Do you knit?

If you do, you are in luck!  I found this book in our public library and instantly fell in love with Fiona's dolls.  So much so, that I had to purchase her book (from Amazon ) even though I cannot knit a stitch :-)

There are nine dolls in all, ranging in size from just under 20 inches to just over 23  inches tall.  They have the most amazing faces, and you know how hard it is to create a pleasing face on crochet or knit fabric.  Fiona shows you a great way to do this, her instructions are simple and easy to follow.

The dolls have an extensive, removable wardrobe they can share (love that), cool hair, and great accessories.  What more can I say?

Oh yes, Fiona has a website, and has recently posted a free pattern for a 'chibi' girl; a petite knit girl that is way cute.  Check out  Fiona McDonald's blog here.

Normally I would say 'enjoy the crochet,' but instead I'll leave you with  'pick up those sticks!'

Happy Valentines Day!

Logan loves flowers; and she has a basket full for Valentines Day :-)

Her perky hat is another Annie's Attic pattern, in bright white, red, and blue.  Her jumpsuit is a combination of a shortened bodice and attached pantaloons, made a bit fuller, gathered below the knee, then ruffled.

A better view of the lace trim and big flower on Logan's hat.  The flower is from '100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet;' worked in size 3 crochet cotton.  The small flowers on her jumpsuit are the same flower, worked in size 8 perle with slightly smaller petals.

Logan is wishing all of you a very sweet Valentines Day :-)

Ready to travel

Claire says "I'm outta here!"

Claire has packed her bag, put on her hat, and is ready to leave the frozen Midwest.  But where will she go?  Five inches of snow in sunny Dallas?  Frostbite and freeze in the Deep South?  Maybe she'll head for the Caribbean and catch a cruise ship. 

Claire's pretty hat and bag are from the Annie's Attic series "Annie's Miniature Shoe Society," and her mock smock dress is available here on this blog (it is the Christmas dress with cap sleeves and Spring colors).

Closeup of the mock smocking on the bodice.  I love the texture that post stitches give crochet :-)

I sure hope that Groundhog was right; I'm ready for Spring!

After the Storm

Off our back porch

I've never seen ice this thick; it has coated every surface outside to about two inches.  The car is entombed in ice.

But we were lucky!  The storm that has swept from Texas to Main rained down mostly sleet on us yesterday afternoon and evening.  It has stuck to the ground, but not to the power lines.  So we are warm, and connected :-)

Can you see the Cardinal among the sparrows?

Eventually, we'll need to go and chip our way out of the ice, but right now I'm just grateful to be snug and warm.

Go safely out there...It's slick!

Nadia's new hat :-)

Nadia says "I look like Audry Hepburn!"  

This delightful hat pattern is from an Annie's Attic series entitled "Annie's Miniature Shoe Society."   The primary pattern was for a fancy dress shoe, but included a hat and purse as accessories.   These were published in 2000-2001 and are sadly out of print now.  If you do a Google search on the series, you may find some still available.

I loved the hats and bags for these patterns, but didn't really have a doll that the hat would fit well.  Sweet Pocket Spirits seem perfect; with 18 of these patterns, expect to see Pocket Spirits sporting fancy chapeaus in the future :-)

Enjoy the crochet!

Variations on a theme

My little dolls have pose-able limbs by using pipe cleaners in their arms and legs.  I worry a bit that bending these pipe cleaners too much will cause them to break, so here is another way to make these little dolls pose-able.  

For the pose-able Pocket Spirit above, I've crocheted seperate upper and lower arms, and upper and lower legs; so now she has an elbow joint and a knee joint.

Upper and lower arm, and what they look like stitched together.  Pipe cleaners are still inserted into the upper and lower arms, but the bending is now done at the joint.

And here is the leg, one completed and the other showing how the two are stitched together.

The arms and legs are a bit longer than the original Pocket Spirit, so I made her torso a bit longer too.  She stands just under eight inches tall; still a sweet size :-)  The pattern with these modifications is here:

Jointed Pocket Spirit Pattern

Meet Nadia!

Nadia and Comfort in sepia :-)

Enjoy the day, and enjoy the crochet!

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!

Aran Sweater

During the Christmas holidays I made my little Pocket Spirit an Aran sweater, and made both of us some pretty hair accessories.  The Hellbore and Holly patterns are from the book " 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet."  It has some of the loveliest flower patterns, and I was able to borrow it from our local Library :-)  The large flowers are crocheted in sportweight yarn, and glued to a hair barret.  The small ones are crocheted in size 8 perle and glued to a length of 1/4" ribbon and tied in her hair.

The sweater pattern is available here: Pocket Spirit Aran Sweater

And the pants are available here: Pocket Spirit Pants

Another fun project was this awesome tree, courtesy of Michaels.   My friend Joyce directed me to this link, and has made at least two beautiful trees from this pattern.  The pattern is easy, and can be made as tall or short as you like; it makes up fast, and is the prettiest crochet tree pattern I've seen.

Sadly, the link to the Christmas tree is no longer available from Michaels.

Start the New Year right and get hooking!

January 5, 1980

Hard to believe, but 31 years ago today Larry and I were married.  Yikes!  It doesn't seem possible that I'm old enough to be married that long :-)

We have been blessed with a companionable and loving marriage.  We enjoy each other's company, enjoy the same activities, and don't need a lot in the way of entertainment.

31 years have flown by; I don't feel a whole lot different than I did in this picture.  Have a great day...we plan to!