Knitting

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Sweaters To Keep The Spring Chill Away

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Once again the days have flown by.  I've been able to post things to my Facebook page, but a post to my website has eluded me.

So, what have I been doing the last few weeks?  I have been thoroughly distracted with knitting tiny sweaters.  I found a great free pattern on Ravelry that I just keep knitting.  Pretty soon I'll have it memorized!

I've been knitting using mostly laceweight yarn on size US 1 double pointed needles.  I've also used fingering weight yarn for two, but don't have handy pics of those.  I also just finished a lovely lilac purple sweater in laceweight yarn on size US 0.

The laceweight yarn has all been from my favorite reclaimed yarn seller on Etsy, Penelope's Fine Yarns.  She has such a great variety of colors, and such good prices!

I'm now onto a birthday project this week, an Einstein Doll, but I know I will be right back to more doll sweaters after that.  The end results fit well on 12" fashion dolls like Tonner's Tiny Kitty, and Fashion Royalty's Poppy Parker, and also on 10" dolls lke Tonner's Patsy, and Bambicrony Lottie.  But I'm thrilled with how great they fit on the 8" Pocket Poppet dolls I've been making!

So here's a ton of photos of what I've been spending my time on the last few weeks.  :)

This sweater was knit on size US 0 DPNs.

Tiny Kitty Collier models this one knit on US 1 DPNs, in a fingering weight turquoise merino.

Knit on size US 1 DPNs, modelled on a Pocket Poppet doll.

Size US 1 DPNs.

Another Pocket Poppet doll models.

 

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Sweater Weather!

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I love this time of year.  It's not quite fall, but the weather is cooling down enough to dress in layers and not always be at the bottom one.

The dolls are modeling two new offerings currently on eBay.  Lately I've been favoring the Wilde Imagination dolls, especially Amber.  But this time Prudence got in on the fun, too.

One is a green cardigan sweater I've had nearly done for quite a while.  Sewing snaps and buttons on is not my favorite task, but I finally got them on.  I like how clingy this one is.  It was really meant to be a sweater with a back closure, but I messed up the neckline a little, and it just looks so much better as a cardigan instead.

With the dark wig and her dark eyes, Amber loooks so good in this dark green.  The yarn is from Stricken Smitten, a fingering weight yarn I believe was called Glow Worm.  It's sadly sold out (her yarns sell out fast!), but I believe I have enough to make another doll sweater down the road.  :D

The second is a stripey sweater that I started recently, for Prudence.  Lots of fun stripes, and a nice big neckline.  Even sleeveless, it looks like it would be pretty cozy.

This is another reclaimed/recycled yarn project.  There is a lot of Penelope's Fine Yarns, plus the silver is from Keystone Art and Craft.  All luscious and a joy to knit with.

I've already cast on for a new sweater, but I'm still not sure where I'm headed with it.  I was thinking of trying something with a ruffled hem, but as with my other doll knits, I'll see where it ends up.  :D

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Stripes. There Will Be So Many Stripes...

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I have so many bits and bobs of wonderful laceweight yarn, I just started knitting up yet another doll sweater.  After the little fitting fiasco of the red silk one I intended for an Ellowyne doll, but became a Fashion Royalty sweater dress instead, I started off with 18 extra stitches on my cast on, for 72 total.  I did a 2 x 2 rib at the hem, so it's nice and stretchy.  I also learned my lesson, and will not do an i-cord edging, especially at the neckline and armholes (if sleeveless) without going up at least two needles sizes!  I'm sure there are much better edging techniques, but I haven't dedicated myself to learning any new ones for my repertoire.

At first I was going to do solid purple, but the little bits of color in one of my myriad of knitting boxes kept calling to me.  So next went a lovely silver, then this gorgeous russet red I'm using on the current stripe.  Next may be the teal blue, then green, and then we'll see from there.

I am picturing this as a sweater for Wilde Imagination's Prudence.  I think all of these stripes will suit her personality well.  This will most likely be a long sweater, with the hemline at mid calf, because I want to get lots of stripes in.  I'm not sure how I'll do the sleeves or neckline yet, but as with my previous "for the heck of it" knitted doll items, I'll figure it out when I get to that point.

And if you haven't checked out Penelope's Fine Yarns yet, you're really missing out!  Even if you wouldn't knit an adult sweater out of laceweight cashmere, why deny yourself the pleasure of working with a luxury yarn?  A lot of her skeins are the perfect amount for a doll sized item, and very reasonably priced. 

I've been a customer of hers for well over a year now, and have lots of her yarns in my stash.  There's something about having cashmere, silk, and fine merino yarn glide through your fingertips.  It's cheaper than therapy!  And considering how much my dolls "talk" to me, I'm sure friends and family have at least thought about my therapy needs... :D