DIY Doll Clothes Caddy

Last post I showed you how I made some doll hangers for my dolls. Now I have finally got the clothes caddy painted so can share photos of how we made it with you.

The wood used for the structure is some board from the back of an old wardrobe.

The base is 34 cms x 20 cms,
the front and back pieces are 34 cms x 10cms. 
the side pieces are 20 cms at the base and height is 49cms, 
DH drew the shape and cut it out for me. He drilled a hole at the top of the side pieces to push the dowel in. 

We glued it together with white craft glue and sandpapered it.

Just checking it is the right size before painting!

I used acrylic spray paint. It took two coats to cover it enough.

For the two knobs on the sides I used two pins from a cork board. I cut off the sharp point and hot glued them to the sides. 

The letters were from a box I bought DD a while ago and were already painted. I decided to leave them as they were. The flowers were also with them.

An umbrella, a handbag, shoes and boots and some pretty clothes and the doll is all set!

How do you like the results? 

Diy Doll Clothes Hangers

I have been busy making some doll clothes hangers. It is expensive for me to buy them online here so diy it is! 

I saw various images online which used craft sticks with hot glue. I decided to use some white vinylic craft glue instead, it is slower drying but gives a good result. 

 For each hanger you need:
3 craft sticks. (I used some  6.7"-17cms long (tongue depressor size).
1 cup hook ( I used a 1" size. The screw part was almost 1/2" long) 
white craft glue.

Something to cut the sticks with. Sharp scissors will do, I used a small saw.
Sandpaper.
Acrylic paint.

Mark the center of the stick. Cut away a small amount the size of the screw. 

Glue the two pieces to one stick. Place the cupscrew in the middle and glue. Put the top stick in place and leave to dry. I used pegs to hold the "sandwich" together. 

When it is dry lightly sandpaper the hanger and then paint. I used two coats of paint. Add a decoration if liked. 

I am busy now making a clothes caddy to hold the clothes and accessories. You can see it in the photo. It still needs finishing and painting but already works! 

More about that next time!

What do you think of these? Like them? 

DIY Snag Free Knitting Stitch Markers

     Today I was working on a knitting project for a doll and needed some stitch markers. As I was using size 2.5mm needles I decided to make some small ones so they were the right size.

    Although I have seen some very pretty ones around, I hate those dangling ones that seem to get caught up in the yarn all the time. If I am using fine yarn I don't want to risk it breaking because it gets tangled in the stitch marker! They also seem to reduce my knitting speed.I like them to be as simple as possible.

      I often just use those little plastic rings that are used on some bras, but the ones I had around were slightly bigger than I wanted. So I picked out some jewellery jump-rings and chose some small beads which had the hole of about the same size as the wire. I don't like to use big beads because they take up space inside the ring. Small beads look pretty and are functional.

     If you don't have any jump-rings the size you need  you can just use some fairly thick jewellery wire, cutting it to the size you wish. Long-nosed pliers like the ones I used make it easy to shape it into a circle. You can also use a bigger size knitting needle to give it the right form. Remember that the stitch marker needs to be slightly bigger than the needle you are using so you can easily slip it from one needle to the other while knitting. Too big can be awkward and stretch  fine yarn.

     So here I picked out some jewellery jump-rings and chose some small beads which had the hole of about the same size as the wire. With a pair of long-nose pliers I opened the ring.

I placed a bead on one end of the wire pushing it almost fully on.

I then bent the wire back into position. putting the open side of the wire into the bead and pulling the bead over the join. I actually used 2 pairs of pliers to do this as I found it easier to grasp and push the wire into shape.

Here is the finished little ring. Looks cute doesn't it? Looks like a dolly ring!

     Here I placed the stitch markers on the needle as I started the pattern. If you use different colour beads you can mark different parts.

     You may have noticed that I do not glue the beads into place on the wire. If they are a fairly snug fit they do not slip around but stay in their place. Although personally it has never happened to me, if you do knit them into your work by mistake, it would be easy to pull them open and take them out without damaging the knitting! If they are glued you can't do that so easily.
I have been making these for years and they have never come open while knitting.

     They are quick and very cheap to make.

I would love to know what you think about my method of making these with no glue. 

Easy DIY template for measuring Knitting Gauge.

   

  How often I have seen comments from people that their finished project didn't match the pattern measurement:

  "The sweater doesn't fit me! But I used the yarn and needles that were on the pattern! "  She wails.

      Yes sure:  But did you measure your gauge? Yes; your gauge, not the gauge the pattern designer got with those needles and that yarn!

      We all knit in slightly, or very different ways. It is very important to work a gauge swatch before starting your project!

     Yes I know that you can't wait to get going and start this fantastic new design! But patience and get that swatch done!

An average gauge swatch should be at least about 4" x 4" (10cm x 10 cm)  That gives you enough to measure stitches and rows.  Elizabeth Zimmermann recommended measuring over 3" making it easier to get an average. A swatch should ideally be worked  in stockinette if the pattern gives gauge in stockinette or in the stitch pattern indicated. Be Warned! Different stitch patterns can give very different results!

     I usually start my swatch with a few rows of garter stitch, then work in stockinette with a few stitches in garter at each edge. I end with a few rows of garter stitch. This helps avoid the swatch rolling up on itself.

     If the pattern calls for the swatch to be blocked, then block it as the finished garment will be. You can even wash it if you feel the yarn may change after washing! If the designer has given specific instructions follow them!

     In every case let it rest for a while before measuring. That is something I learnt in my machine knitting days. It will then take the final form.

     Lay it flat and use the stitch gauge template to measure it. Place the template on top and count the stitches and rows in the "window"! I used to find that with pins and rulers or measuring tapes I would be counting wrong, maybe counting a partial stitch as a whole one which on a big garment with many stitches and rows can give a significant difference in size creating an ill-fitting garment.

Now how do you make your template?

     To make a simple stitch gauge template you just need some medium weight cardboard.
 I also used some graph paper, a pencil, glue, a ruler and a sharp cutter. (A sharp knife would do).

     Decide what size template you want to make. I made two here, one to measure 3" and a smaller one to measure 1".
      I drew a square one inch bigger than the template on some graph paper for ease, and another the size I wanted inside.

      I glued the template on some cardboard. Then using a sharp cutter and a ruler as a guide, I cut the inner part leaving a "window". Very simple.

      Just place the the template over the swatch and it is easy to accurately count the rows and stitches that you see.

     If you make a 4" template you will divide the results by 4 to get stitches and rows per inch; for this 3" one I divide by 3.

 
     I find a smaller 1" one very useful when making my doll patterns.

     The bigger the swatch template, the more accurate your results will be. Remember to include partial stitches when calculating!


                                    Easy?  Please let me know what you think of this!