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 :-)

Three new girls

In between wrapping Christmas gifts I've been working on three new knit girls :-)   My knitting gauge is still not quite as it should be; the first two girls turned out a bit smaller than I intended.  Violet and Jennifer ended up  eight and a half inches tall.  But I love small dolls, so they will fit right in.  Their big sister Virginia is a few rows larger, which made her nine and a half inches tall. 

They all have lots of lovely mohair hair, and they were so fun to make. 

Now to get them dressed!

A simple knit sweater for Riley

Here is a very simple knit sweater to fit Riley, Tulah or Zsu Zse.  It is just rectangles, with no shaping.  The shoulder seams are sewn, then the sleeve stitches are picked up and knitted into the side of the sweater.  Sew up the sleeve and side seams, and it is done!  All you need to know are the knit and purl stitches.

This is a resizing of the knit sweater I designed for my knit Waldorf doll.

The pattern is here and on the left sidebar under Krochet for Kish.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Blessings, 2011

Many are our blessings.  These are mine.

Remember your blessings this Holy Day season.

Creative Black Friday

Welcome Creative Black Friday!  To celebrate a new tradition, here is a simple knit doll, about nine to ten inches tall, and her simple knit wardrobe.   With some very easy needle sculpting, she looks very much like a small Waldorf doll.  Here are the patterns:

Knit doll pattern

Knit Undies

Simple Knit Dress

Simple Knit Sweater

Simple Knit Pullover Sweater

Simple Knit Pants

There is also a picture tutorial to help you make the doll,  here at Knit Doll Tutorial.   All of these patterns and the tutorial can also be found on the left sidebar of the blog, under Knit Waldorf Style Doll Patterns.

These are the first knitting instructions I've put together, so if you have problems with understanding them, let me know and we'll figure out what it is I'm trying to convey :-)

What a pleasant way to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving; a gentle alternative to waiting in line for the latest toy or gizmo, that most likely will be forgotten in the crush of so many gifts.  I can't help but think that a single gift, made with love and given with joy, trumps store bought any day :-)  And think of the pleasure you will have in the making and creating.

 I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving, and enjoy the coming Holy Day season.  You should enjoy every gift you give :-)

Finishing the Christmas list

I had to take a break from the knitting and dollmaking to finish up a couple of items left on my Christmas list.  I don't know about you, but it has been a couple of decades since I shopped on 'Black' Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The plum colored cowl is from the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Crochet Today, made up in Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe.  It was lovely yarn to work with, and has a wonderful drape.  You can wear it with the buttons in front, or in back.  Looks great either way.

The bolero is a pattern I've had for ages, published in 2001 by the American School of Needlework.  It is worked in Lionbrand Homespun, which is NOT my favorite yarn to work with.  However, it made up beautifully.   This is the second time I've made this bolero; an easy pattern with a neat 'cable' look border accomplished with front post double crochet stitches.

Maybe we should start a new trend, called 'White' Friday, and spend the day making something as a gift for friend or family for Christmas :-)

Have a heartfelt and blessed Thanksgiving, my friends!

Charlie, helping to oversee the photo shoot :-)

Kaitlyn, a Christmas commission

Kaitlyn is a sweet little cat-eared Pocket Spirit, commissioned as a Christmas gift.  She was a lot of fun to make :-) 

Patterns for the doll, and her outfits, are available free here on the blog.  Look on the left sidebar for 'Links to Pocket Spirit Patterns.' 

I'm starting to run out of time!  Still have several Christmas gifts of my own to make, but I can't stop knitting :-)  I'm enjoying the heck out of learning something new.

Kaitlyn in her birthday suit :-)

The knitting lesson

Jane Ann, from a free knit pattern from Jean Greenhowe

When I was a kid, I asked an Aunt of mine to teach me to knit.  She tried, but gave up in exasperation, telling me it was 'just too hard for you to learn.'

Well, those words stayed with me for 45 years, until a good friend of mine, Tomi Jane, became interested (this is putting it mildly)  in Helen Kish's dolls, including the delightful knits that you talented knitters create for these sweet dolls.   I too have been in awe of tiny, perfectly knit sweaters, and yet felt this skill way beyond me.

Until now.  Tomi and I decided we would learn to knit.  This was suppose to be a New Years resolution, but I got the itch (to knit), and picked up 'Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting' from the library.   Cast on, knit, purl, increase and decrease.  All I needed to know to have a go at one of Jean Greenhowe's free doll patterns; another craving of mine.  I have loved her knit dolls for ages.  Now I have made one of my very own!

I am ecstatic with my little doll, well beyond just the making of a sweet doll.  Jane Ann is a symbol of empowerment.  We can do, we can learn, and we can create at any age.

Christmas Bazaar 2011 and a new Group!

The dolls I donated to this years High Street United Methodist Christmas bazaar, to be held tomorrow.   I hope they all find good homes :-)

I also want to share with you a new Flickr group that three of us, who love crochet dolls, have created.  It is Hooked On Dolls! and we would love to have you come and visit :-)  It is a group created especially for crochet and knit dolls, and we already have over 200 great photos.  

As always, enjoy the crochet!