Taking the Leap

You may remember from last week that I had designed a simple doll dress (Everyday Play) using self-striping yarn.

The design now has a jacket to go with it. You can find it here.

Dolly’s version is a little longer for a slightly different look:

There was still some Simple Stripes (a discontinued Knit Picks yarn) in my “stash” (if you can count sock yarn as “stash”), so I designed this dress using pretty much the same design as the Everyday Play doll dress. It’s called "Stripes and Ruffles." It’s a free download.

People are starting to make my designs. It's fun to see my idea morph into someone else's.

Another designer on Ravelry had a free pattern for doll undies. Dolly didn’t have any undies because she came with snow pants, which went to Daphne Jr. at Christmas, so I made her some knitted undies using this pattern. Here’s the front:

And the back:

Either my gauge was off or the American Girl dolls have much bigger butts than Dolly and Gabi, so I ran some elastic thread through the waist and the leg holes. I also added a decorative trim around the leg holes. Now Dolly doesn’t have to be afraid to lift her skirt.

DGD1 came down with the flu, and since Vintage Stitchers was to be at Joanie’s I just had someone drop off the coffee cake I had and I stayed home. Joanie was just in the hospital with pneumonia a little over a week ago. I was afraid of taking germs to her house. Because I had promised quilts this week and I missed Vintage Stitchers, I’m showing you a few from past blog posts. How about this one of Rebecca’s from “Simple Graces” by Kim Diehl?

Ellen’s Star of Bethlehem or Lone Star:

Here’s one by Diane:

I hope to make the next meeting of Vintage Stitchers. I’m sure they will have good stuff to see.

DGD1 was really sick. She’s much better now, and she has had her stitches out .(Remember the encounter the the hair dryer?)

In other news, for Christmas, I had given DH the choice of snow tires for his car (after he ended up in a snow bank in spite of 4X4) or half of a Bose sound system, the big fancy one.

He ended up getting the tires for himself and was researching the Bose systems. He found a refurbished one without BlueTooth but still with WiFi for not too much more than the amount I had allotted, so it came home with us on Friday. (The BlueTooth would have cost an extra $100, and after thinking about it, we decided we didn’t really need that feature if we had WiFi.) We can play CDs, music from our music libraries (if the computer is on), any radio station we want and music from a variety of music-streaming services. The sound is great. I’m happy especially because the TV isn’t on as much.

Rehearsals for Park City's Messiah Project have started. It's a sing-along for the community sponsored by The Interfaith Council. I'm in the choir that sings the chorus pieces. The audience can sing along with us. Then we have soloists for the solo parts. It was a great success last year. Donations already have come in to pay the expenses.

We haven’t had any cuteness lately (other than the dolls), so here are the grandkids. First, Soren and Johan with Mom (Dad was taking the photo) at the San Diego Zoo.

Then here are Miss Daphne and Zachary having fun with Daphne Jr. 

DD says Daphne really enjoys changing Daphne Jr.’s clothes. Little does she (Daphne) know, come May and her birthday….

Happy Leap Year Day, everyone! (Single ladies can propose today. Why wait for Sadie Hawkins’ Day?)

What's on my needles:  “Plaid” doll skirt.

What's on my Featherweight: Still doll socks, tights and undies. Will start on Regency outfit for Dolly soon.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished "The Lady of Milkweed Manor" by Julie Klassen. Now reading "To Whisper Her Name" by Tamera Alexander. Still reading "A View to Die For" by Richard Houston on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Crane Lake Malbec again, always a favorite.

What's my tip of the week: If you read my disclaimer, below, you will notice I don’t do Windows. I’m Apple all the way. DH does Windows, though, and I have learned from him and friends that a good way to make someone suffer is to install Windows 10 on their computer. I wouldn’t know from firsthand experience, though.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

The Pitter-patter of Little Patterns

I’ve published a pattern on Ravelry, the first I’ve actually uploaded myself.

It’s for a doll, hence the “little.” Here’s the back:

It took me longer to write the pattern and post it on Ravelry than it took to knit.

This was my prototype, which I knit flat except for the sleeves:

I realized after finishing the skirt that the sleeves needed to be finished before joining the body, if knitted flat. This is the back, showing why I decided to do my second one in the round.

The self-striping works out well in the round, but the seam is very obvious when knit flat. The pattern now has directions for knitting in the round (using your method of choice: dpns, two circulars or magic loop) and flat. Although I have written directions for knitting the whole project with straight needles, I have only knit the sleeves in the round. I guess I should try knitting the sleeves according to my directions to make sure they work out. Now I’m working on a knitted jacket to go with each dress. I’ll probably publish the pattern when I get done, now that I sort of know how to do it.

Common Threads met on Thursday at Karan’s. Lynda is working on a Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ) for a friend’s baby.

Lynda is an experienced knitter, but she keeps remarking on how weird the BSJ is. Karan is making a scarf using cotton yarns in Easter colors.

The pattern is from from Vogue Knitting, Winter 2013/2014, the cover pattern.

Friday night we went to the ballet. Free tickets. Free tickets to the ballet is like a free kitten. You have to consider the additional expenses: gas, dinner out, parking, etc. Still, like a free kitten, the expense has its rewards.

Of course, no week would be quite complete without a trip to the emergency room. DGD1 dropped her hair dryer on her foot, ripping a gash in her little toe, requiring four stitches. Good news: I have my car back. Bad news: We have to drive her to work and pick her up.

What's on my needles:  Jacket to go with the dress. The Trickle Socks, waiting.

What's on my Featherweight: Still doll socks, tights and undies. Will start on Regency outfit for Dolly soon. (I know: promises, promises!)

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Watcher by Jo Robertson, a crime novel, another Audible “Deal of the Day.” Then read The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah Ladd. Now Listening to The Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen. Still reading A View to Die For by Richard Houston on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Glen Ellen 2013 Merlot. Nice.

What's my tip of the week: Wear shoes while you're drying your hair.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

It’s a Whirl

Last weekend’s Spin Along resulted in some interesting yarn:

The roving (fiber) was AlohaBlu’s Targhee "Saturated Spring,” 2 oz. The result is more or less DK-worsted. I got 108 yds, Navajo-plied to show off the colors. I used a Kromski Sonata wheel equipped with WooLee Winder.

Here’s what the singles looked like. I used long-draw or modified long-draw drafting method:

I'll post another photo after it's washed.

We’ve had a “new addition” to the doll family. This is Gabi:

She's the Tonner "My Imagination" Starter Redhead.

There are a few slight differences, though, from other 18" dolls. I measured her, and this is what I got: 

chest, 10 5/8” 

waist, 10” 

hips, 11” 

thigh, 5 3/4” 

calf, 5 1/8” 

upper arm, 5 1/2” 

full body around shoulders, 13 3/4” 

arm length from shoulder, 5 1/2” 

inseam, 6” 

head (about where a hat would rest), 12” 

height: 18” (without shoes)

She can wear most clothes made for other 18" play dolls, such as American Girl. She will be the foundation for a new set of fashions to be set aside for the next doll to give Miss Daphne. (I'm trying to spread them apart a bit.)

Gabi has an all-vinyl body, not a soft body, like the Madame Alexander doll, Dolly, and the American Girl dolls that are so popular. However, like the American Girl dolls, Gabi has a wig. (Dolly has rooted hair.) Also possibly important, her eyes don’t close, so she needs a sleep mask to get any sleep. I found a sleep mask pattern on Karen, Mom of Three’s Craft blog, July 16, 2012.

Gabi makes a great Little "Red" Riding Hood. Here she is with the wolf pup she met on the way to Grandmother’s house:

I finished the “Time for Tea” dress, started last month, for her.

Here’s the Ravelry Project Page. The pattern can be found here. The yarn is Stroll Tweed "Bare" I had dyed with KoolAid.

Here’s the back:

A slip underneath the skirt gives it some flair.

I had some issues worth discussing. First of all, someone on Ravelry observed that hand-dyed yarn sometimes left color that was hard to remove from doll bodies. Remembering that KoolAid can dye protein (animal) fibers but not cotton or acrylic, I conducted a test using the bottom of the foot on each doll. The “dye’ applied to each foot didn’t leave a mark on either. I will be vigilant, however, when using commercially hand-dyed yarns for either doll.

Another issue was the blocking. I thought I could just wash the dress and hang it to dry, because it’s so small, but it stretched, making it too long and too big in the neck (Superwash wool will stretch) and very limp. I wet it down again and dried it using the hair dryer, with the skirt spread out in a circle, which worked better than putting it in the dryer, because I could choose the shape. With the slip underneath it was just right.

Dolly hasn’t been neglected. I managed to get some lycra on Thursday after Vintage Stitchers and on Friday sewed the leotard for Dolly’s ballet costume.

The leotard (actually the swimsuit from Best Doll Clothes Book by Joan Hinds) can be used for practice sessions and classes at the barre, as well as for the foundation of her performance costume, sort of a Mardi Gras style costume.

The embellishments to the costume are made with Patons Twister in “Fruit Loops.” A three-stitch I-cord goes around each armhole and the neck. The one at the waist has the addition of 12” sections of the same yarn attached at more or less equal intervals with a single crochet stitch, allowing equal tails to hang down over the skirt, which is made from three equal 7” strips across the width of fabric, gathered. The net is attached to a ribbon and tied at the waist. The I-cord is separate, so it can all come off for practice.

At Vintage Stitchers almost everyone was sewing binding on quilts you have seen before, but Barbara had this one you haven’t seen since June of 2014, and certainly not quilted yet then.

The blocks come together in the middle of each dark shape. Templates were used, but the curves are gentle, and piecing was done easily by machine. Many of the fabrics are by Kaffe Fassett.

We’ve had some nice, sunny days. It won’t last, though, so we got out with the pups for a hike in the snow. No snowshoes needed, because the trail was nicely packed down.

What's on my needles:  Striped dress for Dolly. The Trickle Socks, waiting.

What's on my Featherweight: Still doll socks, tights and undies. Will start on Regency outfit for Dolly soon.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished From a High Tower by Mercedes Lackey. Great story, narrator was fine except for pronunciation of German words. Now listening to The Watcher by Jo Robertson, a crime novel, another Audible “Deal of the Day.” Still reading A View to Die For by Richard Houston on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Crane Lake Malbec, a staple at our house.

What's my tip of the week: It’s easy to make gathers in fabric without any special equipment. Make two parallel rows of basting stitches along the edge where you want the gathers to be. Pull the bobbin threads from each end and adjust the gathers so they are evenly distributed along the edge and the piece is the width you want it to be. Then you can tie the bobbin threads together or wrap them around a pin at each end. If the basting stitches show below the seam after you have sewn the gathered material to the bodice, sash or whatever other piece you’re using, it is easy to remove. In fact, it’s easier to keep the gathers even if you allow one row of basting to show below the seam.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Groundhogs, Wheels and Bowls

Last Monday the American Girl Knitters Ravelry group started its February knit along (KAL).

We were given a discount on any pattern by Una Hendry (from lots of choices) and had to finish one item from any of the patterns, post in the KAL thread and link to the KAL from our Ravelry page for the project.

I wanted to use leftovers and found Stroll sock yarn among my scraps in “White,” “Flagstone Heather” and “Rabbit Heather.” These last two are tweed. They were left over from three pairs of socks. It’s the middle of winter here, so I couldn’t see a sun dress or baby doll PJs, so I picked this one of the three ski sets. 

I made the ski pants from the “Rabbit Heather” first, because there seemed to be more of it, and I wanted to make them all one color. Dolly is holding her foot up so you can see the stirrup that goes under the foot.

After finishing the body of the ski sweater and as I was making the first sleeve, I realized I might run out of the “Flagstone Heather.” I decided to stop the first sleeve at that point and knit the second sleeve using the other end of the yarn. I got through the second pattern row at the shoulder before I ran out. I could have substituted one of the other colors without too much difficulty by altering the pattern slightly, but I had a skein of Essential sock yarn in “Ash,” which is pretty close to the “Flagstone Heather,” although not tweed. I substituted this for “Flagstone Heather” in the last two pattern rows on the sleeves. Some of it disappears into the seam at the shoulder anyway, so it wasn’t noticeable.

I used the leftover “Rabbit Heather” as the main color for the hat and used the Essential “Ash” along with the Stroll “White” for the contrast colors. Also not noticeable.

Part of the fun is the staging. As I did with the January KAL project, I used the chair and ottoman I made last month and the iPad for a roaring fire.

I added some “popcorn,” crushed styrofoam peanuts (an idea I found on Pinterest) and a cup of cocoa, with “marshmallows,” (also styrofoam peanuts, a couple of pieces that turned out the right shape). The perfect setting for après-ski.

I still have some things I need to make for Dolly before I put her aside to finish my hand-quilting and other projects.

The Spin Along started Friday and is still going on. I started out with this lovely fiber from Christina “Aloha Blu.”

We started Friday at noon. I chose to start with the two ounces of Targhee “Saturated Spring.” As of Sunday evening, after the bowl game, I had this much done with still about 45 minutes worth of spinning left to finish the 2 oz. bump of fiber.

If you’re reading this Monday morning, I am still spinning away. I plan on Navajo-plying, also called “chain plying,” because it’s similar to making a crochet chain. The loops are much bigger, and you make them as you spin in the opposite direction from the direction you spun the “singles,” which is what you call the individual ply.

Here in the high mountains, the sun shone brightly on Groundhog Day. I know that’s supposed to mean six more weeks of winter, but I wonder if it means ONLY six more weeks. That would turn out to be a short winter for us. To keep warm (even in the house it’s cold) the pups wear their sweaters and soak up the sun when they can.

Rocky’s sweater is made from left over Swish in “Lava Heather” with some “Squirrel Heather” and “Dove Heather” for contrast. Sunny’s is also made from “Lava Heather” and “Dove Heather,” but with “Dusk” as the other contrast color.

Even after a couple of warmer days (high 30s) we still have about three feet of snow on our roof.

Common Threads was cancelled because we had a blizzard, which creates a parking problem, but some of us managed to visit Joanie on Friday. Quilters: Vintage Stitchers meets again this coming Thursday, so there’s some hope for some quilting eye candy next week.

What's on my needles:  Still the “Time for Tea” party dress for Dolly. The Trickle Socks, waiting.

What's on my Featherweight: Still doll socks, tights and undies. Will start on Regency outfit for Dolly soon.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz, his latest novel, which came out in December. I really enjoyed it and think it’s his best so far. Then listened to Her own Devices by Shelley Adina. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I never thought Steampunk would appeal to me, but it does. Now listening to From a High Tower by Mercedes Lackey. Good so far. Still reading A View to Die For by Richard Houston.

What's in my wine glass: Crane Lake Malbec, one of our favorites.

What's my tip of the week: If you know who won the Superbowl, don’t tell anyone the result unless they indicate that they already know. They may have recorded the game.

Grandmother's House

The Little Red Riding Hood costume is finished:

Here’s the back.

Another view:

The cape pattern is Kit's Christmas Cape by Cathy Bird with adaptations, mostly for length. The yarn is City Tweed HW in “Romance.” You can get more information on my Ravelry page for the project.

I’ve always seen Little Red Riding Hood in a dirndl, although versions the fairy tale appeared in many European countries. I couldn’t find a dirndl pattern I liked, so I had to improvise from a free overall pattern for Pocket Dolls (of all things) and the blouse from The Best Doll Clothes Book by Joan Hinds, but without the collar. For the skirt and apron, I just cut a rectangle (WOF x 11” for the skirt, 19” x a little shorter than the skirt rectangle for the apron). After hemming I sewed three lines of basting at the top of each on the right side and gathered by pulling the bobbin threads. I didn’t remove the threads after sewing the bodice and sash on, but tied them together and cut them off short, so the gathers show on the right side. The bodice opens in front, with an overlap and a placket opening in the skirt.

The dress fabric came from Connecting Threads and was a clearance fabric that seems to be no longer available. The apron fabric was a fat quarter from a quilt shop. The apron and blouse fabrics came from some long-forgotten quilt shops.

I haven’t done the staging for this project yet, but I already have the basket and the wolf. I’m waiting until I can get this doll. I’m not sure the dirndl will fit, because I haven’t been able to find her measurements, but there's some room in the waist. If It doesn’t fit, I’ll just have to make another one. Oh, darn!

I plan to make a Regency costume for Dolly, so she won’t have to stand there nekkid after I send the clothes to Miss Daphne for her birthday.

I needed a project for Dolly while waiting for the Ravelry Forum “American Girl Knitters” February KAL to start on Monday and the Spin Along on Friday. Soooo…I had to CO this dress for her. It’s supposed to be a flower girl dress, but I think it would be a nice Easter outfit. I'm using Stroll in "White" for the contrast color and the main color is Stroll Tweed in "Bare" that I dyed pink with Kool-Aid.

Vintage Stitchers met at Diane’s on Thursday. She had this quilt mounted on the wall in her stairway. She told us all to take a look when we used the powder room.

Brenda is working on this flannel/wool project she had started a long time ago.

It's "Primitive Gatherings" from A Primitive Garden. (No, it isn't upside-down; the plants are hanging.)  Julie is working on this sampler.

I couldn’t find a link for it. Maybe it’s too new. However, I did find this link to a kit Julie bought from the same company, but hasn't started yet.

She participated in a workshop during a quilt retreat recently, where they all had to bring strips of cloth in different sizes. They passed out the strips, and each person took some strips out to sew together. Then they passed what they had sewn to the next person, sort of like musical chairs, except that no one was left out. She ended up with this:

Julie has finished her Cathedral Windows pillow cover.

She has the binding on her flannel/wool felt wall hanging.

Julie also took a class at the quilt retreat where they made several different kinds of blocks. This is a something-halo. (I’ve forgotten the rest of the name.)

I think this is a dahlia.

This flower will be appliquéd onto a background.

She also brought us an old quilt top from the 1950s with a plain acid-green background. It belongs to someone else, so I didn't take a photo. She wanted to finish it, but first she needed to see if she could find the green in a quilt shop. It had a border along one side. Either she needed to remove the border or match the green and finish the border on all sides. I came across her after the meeting at a nearby quilt shop, and she had found just the right thing. It's a very unusual color. She's going to finish the quilt, quilt it and give it back. What a nice friend!

Remember those hexagons Rebecca decided to appliqué onto a background? She has lots of this great fabric to use.

Barbara has finished two identical Cactus Flower wall hangings.

Marilyn made this table runner to replace the one she gave away to Rebecca:

...and this Sparkling Gemstones quilt from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott. (You may remember that several of the members, including moi, also made this quilt.)

Our hostess has finished this poncho in City Tweed DK. She made it according to the directions, but left off the optional cowl collar. She made it according to the directions, but left off the optional cowl collar. That makes her the third I know person to make this project.

Sundance is over. I had a great time, serving four shifts. Got to rub elbows with a few celebs and saw a few great films. I also got some knitting done while waiting for duty and guarding a door. This cold chap gave me an icy stare as I was leaving. I guess the people in the wait-list line got bored. 

He was almost gone by Saturday. It rained down in town on Friday night, although it snowed at our place. I think he melted because someone reminded him to "stay hydrated" because of the elevation, and he overdid it in the rain.

The snow continues to fall. And fall. [Sigh!]

Spinners, don’t forget, we’re having a Spin Along on the Knitting Community if anyone wants to join in.

Where? Right here, in the Knitting Community Spin Along.

When? Noon next Friday, February 5 until noon on Monday, February 8, 2016, in whatever time zone you're in.

Equipment: Spindle or wheel. (If you want to use the pencil method to spin, that's OK, too.)

Materials: Any spinable fiber. (Dryer lint, anyone?)

No prizes, no pressure, just spinning together and sharing what we’re doing.

What's on my needles:  “Time for Tea” party dress for Dolly. The Trickle Socks, waiting.

What's on my Featherweight: Doll socks, tights and undies.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Final Empire by Bandon Sanderson. I really enjoyed this one. I expect to read more by this author. Then I read Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen and narrated by Katherine Kellgren, who also narrated the “Bloody Jack” series. (I checked after I finished the book. One of the accents she had to reproduce rang a bell.) Speaking of bell, I’m now listening to Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz, his latest novel, which came out in December.  Finished The Other Harlow Girl by Lynn Messina on the Kindle app. It was entertaining, but sometimes you feel like the people in it are from today, and they got sent back in time. Now reading A View to Die For by Richard Houston. Not too far along yet, but it seems interesting and occasionally funny.

What's in my wine glass: Trapiche Malbec, 2014. Lovely.

What's my tip of the week: If you visit a location with a high elevation, do as Mr. Sundance Snowman did: avoid exercise, get plenty of rest, limit alcohol and stay hydrated until you get acclimated to avoid altitude (elevation) sickness. How long this takes will depend on your fitness level and the elevation where you live.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.