Gauge matters; playing with yarns and hooks

From the left, Jane Doll in fingering weight, sport weight, and worsted weight yarn

The first doll I made from Kelly DeSandro's pattern was Ebony Jane, in the center of the picture.  I crocheted her with sportweight yarn (Knit Picks Wool of the Andes sport) and a size 1 steel crochet hook.  For the second doll, Azure Jane on the right, I used worsted weight yarn (Patons Classic Wool) and a size C hook.  And finally, for Emma Jane, on the left, I used fingering weight yarn (Knit Picks Palette) and a size 1 steel crochet hook.  The dolls range in size from 8.5 inches, to 9.5 inches, to 11 inches tall.  

This is the versatility of gauge, and matching up the yarn and hook to create a firm fabric for making a doll.  This way you can satisfy yourself with a larger or a smaller doll, just by changing around the yarn and hook.

I created a wardrobe for Ebony Jane, but I wanted to be able to use the same patterns for the other two girls.   I made each of them the basic camisole and undies/pants, plus a cardigan sweater, to work out what hooks and yarns worked best for each doll.

Ebony Jane's Wardrobe includes information for making these garments to fit three different size dolls, depending on what yarn and hook you choose to use.

Happy Dollmaking!

New Day, New Doll Pattern

 I was surfing through Etsy yesterday, just looking at all the offerings for crochet patterns.  So much wonderful, wonderful creativity!  Anyway, I saw this doll pattern:  Jane Doll and, well, I just had to have her :-)  Look at those wonderfully shaped shoulders, and the sweet, slim body lines.

5-23-2023 Sadly, this Etsy seller is no longer available  

I made the doll as written, except to make the head separate from the torso and give her a move-able head with a neck stub (you can find how I do this in several posts on this blog).  The pattern is exceptionally well written, with lots of construction photo's and detailed information.  Particularly nice is the detail given to making her full and lovely head of hair.

Ebony Jane

My Ebony Jane is crocheted with sportweight wool yarn and a size 1 steel hook.  I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes sport in Chestnut, Blossom Heather, and Peapod.  Her hair is a combination of three yarns:  Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Fairytale, Plymouth Yarns Alpaca Boucle and Classic Elite Yarn Pirouette, a lace weight mohair.  It took about 120  16 inch strands to cover her head.

Ebony Jane is 9 1/4 inches tall  before being wigged.  Her arm articulation is accomplished with twisted pipe cleaners.  I am looking forward to many enjoyable hours making her a wardrobe, and some sista's :-)

Marguerite Rose and her Rabbits

Marguerite Rose loves her rabbits!  She is a Lalylala mod based on Rita the Rabbit and my own Petite Paul.  I found her lovely rose embroidery on Pinterest, and the rabbit pattern on Ravelry:

Hops the Bunny Rabbit

Marguerite Rose is crocheted with Knit Picks Palette and Stroll fingering weight yarn and a size 1 steel hook.  Her rose motif is cross-stitch embroidered using the same yarns.  Her rabbits are also crocheted, holding one strand of Palette and one strand of Pirouette lace weight mohair together, with a size C crochet hook.

Miranda, the Owl Whisperer

Midnight on silent wings

Through snowy forests cold

Sudden fear the night owl brings

Hunting field and fold.

Whispering above the trees

Against the moon she flies,

Silent as the fading breeze

As twilight darkness dies.

Miranda is an owl whisperer, someone who can commune with these hunters of the night.  She is based on Lalylala's Paul the Toadstool pattern, modified to be smaller, and with a sweet owl motif cross-stitched to her torso (the cross stitch pattern is a free chart from from LucyKateCrafts)

Miranda's owl minions are Ariel, a Collared Scops owl; Basil, a Northern Saw-whet owl; and Cassandra, a Snowy owl.  I am happy to share the pattern for these three owls:

Miranda's Owls

When it is chilly in the woods, Miranda wears a knit cardigan sweater duplicate stitched with grape hyacinth flowers.  The sweet embroidery is a free chart available on Ravelry:  Hexipuff Spring Flowers, and the sweater pattern is another pattern I am happy to share with you:

Miranda's Knit Cardigan

And finally, no owl whisperer would be without her owl hat, which conveys special powers to understand owl-speak :-)

Miranda's Owl Hat

Miranda, her minions, and her clothing were all crochet or knit with Knit Picks Palette, a lovely wool fingering weight yarn.  Miranda, the owls, and the cap were crocheted using a size 1 steel hook (close to a B hook, or 2.25mm).  The cardigan sweater was knit, using both single point needles (for the body) and double point needles (for the sleeves) with  2.75mm knitting needles.