Saturday, 16 January 2021

AGD Kirsten's Winter Woolies.



"Oh where and oh where has my Kirsten doll gone,

Oh where and of where can she be?

With her eyes so blue and her hair so blonde,

Oh where and oh where is she?"

 In 2014 I had started to try and make a cardi for my Kirsten doll similar to the retired wool set American Girl dolls had made years before. I had read that the original ones they sold were actually hand knit! (makes me wonder how much the knitters were paid to produce those!)

A Ravelry friend Beth sent me some detailed photos of the original set she had. I set to work counting sts and rows and tried to produce a similar effect. I made the body of the cardi but then the whole thing was set aside when my first Grandchild was born. 



Fast forward a few years and I had totally forgotten about the whole thing until I looked through some unfinished projects for a Ravelry Kal! 

The day after I was putting some things away in my craft room and there was the cardi! No yarn with it but from my project page I found what the black yarn was and then managed to find some white. 

So back to the knitting! Sleeves and button band were easy to make and a morning spent sewing together the pieces and weaving in yarn ends finished it.



I picked up sts from fronts and neck and worked a simple rib button band.


I didn't have pewter buttons so used some little wood ones.


Then I started on the hat. I found it easier to make a simple chart. 


Co 84 sts.

 3 rows 1x1 rib. 

1 row purl.
3x3 white/black blocks. 4 blocks high.
Knit 7 rows stockinette.

Then I followed my chart decreasing the sections on the right side after I finished the boy and girl patterns. (7)

I knitted this flat but would knit in the round if I made another one.

A simple pompom completed the effect.


Mittens: 21sts. Five rows 1x1 rows. Purl one row. As diagram.



I knit these in two flat pieces and sewed them. The cord is a simple crochet chain 15 inches long. 





Kirsten is very happy to have her new Winter Woolies!