Friday, August 23, 2019

Knits for your tiny tribe

Knitting does not come naturally to me, but I love it just the same.  Tiny knit sweaters have a sort of magical charm, so I made some for my tiny tribe.  I used fingering weight yarn, and size 00 needles.  About as tiny as my fingers and eyes want to go!

The girls also wanted a knit sundress and rompers, which are basically the same pattern, with a divide for the legs for the rompers.  These patterns are all included here, if you want to make some tiny knits.  The only ones that require dpn's are the pullover, and the long sleeves on the sweater.  I used dpns on the skirt of the dress, but it could be made flat and hemmed up; the legs of the rompers are really easier to make on dpn's.

Knits for tiny tribe

Have a delightful dollmaking day!

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Liberty and Justice for All.


"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Do these words only apply to whites of European ancestry?  Read them carefully.  If they do not apply to all, then this country has lost its soul.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Bead and Dowel dolls revisited


About a year and a half ago, Joyce and I collaborated on a doll design that used wooden beads for the head, dowel rods for the limbs, and a very simple crocheted body.  The doll was about 5 1/2 to 6 inches tall, and a nice, slender companion to Hitty.  You can find the pattern here:

Hitty bodied peg doll

Some Facebook inspiration got me interested in making a tinier doll, that could stand on her own.  So now, I have another pattern to share, for this little bead and dowel mite.  She stands (on her own!) right at four inches:

Tiny bead and dowel doll

The pattern includes, hopefully, all the tools you will need to make this doll.  In addition, there are patterns for four different wigs made from fingering weight yarn and a size B crochet hook:


And three different outfit plus a sunhat, made with size 8 perle cotton and a size 6 steel hook:


You can use the nightgown bodice or the camisole to make a sundress, and I have some other ideas for outfits in the making.  Here is a list of what you will need to make the doll.  This list looks long, but these are pretty simple tools and supplies.  Hopefully you can get them at your local hobby shop, or if not, they are available online:

Materials, for the doll: 
-An exacto knife for very minimal shaving of the wood dowel and spools
-Small saw and miter box for sawing the dowel rod pieces
-Pin Vise (tiny hand drill) for drilling the dowels to string the limbs to the body.
-200 grit (fine) sandpaper for minimal sanding
-Black paint for eyes and boots
-Pastels in shades of pink for blush
-Modge Podge to seal wood pieces
-Glue
-Toothpicks for painting eyes.
-20mm (3/4inch) wood bead with at least 3/16 inch hole
-One 12” long ¼” diameter dowel rod for body support, arms and legs (will make one doll)
-Two ½ x ⅝ inch spools for boots
-Strong craft thread for jointing the doll’s limbs
-Four  ¼ inch buttons for jointing the doll’s limbs
-Size 3 crochet cotton to make the body
-Size B crochet hook.
-Embroidery needle that will fit through the holes drilled in the dowel rods.

-Craft or carpet thread.


I'll end this post with my favorite picture. I love making dainty undies!