t unravel.

Can someone help me run around the room? I’m bored.

Now that she was rescued, it was time for stuffing. They love helping me stuff so I let them

Freebie Friday – Mermaids Everywhere!

I have always been partial to mermaids. I love mermaids and I often wished I could be a mermaid. I love stories and books about mermaids and I’ve even written stories and poems about mermaids. Don’t run for cover! I wouldn’t subject you to my mermaid writings. This is a blog about crochet after all. I WILL subject you to my mermaid inspired crochet. 😉 I’ve made four mermaid dolls (two were cute but the other two were questionable).

I’m the cute one.

New Crochet Doll

Now that the school year is coming to a close, I’ve stopped taking requests for making rag doll characters from my students (I don’t want that kind of pressure!). I still find myself itching to make something, as well as continuing to crochet to encourage them to continue crocheting. When they see me crochet, they almost always ask if they can crochet too.

I decided to make crochet doll that would represent our after school program (World Academy). I wasn’t sure if the doll was going to be a toy the kids could play with or a decoration for our room but the kids, mainly the girls, kept asking me if I was going to let them play with her.

I got to work figuring out what she would look like. I wanted her to represent all of us in the program and she was loosely based on me. The staff wears a World Academy t-shirt as part of our uniform. I have several colors but the one I was wearing that day is a bright pink and we had pink in our cupboard so pink was the choice for the shirt. I was going to give her blue pants (I’m always wearing jeans) but the kids wanted a skirt so she got a skirt. I gave the doll brown curls made out of spirals. The kids pointed out I had black and white hair, not brown! They didn’t even comment that my hair is definitely not curly.

The Little Mermaid Crochet Doll

One of my co-workers had finished two small crochet squares at work that she abandoned in our unfinished pieces box. She was learning to crochet and had picked it up pretty quickly. I asked her if she was interested in making one of our rag dolls and she gave it a try. I don’t think making toys is her cup of tea so she didn’t return to the project.

I had finished making all the promised dolls I needed to make and saw those two lonely squares just sitting there begging to become something (or someone :-). I asked them (I speak to my pieces all the time) what they wanted to become and they both said they heard a lot of the girls mention the Little Mermaid. Perfect! Those two little squares would become the Little Mermaid.

I picked them up and noticed that one was smaller than the other so I added a few more rows to it. I wasn’t sure what hook size my co-worker used and she couldn’t remember so I just grabbed a G hook. After I finished, I realized the G hook was probably the wrong hook but it didn’t really matter. It’s a toy and no one would notice. The square wasn’t as wide as the other one either but I keep telling the kids the squares don’t have to be perfect. I don’t want them obsessing about a perfect match and that being why they don’t finish their own doll. So I didn’t obsess about it either and went with what I had. When done with the doll, I could also use it as an example of how the doll could still look good even though the squares were slightly different in size.

I made the face, sewed my pieces together with a whip stitch, leaving an opening for stuffing, stuffed it, then sewed it closed. Next came the red hair. This project got so much attention from the kids, boys and girls alike. Before I said anything about what it was supposed to be, they kept asking me if it was the Little Mermaid. I was glad they were recognizing her. It meant I was on the right track.

Freebie Friday -Dragon Scale Bikini Top

In honor of the Renaissance Faire that’s coming to town, I thought my Freebie Friday would be something I could wear to the fair (if only in my dreams). I found this top years ago when I was looking for a stitch that might resemble fish scales. I wanted to make a mermaid costume and this pattern was one of the firsts I found. I loved it so much I have kept it and fondled it all this time (yes, you can fondle a pattern). I never actually made it exactly as it was written but it definitely inspired me to make some of my favorite pieces with that crocodile stitch. I finished my mermaid skirt and made a top go with it. I was a little too shy to make the top as revealing as this one but it was still pretty.

I’ve seen similar attire to the dragon top worn at previous Ren Faires and perhaps one day (after working out like crazy and losing a few pounds) I might be bold enough to make it and wear it. I love looking at it though. It is hands down something a dragon slayer would wear under her dragon cloak!

So for those who would dare, you can find this gorgeous Targaryen Dragon Scale Bikini Top here.

And for those of you dying to know what my mermaid skirt and top looked like, here it is being proudly worn to Ren Faire one year. I was supposed to fan the bottom portion out and fill it with stuffing so it would look like a fin but I never got around to it. I just let it hang but most people still recognized it as a mermaid outfit.

This outfit was inspired by the dragon top. I should have found better shoes though!

I am not affiliated with any websites nor do I make any money from these sites. They are simply patterns I like or would like to try myself.

Freebie Friday -(on Sunday :-) Cardigan

I have a tale of woe to tell. It is the reason I didn’t get out my Freebie Friday post out on, well, Friday. I hate to admit that I accidentally dropped my cell phone into a tank of water. This, after having done the exact same thing about a few weeks prior, but that time, my phone survived its swim. Alas, this time, it was destroyed. Worse still, I have only had my phone since November! There was a heated debate in my household as to how I could do the same thing twice when I had never done this with my previous phone. My very good argument was that the case I had purchased for this phone was very slippery and was a catastrophe waiting to happen. My hubby seemed to be of the opinion that my new phone was larger than my old phone and that’s why it kept slipping out of my hands. We are probably both right. Being without my phone was difficult. Who knows how many important texts I missed! (None probably 🙂 ). I was scrambling around trying to  get it repaired but in the end, I was forced to get a replacement. I am now up and running again and can now focus on getting my post out!

Lately, I’ve been seeing some really nice sweaters while out and about. I would go so far as to say I envious of the beautiful sweaters I’ve been seeing. I always wanted to make myself a lovely sweater and just never got around to it but lately, I have the itch to make one. I used to have this long, black, sweater that was made from yarn but I’m sure it was mass-produced. I’m not even sure where I got it from but it disappeared at least a year ago (but probably a lot longer). I loved that sweater and vowed I would either buy a new one or make one. I never did find one I liked and just didn’t get around to making one. Here’s one I found online that I think is worth trying. It looks pretty and not too difficult to make. Hopefully I can make it before the winter season is over. I don’t have much time so I better get started soon! The pattern can be found here.

I am not affiliated with any websites nor do I make any money from these sites. They are simply patterns I like or would like to try myself.

Freebie Friday – Spiral Crochet Dolls

Although this holiday season has been very busy, I somehow managed to get some crochet done. I worked on small projects I could finish quickly but that still brought me much joy.

I wanted to crochet some gifts for some friends but I needed to whip them up quickly, like due the next day kind of quick! As always when I am in a crunch, I scoured the internet for some speedy ideas. I found these cuties on Pinterest and knew I could make them fast and without a pattern.

Here is the one I made below:

The hat wasn’t exactly right but I liked it anyway.