That was quite a response yesterday! I listened. I made boots. Thank you to all who participated.
I actually ended up knitting FIVE legs for this doll. There was the one leg with tights and the one leg with a boot, then I knit the other leg with a boot. When I went to attach them however, I realized that the boots were about a half inch too short. They were calf boots. I wanted knee boots. So back to the needles I went and knit two more legs with boots. They’re pretty cute. A little bumpy and awkward looking, but still pretty cute.
Some answers to comment questions….
Carrie asked, “What yarn do you use?” While I would love to knit beautiful dolls with gorgeous natural fibers, the truth is that I originally sought out this pattern to use up some of the acrylic in my stash that has been gifted to me. I have found, however, that while the hair, limbs, and body look just fine in stiff acrylic yarn, the clothes really need to be knit with something softer. The dress on this doll was knit with a soft acrylic yarn that I think came from my friend Gayle. I’m sure I didn’t buy it, and there’s no label. The arms, legs, face and hair are Plymouth Encore (which is what the pattern calls for), and the boots are stiff Red Heart. Some of the other dolls have been knit using Lamb’s Pride worsted. I love that stuff, and it makes BEEEE-utiful doll clothes.
Lynn asked, “Where does the pattern come from?” Interweave Knits, Summer 2002. I ordered the back issue myself after seeing Kerstin’s adorable doll a while ago, and it arrived very quickly in the mail.
At the knitting group last night, the amazingly cute Hayden claimed that, considering her blonde hair and blue eyes, she could totally be my daughter, and therefore needs a doll of her own. Ignoring the fact that there was a serious hole in her logic, (about 20 years or so), I told her that the best way to score a doll from me, would be to invite one of my daughters to her birthday party, since only ONE out of the THREE of them actually has a doll. An impending birthday party seems to be what gets them done around here. :-). Hayden really is incredibly cute, and I want her hair!
Now I present… Miss Mary Sunshine’s birthday gift!
September 17th, 2004 at 1:49 am
Adirable! I will have to get that issue of Interweave Knits!!!
September 17th, 2004 at 2:11 am
She looks wonderful! You always do such a nice job on the hair!
September 17th, 2004 at 2:37 am
That hair is topping the cake!
September 17th, 2004 at 3:07 am
Mary Sunshine (love that name too!) is so lucky to be the recipient of such an adorable doll! Great work again, Laura!
September 17th, 2004 at 3:24 am
Thank you! You have no idea how much I needed a reason to smile right now.
And I see no flaw in my logic…I think it’s completely plausible that I could be your daughters’ older sister. No, seriously. This could work. =)
And the finished doll is so cute; Mary Sunshine is going to love her. I can not wait to start making my own…although, having a birthday party (a few months after the fact) and inviting your daughters to it will work too.
September 17th, 2004 at 3:41 am
She’s really lovely. I refuse to start knitting dolls though. Or least that’s what I’m saying to myself…
September 17th, 2004 at 1:08 pm
Okay, you know I had to try a dressed doll too. She is adorable but, I am not sure about stuffing her. The pattern is very vague about it. Do you stuff some stuffing up there and then sew the dress closed? I can see that your skirt is open and her legs go up. What and how did you attach them to?
I need the High Priestess of dolls!!!
September 17th, 2004 at 2:08 pm
Yes, the instructions are pathetic on that. I made sure that I had the sides pinched in the right place, and basically followed the stitches back and forth, sewing the front and back together right before the skirt flares. I thought about sewing the legs in at that point, doing it all at the same time, but I didn’t have them done yet, and I was impatient. I’m not sure how it would work. So I carefully folded the skirt up and sewed the legs to the seam, being very careful not to pick up any stitches on the skirt, because that looks really funny. Does that make any sense? Ask more questions if it doesn’t. And send me a pic if you can. I’d love to see it. Good luck! Laura
September 17th, 2004 at 11:36 pm
Totally cute! And her hair was worth it.