Day 19 - Done!

And we have a doll! I hope the recipient loves her to pieces.

And  I have 2 weeks left of 31 days of doll knitting. Hmmmm...didn't plan on that. I think a Halloween project is in order. And then on to another doll!

Day 18 - Hi!

Putting on finishing touches and this little cutie will be done!

Day 17 - Hair

Hair!

The hair consists of a skull cap, and then whatever type of hair I want or in this case, the customer wants. For this doll, dreads or something like dreads was requested. I think using the twisted loop stitch and this bulky yarn will create a dread effect. At least I hope so!

Day 16 - Doll - I Am Not My Hair

And we have a doll! A bald doll, but a doll none the less. Hair is next!

Day 15 - Stuffed!

Once all the pieces are knitted it's time to stuff and sew the doll all together. At this point I get excited, because I'm almost there.

Seaming is not my favorite, but with each doll I'm getting better and better.

Day 14 - Dress Done!

Done!

 I need is a button for the front of the dress for decoration, but I'm officially calling it done!

Day 13 - Dress! Almost Done!

Finally!

Bound off the dress and just need to do the sleeves. One day I will get up the nerve to knit a sweater for myself. For right now I will stick with doll clothes though. Learn a few more things before I tackle a something I'm wearing.

Day 12 - Dress Continues...

...and continues...

Day 11 - Dress Continues...

Right before changing to the blue, my cord broke from my addi click needle. Had to switch to a 40 inch cord. So annoying, but luckily I had another cord to change to. Dress knitting continues.

Day 10 - Doll Pieces

All the pieces of the doll, ready to be stuffed and seamed together.

Day 9 - Dress Continues and Zac Brown Band Concert

Not a lot of knitting went on today. After work, my youngest son and I went to the Zac Brown Band concert. He's our favorite country singer! We've been waiting months for this concert.

I had my knitting with me at the concert. I'm that knitter that has her knitting at all times. While waiting for the concert to start I started on the dress, but didn't get much done. Just a few rows.

The concert was awesome!

Day 8 - Dress

The body is all done, and it's on to the dress. Since this doll is a custom order, the colors were picked by the customer. I wouldn't normally pick blue. The colors I gravitate to are orange, red, pink, brown. This will be the first doll I've made in blue.

Day 7 - Legs, Short Rows and Fall!

Those dang short rows got the best of me on the second leg! I tried a different method, German short rows and I got all confused, stitches got twisted, missed, dropped. You name it, it happened. I had to rip it out and start all over again. UGH! I finally got through the short rows, and am almost done with the second leg. I had to take a break after that process. Went outside to enjoy all I love about Fall.

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Joining in:
Yarn Along
Keep Calm, Craft On

Day 6 - Legs and Mary Janes

One of the hardest parts of the doll for me, are the Mary Jane shoes. Short rows are used in making the shoes and for some reason I have the hardest time with the wrap and turns, and picking them up. I watch YouTube videos, over and over again, step by step to get the short rows. It can be very frustrating! No watching TV or any distractions while working on the shoes. At the point where I need to do short rows. Wish me luck!

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Day 5 - Arms

This is the time of year I go pumpkin crazy! I know I'm not the only one. I have at least 10 pumpkins in my house right now. Mostly little ones, but still pumpkins. And cooking with pumpkin is another obsession this time of year. I made chicken and waffles with pumpkin-chipolte waffles. They were so good! My boys weren't fans, but hubby was.  I have a few other pumpkin recipes I'm trying out and will post along with my doll updates.

I've finished the arms, and started the legs/shoes. This doll is well on it's way.

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Day 4 - Head

Fall is slowly creeping in. The trees are slowly turning into oranges, yellows, and reds. Our front yard has all these red leaves scattered about. I couldn't resist grabbing a few and putting it with my knitting. Aren't they a gorgeous, deep red? Fall is so fleeting. I wish it last longer.

The body has been finished, and the head started. These two pieces are really mindless knitting and easy to get through. I can catch up on my DVR'd shows while working on them. This time of year, it seems all the shows are back for their new seasons and I can never keep up. Thank goodness for DVR. The head won't take long and on to arms!

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Day 3 - The Body

The nights are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. I've noticed that with the changes, we are heading up to bed earlier. This weather is perfect for knitting.

The dolls are knit in pieces. Body, head, arms, legs, dress/clothes, and then hair. The toughest part for me is the seaming. I want the seams to be perfect, but I'm not quite there yet. The body starts with the neck and works down to the undies, which is the white in this picture. I should be finished with the body tonight, and on to the head.

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Day - 2 The Beginning

Beginning a new doll is always exciting. I have a picture in my head of how I want the doll to look, and hope when I'm done it looks like what I imagined. If the doll is for someone, I think about that person while I'm knitting. I pray they are well. I think happy thoughts, and all those prayers and happy thoughts are knit into the doll also. If I get frustrated while working on the doll, I set it aside. Only happy thoughts are allowed.

The doll I started here is not for a little girl. It's for my aunt in-law. Is there such a thing? I hope when she receives the doll, it takes her back to a happy childhood of doll playing. I feel you are never too old to play with a doll. The little girl in us never dies, she's just waiting for a new doll to come out and play.

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

Day 1 - My Inspiration for Doll Knitting

My knitting journey began when I was about 13. My Mom was a knitter, and taught me. The first item I knit was a little stuffed horse. Not sure why that was what I wanted to knit. I guess I just always loved horses. Once finished, I gave my little horse away to baby I would babysit. I didn't knit another thing until 25 years later.

I don't remember much of what my Mom knit. The only project I remember were dolls she knit for my cousins. I remember them being big, and having their initials. If I recall correctly, she made 3. I remember wanting one, but for some reason she never knit me one. Just her nieces. One of those dolls still exist 30+ years later.

My cousin Tyra still has what she calls her "T doll". T has traveled with her across states to college, marriage and having 3 babies. She's had to replace her hair, add stuffing and sew her up some, but she's still here. Loved and cherished.

When I started knitting dolls, I wanted to see the cherished T doll my Mom had made so many years ago. On a recent trip to Atlanta, I finally got to see her. I can't tell you what it meant to hold the doll my Mom knit over 30 plus years ago. To see her knit stitches, so much like mine. To picture her knitting the doll with all the love I'm sure she felt for Tyra. And when finished, how she must have smiled and couldn't wait to give it to her. I wonder if she knew how much that knit doll would mean to Tyra, that she would have it still all these years later.

When knitting dolls, I feel a connection to my Mom. This is something we share and a legacy I can carry on. I hope the recipients of my dolls love and cherish them as much as Tyra loves her T. That little girls will hug them as they sleep at night, and when they are off into this big world, the doll could still bring them comfort. That it's cherished and passed down to Grandbabies. And to know that each stitch was knit with love and thoughts of a Mother gone too soon, but never, ever forgotten.

I'm participating in the Write 31 Days - Doll Knitting. You can see all my posts here. 

31 Days: Writing Challenge - Doll Knitting

So tomorrow starts the 31 Days - Writing Challenge and I've decided to write about my doll knitting. This is really going to challenge my writing creativity skills. I knit every day, but to write about knitting everyday....well....that's another story.

I have a few posts planned out, starting with my inspiration for doll knitting. I'm in the process of knitting a doll now, so will share my progress, thoughts, and anything else I can come up with.

Let the fun begin!

31 Days of Doll Knitting!

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Day 1 - My Inspiration for Knitting Dolls
Day 2 - The Beginning
Day 3 - The Body
Day 4 - Head
Day 5 - Arms
Day 6 - Legs and Mary Janes
Day 7 - Legs, Short Rows and Fall
Day 8 - The Dress
Day 9 - The Dress Continues and Zac Brown Band Concert
Day 10 - The Doll Pieces
Day 11 - Dress Continues
Day 12 - Dress Continues
Day 13 - Dress! Almost Done
Day 14 - Dress Done!
Day 15 - Stuffed!
Day 16 - Doll - I Am Not My Hair
Day 17 - Hair
Day 18 - Hi
Day 19 - Done!