Ponchos and Ruanas – Part 1 Ponchos

I have been busy weaving two styles of wraps.

The first style is a poncho woven in two rectangular pieces and sewn together.

The second style is a wrap that I have come to know is called a ruana. This one can also be woven as two rectangles sewn together or it can be woven as a double weave.

Both are easy to weave since they are rectangles. It has been SO much fun weaving these wraps because there is no end to the number of design options available. As long as they end up the right size, anything goes. You can use any combination of yarns and any size reeds/heddles. They can be woven on floor looms, table looms, and rigid heddle looms.

To get started I looked at many patterns and designs. The first poncho I made was a bit small so I adjusted for the second one. I had several people try on the styles to see which one worked best. I settled on a small set of sizes depending on the persons preferences. The sizes given are after it has been taken from the loom and wet finished. Depending on the sett and fiber used, the size in the loom is larger.

All of the wraps I have made so far are plain (tabby) weave. It will be fun to try additional weave structures as well as combinations of colors and textures in the future.

Poncho Size

The basic poncho is composed of two rectangles 22″ wide and 35″ long. The difference in length and width contributes to the size of the head opening. Once you know the correct size head opening keep this difference the same. If you make the piece three inches longer it should also be three inches wider. On the other hand, if you want to make the head opening larger or smaller, increase or decrease the difference. To make the opening larger, increase the length more than the width. To make the opening smaller increase the width more than the length.

Ruana Size

The basic ruana is composed of two rectangles 22″ wide and 56″ long. This fits most adults pretty well. If you make the pieces wider, the wrap comes down farther on the arms and there is more cloth in wings. If you make the pieces a little longer the wrap falls closer to the knees. I just ask the person “normal or wide” and “longer or shorter”?

Here are pictures and descriptions of the wraps I have made so far.

First Poncho – Practice

I made this one on my 25″ rigid heddle loom using the full width and a long stick shuttle. I warped it on an 8 dent heddle. The warp is a cream colored acrylic (unknown origin) with 10% of the ends Lion Brand Shawl-in-a-Ball color Namaste. The accent threads were distributed randomly. The weft is all cream acrylic. The fringe is 3″ long and each end is hemstitched 3×2 threads.

This poncho was a bit too small in the neck opening but fits a child so it did not go to waste.

My rigid heddle loom was just barely wide enough if I used the whole width. So for the rest of the wraps I used my 36″ wide, 4 harness floor loom.

Abby’s Poncho

For my second attempt I switched to the floor loom, adjusted the dimensions, and used a single yarn for all the warp and weft. In this case, the yarn I used was Caron Simply Soft in an off-white tweed color. The yarn itself had enough interesting variation that no other accent was needed.

I have been reading how others provide a little tension when winding on the warp when there is no one around to help. This idea with cans seemed simple but it didn’t work. Right after this picture was taken the yarn popped off the top of all the cans.

Kathy’s Poncho

When my friend saw the first poncho I made she expressed an interest in one. I asked what color and she said teal. So here is the poncho I made her. This one is also done with an 8-dent reed. The warp is an acrylic yarn (unknown) and the weft is Shawl-in-a-Ball color Healing Teal.

I forgot to take pictures while I was working on it so I had to ask her to send me some. I love the way her pictures show two different ways you can wear the poncho.

Purple Poncho

This poncho was the first thing I wove with my new 5-dent reed. The warp is Vanna’s Choice in the color Imperial Mauve and the weft is Home Spun in the color Tutor. I have tried weaving with the Home Spun before to weave a scarf.  It looked pretty but felt like a thick rug. So I knew enough this time to “set” the weft in place rather than beating it in vigorously. The results were good. The poncho is fluffy and has a nice drape.

There is a lot of variation in color in this yarn. As a result the two piece of the poncho look quite different from each other. Since the poncho is symmetrical front and back, it can be worn with which ever set of colors you like facing the front. Perhaps in the future I will make one where the two rectangles are completely different from each other, though complimentary. After all, a small bit of the back piece is visible from the front depending on how the poncho is worn.

Saori Style Blue Poncho

Saori style weaving is so pretty. As much as I read about it, it is hard to find a single definition. Most agree that it is a free form style with no rules. In this wrap I used a variety of warp threads, all in the blue family. It was great fun. The weft is Shawl-in-a-Ball in color Healing Teal.

I am still a pretty new weaver and one of things I struggle with is how to warp with multiple types of yarn. Some advise that you tie off each color on the warping board creating a single warp that can be threaded in order. I wanted to “design at the reed” rather than figure out the order of the thread ahead of time. So I measured out all the warp for each yarn separately and then sat down and tried to put it all together. At first it looked like it was going to be an impossible mess. But after I straightened it out, the warp started to behave.

I hoped that by choosing a light weight weft thread, the characteristics of the warp would show better. I think it was a good idea. Though some of the “hairy” warp threads seems trapped by the weft. In the end I went along and brushed them a little to release the fluffy fibers.

I have been collecting a bag of purplish yarns to make another wrap. Maybe this next one will be a shawl.

Anna’s Poncho

After seeing the first poncho with the sparkly brown threads, Anna decided she would like one with navy sparkly accents. The warp is Loops and Threads Barcelona in color Arctic and various blue yarns some of which sparkle. The weft is all Barcelona Arctic. You can see that it has some cream and gray variegations. One of the things that I learned was that yarns like this, with long variegations, are hard to match up between skeins. So now I always start a new skein for each half of the poncho and wind the bobbins in such as way as to keep the variegations in order (wind a bobbin from the skein then rewind it onto another bobbin).

In this poncho the accent color represents 20% of the warp threads. The picture above shows details of the stripe pattern.

When I’m using a variegated yarn I often use this large stick shuttle so I can load lots of yarn and therefore connect pieces less often. When I am using a non-variegated yarn I like the boat shuttle much better. The light colored weft really tones down the navy stripe yarns. It’s pretty but I wish they stood out better. Hmmmm, considerations for future wraps.

I hope you like the ponchos. I am going to start the next post right away to show the ruanas.

As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

Harmony – An Agreement of the Parts

This is a picture of a cape that I recently finished knitting and the story of its making. It all started in July when I visited the state fair. I went there to see the fiber exhibits. I am thinking …

Wraps Part 2 – Ruanas

I have been busy weaving two styles of wraps.

The first style is a poncho woven in two rectangular pieces and sewn together. I wrote about these in a previous post.

The second style is a wrap that I have come to know is called a ruana. This one can also be woven as two rectangles sewn together or it can be woven as a double weave.

Both are easy to weave since they are rectangles. It has been SO much fun weaving these wraps because there is no end to the number of design options available. As long as they end up the right size, anything goes. You can use any combination of yarns and any size reeds/heddles. They can be woven on floor looms, table looms, and rigid heddle looms.

All of the wraps I have made so far are plain (tabby) weave. It will be fun to try additional weave structures as well as combinations of colors and textures in the future.

Poncho Size

The basic poncho is composed of two rectangles 22″ wide and 35″ long. The difference in length and width contributes to the size of the head opening. Once you know the correct size head opening keep this difference the same. If you make the piece three inches longer it should also be three inches wider. On the other hand, if you want to make the head opening larger or smaller, increase or decrease the difference. To make the opening larger, increase the length more than the width. To make the opening smaller increase the width more than the length.

Ruana Size

The basic ruana is composed of two rectangles 22″ wide and 56″ long. This fits most adults pretty well. If you make the pieces wider, the wrap comes down farther on the arms and there is more cloth in wings. If you make the pieces a little longer the wrap falls closer to the knees. I just ask the person “normal or wide” and “longer or shorter”?

Although you could make these rectangles on any style loom, I made all of these on a four harness floor loom with a 5 dent reed. The structure is all plain weave.

First and Second Ruanas

I have hoped that these wraps would be stash busters so for the first attempt I chose yarns that I already had on hand. I wanted to use the very old WoolEase sport weight yarn in color Wood. I didn’t have enough so I paired it with some Caron SimplySoft in color Black. The warp is stripes of black and Wood, the weft is all black. Everyone seemed to really like the stripes and most of the requests I got after this were for some variation of this design.

I made two ruanas like this, one a little wider than the other. I used up all of the woolease yarn, one of my goals.

Sheila’s Ruana

Sheila liked the Wood color yarn, but I was all out. So I had to go and find something similar. I chose this Caron SimplySoft in color Taupe.

It turned out nicely with a bit of interest from the tweedy yarn. This yarn has a nice drape and a soft feel.

Gray Ruana

This one uses Loops and Threads brand Barcelona yarn in color Arctic for the warp and Onyx for the weft.

The yellow ribbon is used to measure the length of the piece as I weave. Even though this ruana has no stripes or patterns, it seems to be a favorite.

The Barcelona yarn is soft and fluffy. There are enough color variations to keep the cloth interesting even without other design elements.

Jodi’s Ruana

Jodi liked the striped ruanas with brown and black yarn but requested gray and black instead. I decided to perk up the stripes by adding a few thicker yarns to each stripe. The thicker yarns are Thick and Quick. The other yarn is Caron SimplySoft in gray and black warp and all black weft.

The thick yarns add interest without added another color.

Anna’s Ruana

I made this ruana for Anna. The poncho I made her was light colored with navy accents so I decided to make the ruana dark with red and white accents. I had seen a plaid similar to this and considered trying a plaid but chickened out at the last minute.

I wanted the white accent threads to look “even” and not “odd” so I put an odd number of yarns between them. In this way they were both in the same shed. Both up or both down at the same time.

The yarn is Premier Everyday. I found it on sale for $2. The colors are Charcoal Heather, Red Heather, and White.

I am looking forward to getting creative with the wraps, trying new weave structures and color patterns. Keep watching!

As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

2017 Fall Spinners Retreat at Durward’s Glen

The spinning retreat at Durward’s Glen was just what I needed. I have only recently learned to spin. Since returning from class at Seivers on Washington Island I had only found about 3 hours total to spin. I had plenty of wool just not enough free time.

So getting to just spin and spin was great. No cooking or cleaning, no distractions of TV, radio, internet, or phone. There was wifi in a special location, but you had to seek it out purposefully. There was virtually no cell phone service. So spinning is what we did. There were 20+ spinners, some as new to the craft as I am and some with many years experience. There were people who had taken vacation from their work, people who had closed down their shops, and those like me who are retired and free to take advantage of these opportunities.

The minute I arrived, wonderful helpful people came out to my car and helped me carry things in. I am used to shlepping my own things so this was quite a nice surprise! I don’t know how to thank everyone for being so welcoming and helpful. Lovely spinners shared their ideas, hints, and techniques freely. If I had trouble, they seemed to know and can over to offer advice.

Durward’s Glen is a beautiful spot in the woods of central Wisconsin, near Devil’s Lake State Park. There are rocky hillsides and a small stream running through the property.

The best thing about the weekend was that I learned that spinning is not just a process for turning neat bundles of prepared fibers into neat pieces of yarn.  My eyes were opened to so many new spinning possibilities. Actually, the best thing about the weekend was meeting these wonderful people.

Newly Spun Yarn Drying on the Railing

Yarn Drying in the Tree

Beads on Thread Can be Plied with Yarn

Beehive Yarn

Blue Beehive

Yarn with Beads

The rooms were comfortable. The building has been used by several organizations over the years. My room came furnished with a trombone. The bath and shower are shared but there was a sink in my room.

Steep Trail Down From the Cemetery to the Glen – Don’t Do This in the Dark!

The only cell phone signal was at the top of the hill at the cemetery. The first evening I declined to climb up there to make a call. I’m not scared of cemeteries, but the climb was steep and it was dark. So I waited until the second day. It was a beautiful, but short, hike. I made it a couple times a day, just for the pleasure of it.

Cemetery with Good Cell Phone Reception

Durward Family Cemetery

I learned a lot about spinning equipment as well as the spinning process.

Ashford Country Spinner

The wheel I have (Louet S10 Concept) is great for small or medium weight yarns. But there are some that are much larger, like the Ashford Country Spinner. They could more easily handle thick yarn and art yarn. They have much larger openings for the yarn to pass through and much larger bobbins for the yarn to be wound on.

Lazy Kates

A lazy Kate is a device that holds bobbins full of yarn that is being plied. Some have a tension device to keep the bobbins from spinning too fast. You can buy them, but several spinners had made their own.

The WooLee Winder is a device that winds the yarn evenly on your bobbin. Note in the pictures above, the bobbin on the right is mine. I have to move the hooks manually to get the yarn to start winding in a new spot. If I don’t pay attention, it piles up in one spot. The WooLee Winder on the wheel at the left uses gears to move the hook back and forth automatically and wind the yarn on evenly.

Lendrum Spinning Wheel

This is a spinning wheel that I would like to own. It is a nice size and has several useful features. The bobbin is easy to change.

Deb Jones, the woman who put together the retreat, brought plenty of supplies. Bah bah, Deb’s sheep, have you any wool. Yes ma’am, yes ma’am, one hundred bags full!

Some of My Spun Yarn

Bobbin of Yarn Ready to Be Plied

These are some of the yarns I spun. I am trying to decide whether to ply the black and gray yarn with a lighter or darker color. I spun all 8 ounces that I had. It took me all day.

Continuous Strand Weaving

Pin Loom Weaving – Note the Lazy Kate on the Floor

Continuous Strand Weaving

Spinners would sometimes take a break to indulge in other crafts. Many were knitters. Several people had these small looms called pin looms and continuous strand weaving looms. They look fascinating and terribly portable. I can’t wait to try this type of weaving.

Snacks Are Always Hard to Resist

Although the meals were catered and delicious and I was never really hungry, everyone brought snacks to share.

There were also some liquid refreshments, including some 12 year old Scotch that a spinner brought back from Scotland after a spinning trip with Deb. It was pretty good!

On my last day of the retreat I was surprised to find that I was the first one downstairs. The room was usually so lively, full of spinning and chatting. It looked so different with the spinners all missing.

It was a wonderful retreat and I hated to leave. But I gained so much! I plan to return for the spring retreat. I can’t wait to begin practicing the skills I picked up during these exciting four days. There is a table in one of the rooms where the participants set out things they had made and wanted to sell. There were some remarkable items. Perhaps by the spring, I can place something there, too.

I kept notes of all the good ideas I heard people talking about. I joined Ravelry, looked online for a book about ergonomic knitting, and marked my calendar for PlyAway in Kansas and YarnOver in Minneapolis. I am afraid that I am going to have to drop one or more of my less interesting pursuits to make room in my life for spinning.

As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

Sewing for 18″ Dolls – Pants

Sewing for 18” dolls is fun, doesn’t take much material and is a good way for new sewers to understand clothing construction. The only really expensive part are purchased patterns which can cost $20 or more. But you really don’t need purchased patterns to start sewing doll cloths. In a previous post I tried to show how you can make simple skirts and dresses for the dolls, and even their human girls, just by measuring.

Today I would like to show you another technique. You can use clothes the dolls already have to make a pattern.

For the first example, I chose a pair of knit capri pants with an elastic waist. I found them in a bag of clothes I bought at a garage sale. The nice thing about this is that it doesn’t matter if the garments is old or stained or torn. They will work equally well for making a pattern.

Notice that the store bought clothes are not really “high quality” sewing. The seam allowances are small and the seams unfinished.  The hems are just roughly turned under once with cut edges showing. Most of these clothes are mass produced using as little fabric and notions as possible.

But these are just doll clothes. No one is going to prom or a job interview here. So try to keep this in mind when you are sewing. Of course make things as neat as you can, but don’t go overboard trying to make them as good as human clothes. Also, the dolls are not really concerned with comfort, so a thick seam won’t bother them. The goal of this post is to show how young sewers can make inexpensive doll cloths. They should be easy for little hands to get on and off the dolls.

The first step is to take apart the garments. This little device is called a seam ripper. It fits nicely under stitches to break them.

Carefully pick the seams apart and when you are done, you will have a pile of loose thread, two cut garment pieces, and a piece of elastic. Measure the elastic. In this case it is 1/8” wide and 8 3/4” long. It is actually is pretty good shape so you could use it again. Looking closely at the two fabric pieces reveals that they are identical. We can copy one to the pattern and use it to cut two pieces.

The fabric piece is wrinkled and bent, so iron it carefully to make it flat and easy to trace. You can use the fabric directly to cut a new garment or you can trace it to create a reusable pattern. Sometimes I use wax paper but if you want to make more than one garments you will need to use something more durable. Non-fusable interfacing works very well. It don’t unravel, it can be ironed, and it can be written on.

I usually make the first item out of some scrap material just to make sure the garment will fit and that I like the length and style. I this case I used some cheap lightweight knit. Remember to cut two. This is often the case with purchased patterns as well.

To construct the new pants:

1. Stitch the center front seam. I have used a slight zigzag stitch here as I often do on knits to provide a little “give” in the seam. The materials stretches so its nice if the seam can, too.
2. Turn down the material at the waist and sew across to create the elastic casing.
3. Insert the elastic. Use a bodkin or safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing. Be sure to stitch the elastic in place when the end reaches the edge of the fabric. Continue pulling the elastic through and secure the second end in place with a few stitches.
   

   

   

   

   
4. Stitch the center back seam.
5. Turn up the hem on each leg and stitch in place.
6. Align the inseam and sew the pant legs. Sometimes I start at the center and sew each direction. Sometimes I sew from one pant hem to the other along the entire inseam. It depends on whether the pieces line up well or if they are being difficult.
   

   
7. The practice pants are done. Try them on the dolls and check the fit. These seems to fit fine.

There were a couple things about the pattern that I did not care for so before making additional pairs, I would make the waist area a little higher and use 1/4” elastic. It would be easier to thread through and make the casing easier to sew.

It would also be easy to make these legs shorter to make shorts or longer to make pants. I used wax paper to make a couple quick adjustments.

Here is the pattern that I made for the knit capri pants. I put it on the scanner and created a pdf that you can print. Set your printer to print the image at 100%. There is a reference line 2” long that you can use to make sure that your printout is the same size as my original pattern.

Knit Capri Pattern

The knit fabric was definitely easy to sew and fit. I didn’t know if the pattern would work as well with woven fabric, which has less stretch, so I made a pair of shorts in woven fabric. They did not fit and I could not get them on the doll. So I found a pair of woven pants and repeated the process. This gave me new patterns for doll pants out of woven material. I am including those patterns as well.

Unfortunately the pattern pieces are wider that the 8” paper most printers and scanner use. So those patterns are included in two pieces. Print them out and tape the two pieces together along the “tape line”.

I have included some pictures of the pants, capris, and short made from these patterns as well.

This is the first pair of pants I made in woven material. Here is the pattern. It is in two parts which should be printed and tape together.

woven pants part 1

woven pants part 2

These denim shorts are cut from the leg of an old pair of work jeans. The faded denim is great! This pattern is also in two pieces which should be printed and taped together.

woven shorts part 1

woven shorts part 2

These board shorts use the same pattern as the other shorts, but I cut them a little shorter in the waist and added a band of contrasting material. The ends of the band are folded under and come together at the front, not quite touching, to allow for the insertion of a string or ribbon. Once the ribbon/string is inserted I usually stitch it at the back center so little hands won’t pull the string out.

These khaki shorts (maybe part of a school uniform) have the traditional “flat felled” seam found in store bought pants. I had the legs of a pair of pants that I had cut off for shorts. So I just centered the pattern pieces on the seam so it would look like I had sewn the sides this way. Nice trick!

As you can see from the pictures, I decided to make these shorts a little shorter so I folded up the pattern a bit. Also, to make the garment symmetrical I cut one piece, flipped it over and used it for the pattern from the second piece. In that way I could line up the seam and make sure they would end up in the same position on both legs.

I hope you enjoy the patterns and that you learned to use old doll clothes to make new ones.

Post any pictures you take in the comments section. I would love to see what you make! If you create some patterns that you like, consider sharing them so others can benefit from your efforts.

Next time I am going to use the same process to make some patterns for tops. Watch for them if you are making doll clothes with little friends!

As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

Patterns For 18″ Dolls – Elastic Waist Skirt

One of the reasons I learned to sew was to save money. First, I made doll clothes. Later, I sewed for myself and then my children. I was shocked recently to learn how expensive patterns have become. Even patterns for doll clothes can reach $20! But, just as you can learn how to sew clothing and accessories, you can learn to create patterns. Someone had to make them, you might as well learn to make them yourself. It really isn’t that hard. Here are some choices.

1. Modify a pattern that you already have or one that you borrow.
2. Cut apart a garment that fits but has become old and worn.
3. Create a new pattern from measurements.

This post will begin to show you how to create your own pattern from your dolls measurements. Skirts are easy so we will start there.

Elastic Waist Skirt

1. Measure the dolls waist. Or you can just trust me and use a measurement of 12″.
2. Cut a piece of 1/4″ elastic shorter than this measurement by 10-20% depending on the stretchiness of your elastic. I recommend cutting the elastic 10 1/2″.
3. Decide how long you want your skirt. Knee length is about 4 1/2″, midi about 6″, and full length about 8″.
4. Calculate the width of the rectangle that will become your skirt. A good rule of thumb is to double the waist measurement and add the seam allowance. So in this example double the waist measurement is 24″. The seam allowance is 1/4″ on each edge. So 24+1/4+1/4=24 1/2″.
5. Calculate the length of your rectangle. Choose a length. I will make a knee length skirt. Add 1″ for the hem and 3/4″ for the top elastic casing. So 4 1/2+1+3/4=6 1/4″.
6. Cut out a rectangle 24 1/2″ wide and 6 1/4″ long.
7. Press the hem but do not sew it yet. Fold up 1/2″ and press. Fold again 1/2″ and press. This hem will be stitched later, after the back seam is sewn, but it is easier to press while the skirt is flat
8. Sew the casing. Fold down 1/4″ and the top edge and press. Fold again 1/2″ and press. Sew close to the edge as shown.
9. Insert the elastic. Attach a small pin to one end of the elastic. Thread it through the casing being careful not to twist it. Pin the end of the elastic so they are not lost.
   

   
10. Sew the back seam using 1/4″ seam allowance. Carefully align the top and bottom edges while sewing. Back stitch at the top and bottom. If the material is fraying, zigzag stitch in the seam allowance.
    

    
11. Stitch the hem close to the fold. Begin at the back seam and overlap hem stitching 1/2″.
12. Distribute the gathers evenly on the elastic around the skirt.

 

Variations on a Theme

With a few changes in color, length, embellishment and finishing you can make an infinite number of skirts and dresses from this simple pattern. Here are a few ideas.

Yellow and Blue Skirt

This skirt is even easier than the first one because the hem and elastic casing are formed by strips of contrasting yellow material. This one is also a little less full. Gathered skirts are usually 1.5-2 times the waist measurement s0 anything from 18-24″ should work. The piece of fabric was 19″ wide so I just used that measurement. It is also a little longer.

Blue strip – 3 1/2″ by 19″

Yellow strips – 1 1/2″ by 19″  and 2 1/2″ by 19″

1. Press the yellow strips in half lengthwise with the right sides facing out.
   

   
2. Stitch the yellow strips to the blue at the top and bottom. Press the seams toward the blue material. Usually you would press the seams downward, but it doesn’t really matter much for dolls. So like quilters, I press toward the darker material so that the seam doesn’t show through on the lighter color.
   

   

   
3. Insert the elastic as before, line up the back seam and sew. Be careful to match the top and bottom as well as the color stripes. Finish the seam with a zig zag stitch if you want.
   

   

   4. Done!

Purple Skirt with Rickrack

This skirt is made from a single piece of fabric. It is assembled the same way as the first skirt. But before the back seam is sewn, a single row of white rickrack is added. Any trim would work and you could add multiple rows of trim in the same way. This fabric had a selvedge edge. Usually you would trim it away but for doll cloths it is a nice finished edge and you only have to turn the edge once to form the elastic casing.

Purple strip –  7 1/4″ by 19″

1. Press and sew the elastic casing and hem.
   

   
2. Decide where you want the rickrack and draw a light line.
   

   
3. Using a straight stitch, sew the rickrack in place.
   

   
4. Insert the elastic as before. Sew and finish the back seam. Be sure to align the top and bottom and the rickrack.
5. Distribute the gathers and you are done!

Orange Dress

This dress is made in the same way as the skirts. It is cut a little longer, the elastic is a little shorter, and a ribbon is added as a tie at the top and the waist.

 

Orange dress fabric strip – 11 1/2″ by 19″

One piece of elastic – 10″

Cut two pieces of 1/4″ grosgrain ribbon – one 18″ and one 24″

1. Cut the fabric and press the elastic casing and hem, but do not sew.
   

   
2. Using a needle and thread, add a loop on the inside only of the elastic casing. Do not let the stitches show though to the front. Make the loop wide enough to fit the ribbon, about 3/8″. Stitch loosely about 3 times. Knot and trim the thread.
   

   
3. Sew the elastic casing and hem. Insert the elastic as before. Stitch and finish the back seam.
4. Insert the ribbon through the loop. This ribbon can be tied around the dolls neck.
5. A second ribbon can be tied around the doll’s waist for a different look.
   

   

 

Long skirt with lace trim

This skirt is full length. A piece of red lace has been added at the bottom. It can be worn as a skirt or as a dress. A ribbon strap and/or belt can added.

Muslin skirt fabric strip – 10″ by 24 1/2″

Cut red lace (1 1/2″ wide) trim 24 1/2″ long.

1. Cut the fabric, press the elastic casing and hem. Sew the elastic casing and hem.
2. Sew the red lace trim to the bottom of the skirt.
3. Insert the elastic. Sew and finish the back seam.

This skirt can also be worn as a dress.

One more note about this muslin skirt. The material can be decorated with markers. One mom made a set of these, one for each girl who was attending a birthday party. The girls each  decorated a dress for their own doll.

Make a matching skirt for the girl!

Note: You can use these same skills to make a matching skirt for the girls who own the dolls. Measure their waist and cut the elastic a bit shorter. Thicker elastic, 3/4″ for example, works better than the doll size 1/4″. Decide how long the skirt should be by measuring the girl or one of her skirts. Don’t forget to add 1 1/4″ at the top for the elastic casing (1/4″ for the first fold and 1″ for the second). Add 2″ to the bottom for the hem (fold and press 1″ and then 1″ again). This extra hem depth helps the skirt “hang” better than the smaller 1/2″ hem. Finish the skirt just as you would for the doll.

Hope you enjoy the patterns. Let me know what you think!

 

 

Arachnid (Spider) Hats

If you like this spider hat, there may be just enough time before Halloween for you to knit one or two. The pattern, by Claire Slade, is available on Ravelry. Several of the members of my knitting groups have made …

Le Tour de Fleece

Spinning is the process of twisting wool into yarn. These days, when you tell someone you are spinning, they automatically think of a bicycle. In the past it would have been assumed you were making yarn. I’m not sure when the tipping point came.

With the start of the Tour de France in July, spinners everywhere take the time to watch the race and spin some yarn. The idea started in 2006 when a spinner, Star Athena, thought of the event after seeing the success of “knit alongs”. In an interview in SpinOff magazine, she said that she and 16 friends spun and shared their work. The online event has really grown over the years now claiming over 10,000 participants.

I thought this would be a good time to share some things that I have been spinning lately. I didn’t start spinning until after I had started this blog, so its not even in the name. And usually I wait until I have done a project with the yarn, knitting or weaving, to show off the spin. But my friend. Judy, recently showed me her pile of hand spun yarn. It is a work of art all its own. The making of the yarn is its own thing worthy of sharing. Disclaimer: Not all of this was spun in July, it is just yarn that I haven’t shown yet.

This fiber is natural color BLF from Fiber Garden in Blackriver Falls, WI. I get a lot of my fiber there and the owner, Deb Jones, taught me how to spin. I have some things in storage as we move around a bit so I don’t have any more information on this fiber, but I do know I have a big bag of it. It is fun and easy to spin and I plan to ply it on itself for a two-ply that will likely be worsted weight. It is very soft. I have no idea what I will do with it but I really like it.

This fiber is from Inglenook Fibers, another company that I use a lot. It is hand dyed organic polwarth and is a dream to spin. This gradient contained nine braids, all inspired by an owl species. Together they make this beautiful gradient. I ordered two sets so I could spin two bobbins of each braid and ply them together. There is a least a sweater quantity and I intend to make a sweater for myself from them, hopefully before winter.

This fiber is also organic polwarth from Inglenook. The color was available in several other fiber blends but I love their polwarth. You have to be quick when they have a sale as the items disappear in a flash. Best to get on their mailing list so you know when the items will be for sale.

This gradient had six braids. I spun and plied the two darkest together, the two lightest together, and the two middles together. I hated to lose the individual colors, so when it came time to order the owls in the previous pictures, I got two sets. In retrospect I wish I had divided these braids in half and kept all six colors. I learn something each time I spin.

I do like the three colors but I do not know what I will do with them.

This is also Inglenook organic polwarth. I have quite a bit. Its hard to skip an event there even if it piles up a bit. This spin is actually a ply of two completely separate and different color ways.

This is a color way called Stave Church. It is dark with blues, purples, and greens.

This is the second colorway called winter wren. The braid is about 1/3 light gray on each end. The colors are all in the middle 1/3. I stripped this braid thin and spun it from end to end several times over. That created long gray sections separating the color sections.

These are the two bobbins, side by side, and the plied yarn.

I am currently knitting a raglan sweater with this yarn alternating rows with a light colored yarn. You can definitely see the “wren” colors in the skeins of yarn and in the sweater. It is turning out just as I hoped.

You may notice that this yarn from Inglenook is not the same fiber I usually buy (polwarth) and not really the same colors. That is because I didn’t choose it. But it may be my favorite ever and it certainly will always have a place in my heart. After hurricane Ian, we didn’t have any power, internet, or cell phone. Occasionally a message would get sent in the night, but I knew I would not be able to participate in the upcoming sale. So I sent an SOS to my friend, Vickie, and told her to get me something, anything! It was a very stressful time and this fiber really really cheered me up.

It spins very thin, except for the large silk slubs. The colors were so pretty I didn’t want to ply it with another color or even on itself. I considered chain plying to preserve the colors but didn’t want to make a three-ply.

After some consideration, I decided to leave it a single for weaving. I read about singles and learned that you can spin them tightly and then felt them a bit in the washing process. Basically you do everything that you usually DON’T do to yarn, beat it up, change the temperature, dry it under tension.

It worked well. The yarn seems very stable and strong. I think I will use it to weave decorative pillows.

This is interesting fiber. I bought it at a spinning event just before the pandemic and only recently decided to try it.

It is 50% polwarth and 50% hemp. I bought some 100% hemp that same day and that stuff was like twine, hard on my hands and very scratchy. But the blend was remarkably soft. It isn’t “next to skin” soft but its not bad.

I think I will use it as a single weaving decorative pillows. But I haven’t made up my mind yet, so I haven’t plied it or washed it yet, instead deciding to wind it into a cake and save it.

This is some more fiber that has been around since before the pandemic. It is Superwash BFL from Longdog Handspun and the color is Blue Trio.

It spun up like a dream and I plied it on itself. I don’t know what I will do with it but it will be a pretty skein in the pile.

This is superfine merino in color Eggshell from Fiber Garden. I tried small amount to see if I liked the fiber and I do. I will order more colors. The is 4 3/8 ounces and 320 yards of two ply. It feels lovely.

Last, but not least, Zyma’s New Groove. I got this from Fiber Garden and she got it from World of Wool. Apparently, the company sometimes lets the workers make their own blend and then names it for them. This is 20% merino, 40% superfine merino, 20% llama, and 20% mulberry silk. I like the amount of blending that was done.

I got 8 oz. so I have two skeins. This was the only color for this blend, but it is so nice that I’m hopeful they will continue to make it and add more colors.

I hope you liked seeing the things I’ve been spinning and that you enjoyed hearing about Le Tour de Fleece. As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

Murky Scarf

This is a recent scarf knit from hand-spun Rambouillet.

I bought this hand dyed braid at a spinning event in early 2020, just before the pandemic. I loved the colors. This was well before I had tried any dyeing myself, so it all still seemed like magic. I decided to spin it as a fractal spin. I divided the braid in half lengthwise and then divided half of it again. I really need to keep better notes since I can’t remember exactly how many time I divided it.

Sadly I don’t think this artist is dyeing braids anymore, just yarn. But I love the color, Murky. And I love spinning Rambouillet.

I was spinning it on a wheel that has a Woolee Winder which constantly moves the yarn back and forth on the bobbin. In this way, there are no built up piles of yarn on the bobbin. There are advantages, you can usually get more on the bobbin and you are relieved of the task of moving the yarn guide periodically. But, you also don’t get to see the individual colors as they appear.

I plyed the yarn on my EEW 6.0 electric wheel because it has a large 8 ounce bobbin. Right from the start you can see the colors come together and then move apart.

After finishing I counted 320 yards. It was fun to just look at. But eventually I decided to knit a scarf that my knitting group friends were raving about.

The pattern for the one row scarf can be found on the Yarn Harlot blog.

After winding the yarn into the ball that I like to knit from, I tried several needle sizes and settles on US10.5 needles and CO 26 stitches.

I didn’t want any yarn left over so I just kept knitting and the scarf is about 6 feet long. This picture really shows how the fractal spin causes the colors to move in and out of sequence. Sometimes the red and greens are together and sometimes they are mixed.

I hope you like the scarf, spun from Fierce Fiber wool and knit with a pattern from Yarn Harlot. As always, your polite and helpful comments are welcome.

Learning to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch

Spoiler: This is not a story that will teach you how to pick up a dropped stitch. There are plenty of really good YouTube videos for that. This is a story about me learning how to pick up a dropped …