A Merry Christmas to All!

Here is hoping that all of you have a blessed Christmas day, shared with those you love, and filled with wonder and joy.

My final project for 2014 is a sweet Waldorf doll with a knit body.  Ivy Rose is about 12 inches tall, with a classic Waldorf head secured to a body knit in worsted weight yarn on double point needles.  No seaming!!

The pattern for Ivy Rose and her pinafore is here.  The instructions include a link to a picture tutorial for making the head that I put together several years ago:

Head tutorial

and a tutorial for making hair:

Hair tutorial

Both of these tutorials are also available here on the blog, along the left hand side.

Ivy Rose and I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Dollmaking Details

I love making dolls, and I love sharing what I've learned over many years of dollmaking.  There have  been many generous dollmakers that have shared their special techniques and tips on making exceptional dolls:  Judi Ward, Gail Wilson, Fiona McDonald, and many others.

Many techniques used in cloth doll making work quite well with crochet and knit.  The jointed head technique used on my crochet dolls I learned from Judi Ward making her cloth Bleuette, which in turn inspired my crochet Bleuette.  Using a crochet wig cap to make wigs for dolls came from the Waldorf dollmaking community.   Painting eyes on felt for crochet and knit dolls from Fiona McDonald.

To knit or to crochet?  Both are wonderful dollmaking mediums.  A knitted doll is generally softer, cuddlier, and more rag-doll like than crochet.  Crochet produces a stiffer, more rigid fabric that holds it shape on its own better than knit.  Crochet stitches are more visible than knit stitches; crochet works up much faster (for me!) than knit.  I love them both, and love their differences.  After knitting dolls for almost a year, I'm back to crochet.  If you both knit and crochet, they will keep each other ever green :-)

 I have some tutorials and a pattern to share today.  First is a basic camisole to fit Isabelle Kessedjian's My Crochet Doll.  I use this design for all the dolls I make.  It is simple, easy to fit to the doll, and can be used as a basis for dresses, romper, and t-shirts. 

My Crochet Doll Camisole and Undies

 This pattern has options for making rompers or a dress:

I used a different technique for making the hair on these dolls, which is a hybrid of Isabelle's instructions and the wig making I ususually use.  For Simone, on the left, and for the last two dolls I've made, I used a laceweight/fingering weigh yarn to produce hair that is more, well, hairlike :-) This tutorial is in PDF format so you can download it:

Hair Making Tutorial

And finally, all of these dolls have a roving wrapped armature inside the legs/torso and arms.  Roving is carded and unspun wool available in long lengths or ropes, which make it a great choice to wrap the wire armature with.  It is also a lovely stuffing medium, something I learned from Gail Wilson's cloth dollmaking.  It flows into the doll body very easily, packs well but doesn't distort your stitches.  It warms in your hands, which is an endearing quality in any doll.

Roving wrapped armature tutorial

If you are unfamiliar with roving, here is a site where it can be purchased:

Undyed wool roving from Weir Crafts

These techniques can be used with either crochet or knit, your own or someone else's design.  Mix and match patterns and techniques and make the doll of your dreams :-)

New Year, New Doll, New Hope

A new doll, and a new technique, for the New Year :-)  Rory Elizabeth, a commission doll for a dear friend, is a crochet Bleuette that is also sporting move-able wrist and ankle joints, in addition to her move-able neck, knee, and elbow joints :-)

The patterns:

Move-able wrist and ankle joints

Crochet Bleuette


A New Year, a New Hope.  Maybe we can all try to be the change we would like to see in the world.  A quote often attributed to Gandhi; a paraphrase of his exact words, but something nonetheless to strive for.  More kindness, more compassion, less me-ism.

I hope you all have a New Year filled with good health and creativity!

A gift from Victoria

These two wonderful wigs for crochet Bleuette were made by Victoria DiPietro, a most talented dollmaker and generous friend.  

Simple Wigs, and other Bleuette goodness

Making wigs and hair for my dolls is my favorite part of the dollmaking process.  Once the doll has a wig, that is when her (or his) personality comes alive.

Simple Bleuette Wigs

These four wigs are very simple to make, based on the basic crochet wig cap.  In this instance, the wig cap is also part of the hair.  By using mohair yarn, you don't really need to cover the wig cap with strands of yarn.  This saves on yarn, saves on time, and is great for a play-able doll for a child.  These wigs will fit any doll with a seven inch circumference head, and can be adapted to fit any doll at all.

You can make these wigs with any yarn, really; but the fuzzier it is (higher mohair content) the more it will look like those pictured above.  Brushed nylon will also work, and the many 'fun fur' eyelash yarns as well.

The only drawback to these yarns is that the stitches can be hard to see.  So, if you are just beginning, I would suggest making light colored wigs at first: blond, gold, peach and light shades.  Also, crochet with a piece of white paper in your lap...it helps to see the stitches.  Don't worry too much about mistakes or missed stitches...they become invisible in this kind of yarn :-)

A couple of other goodies to share:

A Mostly Knit Shrug for Bleuette!  The shrug is knit as a rectangle nine inches long and three inches wide.  Fold it lengthwise and sew up  two and a half inches on either end for the sleeves, then crochet a border around the rest of it.  I like the knit for the body as it gives a soft hand to the fabric, and the crochet edging adds crispness around the edges.

And a Link Stitch Bodice.  This bodice is worked from the neckline down, so you can easily make it any length you want.  It starts with a series of 18 links.  I like working into links better than working into chain stitches; it is easier to get a neat border, and gives a sweet eyelet look to the neckline.

Enjoy the day, and enjoy the crochet!

Portrait Dolls by Victoria DiPietro

 Katheryn Josephine in her many wigs

I have an exciting project in the works!  I've been asked by doll artist Victoria Di Pietro  to collaborate with her on a doll design CD to be offered this coming Spring.  Victoria designs and creates some of the loveliest dolls in cloth and paper clay that I have ever seen.  And her costuming skills are equally impressive. 

Katheryn Josephine, above, is a working model of the Portrait Doll that Victoria envisions.  My contributions to the endeavor are the crocheted wig designs that Katy Jo is modeling, and some easy crochet garments yet to be created.

Anita Marie, with a wig of Tibetan lamb

This is Anita Marie, sister to Katy Jo, also created by Victoria.  Victoria also crafted her wonderful wig, from Tibetan lamb.  All of the wigs are removable, thanks to a crochet cap as the base.  Simple double sided tape secures the wig to the head.

You can see, in both of these wonderful dolls, Victoria's amazing costuming skills.   Clothing patterns by Victoria, and crochet patterns by moi.

 Anita Marie and Katheryn Josephine, beautifully crafted by Victoria DiPietro

This doll is created in craft velour, with the head sculpted in paper clay.   This is a beautiful doll from within and without.  A Portrait Doll, to create in the image that you envision.

I hope this has piqued you interest in this unique doll.  Stay tuned for further developments :-)

Wigmaking for Tulah

 Tulah modeling her many wigs

I love dolls; all kinds of dolls.  My favorites are those of cloth and crochet, but there are some 'store bought' dolls that I cannot resist.  Small BJD's, and the lovely dolls of Helen Kish, fall into this irresistible category.

So when a dear friend of mine (hi Tomi!)  became seriously smitten by Helen Kish's small Riley, it reignited my interest in my own little Riley and Tulah, her friend.  But how to add a personal touch to a doll made by other hands in a far country?

How about a hand made crochet wig?  So, here is a wig making pattern for making your own wig for a very small doll.  Riley and Tulah have a head circumference of 4 1/4 inches.  The wigs are made of laceweight Mohair yarn, which works up to a gauge similar to size 10 crochet cotton.  This wig pattern can be adapted to other small dolls, particularly small Lati's  (White and Yellow)  and Fairyland dolls (Puki Puki and Puki Fee).

And, I think  Riley and Tulah are in for some crochet finery.  You know the drill, camisoles, pantaloons, dresses, sunsuits.  Should be fun!

Tulah says, 'enjoy the crochet!'

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!

A Good Hair Day

I really do love making wigs for my dolls :-) As you can see above, I decided to make three different wigs for my warm brown Mini Free Spirit. She could not decide if she wanted to be a blond or a brunette, or how she wanted to wear her hair. So, I made a dark golden blond long-haired wig, a strawberry blond wig with two ponytails, and a brunette wig with one ponytail.

These wigs really are easy to make. The yarn does all the work; for these I used a very hairy worsted weight yarn. I also used a mohair laceweight yarn held with the worsted weight to add highlights to the hair, but this is not necessary. The hairy yarn give a wig cap that really doesn't need to be covered with yarn strands, so I didn't. For various ponytails or pigtails I just hooked a few strands of yarn in the appropriate places and pulled the yarn together with little hair clips.

I have not had any luck finding these yarns locally, so my best advice is to try A Child's Dream Come True, Magic Cabin Dolls, or Weir Dolls and Crafts, all on the web.

Below you can see how she looks in her different wigs.


Enjoy the holidays, and enjoy the crochet!

Confessions of a fiber junky

I don't think I'm a yarn snob. My all time favorite yarn for making doll bodies remains Red Heart Super Saver or Classic worsted weight yarn. It is easy to crochet tightly, makes a strong fabric and creates great three dimensional shapes. It wears like iron, and is easy on the pocket book. An eight ounce skein of Super Saver will make four Free Spirit dolls, so at $2.50/skein, that is only 63 cents a doll. What a bargain!

For hair, however, I must confess I love wool. And when I get a little extra pocket change, that is my yarn of choice for any and all doll hair. Recently I found a luscious wool/tencel blend at my local yarn shop. It is made by Berroco and is called Lustra. It is 50% Peruvian wool and 50% Tencel, in a single ply (which I love the look of for hair). It will make lovely shiny hair with that wonderful wool tactile feel. I can hardly wait to use it! Below are four colors that I couldn't resist. At $9.00 for a 3.5 oz skein, it isn't cheap, but will probably make two or three wigs, and since we saved so much money on the body yarn, a little splurge on hair is okay :-)





More yarns that I love for hair are shown here; another Berroco yarn called Peruvia, which is a 100% Peruvian single ply wool. An Alpaca/wool blend; a kid mohair/silk blend lace weight, which is too fine to use by itself but blends wonderfully with anything to add highlights and 'hairy-ness.' Also included here is a mohair yarn, which is the best for yarn hair that closely mimics real hair.

A trip to your local yarn shop, if you are fortunate enough to have one close, will yield a gold mine of possible yarns for hair. There are also many places on the internet to get good yarn hair. A Child's Dream Come True is one of my favorites for mohair and single ply wool (they carry Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, very similar to the Berroco Peruvia).

Wig Making

Wig Making!

One of the things that seems to daunt a lot of dollmakers is making the hair. This is one of my favorite parts of making dolls. The personality seems to lite up with the hairstyle: demur, vivacious, thoughtful, sassy, whatever. I use a crochet wig cap for all the doll hair that I do, and it yeilds a great head of hair, without worrying about the scalp showing through. I have a tutorial I can share for doing this; although the model in the tutorial is a Waldorf doll, I use this very same technique for all my dolls.

The tutorial is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29184580@N04/sets/72157619529864003/

And some examples of doll hair are: