Monday, July 25, 2011

Guest Crochet Dollmaker - Joyce Yearsley

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Joyce Yearsley, also known as Dutzie on Flickr.  She is a wonderful crochet dollmaker, and Melanie, above, is the latest example of her lovely work and crochet innovation.   

Melanie has the most delightfully curly hair, made from crochet roses attached to a wig cap!  Simple as that, and yet so cute.  Joyce has shared a tutorial for making this wig cap on her Flicker site, and has also graciously allowed me to share it with you on my blog.  Click the link curly wig cap or find it on the left hand sidbar under Tutorials by Joyce.

This delightful doll also has another cool innovation...ball jointed arms and legs!  This is a technique you can apply to almost any crochet doll you are making; Joyce shows you how in her tutorial Ball Jointed Arms and Legs also shared here.

I am truly fortunate to know such a gifted and generous dollmaker.  Thank you, Joyce, for sharing your talents with us!

My latest Teacupsie Spirit used Joyce's curly wig cap tutorial to make her cute wig.  Crocheted from size 10 crochet cotton, I just made the unrolled roses a little longer for sausage curls.  What a great idea :-)

Enjoy the crochet!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Welcome home, Atlantis. Farewell, Shuttle

All the photos on this page are from the NASA website:  www.nasa.gov


Shuttle Atlantis touched down this morning at 5:58 EDT, bringing to an end the Space Shuttle program, after 30 years of flight.

I watched entranced, 42 years ago yesterday, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.

As a child in grade school in the 60's, every Gemini and Apollo launch was watched on a TV wheeled into the room just for that purpose.  I was captivated by the space program, as so many of my generation were.  The space program was a ray of hope during the bitter decade of the 60's, and inspired me to study science and math, and go on to become an engineer.  



I recall holding my breath as Columbia landed for the first time, in 1981.   I watched dumbstruck as Challenger broke apart in 1986.

And I have been wholly amazed at the construction of the International Space Station.  Not only a marvel of engineering; not only like building a ship in the middle of the ocean from the keel up, but of the international cooperation between countries that only a few years ago were bitter enemies.


Interestingly, we cooperate better in space with former enemies and rivals, than we do within our own congress.

In space we speak a common language of committment, focus, dedication, and passion .  Surely this is a legacy that must be passed on to our children.  If we do nothing else as a country, we should inspire our children to dream beyond their horizons, to be passionate and focused and dedicated.  The space program brings out the very best in us, and shows us just what amazing things we can accomplish, when we work together.


Welcome home Atlantis!  Godspeed, NASA, on your next manned mission of discovery.  I hope the wait will not be too long.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Variations on a Teacup Theme

I'm a sucker for cute, tiny dolls; and these little sweeties are a wonderful inspiration for a variation on the Teacup theme :-)  By altering the basic Teacup Spirit pattern a very happy little crochet Teacupsie Spirit can be created.

You can find the pattern for the alterations here and on the left sidebar under Teacup Spirit Patterns.  She can even wear the Teacup Trousseau :-)

Enjoy the crochet!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Tiny Teacup Trousseau


Now you can cloth your Teacup Spirit in a variety of outfits, from one basic pattern :-)  All of these dainty little costumes start with a bodice worked from side to side, my favorite way of making crochet doll clothes.  If you work in the back loops only, you get a neat ribbed effect, like the pretty pink camisole in the bottom right.  Or you can work in both loops for a vertical line.   You can also alternate colors for vertical stripe, as in top left.  Cap sleeves, lace sleeves, puff sleeves, or no sleeves.  It is a great starting point for your imagination!

The pattern is here, and also on the left sidebar under Teacup Spirit Patterns.

Enjoy the crochet!