Lets talk dolls

Lets talk Dolls

My Daughters Doll

There is nothing like making something for your kid that they love with all their heart. I started making hats and each time I finished one for her she would wear it non-stop for months! She would sleep with the darn hat on most of the time. As she got older she started asking for different things and one day she asked me if I could make her a doll. I picked up this book at Joann's fabrics with a gift card I had gotten from my in-laws for my birthday or Christmas (I can't remember which), they know me so well.

www.amazon.com/My-Crochet-Doll

It wasn't until I got home and had time like a month later that I realized this book is in UK terms. Not a deal breaker in my book at all, just a little more paying attention. It took some doing and a lot of trial and error but I made this beautiful doll for my daughter. The hair was the hardest part. There are a few different ways to make a doll with hair and since it was my first I followed the book which has you crochet your head and then a cap in the color hair you want and sew them together and then add your hair. Putting her hair in took a little bit of figuring out and so many long nights with Netflix cutting and attaching yarn to this doll. She sure is beautiful and loved though! My little girl ran off with her as soon as I was done.

I'm not going to lie, this doll was naked for the better part of a year haha. I went to make a dress from the book but I couldn't figure it out since I was new to crocheting. I quickly gave up more then once. After a while I just got it together and crochet a dress without a pattern, I had learned a lot and came up with this stunning little yellow dress with pink details and pearl buttons in the back.  It was the dolls only dress for another good long while until my little one decided to start designing outfits for me to make for her doll. She drew up all sorts of outfits/costumes for her doll and I got so excited I just had to try. So I picked out a mermaid drawing she had done and got to work. The tail was a little tricky and is still bulky at the end but it fits and my kid loves it. The shell top just ties all up in the back so both pieces don't need any buttons or snaps. She has been asking me to make her more but I haven't had the time as of lately.

Second Doll for a Customer

As most of you know I run a small Etsy store and sell the fun little things I make. I good amount of the things I sell are custom orders and this was my first doll for someone. She contacted me about a blanket and a doll for her daughter. She wanted my favorite blanket, the fluffy meringue blanket in a soft pink after seeing the sea foam green one I had listed in the shop. We talked about the doll but she didn't have a really clear picture of what she wanted. We talked about the things her daughter liked and she gave me a great load of creative freedom with it. She mentioned her daughter loved bunnies so I got onto Ravelry and looked around until I found this pattern.

www.ravelry.com/bunny-girl

I really enjoy this pattern because the doll has shaped feet and thumbs on her hands but also you work one leg then the other and connect the two as you crochet the torso and continue with the head. All I needed to sew on was the arms and hair and hat. I had fun with the hair and hat and there is even a little round bunny tail in the back. I also applied some color to her cheeks and sent them to their new little owner to enjoy.

The Dobby Doll

I was contacted by an old friend, Her younger sister was expecting her first child and she was in charge of the baby shower. She wanted to see if I could make a Dobby doll from Harry Potter. I went looking but I hated the free patterns that were available and didn't want to have to pay for a pattern. So I returned to the above pattern and applied a few changed. First I did some color changes on the feet to make it look like little Dobby is wearing a sock. Second, the head had to me made separately and without a pattern so I could shape his nose. Its worked in rounds from the tip of his nose to the back of his head. I added ears and crochet him up a rag shirt to wear. Along with the doll I made a newborn sorting hat and a scarf in Ravenclaw colors using a simple moss stitch.

I really love making these delicate little toys. They are a challenge but also allow a lot of creative freedom, hair color, clothes selection, down to what eyes you give them. I look forward to my next project doll and hoping to squeeze in another one of my daughters drawn doll costumes.

Etsy

Head on over to the Etsy store and check out what is already done and ready for a new home. Don't see what your looking for or have an idea in mind? Let me know! I do a lot of custom work and can help make your idea a reality.

www.etsy.com/shop/LyssaLousCustomCraft

Facebook

Don't know exactly what your looking for and need some inspiration? Check out my Facebook page! It is filled with past project for you to look through and get some ideas.

www.facebook.com/LyssaLousCustomCraf

My Zelda theme baby nursery

My Zelda baby nursery

With your first child you buy all of the baby things. You scour Pintrest, reading every "must have" list and looking at magazine perfect dream nurseries you want for your baby. I remember with my first I bought the complete bedding set, it included sheets, quilt, curtains, a rug, one of those funny hanging diaper holders (that no one uses) and all sorts of stuff.  I also dished out money for anything I could possibly need and honestly ended up not needing half of it!

Second time around I wanted my sons nursery to be unique and filled with things I actually needed and things that would get used along with son cute pieces I couldn't resist. I also extra challenged myself and said I wanted to make as much of the nursery things as I could. Crazy with a 6 year old to get to and from school and dealing with morning/all day sickness.

Most of our nursery furniture came from Craigslist. It was a bit of a challenge finding wood stains that matched but we got there in the end.

Next came the theme, I know it sounds lame but I wanted a Pintrest style nursery on the cheap. My husband is a big game nerd and although I don't play many games (kids keep you busy) I always enjoyed watching the games being played. Together we decided on a Legend of Zelda themed nursery for our little man and I hopped back on Pintrest to look for more ideas.

Things I sewed for the Nursery

Fitted crib sheets In all actuality the bedding sets you buy are filled with things you don't need. I decided that rather then buy a set I would make exactly what I needed. Fitted sheets. Plain and simple. You need at least two but I really recommend three. The great thing about making them yourself is that you can find whatever fabric you desire, your options are limitless! I found one great Zelda fabric on Ebay and bought it up. I then found a second Zelda fabric I loved at Joann's along with a simple green fabric with a triangle design.

I looked over a few tutorials on Pintrest and got to work! with a little trial and error I completed three fitted crib sheets in a day! They are super cute and unique and totally make his nursery theme!

Changing pad cover
Along with his sheets I also made a changing pad cover out of the green fabric. Its a simple concept and I didn't follow a pattern. I took the idea of a pillow case (one of the ones that slightly overlap in the back) and sewed the largest button hole my sewing machine would do to create the openings for the straps to pull through.

Boppy Pillow and covers
I had some leftover squares from my corners of the fitted sheets so I sat around trying to figure out a way to use them. On my list of maybe useful things I didn't have with my first child was a Boppy Pillow. Man, are these pillows pricey!  So why not try sewing one instead of buying one. I followed a pintrest pattern but then changed the cover details. You make the pillow and then you sew different covers for it (which makes sense with how often little babies spit up or leak their diapers) So I made a pillow and sorta followed the instructions. I didn't like how my tutorial for the covers didn't have a zipper so, once again, with a little trial and error and a phone call to my sewing genius mom I ended up with a boppy pillow and two zipper closing covers, cotton on one side and minki on the other.


Things I crochet for the Nursery

Fairy Mobile
This is one of those things that I didn't have with my first kid and its really not important but I couldn't help myself, I had an idea and I just wanted to do it. It turned out amazing and was well used until my little man started sitting up and pulling himself up in his crib.

I used a dollar tree twig wreath, I have been looking for them since but the dollar trees around here don't seem to carry them anymore :(  I then had to crochet up some fairies! There obviously needed to be a cute blue one and the other two where mentioned by my husband. I also crochet really long leafy vines to wrap around the wreath and hang the mobile from. I used a free patterns on Ravelry for both.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/navi-the-fairy

I used a beautiful blue yarn for Navi. Then I made a yellow fairy and a red-ish purple fairy with a hand spun yarn I had on hand. The wings I crochet with an eye catching white yarn with a shimmery thread in it. My fairies turned out super amazing and my daughter asked for one so I made her a little pink one she could keep all to herself.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/little-leaves-4

These took some time and guesstimation on the length I needed but it came together wonderfully. I made three strands then wrapped them around my wreath with a little to hang down with the fairies and a lot on top to string up my mobile with.

Giant Cucco
So for those few of  you that don't know a cucco is just the word they use in Zelda for a chicken. This one was a challenge! The free pattern I found is for a rather small chicken but I wanted a big one to sit on the recliner in the nursery. I think I worked up this chicken three times with different yarn and hook sizes before finding the right one.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/golden-chicken-amigurumi

I used three different balls of yarn at the same time, two yarns where just your regular red heart brand white and the last yarn was this neat yarn with little tiny white loops throughout it. I thought it would give my chicken a slightly feathery look and I LOVE how it turned out. I used an N hook and for the body and the wings but dropped a hook size and used two yarn threads on the chickens beak, comb, and wattle.

Newborn Link hat, shield and sword
I wanted to do a cute little newborn photo shoot with this baby like I had with my first but I have learned a few things over the years and taking pictures was one of them so I figured I would take make his props and take his pictures when it was easiest for me.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/newborn-elf-hat-with-braided-tassel
Lets start with the little hat. I went with a pattern and followed it all the way through but it turned out rather small so I would suggest maybe upping the hook size with this pattern and then skipping the braided bit on the end of the hat.

The sword... oh man the sword. Well guys, I started out following a pattern and then I started changing things as I went and when your in the moment doing it you don't write this stuff down so sadly I can not remember what I changed or how I ended up with this cute little sword. I will link to the pattern I started following and I'm hoping in the future to come back and work a pattern for the sword I ended up with.
www.ravelry.com/patterns/sword

The shield is a pattern in progress, I made the pattern up and did actually write it down. So I need to work up my written pattern again and then get it onto the computer so you all can make little shields too. Bare with me guys, I'll get there.

I love this nursery! with a few well picked pieces of art and a lot of creativity it came together so beautifully. We have moved since having our baby and sadly our sticker wall quote didn't make it, but thats ok. I have three long large canvases I would like to paint the quote on one of these days when I get the time.

Etsy

Thanks for taking a look and head on over to my Etsy shop and take a look at what is made and ready to ship. If you see something you like here then let me know and I'll see what I can do about recreating it.

www.etsy.com/shop/LyssaLousCustomCraft

Facebook

Need some more inspiration?  Then check out my facebook page where everything I have ever crochet has been pictured. Don't see exactly what you were looking for? Let me know and we can make it happen. Lets get creative!

www.facebook.com/LyssaLousCustomCraft

Eevvee Ear headband (a piece of the costume)

Eevvee Ears

Over the years I have made multiple costumes for my daughter, not every year though, sometimes life gets in the way. She is eight and this will be the fourth costume I have made for her so I don't think I'm doing too bad. This year after some strong suggestion to not repeat costumes she decided to be an Eevve, a cute little brown fox looking Pokemon.

I got out my book and jotted down the pieces of her costume I though would be fun. I settled on a dress, cowl, ears, and a tail (There may be legwarmers if I have the time). Later on down the road when I have completed the costume I will come back and list and link all of the patterns and things I used. Not going to lie, there is no pattern for the tail. I worked that thing up four different times and right now its my enemy.

Anyways onto this ear pattern!

I used Red Heart Super Saver in a color called Cafe latte and a G 4.25mm hook. The ears are crochet in a round and folded down flat. There is no joining at the end of each round. SC increase means that you place 2 SC in the same stitch.

1. Magic ring and put 6 SC in the ring (6)
2. *SC increase, SC in the next Stitch* Repeat (9)
3-4. SC each stitch around (9)
5. *SC increase, SC in the next 2 Stitches* Repeat (12)
6-7. SC each stitch around (12)
8. *SC increase, SC in the next 3 Stitches* Repeat (15)
9. SC each stitch around (15)
10. *SC increase, Sc in the next 4 Stitches* Repeat (18)
11. SC each stitch around (18)
12. *SC increase, SC in the next 5 Stitches* Repeat (21)
13. SC each stitch around (21)
14. *SC increase, SC in the next 6 Stitches* Repeat (24)
15. SC each stitch around (24)
16. *SC increase, SC in the next 7 Stitches* Repeat (27)
17. SC each stitch around (27)
18. *SC increase, SC in the next 8 Stitches* Repeat (30)
19. SC each stitch around (30)
20. *SC increase, SC in the next 9 Stitches* Repeat (33)
21-22. SC each stitch around (33)

These two rounds will make your ear points on the sides. Make sure when you flatten your ears that your increase and decreases are your edges.

23. SC in the next 7 Stitches, place 3 SC in the next stitch, Sc in the next 15 Stitches, place 3 Sc in the next stitch, SC in the next 9 Stitches.
24. Sc in the next 7 Stitches, SC decrease the next 3 stitches together, SC in the next 15 Stitches, SC decrease the next 3 stitches together, SC in the next 9 stitches.

25-26. SC each stitch around (33)
27. *Sc decrease, SC in the next 9 stitches* Repeat (30)
28. SC each stitch around (30)
29. *SC decrease, SC in the next 8 stitches* Repeat (27)
30. SC each stitch around (27)
31. *SC decrease, SC in the next 7 stitches* Repeat (24)
32. SC each stitch around (24)
33. *SC decrease, SC in the next 6 stitches* Repeat (21)
34. SC each stitch around (21)
35. *SC decrease, SC in the next 5 stitches* Repeat (18)
36. SC each stitch around (18)
37. *SC decrease, SC in the next 4 stitches* Repeat (15)
38. SC each stitch around (15)

I like to finished with a slip stitch to your first stitch but you can finish however you like. Leave a long tail so that you can sew your ears to you headband.

Building your ears

Supplies needed
    your crochet ears
    a headband (I would try and find a thick out so you don't end up with top heavy ears)
    Pipe cleaners
    dark brown felt
    needle and embroidery thread

The headband I crochet a cover for so that I could easily sew my ears onto it, It also helps soften it so that it doesn't hurt my daughters head. This really depends on your headband. I got a thin one with teeth so I couldn't just crochet a tube and slide it on there. I had to crochet a small strip and then sew it onto my headband.

I placed my pipe cleaners in my ears around the edges to help support it. It took some tugging and shoving but I got them there and happy with how they came together. I then took an ear and drew an outline of it on some paper and drew the inner ear I thought would look good. When I got my paper to fit in my ear right then I cut my felt and used a back stitch to sew them on. Then I sewed them onto my headband and they are finished!

My ears are a tad bit top heavy and I will need to bobby pin them into my daughters hair but they are great.