My First Knitted Doll

FO

As you can see, I have finished the Belinda Jane Doll by Flutterby Patch.  I think she is just darling.  I have packed her up already and sent her off to Arizona for my niece's birthday this weekend.

I learned so much making this doll.

I paid for the pattern, because the dolls on the Flutterby Patch site are just wonderful.  And the pattern is fine, but it is all knitted flat and then seamed together.

I just could not do that.  So, for the first time, other than adding stitches to socks for size, I altered the pattern, and knit everything in the round.  Head and body were very easy to do.  as were the arms and the leg parts of the shoe/sock/leg pieces.  But I really had to think to change the shoes from flat to in the round..

I did follow the pattern directions for the face.  So often when I try to make a toy the face just never looks right.  Mine is not exactly like the pattern, but I appreciated her advice on how to place the eyes, and mouth.  The nose I did myself.

The skirt is just like the pattern except,..... yes, it is supposed to be knitted flat and I changed it to the round.  That was an easy change.

I could not figure out how to alter the panties pattern from flat to the round, so I just made up my own.

And, once I had mastered the panties, I just made up my own top for her.

I still need to make her a cardigan (which I will make in purple like the bottom stripe on the skirt).  This, too, is supposed to be knit flat with a raglan sleeve.  But I was looking at the pieces, and I think I can figure out how to knit it in the round also, and STEEK!   I have never tried steeking, but Jasmine, of the KnitMoreGirls says it is easy, so I'm going to try it.

The hair was a tough one.  The directions for this were not very clear, and there were a few photos, but not enough for me.  I think I figured out a reasonable method, and I think the hair came out pretty nice.

I packed her in a box with Coco the Cat.

I decided that I didn't like the way Coco's dress fit, so I made her another one.

Then I mailed them both off.


Where in the World is f1bercat?

I had energy this morning, so I knitted 6 miles, and walked another .52.


I've stopped just South of Portland.


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The walking went really well today.  I am starting to be cautiously optimistic about getting in good enough shape to go to New Zealand with Moogie.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with the beginning of my own "designing."

Someone Stop Me

Wasp Nest on Our Garage Door

Hello!

Yes, that is a wasp nest (or perhaps hornets' nest) I found on our garage door.  EEEEEK!

I want to say thank you again to my daughter, Moogie, for taking time out from her busy schedule to guest blog for me.  In the fall, I plan to spend a few days in Portland with her, and we can go to some of the places she wrote about.

WIP's

Warning, there are photos of the SolidSocks Mystery Sock Clue 1 in this post.  If you don't want to see it, please don't scroll down.

I have been very busy with my knitting.  I cast off quite a few things last week, and of course immediately cast on some new projects.  What is wrong with me?  or am I just like every other obsessed knitter?

This month for Sock Knitters Anonymous, the challenge is to knit a pattern that is Underappreciated.  The rules are:

"patterns that have up to and including 15 or less projects listed on the pattern’s project page including all active, hibernating, frogged and/or ugh! projects. In the case of one pattern being translated into alternate language versions, the combined total for all the versions must be under 15. Every pattern page has a link in the lower right to all that designer’s patterns. For this challenge, please make a point of checking out the designer’s other patterns to make sure there are no additional versions!"

There are also 2 designers you can choose from, if you don't want to do an underappreciated pattern (or can't find one).

One of the designers is Anne Campbell, who designed Circle Socks, a pattern I have long admired and wanted to knit when I had time.  This pattern really needs a variegated yarn, so if I chose it, it wouldn't count for Solid Socks (whose challenge color is green).  OOOOO and I love doing two-fer projects and getting credit from both groups.

Solid Socks, in addition to the color challenge, has a mystery sock challenge every two months.  This month the designer of the Mystery Sock is YarnYenta (Heatherly Walker).

So what to do?  How can I decide?  I am trying to finish the Belinda Jane Doll from Flutterby Patch for my niece, M's 4th birthday this month.

I'm working on the Echo Flower Shawl for my mom.  I am on the 11th of 13 repeats of the main section.

 I'm making the 5th of 21 Spa Washcloths, idea from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club.

I'm working on a pair of Better than French Vanilla Socks for my son, J.

I'm knitting a chemo hat for  Sharing Our Gifts.

and am making 2 afghans with 2012 BAMCAL.

So, what do I do?

I decide to make BOTH SOCKS!
Really, someone should stop me.

I have cast on and am about 1/2 way through the first clue of the Solid Socks Mystery sock.  It is called Rombikiri.  I am using the gorgeous Granny Smith colored yarn (remember, the challenge is GREEN) by Huckleberry Knits that I bought during the Puget Sound LYS Crawl at Apple Yarns, in Bellingham, WA.  I loved that shop, and loved their sock yarns.

  I bought a 2nd skein of apple themed yarn there, also from Huckleberry Knits, called Honeycrisp.  Have to say, that is one of my favorite apples, and the yarn's colors really give the feel of the fruit.

I have not cast these on yet, but I have separated the skein into 2 balls (so I can knit 2aat), and am hoping to start them soon.  I just need to get that doll finished!

I have made huge progress on the doll, and can't wait to have her all done.  I am also sewing some quick ballet costumes for my sons' studio performance this Friday.  So, I have somewhat limited time to knit.

EEK!  Why am I making two pairs of socks this month?

Because I love to knit socks.

Where in the World is f1bercat?


I knit another 5 miles today on my spa wash cloths.  I am not pedaling very fast though.  I am trying to watch my speed and not the timer or the mileage as I knit, but I have slowed down a bit from before I got the flu, and just can't seem to get the speed back.  It really doesn't matter how fast I ride, because I am trying to work up to 30 minutes of riding.  The miles don't really count.  Right?  Why must I compete with myself?

I also walked .5 miles while reading The Game of Thrones.  I got a tiny bit antsy because I would rather be Knitting!  ( I love to read, but just can't seem to focus lately), but reading really helps me last.  I am trying to work up to 1 mile a day walking.  I will need to get faster or I will be on the treadmill forever!  I'm so out of shape, that I am very very slow right now.  At least I feel good and not super sore after my "workouts."


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Look, I made it to Milwaulkie.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet one, two, three pairs of socks at a time

blurry photo of a deer in our backyard

 

Two Feet

Salmon and Orange Chinese Poppies

Hello!

After my big FO Friday, I was all set to do a Cast On Monday.  But it was Memorial Day in the USA, so I went to the movies with my husband and youngest son, L, instead.  We saw Men in Black III, and enjoyed it quite a bit.  Not as good at MIB I but definitely better than MIB II.

WIP's

I have cast on and am already about 2/3 finished with a hat for the Sharing Our Gifts  Group on Ravelry.  We are making chemo hats this month.  I bought some super soft yarn at The Knittery, in a rather dark brown, darker than I like to knit, but I know they need hats for men, as well as women, so I thought I would make a guy's hat.

The yarn is Plymouth Yarn's Dream Baby DK and I am using size 3.5mm (US 4) needles with a 16" cable.

This color is close to the true color.  The photos of the hat in progress, are a bit washed out, and make it look more gray than brown.

I have finished the brim and the first part of the pattern.  I am now on the upper chart.  This hat, Brennius Hat by Orna Ferenz, is a really nice guy hat, with a bit of a slouch to it.

The second new project is a doll for my husband's god daughter, M.  I have already made her the Coco the Cat doll,

but, I was looking through the wonderful blog, Flutterby Patch, and the delightful doll and animal patterns for sale there, and at her Etsy store Dollytime, when I saw a doll that looked just like M!  I had to get the pattern.  The doll I am making is called, Belinda Jane,  has curly copper colored hair.  My niece, M, is a definite ginger, and her hair is curly, too.

The doll patterns for sale on this site have such wonderful expressions.  I hope I can come close to making my doll look like them.

Of course, I have changed the pattern a bit.  It calls for a lot of knitting flat and then sewing up.  So I decided to knit what I could in the round and save my self some sewing.  This seemed to work ok for the head and the body.  But when I got to the feet and legs I ran into some interesting ... well,

For the first foot/leg combination, the pattern starts with the shoe, adds the sock then the leg.  The shoe is knitted flat, the sock and leg continue on up, then the whole thing is sewn together and stuffed.

back of shoe sewn closed

  I wasn't sure how the shoe was going to come together, so I knitted it flat, but when I got to the sock, I connected the sides, and proceeded in the round with 4 double pointed needles for the sock and leg.  The leg looked ok, but the shoe was HUGE.

Having figured out how the shoe comes together, for the second shoe/sock/leg, I decided to knit the entire thing in the round, stuffing as I go.  I started with Judy's Magic Cast On, as though I were making a toe-up sock, and knit up the shoe.  I didn't really think about the tension, other than trying to keep everything tight, so that when I stuff it, you won't be able to see the stuffing.  But, I am a rather loose knitter, and this is especially true for my purling.  So, when knitting in the round, I am able to keep my tension much tighter.  This meant that the second shoe is quite a bit smaller than the first, though the socks/legs are about the same.

I like the size of the smaller shoe much better than the big one, even though there is a bit of a ridge where I did a 3-needle bind off.  I will have to frog the first shoe/sock/leg and reknit it.

If I don't, this poor dolly will have a bit of a limp.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I managed to knit 5.35 miles today.  I told myself to just knit for 25 minutes, and don't worry about the distance, but I got caught up in the knitting (I am working on my Spa Wash Cloths, from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club design) and went a bit over.  Then, I got on a treadmill, and walked for another 1/4 mile.  I don't really like walking on the treadmill because I can't knit while I do it, but I need to get in better walking shape for the summer.

The 5.35 miles puts me at a total of 206.53 miles knitted.  I am still outside Portland.


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and not very close to any Yarn Shops.  I have about 12 more miles until I reach my daughter, S, at Portland State University.  I should be there by Friday.  I can't wait to see her, if only virtually.

Good night everyone.  Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet two mismatched feet at a time