I have always had a distressing tendency to rotate through hobbies like I have commitment issues. I cross-stitched everything that came in to reach for a year, then did no cross-stitching for 4 years. Then I was devoted for two and a half years and haven't touched cross-stitching in at least eight years.
There is a real possibility that I may suddenly begin cross-stitching everything again either next week or twenty years from now. LOL
The dolls just haven't been getting the time and attention they used to. Part of it is that we've had a lot of big projects and overtime at work that leave me with less time, and to be honest, a lot less energy. Part of it, I think, is that after all this time, I've really made everything the dolls could need! And part of it is just my natural hobby-rotation... I'm not as interested in sewing or knitting right now. I've been drawing and trying to learn Spanish in my limited free time instead.
But I love my dolls!
I truly cannot part with most of them. What I really want is to be able to enjoy them more, rather than just taking pictures four or five times a year.
But I could part with a lot of their wardrobe, and a lot of the props. I think having less for them will allow me to enjoy them more, and will give me more incentive to make them things!
So I think I've made a few decisions:
1. Flake is to be sold. She's charming! But having both her and Hope feels redundant. I know that there is someone out there who would adore having Flake and her pink wardrobe come to stay with them.
2. I'm only keeping the props for the "main room" set. That means that Emily's bedroom, and the truly awesome furniture I purchased for the Pukifee nursery, will all go. Extra stuff from the "Craft Room" setup will be heading out. And a lot of the "little" props that go with those rooms.
3. I'm going to be doing a couple giveaways, to send off a bunch of clothing in Pukifee and Littlefee size. That clothing might as well go to someone who will use it frequently, and Emily, Kipling, Cairo, and Samara will have wardrobes that only contain my very favourite of their outfits. I'll likely do it through Flickr, and it will be done in 1-3 Lots, to reduce the costs of shipping.
4. I won't be purchasing any new dolls in the near future. The only doll-related spending I may do is to find an alternate faceup artist who favours very natural faceups (preferably in Canada) to do Hope's faceup.
I hate the thought of parting with anything, but I love the thought of the extra space I will have, and how much easier it will be to find what I want for the dolls. I suspect this is one of those cases where, once I have less, I will be able to enjoy what I do have more.
...plus, once they no longer have giant wardrobes, I am much more likely to be motivated to make them something new! ;)
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Friday, July 24, 2015
Life in Fifteen Minute Intervals
Work has been...well, let's say busy, and leave it at that. I keep reminding myself that this project won't last forever. Till next June, but not forever. And I'm getting paid, which means I have an apartment and food and yarn and Nieceling's gymnastics and Nephew The Elder's Football camp covered, and these are all very good things.
At any rate, I haven't had much time for anything, and this is the time of year I have small visitors (my sister's children) part of every week as well. LOL Posts may continue to be sporadic.
However, there are are a few things I can work on in 15-20 minute bursts, and one of them is a doll sweater for Nieceling's birthday in September. I was hoping to get two completed, and it is still within the realm of possibility... If I get this first one done!
I'm actually further along on this now; I've reached the point of joining and knitting the rest of the body in the round. So it is possible (maybe?) that I might hit my self-imposed deadline of the end of July.
I also purchased a Gingermelon kit the other day, when there was a sale, so I will be sewing up the most adorable little cat for Nieceling as well:
The decision was made this year that Nieceling, who has done a great job taking care of her Journey Girl doll and co-owning Saila with me, would get to pick out her very own Maplelea Doll for her seventh birthday. She's picked Alexi, who just arrived this week! She was allowed to pick an outfit as well, and of course picked the gymnastics outfit.
Nieceling started gymnastics in the spring, and is loving it, so I think that impacted her choice of doll! I knew from Saila that the dolls are actually great quality and very cute, but I was pleasantly surprised when Alexi arrived. In pictures she is one of the ones that tend to have the "staring" or "startled" look, but that isn't evident in person at all. She is actually adorable.
Now I just have to wait till September to be able to give her to her very excited new owner...
I have today off, and intend to enjoy every minute of it, starting with catching up on blogs and Flickr this morning! :)
At any rate, I haven't had much time for anything, and this is the time of year I have small visitors (my sister's children) part of every week as well. LOL Posts may continue to be sporadic.
However, there are are a few things I can work on in 15-20 minute bursts, and one of them is a doll sweater for Nieceling's birthday in September. I was hoping to get two completed, and it is still within the realm of possibility... If I get this first one done!
I'm actually further along on this now; I've reached the point of joining and knitting the rest of the body in the round. So it is possible (maybe?) that I might hit my self-imposed deadline of the end of July.
I also purchased a Gingermelon kit the other day, when there was a sale, so I will be sewing up the most adorable little cat for Nieceling as well:
The decision was made this year that Nieceling, who has done a great job taking care of her Journey Girl doll and co-owning Saila with me, would get to pick out her very own Maplelea Doll for her seventh birthday. She's picked Alexi, who just arrived this week! She was allowed to pick an outfit as well, and of course picked the gymnastics outfit.
Nieceling started gymnastics in the spring, and is loving it, so I think that impacted her choice of doll! I knew from Saila that the dolls are actually great quality and very cute, but I was pleasantly surprised when Alexi arrived. In pictures she is one of the ones that tend to have the "staring" or "startled" look, but that isn't evident in person at all. She is actually adorable.
Now I just have to wait till September to be able to give her to her very excited new owner...
I have today off, and intend to enjoy every minute of it, starting with catching up on blogs and Flickr this morning! :)
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Trilliums are arriving....
It is finally here! The Trilliums are starting to bloom:
This is the first one I saw today. But it is a sure thing that when you see one, you will soon see a whole carpet of them!
The most amusing thing about Trilliums is that we are all convinced it is illegal to pick them, when it turns out it isn't! Still, the first thing we teach a child encountering their first Trillium is that they must never, never pick one. This particular flower is best enjoyed outdoors anyway. :)
Since it wasn't raining (or snowing) I had to take Emily out to explore, of course!
Her jacket is the one I was working on a while ago (I just sewed on the snaps and buttons yesterday... LOL). It is the Queen Street Jacket pattern by Kristen Maw. It was actually very quick to knit. :)
I have missed being able to take outdoor pictures of the dolls terribly! They are always the most fun. :)
This is the first one I saw today. But it is a sure thing that when you see one, you will soon see a whole carpet of them!
The most amusing thing about Trilliums is that we are all convinced it is illegal to pick them, when it turns out it isn't! Still, the first thing we teach a child encountering their first Trillium is that they must never, never pick one. This particular flower is best enjoyed outdoors anyway. :)
Since it wasn't raining (or snowing) I had to take Emily out to explore, of course!
Her jacket is the one I was working on a while ago (I just sewed on the snaps and buttons yesterday... LOL). It is the Queen Street Jacket pattern by Kristen Maw. It was actually very quick to knit. :)
I have missed being able to take outdoor pictures of the dolls terribly! They are always the most fun. :)
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Hurry up, Spring!
We have another month of winter to go, but today we have a rare day of sunshine....and it is utterly lovely! <3
I sewed on a snap for another of the "These are finished...except for snaps" pile. This one was for Cairo. I used Wovenflame's Pukifee Dress pattern, but lengthened the sleeves by a few rows and added some knit-in pockets.
Oh, and I changed the transition a bit, as I wanted a bit of a band there rather than the eyelets or single row.
This is the first time I've done the knitted-in pockets. My mattress stitch isn't as neat as it could be, but I love the look of the pockets so much that I can see more practice at it in my future. LOL
I think if Spring doesn't get here soon, there may be nothing left of Claire's main room....
If they can't go outside, they'll make their own fun!
I sewed on a snap for another of the "These are finished...except for snaps" pile. This one was for Cairo. I used Wovenflame's Pukifee Dress pattern, but lengthened the sleeves by a few rows and added some knit-in pockets.
Oh, and I changed the transition a bit, as I wanted a bit of a band there rather than the eyelets or single row.
This is the first time I've done the knitted-in pockets. My mattress stitch isn't as neat as it could be, but I love the look of the pockets so much that I can see more practice at it in my future. LOL
I think if Spring doesn't get here soon, there may be nothing left of Claire's main room....
If they can't go outside, they'll make their own fun!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Catching Up!
The Internet hasn't been cooperating lately, but it seems to be doing better the last couple days. Is it a co-incidence that that also marks the end of the couple week long streak of temperatures hovering at -30? Hmm...
I finished off a couple sweaters today. They were sadly sitting in the "add snaps and buttons" pile, and both were for Emily. So I thought it was about time to get them done!
Here's the Rainbow cardigan, which I just adore:
The whole time I was working on this sweater I had songs from the 80s playing in my head. LOL It is such a cute sweater and I love the way the hood is constructed. :) This is from Kristin Maw's "House Sweater for Littlefee" pattern, which can be found on Ravelry or Etsy. It was a really quick knit! I may make a single colour version for Emily with the pocket sometime too.
The second sweater was a pink sweater made from my own pattern. I think I really do have that exactly the way I want it now!
Yesterday I had Nieceling pick out the winner of the Pukifee dress and blanket set giveaway, which she really enjoyed. She loves sending mail, and nothing makes a six year old happier than a little power over the world, so picking the winner was definitely her idea of a good time.
This is the set here, modeled by Kipling:
You can see that Kipling had some (unwanted) help from Edith! The blanket is from a free pattern on Pixie Faire. I knit the Bitty Baby size (minus two repeats) with laceweight, on 1.25mm needles. The yarn is actually Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread (100% viscose from Bamboo), and it is lovely for this sort of thing. It has a much better drape than some of the other crochet threads I've tried.
I've been playing around lately with hand-lettering and calligraphy. I'm terrible at it, but it is fun! I really like this site: The Postman's Knock
Definitely worth checking out if you are into that sort of thing. It gave me some inspiration for this summer's project: Nieceling and I are going to embark on an epistolary adventure this summer. By which I mean that I've been collecting addresses from various relatives willing to send mail back to her and will mail any letter she wants to send. Good practice for her both in printing and in spelling/putting together written sentences, and she will be uttlerly thrilled to get letters or postcards back. :)
I finished off a couple sweaters today. They were sadly sitting in the "add snaps and buttons" pile, and both were for Emily. So I thought it was about time to get them done!
Here's the Rainbow cardigan, which I just adore:
The whole time I was working on this sweater I had songs from the 80s playing in my head. LOL It is such a cute sweater and I love the way the hood is constructed. :) This is from Kristin Maw's "House Sweater for Littlefee" pattern, which can be found on Ravelry or Etsy. It was a really quick knit! I may make a single colour version for Emily with the pocket sometime too.
The second sweater was a pink sweater made from my own pattern. I think I really do have that exactly the way I want it now!
Yesterday I had Nieceling pick out the winner of the Pukifee dress and blanket set giveaway, which she really enjoyed. She loves sending mail, and nothing makes a six year old happier than a little power over the world, so picking the winner was definitely her idea of a good time.
This is the set here, modeled by Kipling:
You can see that Kipling had some (unwanted) help from Edith! The blanket is from a free pattern on Pixie Faire. I knit the Bitty Baby size (minus two repeats) with laceweight, on 1.25mm needles. The yarn is actually Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread (100% viscose from Bamboo), and it is lovely for this sort of thing. It has a much better drape than some of the other crochet threads I've tried.
I've been playing around lately with hand-lettering and calligraphy. I'm terrible at it, but it is fun! I really like this site: The Postman's Knock
Definitely worth checking out if you are into that sort of thing. It gave me some inspiration for this summer's project: Nieceling and I are going to embark on an epistolary adventure this summer. By which I mean that I've been collecting addresses from various relatives willing to send mail back to her and will mail any letter she wants to send. Good practice for her both in printing and in spelling/putting together written sentences, and she will be uttlerly thrilled to get letters or postcards back. :)
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Little bit of progress?
That whole "making time to do the things I love" resolution is harder to keep than you'd think. LOL But Thursday night I cast on a pattern I'd wanted to try:
This is the Rainbow variation of Kristin Maw's "House Sweater for Littlefee" pattern. It's actually done now, and being blocked. It didn't take very long, even with me making a couple minor errors along the way (peril of working on something in the evening).
Yesterday I finished off the bricks for the back wall of Parker's attic, and today I gave it the first coat of paint. I'm not too sure if I like it yet, but we'll see what it looks like after the next coat, which should add more depth. I figure if I don't like it when it's done, I'll give it a "whitewashed" look with the white paint!
I do love the texture of the bricks - the egg carton does a great job of mimicking real bricks from that point of view!
The pictures are courtesy of my brand-new second-hand iPod Touch. LOL That is, new to me! I've been using my old iPod Nano for the last...erm...wow, must be about 12 years? It was back in that day when all an MP3 Player did was play music. I'm having a lot of fun playing with this fancy new version! I don't have a "smart phone", but the iPod Touch seems to do pretty much everything but phone calls. ^_^
This is the Rainbow variation of Kristin Maw's "House Sweater for Littlefee" pattern. It's actually done now, and being blocked. It didn't take very long, even with me making a couple minor errors along the way (peril of working on something in the evening).
Yesterday I finished off the bricks for the back wall of Parker's attic, and today I gave it the first coat of paint. I'm not too sure if I like it yet, but we'll see what it looks like after the next coat, which should add more depth. I figure if I don't like it when it's done, I'll give it a "whitewashed" look with the white paint!
I do love the texture of the bricks - the egg carton does a great job of mimicking real bricks from that point of view!
The pictures are courtesy of my brand-new second-hand iPod Touch. LOL That is, new to me! I've been using my old iPod Nano for the last...erm...wow, must be about 12 years? It was back in that day when all an MP3 Player did was play music. I'm having a lot of fun playing with this fancy new version! I don't have a "smart phone", but the iPod Touch seems to do pretty much everything but phone calls. ^_^
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Building a wardrobe...
Around the regular tasks, I took some time to work on fun doll things this weekend. Mostly, of course, stuff for Parker.
I started gluing down bricks for the back wall of Parker's attic. I swear I thought I was being really consistent with the size I cut them till I started gluing them down! I'm consoling myself that it's an old, abandoned clock tower...how great could the brick work be anyway?!
I did the finishing on Parker's sweaters - sleeves knit, blocking, ends woven in, buttons and snaps sewn on. Then I gathered her little pile of clothing together to admire what she has, and got an idea:
Nothing new needed to be purchased for this, much to my glee. The foamcore is left over from when I cut down the walls of her attic. The dowel, t-pins, and wire were in the craft bin, obviously purchased for some abandoned project in the past. LOL
I need to make a little basket or something to hold her socks down there at the bottom. I saw a great one someone had made from Aida, and I believe I have some of that in the craft bin as well.
I've got two sewn dresses in progress for her, but ran out of time to finish them. I've also got one knitted dress in progress. After that though, I think I really need to focus on more socks, a couple skirts...then maybe a coat.
I think half the fun of this project is finding ways to use up the odd stash of craft supplies I've accumulated over the years. ;)
I started gluing down bricks for the back wall of Parker's attic. I swear I thought I was being really consistent with the size I cut them till I started gluing them down! I'm consoling myself that it's an old, abandoned clock tower...how great could the brick work be anyway?!
I did the finishing on Parker's sweaters - sleeves knit, blocking, ends woven in, buttons and snaps sewn on. Then I gathered her little pile of clothing together to admire what she has, and got an idea:
Nothing new needed to be purchased for this, much to my glee. The foamcore is left over from when I cut down the walls of her attic. The dowel, t-pins, and wire were in the craft bin, obviously purchased for some abandoned project in the past. LOL
I need to make a little basket or something to hold her socks down there at the bottom. I saw a great one someone had made from Aida, and I believe I have some of that in the craft bin as well.
I've got two sewn dresses in progress for her, but ran out of time to finish them. I've also got one knitted dress in progress. After that though, I think I really need to focus on more socks, a couple skirts...then maybe a coat.
I think half the fun of this project is finding ways to use up the odd stash of craft supplies I've accumulated over the years. ;)
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Last Day of Vacation, First Day of 2015
I've really enjoyed my vacation. Aside from spending time with friends and family, I've had time to work on all the things I've been hoping to have time for. :)
There's been some progress on Parker's Attic.... (plus a sneak peek of Parker herself, since her horns arrived!)
And I made some progress on her wardrobe...
And I had time to take doll pictures....
As well as a bunch of other tasks, such as doing clean-out of the doll stuff, and re-organizing it. ;)
There's even been time for people size knitting, reading, watching the first few episodes of "The Librarians" (completely fun!), heading outside into the cold for brisk walks when the grey weather gets a bit much. I even had time to go buy new pillows for my bed, which I've been meaning to do for about five months. That might have backfired though, because I slept in this morning I was so comfortable! LOL
I'm back to work tomorrow, but I'm going to try to make more time in 2015 to work on all the things I love.
There's been some progress on Parker's Attic.... (plus a sneak peek of Parker herself, since her horns arrived!)
And I made some progress on her wardrobe...
And I had time to take doll pictures....
As well as a bunch of other tasks, such as doing clean-out of the doll stuff, and re-organizing it. ;)
There's even been time for people size knitting, reading, watching the first few episodes of "The Librarians" (completely fun!), heading outside into the cold for brisk walks when the grey weather gets a bit much. I even had time to go buy new pillows for my bed, which I've been meaning to do for about five months. That might have backfired though, because I slept in this morning I was so comfortable! LOL
I'm back to work tomorrow, but I'm going to try to make more time in 2015 to work on all the things I love.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
All's Quiet On The November Front
Miscellany:
1. We've got a good amount of snow here right now, which makes me happy, but not the people who have to drive in it! :) I love how a good blanket of snow mutes all the noise of a city, and there's nothing more peaceful than walking along a snowy road with big, fluffy, snowflakes drifting lazily down.
(To be fair, it's much less charming when the wind is roaring away, sending all that snow seemingly directly into your face....LOL)
2. I've been largely working on Christmas presents the past couple months. I don't usually make handmade stuff for Christmas, as I like to keep my Christmases stress-free. However, this year I'm in a Hat phase, so everyone is getting a hat. I'm on the last one now, for Nephew The Younger.
3. Of the doll items, I did finish a cute little doll blanket for an as-yet-not-introduced doll. The pattern for the blanket was this one, and it was excellent. I used black, white, and two shades of grey, and it turned out just the way I wanted. :D Definitely a sign of a good pattern!
4. My sister was visiting, along with Nieceling, this weekend and of course Nieceling brought out Saila and asked her mother to read Saila's journal to her. There are a lot of Inuit names, particularly placenames in the first few pages. When I read them, I go with my best-guess pronunciation based on some Internet research, but my sister decided to avoid the problem altogether. Thus Saila's story sounded hilariously like this:
Nieceling was outraged, and kept saying "Mommy, that's not right, it's *insert word that sounds sort of like what I say when I read it*!" She knows the story pretty much by heart now. :)
Some entertaining links:
1. Eve Studio has a truly adorable baby dragon, with faceplates for different expressions. It is hilariously cute.
2. Spampy of Spampy's Stuff has a facebook page/community that is actually quite active, if you are on Facebook. I mostly just read posts, as I don't much like Facebook for interacting with other humans. ;)
3. From the Behind the Plastic Flickr group....Whoa. This is amazing work!
1. We've got a good amount of snow here right now, which makes me happy, but not the people who have to drive in it! :) I love how a good blanket of snow mutes all the noise of a city, and there's nothing more peaceful than walking along a snowy road with big, fluffy, snowflakes drifting lazily down.
(To be fair, it's much less charming when the wind is roaring away, sending all that snow seemingly directly into your face....LOL)
2. I've been largely working on Christmas presents the past couple months. I don't usually make handmade stuff for Christmas, as I like to keep my Christmases stress-free. However, this year I'm in a Hat phase, so everyone is getting a hat. I'm on the last one now, for Nephew The Younger.
3. Of the doll items, I did finish a cute little doll blanket for an as-yet-not-introduced doll. The pattern for the blanket was this one, and it was excellent. I used black, white, and two shades of grey, and it turned out just the way I wanted. :D Definitely a sign of a good pattern!
4. My sister was visiting, along with Nieceling, this weekend and of course Nieceling brought out Saila and asked her mother to read Saila's journal to her. There are a lot of Inuit names, particularly placenames in the first few pages. When I read them, I go with my best-guess pronunciation based on some Internet research, but my sister decided to avoid the problem altogether. Thus Saila's story sounded hilariously like this:
My name is Saila "something." I live "someplace". We used to live "someplace else." I speak English and "another language." I go to "a school."
Nieceling was outraged, and kept saying "Mommy, that's not right, it's *insert word that sounds sort of like what I say when I read it*!" She knows the story pretty much by heart now. :)
Some entertaining links:
1. Eve Studio has a truly adorable baby dragon, with faceplates for different expressions. It is hilariously cute.
2. Spampy of Spampy's Stuff has a facebook page/community that is actually quite active, if you are on Facebook. I mostly just read posts, as I don't much like Facebook for interacting with other humans. ;)
3. From the Behind the Plastic Flickr group....Whoa. This is amazing work!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Fall Has Definitely Set In!
It's just plain cold out there today. Which works, because I finished Version 2 of the Marigold hat yesterday, and was able to wear it today. :D
Nieceling was here this weekend, and had plenty of adventures with Saila, though we had no time to photograph any of them. (This happens a lot around small children... LOL) Saila watched cartoons, tap-danced, slid down the railing, helped with the laundry, pushed elevator buttons, helped Nieceling go through the Wish Book, and had several wardrobe changes.
Her hair was practically standing on end when Nieceling went home, but you know what, a quick light brush and it was hanging as smooth and shiny as before. Now that's good quality doll hair!
Some Random Things You Might Enjoy
Have you seen these little poseable skeleton figures that are out now? Zorropirate was kind enough to direct me to the Amiami site, where you can pre-order them. Can you say Perfect Christmas Present for my nephews??! Seriously, they will get such a kick out of these.
Eve Studio Project has their dragon available in two sizes, now, and it is awesome! I won't be getting one, but I'm hoping lots of other people will so I can admire it. (The Internet is so great for this - I don't have to own 95% of the things I think are awesome. I can just look at other people's pictures of them!)
If you haven't seen Sharon's transformation of Kidz n Cats Grace, I suggest you go admire it. Sian is now such a perfect little character!
Craftsy has some new entries to their free Mini-Classes, if you're looking to learn a new skill! I've tried a few of the free ones and found them very interesting. :)
The Trixie Belden series is available as ebooks. I have a budget of one ebook purchase per month, and nothing scheduled for November or December. I just re-read the six I own from childhood (two inherited from some older relative), so I'm thinking I might need to try a couple of these that the public library didn't have when I was a kid! :)
(I loved these books so much that my eight-year-old self insisted on naming our dog Trixie. LOL)
Nieceling was here this weekend, and had plenty of adventures with Saila, though we had no time to photograph any of them. (This happens a lot around small children... LOL) Saila watched cartoons, tap-danced, slid down the railing, helped with the laundry, pushed elevator buttons, helped Nieceling go through the Wish Book, and had several wardrobe changes.
Her hair was practically standing on end when Nieceling went home, but you know what, a quick light brush and it was hanging as smooth and shiny as before. Now that's good quality doll hair!
Some Random Things You Might Enjoy
Have you seen these little poseable skeleton figures that are out now? Zorropirate was kind enough to direct me to the Amiami site, where you can pre-order them. Can you say Perfect Christmas Present for my nephews??! Seriously, they will get such a kick out of these.
Eve Studio Project has their dragon available in two sizes, now, and it is awesome! I won't be getting one, but I'm hoping lots of other people will so I can admire it. (The Internet is so great for this - I don't have to own 95% of the things I think are awesome. I can just look at other people's pictures of them!)
If you haven't seen Sharon's transformation of Kidz n Cats Grace, I suggest you go admire it. Sian is now such a perfect little character!
Craftsy has some new entries to their free Mini-Classes, if you're looking to learn a new skill! I've tried a few of the free ones and found them very interesting. :)
The Trixie Belden series is available as ebooks. I have a budget of one ebook purchase per month, and nothing scheduled for November or December. I just re-read the six I own from childhood (two inherited from some older relative), so I'm thinking I might need to try a couple of these that the public library didn't have when I was a kid! :)
(I loved these books so much that my eight-year-old self insisted on naming our dog Trixie. LOL)
Friday, September 26, 2014
Sometimes it just all goes wrong...
I've been doing something novel. I've been knitting myself a hat.
I finished it today, and tried it on, and it was awesome! PERFECT fit. Extremely flattering. Covered my ears completely, which means it could be worn in full out winter and not just cold fall mornings.
This hat was exactly what I wanted it to be, and it had been blissfully easy to knit in the evening. I got gauge first time, memorized the pattern repeat...it was honestly fun to knit.
It didn't just look good on me; it looked great on Mom! She promptly requested one in red, and my sister wanted one, and....then I blocked it.
For the non-knitters, this means I soaked it for 20 minutes in warm water as per instructions, then pulled it out to very gently get the water out.
"This," I thought to myself, "looks kind of... big."
But then I ignored myself because, you know, maybe I was wrong. And also, I love this hat. Did I mention it was the most flattering hat I've ever had on my head? The brief time I spent prancing around the apartment in this hat had transformed me into someone fashionable, who could even one day wear Outfits rather than just clothes, and would understand the great mysteries of our time like why you are not supposed to wear black with brown even though either one seems to be acceptable with all other colours. I'm not saying I was going to start wearing accessories or anything, but the power of this hat was so great that I could have. ;)
Therefore the hat HAD to be okay.
Once the water was out I prepared to stretch it around the 8.5" plate, to give it the distinctive slouchy look.
Only... there wasn't really stretching involved. In fact, trying to block it as tiny as I can get it? It's at least an inch wider on every side of the plate. This is a BIG hat.
Actually, no, this is a HUGE hat.
The very pretty, pure wool yarn (the perfect shade of light grey when dry) seems suspiciously inelastic at this point. I didn't even know wool could do that.
It's drying now, and I'm working really hard at convincing myself that maybe when it's dry it will miraculously fit my head perfectly again? Maybe?
(Yeah, I'm not convinced either.)
Looking through other people's projects, I'm seeing that the same thing happened to quite a few others, and most of the ones that seem to have been successful mention using smaller needles or less stitches. No gauge though, so it is hard to figure out how much I'd need to adjust down to make a new one that fits the way this one did before blocking. So disappointed. Should have read the notes on other people's projects first!
Lesson Learned: Always read other people's project notes on Ravelry FIRST!
Lesson Possibly Not Learned: I'm trying again with smaller needles. What can I say, I really loved this hat! LOL
I finished it today, and tried it on, and it was awesome! PERFECT fit. Extremely flattering. Covered my ears completely, which means it could be worn in full out winter and not just cold fall mornings.
This hat was exactly what I wanted it to be, and it had been blissfully easy to knit in the evening. I got gauge first time, memorized the pattern repeat...it was honestly fun to knit.
It didn't just look good on me; it looked great on Mom! She promptly requested one in red, and my sister wanted one, and....then I blocked it.
For the non-knitters, this means I soaked it for 20 minutes in warm water as per instructions, then pulled it out to very gently get the water out.
"This," I thought to myself, "looks kind of... big."
But then I ignored myself because, you know, maybe I was wrong. And also, I love this hat. Did I mention it was the most flattering hat I've ever had on my head? The brief time I spent prancing around the apartment in this hat had transformed me into someone fashionable, who could even one day wear Outfits rather than just clothes, and would understand the great mysteries of our time like why you are not supposed to wear black with brown even though either one seems to be acceptable with all other colours. I'm not saying I was going to start wearing accessories or anything, but the power of this hat was so great that I could have. ;)
Therefore the hat HAD to be okay.
Once the water was out I prepared to stretch it around the 8.5" plate, to give it the distinctive slouchy look.
Only... there wasn't really stretching involved. In fact, trying to block it as tiny as I can get it? It's at least an inch wider on every side of the plate. This is a BIG hat.
Actually, no, this is a HUGE hat.
It's drying now, and I'm working really hard at convincing myself that maybe when it's dry it will miraculously fit my head perfectly again? Maybe?
(Yeah, I'm not convinced either.)
Looking through other people's projects, I'm seeing that the same thing happened to quite a few others, and most of the ones that seem to have been successful mention using smaller needles or less stitches. No gauge though, so it is hard to figure out how much I'd need to adjust down to make a new one that fits the way this one did before blocking. So disappointed. Should have read the notes on other people's projects first!
Lesson Learned: Always read other people's project notes on Ravelry FIRST!
Lesson Possibly Not Learned: I'm trying again with smaller needles. What can I say, I really loved this hat! LOL
Monday, September 15, 2014
A Knitter Is Born?
I had two of my sister's children staying with me this weekend, Nieceling being one of them. She decided she wanted to do some knitting too, so I cast on a doll hat, and she did a few stitches here and there, while I did the rest.
You forget how many things there are to keep track of, when you do it a lot! Watching her intense concentration brought back memories. I used the rhyme to help her remember the steps to do the knit stitch:
In through the front door,
Once around the back.
Peek through the window...
And off jumps jack!
She could follow the sequence of making the knit stitch pretty good, but the little things like remembering to hold the stitches you don't want to jump off the needle, or to hold down the yarn tail tightly with the other hand were a bit frustrating for her. LOL
She's five, so her current attention span is about 2-3 stitches at a time. I don't know if she'll continue to show an interest, occasionally show interest, or decide that was enough knitting for her already... Small people are always an adventure!
....she was pretty pleased with that hat that "we" knit, though! ;)
You forget how many things there are to keep track of, when you do it a lot! Watching her intense concentration brought back memories. I used the rhyme to help her remember the steps to do the knit stitch:
In through the front door,
Once around the back.
Peek through the window...
And off jumps jack!
She could follow the sequence of making the knit stitch pretty good, but the little things like remembering to hold the stitches you don't want to jump off the needle, or to hold down the yarn tail tightly with the other hand were a bit frustrating for her. LOL
She's five, so her current attention span is about 2-3 stitches at a time. I don't know if she'll continue to show an interest, occasionally show interest, or decide that was enough knitting for her already... Small people are always an adventure!
....she was pretty pleased with that hat that "we" knit, though! ;)
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Nieceling's Birthday Presents....so close to complete....
Got a few things completed. My favourite sewing project this time has been these really simple, really quick reversible wrap skirts:
You can get this pattern for free, here. It's quite easy to make two at a time that are identical - one to keep, and one to donate! I managed to make six, two of each, in a single day, which is really fast for me!
Things I like about these:
1) Fast and easy to make
2) Easy for even a small child to put on the doll on their own.
3) Versatile - each skirt gives her two different looks, and they look great with either t-shirts or sweaters.
4) Because of the velcro fastening these fit not only the American Girl sized dolls, but the slim 18" dolls like Nieceling's Journey Girls doll very securely.
The pretty dress has finally been blocked (though this is not the best picture), and just needs the back sewn up/buttons attached to be ready:
I used a pattern you can purchase on Ravelry, here. (I believe it is also available on Etsy.) It is written slightly differently than I am used to, but so worth the effort! I'd rate this one as an Intermediate pattern. It's a perfect fit on Nieceling's Journey Girl. :) I believe there is also a version available for the thicker American Girl/Maplelea sized dolls.
I have a cardigan in progress, and a little shirt and jacket cut out to sew, but truthfully I'm not likely to get those done in time. They can be for Christmas, perhaps. LOL Or go away till next year's birthday!
You can get this pattern for free, here. It's quite easy to make two at a time that are identical - one to keep, and one to donate! I managed to make six, two of each, in a single day, which is really fast for me!
Things I like about these:
1) Fast and easy to make
2) Easy for even a small child to put on the doll on their own.
3) Versatile - each skirt gives her two different looks, and they look great with either t-shirts or sweaters.
4) Because of the velcro fastening these fit not only the American Girl sized dolls, but the slim 18" dolls like Nieceling's Journey Girls doll very securely.
The pretty dress has finally been blocked (though this is not the best picture), and just needs the back sewn up/buttons attached to be ready:
I used a pattern you can purchase on Ravelry, here. (I believe it is also available on Etsy.) It is written slightly differently than I am used to, but so worth the effort! I'd rate this one as an Intermediate pattern. It's a perfect fit on Nieceling's Journey Girl. :) I believe there is also a version available for the thicker American Girl/Maplelea sized dolls.
I have a cardigan in progress, and a little shirt and jacket cut out to sew, but truthfully I'm not likely to get those done in time. They can be for Christmas, perhaps. LOL Or go away till next year's birthday!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Combining Knitting and Television
I like to knit in the evenings. Other people in my home like to watch TV. Often, this works out very well!
A nice simple pattern combined with a not-too-stressful show = great way to spend the evening.
Complicated pattern...well, then I don't get much out of the show, generally. Too busy counting!
Simple pattern plus really exciting show? Well, then I make all sorts of astonishing errors that should be impossible after all these years of knitting. LOL
Last night I was working on a "must count stitches" pattern while finishing Merlin Season 3 and starting Season 4.
It is a miracle I got a workable bodice out of it! (And aw, man, Lancelot? I liked him... *sigh* And can we please just get rid of Morgana now that they've totally ruined her character?) One of the sleeves is a stitch less wide than the other, in the end, but luckily for me, it looks fine on the doll. It's this pretty dress here, which is probably the last thing I will be knitting for Nieceling's birthday this year, as I'm about out of time.
I'm hoping we have nice weather for this long weekend, so that I might take both Emily and Saila out for some pictures. Poor Emily has been quite neglected this summer, between work, small visitors, and my obsession with making doll clothes as part of Nieceling's September Birthday presents.
A nice simple pattern combined with a not-too-stressful show = great way to spend the evening.
Complicated pattern...well, then I don't get much out of the show, generally. Too busy counting!
Simple pattern plus really exciting show? Well, then I make all sorts of astonishing errors that should be impossible after all these years of knitting. LOL
Last night I was working on a "must count stitches" pattern while finishing Merlin Season 3 and starting Season 4.
It is a miracle I got a workable bodice out of it! (And aw, man, Lancelot? I liked him... *sigh* And can we please just get rid of Morgana now that they've totally ruined her character?) One of the sleeves is a stitch less wide than the other, in the end, but luckily for me, it looks fine on the doll. It's this pretty dress here, which is probably the last thing I will be knitting for Nieceling's birthday this year, as I'm about out of time.
I'm hoping we have nice weather for this long weekend, so that I might take both Emily and Saila out for some pictures. Poor Emily has been quite neglected this summer, between work, small visitors, and my obsession with making doll clothes as part of Nieceling's September Birthday presents.
Monday, August 18, 2014
An exercise in patience...
Got my yarn! It's exactly the colour I wanted, and as I knit up a swatch, very nice to work with. But then found that not only the pattern I intended to use with this yarn, but everything I want to work on for Nieceling's birthday requires my 3.25mm needles.
...which have vanished. I have the little plastic envelope they came in - I store them in these to help keep them organized. But this one? Is empty.
How I can lose circular needles with a purple cord, when I'm very careful to only knit in two places of my home (to prevent just such occurrences! LOL) is a mystery. I guess it is natural talent! ;)
So I started another shirt from the same pattern as the Rainbow Tunics I'd made for Nieceling's birthday. It's fun, it's simple, and best of all - I have both the yarn and the needles required! I'm doing the shorter version, with stripes. I'll set it aside once the new 3.25mm needles get here, so I can finish Nieceling's birthday presents.
I'd really like to try to adapt this pattern to make one in laceweight for Emily sometime. I have a fingering weight pattern I made for myself that I could adapt really easily, but I think I'd rather have the drape of laceweight if I made this for her, I think. Which means starting from scratch!
...which have vanished. I have the little plastic envelope they came in - I store them in these to help keep them organized. But this one? Is empty.
How I can lose circular needles with a purple cord, when I'm very careful to only knit in two places of my home (to prevent just such occurrences! LOL) is a mystery. I guess it is natural talent! ;)
So I started another shirt from the same pattern as the Rainbow Tunics I'd made for Nieceling's birthday. It's fun, it's simple, and best of all - I have both the yarn and the needles required! I'm doing the shorter version, with stripes. I'll set it aside once the new 3.25mm needles get here, so I can finish Nieceling's birthday presents.
I'd really like to try to adapt this pattern to make one in laceweight for Emily sometime. I have a fingering weight pattern I made for myself that I could adapt really easily, but I think I'd rather have the drape of laceweight if I made this for her, I think. Which means starting from scratch!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
An Ode To Canada Post, In Contrast...
So Saila arrived last week, and is awesome! She was shipped via Canada Post, and arrived quickly and perfect condition. :)
I got one knitted birthday present completed, and another one started....but the next project is in jeopardy, as the yarn is swiftly becoming Schrödinger's Yarn. :(
For the first time ever, I've had a problem with a Knitpicks order. The tracking number I was given shows they sent the package via UPS (always a bad sign...use Canada Post, people!), and it claims they tried to deliver my order on Friday.
...I was working from home that day. There was no knock at the apartment door, there was no phone call to my fully charged cell phone sitting on my desk next to me as I worked (apartment buzzer goes to my phone), and there was and is no card with a pickup location. There was clearly no attempt to deliver it.
I went to the nearest UPS "Access Point" to see if they had the package last night, but they said they don't have it and have no way of tracking it - according to them I needed to go back to Knitpicks. *sigh* Knitpicks says that UPS has it. The UPS phone person says that the location I went to yesterday does have my package!
And this is why I love Canada Post. They are awesome! They actually deliver packages, and if you are really not there? They leave you a card (so you know they were there!) with the address and hours of the conveniently nearby post office to collect it at. ;)
I got one knitted birthday present completed, and another one started....but the next project is in jeopardy, as the yarn is swiftly becoming Schrödinger's Yarn. :(
For the first time ever, I've had a problem with a Knitpicks order. The tracking number I was given shows they sent the package via UPS (always a bad sign...use Canada Post, people!), and it claims they tried to deliver my order on Friday.
...I was working from home that day. There was no knock at the apartment door, there was no phone call to my fully charged cell phone sitting on my desk next to me as I worked (apartment buzzer goes to my phone), and there was and is no card with a pickup location. There was clearly no attempt to deliver it.
I went to the nearest UPS "Access Point" to see if they had the package last night, but they said they don't have it and have no way of tracking it - according to them I needed to go back to Knitpicks. *sigh* Knitpicks says that UPS has it. The UPS phone person says that the location I went to yesterday does have my package!
And this is why I love Canada Post. They are awesome! They actually deliver packages, and if you are really not there? They leave you a card (so you know they were there!) with the address and hours of the conveniently nearby post office to collect it at. ;)
Monday, August 11, 2014
Birthday Presents....
I made a couple Rainbow tunics for the Birthday Girl, with Saila modelling one here:
This is from the Ready for Spring Top and Tunic for 18 Inch American Girl Dolls pattern on Ravelry. I really enjoyed this one as it was simple, and very well written. I'm often knitting in ten-minute-bursts before the next interruption, so something that I can pick up and know where I am immediately is a boon.
The other thing I really enjoyed about these was the yarn! I've admired the Knitpicks Chroma for some time, but it's more expensive than my usual yarn. So it was lovely to have an excuse to buy it! I just love the gradual colour changes - there's no worrying about switching yarns, or weaving in 400 yarn ends when you finish, just smooth, cheerful colour.
Once the birthday presents are done, I will definitely be making Saila one of these to keep. :)
Here's what it looks like on a Journey Girl:
A little looser, but still good! I also found that the pants I got the other day from Etsy fit the Journey Girls really, really well, much to my surprise. :D
This is from the Ready for Spring Top and Tunic for 18 Inch American Girl Dolls pattern on Ravelry. I really enjoyed this one as it was simple, and very well written. I'm often knitting in ten-minute-bursts before the next interruption, so something that I can pick up and know where I am immediately is a boon.
The other thing I really enjoyed about these was the yarn! I've admired the Knitpicks Chroma for some time, but it's more expensive than my usual yarn. So it was lovely to have an excuse to buy it! I just love the gradual colour changes - there's no worrying about switching yarns, or weaving in 400 yarn ends when you finish, just smooth, cheerful colour.
Once the birthday presents are done, I will definitely be making Saila one of these to keep. :)
Here's what it looks like on a Journey Girl:
A little looser, but still good! I also found that the pants I got the other day from Etsy fit the Journey Girls really, really well, much to my surprise. :D
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Signs that winter may be coming to an end...
I can see patches of ground in between the stretches of ice and snow!
It's still pretty cold out there, but the sun is out today for the first time in days, and that is a lovely thing. I risked life and limb inching along the ice covered path to get down to this area of the yard. I had grand ambitions of getting some good pictures of Claire and Emily "sliding" on the ice. It's much too rough for skates, so the kids take a few running steps, then slide across, balancing on their boots. (In theory. In practice it's more sliding sitting down. Thank goodness for snow pants!)
It turned out is was actually pretty hard to keep the dolls and myself balanced, with a camera in one hand! LOL So I only got a few pictures that turned out, and none of them together.
Oops! And down goes Emily!
That's her new sweater that I just finished yesterday. I have to make yet another adjustment to the pattern! LOL Someday I will get it just the way I want it; I've already started knitting the adjusted version. In pink, this time, because why not?
It's still pretty cold out there, but the sun is out today for the first time in days, and that is a lovely thing. I risked life and limb inching along the ice covered path to get down to this area of the yard. I had grand ambitions of getting some good pictures of Claire and Emily "sliding" on the ice. It's much too rough for skates, so the kids take a few running steps, then slide across, balancing on their boots. (In theory. In practice it's more sliding sitting down. Thank goodness for snow pants!)
It turned out is was actually pretty hard to keep the dolls and myself balanced, with a camera in one hand! LOL So I only got a few pictures that turned out, and none of them together.
Oops! And down goes Emily!
That's her new sweater that I just finished yesterday. I have to make yet another adjustment to the pattern! LOL Someday I will get it just the way I want it; I've already started knitting the adjusted version. In pink, this time, because why not?
Monday, March 17, 2014
Checking off the mini-steps....
I'm back to working on what I'm supposed to be now: the top-down laceweight sweater pattern for Littlefee. I'm working it in white this time, as 1) Emily could use a white pullover and 2) Stitches are so much easier to see in a light colour!
I think when I'm done that I will take a quick break and sew up a little dress or skirt in a pretty spring print to go with the white sweater. It's definitely poor Emily's turn to get some pictures...it looks like more snow this week, but perhaps we'll get some Spring weather next week, and I can head outside for pictures!
I'm working on basics for Claire right now, as that is most of what is missing from her wardrobe. So it's white, black, and grey 3/4 sleeve t-shirts and tank tops to start. Then I have a pretty blue shirt all cut out as well, as a reward for getting through the neutrals. ;)
I always mean to use the sewing machine for t-shirts, and always start to do so....and then get frustrated and switch to hand-sewing. I know it is faster, and should in theory be neater, on the machine, but it never works out that way for me. I'd much rather spend an afternoon hand-sewing a single shirt than machine-sewing four or five that I'm not happy with. So hand-sewing it is, even if it means I will be done the shirts for May rather than March. LOL
My nine9style order is in Canada today, so by the end of the week Claire will have a jean jacket, which I am very pleased about. I think Spring really does have to arrive any day now!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Interesting Things
1. This artist did the most spectacular job painting some of the BJD cats. Seriously amazing work! She added WHISKERS. More pictures here.
2. Daniel Bingham's got some patterns for 16 inch fashion dolls on Etsy, which I think might work for Minifee. I have my eye on this sweater for sometime in the future.
3. I really love these boots for Minifee that Atelier Momoni made. They would definitely suit Claire.
2. Daniel Bingham's got some patterns for 16 inch fashion dolls on Etsy, which I think might work for Minifee. I have my eye on this sweater for sometime in the future.
3. I really love these boots for Minifee that Atelier Momoni made. They would definitely suit Claire.
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