Changing or restoring an older Knitted Boy Doll

I purchased this doll about 4 or so years ago as “almost finished”- I appreciated the work that goes into knitting a 15 inch doll, and was happy to finish it by adding the face, sewing on the hair and hat.  And then the doll bothered me because I would not have knit the head that way myself (although she seems to have followed the directions). It’s an indication that everyone’s knitting is different.

This is a copy of the vintage pattern this “Boy Doll” is made from:

You can see the difference between the doll on the cover of the pattern and the way the head had come out slightly elongated by the previous knitter.  It bothered me enough to make me change it.

The first thing I did was carefully remove the hair, hat, button eyes and embroidered mouth.  Then I started at where the head knitting had ended and pulled it all out.

I decided to make the head short, round, and I wanted to get it done quickly so I used a Boye 24 stitch round loom, two strands of white worsted-weight acrylic, and added the one strand of the yarn that was the original head.

I knew the resulting knitting would be different from the double-point knitted body, but the visual “strength” of the stripes and the garter stitch of the suspenders could handle a bulkier-knit face and head.

And there it is- reassembled!  I needed to use this doll as Christopher Robin with a large Pooh bear, or a “baby” doll for visiting grandchildren, or just a doll on the couch.  I feel it is now much more “serviceable” and durable. And cute!  It looks much more like the original pattern photo.  It teaches me to take a risk once in a while and use differing textures if they achieve the goal.

One other note about making the head and face bulky-and why I often like this change of texture throughout an item- it keeps the doll a doll, not a person, not a child, not a boy in this case- a doll. I think that’s really important when you are making……dolls.

Vintage Stoppax Darning Foot

Vintage Stoppax Darning Foot

This is an embroidery and darning foot that I have used before, mainly on a Singer 201. Now I have it on my Singer 237 (from Michigan) machine.  The directions are below.

Making a Yarn Hair Wig For A Doll or Bear

Making a Yarn Hair Wig For A Doll or Bear

In this video (LINK) I describe how I am adding yarn hair to one of my bears. I'm sorry, the video cuts off abruptly, but I was finished. The steps are laid out here:

1.Make yarn hat/cap to fit your doll or bear.

2. Use a piece of cardboard 1/2 the length of the length of hair you want, and wrap yarn around cardboard. Cut one end, which gives you strands in the length you need.  I used 1 skein Lion Brand Homespun (Made in USA) bulky acrylic in the color "Amethyst", on a 12 inch piece of cardboard to get 24 inch long strands.

3. Make wig either separate from the doll/bear by taping cap/hat to a gallon jug filled with water, or use a tapestry needle and same type yarn and attach to doll or bear's head before adding yarn hair.

4. Either using a tapestry needle, or simply by pushing the yarn through a gap in the cap, insert one end of the yarn and tie off, pushing short end of each yarn strand under cap.

5. Style as desired, trim.

Photos:

In the last photo above, I haven't quite finished adding the hair to the bear. I will post a photo of the bear with the finished wig when I have it finished.

(c) laeom "Princess Dementia Bear" Art Bear

This bear was one I made up from another knitter's loom bear pattern, separate from my own bear patterns.  I wanted to see what a loom bear knits up like, and now I have my version!

 "Princess Dementia" otherwise known as "Pajama Bear". Items she wears are designed to remind the elderly to remember their hat, wear a shawl, wash their hands, wear their slippers, put a nice little scarf on because they are worth the trouble, wear their ID bracelet, and it is okay to fall asleep in the wheelchair because this bear does it all the time.  I may be making these up for nursing home residents.  And yes, my Princess Dementia sits in my wheelchair most of the day - shhhh, she's probably asleep!

This image and idea is not authorized for anyone else's use, under US copyright laws. (c) laeom

The original loom knit bear pattern is here:  Loom Knit Bear  The author of that pattern shares it freely on YouTube, and check her videos because she had revised the pattern. I used it to make bear body pieces, and changed some aspects of her pattern, before I developed my bear further.  My own knitted bear patterns are almost ready for release and will be in my Etsy Shop shortly. They are not loom bears.

Seed Starting Gesneriads

Starting Seeds of
African Violets, Streptocarpus, or Sinningias
Members of the Gesneriad family of plants


These are the basics


These seeds types are all very, very tiny, resembling dust. Although very small, and handling has to be done carefully, once sown, they take little care until they germinate.


1. I use a basic soil-less mix to start all my seeds. You may also purchase a soil-less mix specifically made for seed starting.


2. I fill a small pot or seed pan with the soil-less mix and then place it in a bowl or container of water about 1 inch deep. This is to dampen the mix, and it is left in the water-bowl until the surface of the soil is damp.


3. I place the seeds into the palm of my hand, and then hand-place the seeds onto the “soil” mix, but you may find it easier to lightly tap the seeds out of their packaging onto the soil. The goal is to place them just on the surface without having them all in one spot.


4. They are NOT covered with “soil” but left to sit on the surface.


5. I cover them in a couple of different ways. The easiest way is to place the pot or pan in a gallon-size zip lock bag, and then place the container in good light. They should be in bright light, but not direct sun, and it is best if they are in a warm area, 65 to 70 degrees.


Another method I have used is to convert a ten-gallon fish tank to a germinating tank. Using a dry tank, two inches of damp clean sand is placed on the bottom. The planted seeds, already in their pots as prepared above, are placed on top of the damp sand. The tank is covered with the typical lighted full cover for the tank when using it for fish- with a fluorescent light. I keep the light on in the tank for 12 hours a day. If the dampness of the sand is kept at the right level, no additional watering is needed. The combination of the light, moisture, and a closed environment, allow almost carefree germination of many seed types.



Gesneriads can take from one week to several weeks to germinate, so I make sure I have allowed plenty of time before giving up on a seed batch. Once they have germinated, when they are about 1/8” to ¼” tall, I either move them to individual one inch pots, or re-pot them into a square, shallow pot to grow on. I keep them covered at first, and slowly expose them to being uncovered by removing whatever cover I have used for an hour a day over several days. Soon you will have lots of little plants!

Making Your Own Knitting Needles

Making Your Own Knitting Needles 

In 2014 I had to make a short circular needle to use in a sock pattern I was writing.  I had thought I had made a video about making these needles, but perhaps it got lost on an old hard drive.  I do have the photo, and I used bamboo pieces and tubing.

The photo is from November 4, 2014

I am at it again, only this time I am making large size needles.  Sizes 35, 50 and 70 are only available in limited forms commercially. I am making longer double points, circular, and possibly straight needles.  One material you can use to do this is in this video:  link

I will be posting photos of my size 35 bamboo/clay needles, hand-carved needles, etc. as I finish them. I have even made some square needles.

Below: rough cutting the tips of a cut/divided vintage snow shovel handle, for double point needles in size 50.

Make sure to wear Kevlar carving gloves and keep the wood in a vise, to prevent cuts from the saw jumping.

New Videos: 

Making Bamboo Knitting Needles (Size 36)

Making Large Wood Knitting Needles 2

Working on Size 70 Wood Circular Needle

Making Size 70 Double Point or Single Point Needles - Easy

Luceting 3 Strands of Worsted-Weight Yarn Specifically for Large Needle Knitting

Below are photos of my finished needles in sizes 19 (foreground) and 70. The size 70 have tips of clay.

Boye Round Loom Teddy Bear

Boye Round Loom Teddy Bear

I came across a video on day by a person who calls herself the Loom Muse- she has a video up for a simple pattern for a loom-knit teddy bear. I have previously made a bear with sewing, and have a patchwork bear my grandmother gave us as well as a Vermont Teddy Bear. I also have several small teddy bears, so when I saw this pattern, I thought it would be nice to make a loom knit bear.

A couple of notes- this is an easy pattern. The bear IS adorable. I followed her pattern fairly closely, only changing things like my cast off and sewing pieces together. What I will do on the next bear: I will make the arms longer and perhaps the body shorter, more like that "Silly ol bear" Pooh (I forgot, I also have several Pooh bears.) The Muse herself has re-done her original pattern, but the first one is so easy, I decided to stick with it. I may also in the future use three strands of yarn instead of two.

Here are her videos:

How to Loom Knit A Teddy Bear

How to Loom Knit Teddy Bear Revamped

(including her advice on gauges-slightly different from mine, as she doesn't define yards as "weights")

Here is my first attempt at a bear on looms (you might not know I have been loom knitting for over 12 years, but have never made animals)

My Bear's name is PB - (Pink Bear, but also PeeBee because I was swarmed by bees when I was 5 and the medication, well, yes, made me pee alot. I remember my mother making me a Pink Bear and we named her PB)

I did not use plastic eyes- I embroidered the eyes and nose. I also feel that perhaps the woman who wrote the pattern doesn't have the same needle knitting experience that I do- I am not saying that to criticize her, she seems very talented. But I started with needle knitting before loom knitting and sometimes that experience is a plus when adapting patterns. I may even make this bear on needles with the exception of the head, but even the head could be made on needles. My mother, an expert knitter, always followed written patterns exactly, and so her bear would have been like the bear above.  I probably even have the original bear pattern around here somewhere because I have all of my mother's knitting patterns.

I used Red Heart Super Saver Jumbo acrylic worsted-weight yarn in "Perfect Pink". The pink is not for the recently used "Pink Power" theme, but for my (c) "Pink Neelix" patterns. A pink Neelix (c) is what your mother might knit for you, as first influenced by Neelix of Star Trek Voyager and the blankets his mother knit for him.  You can find that reference in Star Trek Voyager, Season 4, Episode 24, in the first couple of minutes, when Neelix refuses to give Tuvok his sleeping blankets.