Toys galore

I was asked if I would like to test a pattern for KristieMN at Crochetville after commenting how Jessica is totally into her "babies" at the moment. Kristen had said she already had the testers she needed so I was really surprised to get a PM asking if I would like to test too. Of course I said yes! I just adore Kristie's patterns!!

Here is Hallie, a BackPack Baby pattern by KristieMN which I imagine will be available at her Etsy Store Kristie's Kreations just as soon as she has all her testers results. I haven't done the bear as I still can't find a smaller hook! Hallie is the name Jessica chose for her new doll.



Also completed 2 cute balls. So quick and easy. So much so that I even embroidered on them just for the sake of it! Basically just cat balls with bells inside crocheted over which means they jingle when shaken, rolled, throwed etc. I think I will be making these and stashing them to sell when markets come up etc. Only thing is that I need to get to a discount store to buy them. The larger balls at the local supermarket are 2 for $4 (almost) and the smaller ones $4 (almost) for 4! So quite pricey really!! The colours in these balls are the same as Hallie but as she was photgraphed inside in the evening her colours aren't shwing as bright. These are a truer representation of colours used. I will probably send one of these balls to my friends little girl Hayley for her 1st bday which is fast approaching. I made her a toy when she was little that she loves, will keep it up as a tradition *lol*

And last but not least, I am so proud to show you Barbie in a mermaid tail that is all my own work! This took me days!! I am really very pleased with it and owe so many thanks to Vicki for sending me the colour of cotton I wanted all the way from Washington state USA! I have wanted to make a mermaid since I was on that real Barbie kick for Jessica's bday this year and just didn't have what I felt I needed. So heaps of thanks and love to ya Vicki for rescuing me!

Right now I am working on a top for Jessi. I would have finished already but I made the first piece too small so have to make another. Not to worry. The small one will likely become a halter, also for Hayley's birthday :D Where there is a will there is a way! And I waste little!! I will show them off once complete. I don't like showing half objects. Spoils the surprise. Oh, these are all my own design too which makes it so much more rewarding.

I decided to start getting this house of mine organised yesterday. What a disaster, but also a lot achieved. I moved the fridge and I tell you what.. I wish I hadn't done that. I was trying not to puke while scrubbing the floor under it. So relocated the fridge and the pantry which allows me to then move the tv and couches etc. You see, so much in my house needs something done before something else can progress and that's a lot of the reason I just leave it be. Totally reorganising things creates a huge mess. Right now you can barely walk through my kitchen, simply because to move the other cupboard that was in there I need to move things in the living room to put it in there. Some of those things from the living room need to go into Jessi's toy room which isn't even in existance yet. Ahh.. the joys! *lol* anyways, I got some done. Will get to the rest soon I suppose. It needs doing and I need to stop procrastinating about it. That simple.

11.5" Fashion Doll Panties/Knickers in yarn (Barbie)

This is my pattern for yarn panties to suit a fashion doll as requested by someone at Crochetville as posted originally at Crochetville. I personally used both a modern and an older Barbie doll but I'd guess they'd suit any fashion doll. I would like to say this is in the public domain, I can't see copyrighting anything like this any kind of achievement. Feel free to use it as a basic guideline to experiment from.

older style Barbie

modern Barbie

I used a really fine baby yarn and 3.25mm or US-0 hook

sc decrease- pull up a loop in first sc, pull up a loop in second sc, yarn over draw through all 3 loops on hook

Begin top front
ch9
row 1 - skip first ch, sc in each stitch across, ch1 turn (8sc)
row 2 - sc in each stitch across, ch1 turn (8sc)row
3 - sc in first 3, 1sc decrease using next 2 stitches, sc next 3, ch1 turn (7sc)
row 4 - sc in each stitch across, ch1 turn (7sc)
row 5 - 1 sc decrease using next 2 stitches, sc in next 3, sc decrease using last 2 stitches, ch1 turn (5sc)
row 6-13 - 1sc in each stitch across, ch1 turn (5sc) repeat for 6 more rows (8 rows of 5sc)
row 14 - 2sc in first stitch, sc in next 3, 2sc in last stitch, ch1 turn (7sc)
row 15 - sc in each stitch across, ch1 turn (7sc)
row 16 - sc in first 3 stitches, 2sc in next stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, ch1 turn (8sc)
row 17 - sc in each stitch across (8sc)
row 18 - 2sc in first stitch, sc in next 6, 2sc in last stitch, ch1 turn (10sc)
row 19 - sc in each stitch across (10sc)
row 20 - 2sc in first stitch, sc in next 8, 2sc in last stitch, ch1 turn (12sc)
row 21 - sc in each stitch across (12sc)
end off

I looped a ribbon between the top stitch both front and back on either side and tied but you could just as easily use crochet chains. I worked in a small hair tie in the first and last rounds with no difficulty. Experiment with it :)

PS. This is untested and I am no way affiliated with Matel
Oh, yes I am Australian but I speak crochet in US terms so don't think you need to convert anything

Barbie Bizzare

As my little princess was having a birthday, and I was very broke (what's new?), I sat down and got busy with a Barbie doll. I crocheted for weeks, making up my own designs along the way. I am really pleased with so many of these items! I am also pleased with myself for creating them.
A pink halter top, size 10 Aunt Lydias crochet cotton, 1.65mm/#7 hook, 2 buttons roughly 6mm and 2 small fabric flowers pulled off a bunch.

A pink set in size 10 Aunt Lydias cotton, probably a 1.5mm crochet hook, 2 snaps.

A teal and white set.White is likely DMC Cebelia #10 cotton, teal is DMC Babylo #10, 15.mm hook, 2 snaps, 4x4mm pearl beads and a handful of shell pearlescent sequins. A matching clutch purse and a tiny tatted necklace in #20 Twilleys cotton and a 4mm pearl bead.

A halter bikini in Aunt Lydias size 10 cotton. The skirt on the bikini has built in panties and the halter part slips over the head of the doll. The handbag is unknown cotton from my stash and the flower on it and thoseon the lei are ebroidery floss with a 0.6mm hook. Her towel was cut from a face cloth!

This is a little cardigan in Milford 4ply cotton in some kind of "natural" state. It's certainly not dyed and every so often has little flecks of a darker brown, really quite nice. A 2.5/2.75mm hook. Something like that. No buttons or snaps but a simple belt with 2 buttons. Suitable for my little girl to do up on her own. This was rally quite a challenge to make, but I do love it.

The sleepwear is an odd mixture! The mint nightie is a piece of fabric cut into a long trapeziod and edged in crochet, whip stitched from about mid thigh upward. A little cap in matching cream crochet cotton. Cotton was unlabelled cheap stuff, roughly a size 30 and worked with a 1mm hook. The red nightie was designed by TampaDoll on Crochetville, thanks Mary Jo!! I added the ruffles on the sleeve, Mary Jo had only included the ones on the bottom in her pattern. I crocheted a tiny little moon and stitched it to the front with a couple of stars. The red nightie has elastic in the waist, there are no other fasteners on these items. The mask was just a fun extra, and the slippers something I challenged myself to see if I could create them. Thepillow comes from Jessica's toy box and the 2 blankets are both baby yarn (4ply) and 3mm hooks.

I love this coat! It's an OLD crochet cotton by Strutts Milford. It says on the label #8, but it is almost like the 4ply cottons.Certainly much thicker than what I recognise as number 8 cotton now days. Crocheted with a 2.5/2.75mm crochet hook. It was really a fluke that I pulled this on off. I wanted it tailored (or tight to the body) and I managed that. I don't like the camoflauged look the cotton has to it. There are 6 hooks and eyes sewn down the front.The collar corners are sewn in place. The headscarf started out a bit different but became and ear warmer thing as it was getting too big too quick. The leg warmers are just something I decided to do as a fun extra.

Aunt Lydias #10 cotton and a 1.65mm hook create this lil number. Plus about 24 inches of scrap lace. The 1inch lace was worked into directly and the skirt worked up from the bottom. There is one snapon the skirt and 2 buttons on the top (like the pink halter). I love how the waist band in the skirt looks different, when it is the exact sam stitch! Only the body of the skirt is worked in rounds, and the band back and forth.

A nice little blue top in #8 pearl cotton. I can't recall the hook size. The ribbon halter is just looped through stitches and not at all fixed in place (it wouldn't go over Barbies head otherwise). The buttons are 4mm pearl beads which were sewn on after the garment was completed. The button loops are a strand of thread being sewn through, looped, knotted, then sewn on to the next one. I still think it needs some kind of embellishment on the front where the ribbon is, but no matter.

A nice little blue shawl in Strutts Milford #8 (that weird stuff mentioned above) and a 2.5/2.75mm hook. It fits Kelly better than Barbie. Then a scarf, a skirt, handbags, lei and a hand towel.

Some Kelly doll clothes. Not sure if I have shown them before, but here they are. There are others somewhere. I made all these a couple of years ago.

And I am still crocheting for Barbie as we speak. Still trying to see what I come up with!!