Pocket Cottage

What can you make from Granny squares?  Afghans, scarves, caps, sweaters, dollhouses....Dollhouses?!  Yes, you can!  No power tools required :-)

The idea to make a dollhouse for the Pocket Spirits has been percolating in my mind for a couple months, and with Christmas now a sweet memory, there was time to see if the idea could become a reality.   I love dollhouses, but hammers and nails are not my strong suit.  Making a dollhouse from simple squares really appealed to me, and here are the results.

Roof and ceiling squares

All of the squares for the Pocket Cottage came from the book "200 Crochet Blocks."  I love this book, and had to resort to buying it instead of borrowing it constantly from the library.  Lots of great blocks, lots of great color combinations.

wall squares

These squares worked up to be nine inches, and it took 12 of these, plus two 9x4 rectangles and two 4x4 squares to make the dollhouse.   I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn and a G hook.   

floor and sleeping loft

Carboard is used to make the structure rigid.  Cut the cardboard after the blocks are crocheted and blocked (yes, blocked!  just dampen your crochet and lay it out on bath towels, squared up nicely so all the blocks are the same size).  I covered my cardboard pieces with fabric so the carboard wouldn't show.  

stitching the pieces with carboard in between

Stitch the walls, floor, roof, and loft by holding two squares wrong side together and single crochet around two side.  Insert the carboard between the squares and finish crocheting the squares together, stretching your squares to fit around the cardboard.

living room; time for tea :-)

When the pieces for the walls, floor, roof, and loft are complete, crochet the walls together with slip stitches; the top of the roof with single crochet and picots; the bottom of the wall to the floor and the top of the wall to the loft with slip stitches; and the roof to the walls also with slip stitches.  Crochet the roof apex pieces to the top front and back of the roof. 

Sleeping loft; bedtime with Bearable :-)

When the structure is complete,  give it a finished look by slip stitching around the front and back opening of the dollhouse.   If you like, crochet a fancy trim in the back loops of the slip stitches to mimic gingerbread trim along the roof line and also along the side edges of the roof.

Side view with gingerbread trim

Pretty simple!  The most difficult part of this is some awkward stitching when stitching the rigid pieces together.   A more comprehensive picture tutorial is available here:

Pocket Cottage Tutorial 

Cute, inexpensive, and made with your own hands :-)

Home Sweet Home for the Pocket Spirits!