Knitting for Blythe

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

Here’s another project I was working on in December but couldn’t show you because it was a gift. My friend collects dolls (like me) and her favorite is her Blythe doll with purple hair. I don’t have a Blythe doll – I’m not even sure I’ve seen one in real life – so it always feels risky to make for her, but I do it anyway. 🙂 Here’s last year’s gift to my friend and her Blythe.

Clothes knit for Blythe doll by Deborah Cooke, Christmas 2022

Many of these knitting patterns are from the same designer, whose work is just so clever and cute. Her name is Jane Pierrepont and she publishes her patterns as Polly. Here’s her Ravelry profile. It looks like her website is gone. 😦

The gold and brown dress is her Blythe Lacey Mini Dress which is a free pattern on Ravelry. I knit this one in MadTosh Merino Light in the colourway Vanilla Bean. The dress is knit flat and then seamed, and knit from the top down. I joined mine in the round when the lace skirt started. I also mucked up the lace pattern (It was written for knitting flat and I was knitting in the round) so substituted a traditional one, Vertical Lace Trellis instead. In hindsight, it wouldn’t be that big of a change.

R1 as instructed.
R2: P1, *P2tog, YO and repeat from * to end.
R3: Knit
R4: Purl

Here’s the back of the dress. I put snaps to close the back, then added four teeny buttons to the right side which aren’t functional.

Blythe Lacey Dress designed by Polly knit by Deborah Cooke in MadTosh Merino Light

Maybe I’ll make another with the right lace stitch!

The bolero is another Polly pattern, Blythe Shrug, also a free Ravelry download. (and a pattern I previously modified to fit Barbie.) This one is knit in a bit of leftover Koigu KPPPM. I made a little corsage by crocheting a daisy of KSH and adding some beads to the centre of it. The bag is one of my own market bags, which work for all 1/6 dolls.

The purple sleeveless dress and striped fuzzy top are from the same Polly pattern, which is not free (but is totally worth buying.) It’s called Cozy Comforts and includes the Pleated Pinafore and the Mohair Sweater. I made the dress in Rowan Felted Tweed since it called for a DK weight. I think a slightly lighter DK would have worked a little better – this one is a bit stiff. The top is knit in two colours of Sugar Bush Drizzle – that’s a Ravelry link, since Drizzle has been discontinued. I made mine striped, using two colours. Sugar Bush Drizzle is similar to Rowan Kidsilk Haze, specified in the pattern. These pieces took 13g of Felted Tweed and 3g (total) of Drizzle.

Here are the backs so you can see the button closures. I used KSH for the loops on both, since it’s a strong thread – Felted Tweed isn’t very strong and I was afraid it would snap with use.

Cozy Comforts dress and top for Blythe knit by Deborah Cooke in Rowan Felted Tweed and Sugar Bush Drizzle

Next up, Blythe needed several coordinating accessories. The messenger bag is one I’ve knit before. The pattern was a free download at stickatillbarbie.se , a website of free knitting patterns for dolls which is no longer hosted. I think you can find the patterns archived on the Wayback Machine, but here’s the Ravelry link for this one. I used up some sock yarn for this bag and modified the flap a bit to add a buckle. Here’s my original knit of this pattern, which is knit following the directions. The pattern calls for a crocheted strap, but I knit mine instead: c/o 50 stitches. K2 rows, P 1row, K2 rows, cast off purlwise.

fingerless gloves for Blythe knit by Deborah Cooke in Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Malabrigo Lace.

The necklace is one of the ones I threaded for my dolls on stretch elastic. There’s a post about them here.

And finally, fingerless gloves with teeny tiny button bands. The pattern is a free Ravelry download, and requires small needles. I knit mine on 1.6mm DPNs in Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Blackcurrant, which meant I had to knit them using the magnifying glass on my desk.

I also thought the flap looked backwards on the original, so I moved the thumb hole. The instructions for the change are on my Ravelry project page. There actually are little button holes on the flaps so the buttons really work.

And then I saw this 1/6 scale Barbie Dreamhouse that made me laugh – so Blythe has this playset too.

That’s it for Blythe this year! What do you think? Do you knit for Blythe or any other 1/6 scale dolls?

Pantone Hats

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

Things have been quiet here, mostly because I’ve been writing like mad lately. I did NaNoWriMo in November, then was finishing up the book that publishes next week – it was almost twice as long as I’d expected, so getting it done was a bit of a crush.

I have also been knitting though. 🙂

First, I have three hats to show you.

Three hats in Caron X Pantone knit by Deborah Cooke

I found a package of three Pantone X Caron braids in the cutout bin at Spinrite a few years ago. (That’s a Ravelry link because these braids are discontinued and no longer on the Yarnspirations site.) This colourway is called Morning Blues. I think they might have been a little off-weight in certain colours – which would explain them being discounted – as I had some fiddling to do to get a result I liked.

First Snow hat knit in Caron Pantone X by Deborah Cooke

The middle one is that old fave hat pattern of mine, First Snow (which is no longer available.) It has a faux-fur pompom. I wasn’t fussy about where the colours changed on that one, just started the next colour when I ran out of the one I was using. It took every inch of the braid to finish. I knit two of these before but only managed to photograph one. Here it is.

The other two are knit using the Yarnspirations patter Fair Isle Hat, a free pattern which is designed for this yarn bundle and is still available. It specifies where to change colours and I had to fudge it a couple of times. I still think they came out well, though.

Next time, I’ll show you the cardigan that is challenging my eyesight…

Rainbow Cowl

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

Last summer, I showed you a cowl that I knit of a self-striping yarn called Lionbrand Scarfie, using the Ups-and-Down Cowl pattern from Yarnspirations. (That’s a Ravelry link.) I liked it but the yarn wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I was shopping. Of course, I found exactly what I’d been looking for after the first one was knitted up.

Here’s my second attempt at this pattern:

This one is knit of Caron Cakes in Rainbow Sprinkles. (That’s another Ravelry link, since MIchaels doesn’t have the yarn on their website anymore.)

I finished it up once at the specified length, but the ribbing wasn’t symmetrical – I wanted it all in the turquoise, framing the other colours in the cable pattern.

Rainbow Cowl, Ups-and-Downs Cowl knit by Deborah Cooke in Caron Cakes Sprinkles

So, I frogged it back and reknit the last bit.

I didn’t shown it to you sooner because I was waiting on one last toggle – Fabricland had five but I needed six. I bought the sixth when they restocked and now it’s done!

Buckets of Hats

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

A while back, I saw a post on FB from a person sewing bucket hats out of Kaffe Fassett quilting fabric. (I’d include a credit, but the post is long gone.) They were gorgeous! Predictably, I was inspired.

I made my first using this free pattern from Orange Betty. It’s a pretty easy afternoon project and here’s the result:

Bucket Hat by Orange Betty sewn by Deborah Cooke

This one is a bit deep in the crown for me, although it fits well when I have my hair up. The mister tried it on (he needed a hat, too) and thought the crown was too deep. I revised the pattern for him, making the crown 3/8″ more shallow, and here’s the result:

The outside of this one is a light denim. (It looks as if I have bad intentions toward the hat-head, doesn’t it?”

These both look as if they have a broad brim, but that’s because the hat-head has a small head. On me, it has a much narrower brim.

Then I made a couple for my SIL. She wears her hair up all the time, so was excited to have some hats that will fit. For the first two, I used a fusible knit interfacing, the one I use for pretty much everything. These two have a stiffer interfacing – a woven non-fusible adhered to the fabric with Stitch Witchery – as I thought it might make the brim stand out better. They have a lot more body.

I centered one of the toucans on the top of this one, just for fun.

Bucket Hats by Orange Betty sewn by Deborah Cooke

And here’s the final one, with the lighter interfacing again and a fun Yellow Submarine fabric inside. The brim is much floppier.

What do you think?

Ups-and-Down Cowl

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

I just finished this cowl, in time for fall!

The pattern is free from Yarnspirations and you can download it from their site here. It’s also listed on Ravelry right here. The specified yarn is Red Heart Boutique Treasure, which is discontinued. Here’s the Ravelry page for the yarn and you can see that it’s a two-ply yarn with a slow gradation of colours and made of acrylic. I used a yarn from Lionbrand called Scarfie in the Charcoal/Aqua colourway. It’s not listed on the manufacturer website anymore, so here’s a Ravelry link.

What I liked about this cowl is the buttons. I find cowls are great outside, but then too warm if I step into a shop or get in the car. This one gives you the option of unfastening a bit of it without taking it off.

And here’s the finished cowl:

Ups and Down Cowl knit by Deborah Cooke in Lionbrand Scarfie

I used 5mm needles because I liked the look on the knitting better on that size, but that also meant that I used a lot less yarn. (a LOT less. Maybe the yardage is wrong on the pattern.) This one took 140g, leaving 10g from one ball of yarn. That’s just 265m and the pattern says you need three balls of yarn with 138m in each.

What’s funny is that I don’t love the buttons so much now that it’s done. They don’t seem to make a lot of difference, since the cowl gapes open at the throat anyway. So, I’ve cast on another one in Caron Cakes in the colourway Rainbow Sprinkles, modifying it to be worked in the round. I’ll knit this one on 6mm needles and see how that affects the yardage. I kind of want to use the whole ball to get through the entire gradation, but it’s 350m.

Interestingly, this yarn has vanished from the Michaels website, which is where I bought it. Seems like everything gets discontinued these days before I even find it!

I’ll show you that one when it’s done.

A Citron Shawl in Noro

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

Citron is a free pattern for a semi-circular shawlette Hilary Smith Callis. It’s available from Knitty.com and has been around for a while. (Ha. It’s in the Winter 2009 edition, so that is a while!) Here’s a link to the pattern at Knitty.com.

Here’s the Ravelry page for the pattern.

I’ve made a couple of these in the past. First, I made one for my MIL in Noro Kureyon Sock. (This yarn is discontinued, which is a sad truth. Here’s its page on Ravelry.) She wanted something cheerful and bright.

Citron by Hilary Smith Callis knit in Noro Silk Garden Sock by Deborah Cooke

There are a couple of variations in this version from the original pattern. The original has stockinette bands alternating with gathered sections for a ripple effect. I added some eyelets and beads to this version. Here’s the blog post about it (which has now reminded me of the Gaia Shawl, also a nice one skein knit and a free pattern. That’s a Ravelry link. Hmm.)

One of the things that still irks me about this shawl (I have it now, since my MIL passed) is the lack of a second band of pinky-purple. Knots in yarn are frustrating, but in self-striping yarns, a knot may also mean that part of the colourway is missing. This was made from one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock, but it had a knot. Instead of a second repeat of the pink and purple part at the outer edge, I got a third repeat of the green. It looks to me as if the pink and purple part shouldn’t be there at all.

The second version I knit of this shawl was in one colour, a kettle-dyed laceweight yarn from an indie dyer.

Citron by Hilary Smith Callis knit in Waterloo Wools Kirkland and Malabrigo Lace by Deborah Cooke

I added beads to this one, as well, gradually increasing the number of them toward the hem. It’s edged in black Malabrigo Lace. There’s a blog post about this one here.

And now on to the new version. This is knit of Noro Silk Garden Sock in the colourway 211.

It’s had a gentle block to make it rounder, but not a hard one to stretch it out. I wanted to preserve the ripple (which was lost in the first one for my MIL, because of a very hard block.) I could – and maybe should – have knit it on larger needles. The fabric is quite sturdy on the 4.0mm needles but I do like the colourway. Here’s the yarn on Ravelry, and here it is on the Diamond Yarns website, which is Noro’s distributor in Canada.

The put-up for this yarn is less because it’s thicker – it’s a sport weight (while Kureyon Sock was a fingering weight) and has 300m per skein (while Kureyon Sock had 420m). So, having two balls didn’t make a huge shawl.

I also added some eyelets and beads but not as many as the first one.

For the cast-off edge, I did a simple crochet edging to keep it frilly. A single crochet in each stitch, then chain 2 before repeating. I ran out of yarn when the cast-off was almost done so substituted in a piece of leftover Silk Garden Sock from another colourway (in my stash for sock yarn squares). I picked out the turquoise section so it would match a bit.

The first skein had no knots at all, which made me happy. The second one, however, had three knots in rapid succession. I can see what that did to the colour progression (grr) but still I like this shawl a lot. It’s 22″ deep and 44″ across the long edge, just enough to hang over my shoulders to the elbows.

What do you think?

Mitred Squares Sock Yarn Afghan

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

Last week, I mentioned my afghan in progress made of mitred squares knit in leftover sock yarn and realized I’d never given that project its own post. Today we fix that!

Here’s the base square. This one is knit in (hmm) Collinette Jitterbug, in the colourway Monet. That’s the Ravelry link as it looks like this yarn might be discontinued.

Mitred square knit in sock yarn leftovers by Deborah Cooke

I like knitting mitred squares. They’re easy and the result looks good. One of my favorite books about them is Domino Knitting by Vivian Høxbro – here’s the Amazon.ca link for the book, here’s the Ravelry link and here’s VH’s website. This is a lovely little book with a number of interesting projects.

From this, I developed my sock yarn square. For a mitred square with a central stockinette stitch, you cast on an odd number of stitches, and this makes the outer edge of the L. That central stitch remains in stockinette (knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side) while the rest of the square is knit in garter stitch (all knit, all the time). It makes a prettier edge if you slip the first stitch on each row, and that also makes it easy to pick up stitches and add new squares to the existing ones. it saves you seaming if you just knit them together.

Here are my afghan blocks so far:

Mitred sock yarn squares afghan knit by Deborah Cooke

I’m piecing them together in blocks of 24 squares. I decided on a big block size to keep from having too many repeats in the same area – you can see that these two blocks shouldn’t be right beside each other. I might set them up to make them radiate from a central point instead of like this. We’ll see.

Mitred Sock Yarn Block
I knit mine on a 2.5mm needle.

Cast on 49 stitches.
R1 (RS): Knit
R2 (WS): knit 24, P1, place marker, knit 24
R3 (RS): Slip one, knit to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, slip marker, k1, SSK, knit to end.
R4 (WS): Slip one, knit to 1 stitch before marker, P1, knit to end

Continue as established, repeating rows 3 and 4 and decreasing two stitches on each RS row, until there are 3 sts left. SSK and draw end through the loop to finish.

More Kokka Totes

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

A few weeks ago, I showed you a tote bag I made from a dragon print fabric. (The post is right here.) Well, I’d cut out a few more and finally got them sewn up. First, one in a different dragon fabric.

Tote bag from Kokka Fabric's free pattern, sewn by Deborah Cooke

The pattern is a free download from kokka-fabric.com. It’s in Japanese, but there are illustrations of the assembly and measurements to cut the pieces. You can find their free downloadable patterns here, and this bag pattern here.

Once again, I used the black faux-leather as an accent for the pocket as well as on the base and the straps. What I did differently this time was interface the entire outside – all the dragon fabric – to give the bag more stiffness. I still think it’s a bit floppy and the pattern would work better in a canvas or drapery fabric.

Here’s another one in a different print:

bag in Kokka Fabric free pattern, sewn by Deborah Cooke

This was a bit tough to match up since the design is so regular but not quite printed on the grain. I did my best. 🙂

I like them both, but now it’s time to make some re-usable grocery bags. I’m making a variation of this pattern – no outside pocket, straps of nylon webbing and bigger dimensions – out of drapery fabric from my stash. I’m also putting feet on them and bases for stability, and some of them will have zippered tops. I’ll show you those bags when they’re done.

A Soft Stripey Chemo Hat in Aran

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

I know far too many people who are battling cancer right now, and recently offered to make some chemo hats. I expected this to be an easy project, but it was a challenge instead. When I found a yarn I liked (soft and squishy), I couldn’t find a pattern for it (or even its gauge) that I also liked. In the end, I merged some patterns together and came up with my own.

Here’s one, for an aran weight yarn.

This yarn is Lionbrand Landscapes, a 100% acrylic yarn that comes in wonderful graduated colours. (That link will take you to the Lionbrand website product page.) I used a colourway called Blue Lagoon for this first one, and bought the yarn at Michaels. One thing with this yarn is that it’s a loosely spun single ply, so be careful not to split the strand when knitting. I ended up making more of a scoop motion than usual to catch the entire ply and that worked really well.

This hat is knit from the top down. Many of the ones that were knit cuff-up ended up having too tight of a cast-on edge, so I preferred this method. You might prefer it inside out as the knit side of the stockinette is smoother. Check with the recipient before you sew in the ends as you’ll want them on the wrong side, whichever side that’s going to be.

You’ll need:
• one skein of Lionbrand Landscape yarn (I used .7 of a ball in Blue Lagoon for the hat with the ribbed cuff, and .85 of a ball in Wildflower for the version with the rolled hem.)
• 6.0mm needles, a set of DPNs and (if you prefer) a 40cm circular
• 5.5mm needles, either a set of DPNs or a 40cm circular (for the ribbing)
• stitch markers (optional) You’ll need one to mark the beginning of the row, and five more (in a different colour) to mark the repeats.
• a needle to sew in the ends.

Gauge: 18 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches, in stockinette on 6.0mm needles

There are instructions for two sizes for the finished hat is 21″ (regular) and 23″ (large) around. If the recipient has a much smaller head (or you aren’t sure) the version with the ribbed cuff is more likely to stay put.

Instructions:
Cast on 6 stitches on a 6.0mm DPN and arrange them over three needles (2 stitches on each). Join in the round and place a marker at the beginning of the round.

Round 1: KFB in each stitch (12)
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *K1, KFB, place marker. Repeat from * to end of round. (18)
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: *K to one stitch before marker, KFB. Repeat from * to end of round. (24)

Repeat rows 4 and 5 until you have 78 (for regular) or 90 (for large) stitches. Change to the circular needle when you have enough stitches, if that’s what you prefer.

Knit the next round, removing the markers after each wedge and leaving only the marker at the end of the round. Continue to knit for 3″ after the last increase.

Work next row in K1 P1 ribbing, changing to 5.5mm needles as you work the row. Continue in ribbing on the smaller needles for 2.5″ (In my case, that was 13 rows.) Cast off in ribbing.

Sew in ends and you’re done!

Variations:
• I wanted 2/2 ribbing on the blue hat, so I knit two stitches together halfway through the first row of ribbing and again at the end of the round. That gave me 88 stitches instead of 90, which is divisible by 4.
• you can also make a variation with a rolled brim. I made one with the colourway Wildflower but forgot to take a picture before sending it away. Instead of changing to ribbing, just keep knitting in stockinette to at least 8″ from the cast-on edge. I made mine with 6″ of stockinette after the last increase, then cast off loosely. This used more of the ball but had a nice rolled cuff.

Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
KFB: Knit front and back. This increases one stitch, making one stitch into two. You could substitute any other increase you prefer, like M1 (make one) or YO (yarn over).

A Furry Sophie Bucket Hat

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Deborah Cooke

I don’t much like hats, but I live in Canada and need one for several months out of the year. As a result, I’m always knitting hats, in search of The One. I finally found it!

The Sophie Bucket Hat pattern is writting for Lionbrand Go for Faux, a yarn I love to bits. It’s so soft and squishy, and it knits into the most amazing fabric. The stitches disappear so it could be a length of faux fur cloth. That makes knitting it a bit of a challenge as you can’t read your knitting at all. (When I make a mistake, I just rip it all out and start over again.)

Here’s Go for Faux on the Lionbrand site. Be aware that they also make a heavier version of this yarn called Go for Faux Thick & Quick. That’s way too thick to use for this pattern, but on online vendor sites, it’s easy to miss the weight distinction. (Go on. Ask me how I know.)

Sophie Bucket Hat knit in Lionbrand Go for Faux by Deborah Cooke

And here’s the pattern for the Sophie Bucket Hat on Ravelry. This is a free pattern if you visit her website and print the blog post. If you want to download a PDF, she has one for sale on her site and on Ravelry.

I used one and half balls of Go for Faux in Mink for this one. I found the Go for Faux at Len’s Mills as well as online stores:

The strange thing about the Go for Faux (because I’ve bought a lot of colours of it) is that the black colourway, called Black Panther, feels very different from the other colours. It’s not nearly as soft, which is a shame because black fur would be awesome. I have no idea why this would be.

I used 1.4 balls of another fake fur yarn called Buttersoft, from Spindle Yarns. (That’s a Ravelry link.) This yarn was available at Fabricland and is apparently their own label. The colourway is Wineberry.

Sophie Bucket Hat knit in Spindles Buttersoft by Deborah Cooke

I wanted a colour other than greys and browns, even though I’m not much for dirty pinks. I also didn’t find this yarn as squishy-soft as the Go for Faux. Here’s how the hats look flat.

Sophie Bucket Hats knit by Deborah Cooke

There is a tiny colour change where I switched to the second ball on each hat. On the grey one, the end of the first ball was a bit whiter, so there’s a stripe there (ha – like a halo!) while the second ball of the dusty pink was a bit lighter than the first one. I did match dye lots in both cases, but I guess there’s variation over each skein.

Knitpicks also has their own faux fur yarn called Fable Fur. (That’s a KP link.) I have a few balls of it which I bought to knit garments for the girls, but sadly don’t have two balls of a single colour. I ordered more of the Hibou, which is a pretty grey teal, to make myself another Sophie Bucket Hat. There’s also some Go for Faux in Red Panda on its merry way to me. That’s a great pinky burgundy colour. How many hats do I need? Hmm. Canadian winters can be long…and this is the perfect hat. I think a few more can’t hurt!

Have you found your perfect hat pattern yet?

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