Handspun BFL Socks

Last Christmas I received this handpainted, Bluefaced Leicester braid as a gift.


By January I had it spun into a beautiful, soft, 3 ply. At the time I thought it was about a fingering weight, but it knits up closer to a sports weight.


I've finally knit it up into a lovely pair of warm, cushiony, winter socks. I know, I know. . . . just in time for the heat of summer, but these are scheduled to be entered in our fall fair only a few more weeks away.

Time to take them off my feet, wash them, block them, and get them looking their best. They won't be going in the hand-spun and hand knit category though, not enough separate categories there for me to enter the items I've made. I'll have to put these socks in with the "regular" hand knit socks category and hope for the best.

The pattern is my (wider, rounder toe) adaptation of Jackie Erickson-Schweizer's "Basic Toe-to-Cuff Socks" available through HeartStrings FiberArts

Just for a Laugh

Here's a picture just for giggle-snorts. I was playing around trying to create an avatar image for the DOA forum.

When I eventually get my Narae she'll be my avatar picture, but for now this image will do.

Canada Day

Rather than fight our way through the crowds gathering at the publicized community celebrations of Canada Day, my husband and I set off to enjoy one of the finer things about Canada. A short drive from home we enjoyed the great outdoors with a hike to the summit of Mount Thom.

It was quiet and peaceful, just the way we like it.

Although I wasn't fast enough to get a picture, we saw a beautiful deer amongst the trees.

When we got to the summit we had a nice view of Chilliwack, Cultus Lake, and the Fraser Valley.

We enjoyed it so much that it just might become a Canada Day tradition.

Weekend Sweater

Everyone needs a comfy, casual, rustic sweater for the weekends, and Delilah is no exception.

She wanted something neutral in colour that would go with anything, and work perfectly with her favourite jeans.

It's a wardrobe staple that works whether she is out and about, actively exploring. . .

. . . . or just lounging around the backyard relaxing.

It only took one day to knit this up for her from a cone of mystery yarn I had laying around. I generated the pattern using Sweater Wizard software. It fits her quite well but I wish I had made the V-neck a little lower so that it would fit over her head a little easier.

BIG boots!

Delilah ordered some new boots. They're.......um..... a lot bigger than the ones she arrived with!

Wowsers! Those really ARE big Delilah!

That's what I would call a "sturdy foundation".

Looks like she's decided to keep them.

Saturday Sewing

I spent much of today sewing a little pair of pants from an Adam-Harris pattern. They turned out quite cute, though a bit big for Delilah......which is fine because they are actually for a Narae doll which should be arriving some time this summer.

In this picture none of the amazing little details show up well. I found a lightweight suiting material with a very tiny houndstooth check. It makes for a great 1/4 scale fabric. The pants have real pockets, front pleats, and tiny little belt loops. I'll probably make a black pair as well sometime in the future.

The white, long sleeved shirt Delilah is wearing with the pants is neither the right style nor the right colour, but it's all I have at the moment. I have a quilters' fat quarter in a beige print to sew up a better blouse tomorrow.

Personality Shift

With the arrival of a new wig and leggings Delilah has been showing a bit more of her wild side lately.

She's really wishing she had a pair of heavy boots.

Different Model

Here's the handspun 1/4 scale sweater set on my daughter's doll, a 43cm Asleep Eidolon Coral she has named "Anna".

Handspun Beret

And a beret to top it off.

Knit from the same handspun laceweight yarn as the cardigan using DollsWest Designs' free MSD hat pattern.

February Lady DOLL Sweater

At long last the doll sized February Lady Sweater is done. I enjoyed working on it but I'm also glad to have it off the needles and modelled on the recipient.

It was every bit as much work as making a full sized lady's sweater because stitch for stitch it follows a full sized pattern. It's tiny because I used laceweight handspun yarn and size 1.25mm needles (0000 - 4/0 US) instead of the worsted weight yarn and the much larger 5mm needles recommended.

The resulting sweater is 1/4 scale and fits this vinyl doll, Delilah Noir, and should also fit slim MSD dolls like the Narae I have on order.

Click twice on any of the photos to enlarge a bit for more detail. Once to bring the photo up, and then a second time to enlarge.

I spun the laceweight yarn starting with very soft hand dyed merino and silk roving by Fleece Artist.

Garden Photo Shoot

Hi Charlie. Hi Phyllis. I hope you don't mind that I slipped into your garden for a few minutes today.

And Then A Skirt

After the crocheted corset set was complete I decided to make a simple, coordinating skirt from a fabric remnant.

It's based on a rectangle that is 3X the circumference of the hips. To the basic skirt I added a ruffle that is about 2X the width of the bottom of the skirt. Narrow hem on the bottom, elastic casing on the top and the doll has a pretty little wardrobe addition.



Frustrated by the limitations of artificial, indoor light I decided to take the doll on an outdoor "photo shoot" at a nearby garden. More on that in the next post.

While She's Here. . . .

While my daughter was away on vacation I was trusted with the care of her brand new resin ball jointed doll. She had received shipment of the doll only the day before so I consider that quite an honour. She's a 43cm "Asleep Eidolon Coral". That's her company default name. Her "given" name has not yet been chosen.


While the doll is with me I've taken full advantage of the opportunity to make clothes and to play around posing and photographing her.

First I made a crocheted bodice/corset/bustier. I'm very happy with the way it turned out and will be using the pattern again....and again, and again!

Then I came up with little bikini panties to complete the set.

The bodice is a little scrunched up while she is in the kneeling position because the doll's upper torso it tilted forward a bit to provide balance. Yes, she holds these poses unsupported!

....more to follow in the next post.

Chicken LaBOMBba

How to make Chicken LaBOMBba.

Step one: Send common sense out the door. The presence of common sense will ruin this recipe.

Step two: Spend a helluva lot of time preparing dressing, stuffing two chickens, trussing them, seasoning them perfectly, and putting them in a glass pan. The choice of pan here is very important. Do not substitute a metal cake pan or roaster!

Step three: Heat glass pan and chickens to 400 degrees F.

Step four: Pour room temperature chicken broth over chickens. Wait a few seconds and. . .

BOOM! Chicken LaBOMBba!!

Warning, this is not a trick to be tried at home. (Dangerous as hell and WAY too much mess to clean up afterwards!)

Teeny, Tiny Progress

Sorry about the grainy pictures. My camera is misbehaving and I'm not sure how to get it back on track. I suspect someone has been messing with the settings (coughJordoncough) and I'm not digital camera savvy enough to know where to make corrections.

Anway, I hope you can see the images well enough to see what I've been up to lately. Considering the hours I have poured into this project it really does seem like a tiny object. Let me tell ya though, this is stitch for stitch as much work as a full sized human sweater. It's the February Lady Sweater being done 1/4 scale with laceweight, handspun yarn and very fine knitting needles so that it will finish up in a size that will fit a 16" doll.

It's not finished yet, but Delilah tried it on to confirm that yes, all is well and it is going to fit. Now to make it longer and add sleeves.


And here's how I accomplish this miniature work. Lots of light and lots of magnification! I have to take out my contact lenses (they're not working that well for me lately anyway), put on my glasses, turn on a bright lamp over my shoulder and knit with my hands under a magnifying light. THEN I can see what I'm doing! Dropped stitches can have tragic consequences though.

In Need of Sneakers

Another little outfit, sewn from socks, for Delilah .

She really needs a more casual looking pair of shoes, doesn't she?

Sock to Sweater

Delilah's fabulous new sweater started out as a ladies' patterned sock. Some clever cutting and sewing and without too much time or fuss there is a new addition to her wardrobe.

Delilah's wearing new knee socks too, though you can barely see them, covered up as they are by the jeans. I made the little socks by adapting the same sewing pattern that I used for the tights I showed yesterday. She was tired of the Don Johnson, no socks look!

If I Had Known

If I had known how much fun I'd have creating clothing for a doll and posing her I'd have bought one years ago.

I sewed up 5 pairs of doll tights this afternoon. There's a black pair, a pink pair, a white pair and two grey pairs. One of the grey pairs will be given to my daughter for her doll, Ellowyne.

Now Delilah needs some new clothes to go with the tights. I have so many ideas whirring around in my head!

Delilah Has a Visitor

A gift of a matching, crocheted, linen bikini for Delilah's new friend, Ellowyne!

Move Over!

Move over weaving, sewing wants some space. I've been back sewing a bit lately but the kitchen table is just SO inconvenient! I'm tired of spending more time digging out, setting up and taking down my sewing equipment than it actually takes to sew something.

The floor loom has been pushed against the wall at one side of the small room so that there is space to set up some sewing equipment for a while. Juggling a multitude of hobbies really causes some space issues!