Vintage Dolly Knitting Pattern

One of the first dolls I remember having was a Tiny Tears, and one of the best thing about Tiny Tears, apart from her doing a wee when you gave her a bottle, was that you could dress her up. I had this dress in several different colours, and knitted pants too! (can you imagine how itchy they would be?!)
But don't worry if you don't have a Tiny Tears, this outfit is to fit any doll that's about 14 inches high with an 11 1/2 inch chest. Or thereabouts.

 

Materials:

150g double knitting yarn (this is a guess, as the pattern simply says "3 balls" without saying how large the balls are! I reckon it would probably take less than 100g but admittedly I haven't made this pattern for ages)

2 x 4mm (no.8) and 2 x 3 1/4mm (no.10) knitting needles

4mm crochet hook

3 buttons

length of ribbon

 

Abbreviations:

K - Knit; P - Purl; sts - stitches; st,st. - stocking stitch; yfwd - yarn forward; sl.1 - slip one; tog - together;  dec - decrease; inc - increase; psso - pass slip stitch over; g.st - garter stitch; rept - repeat; beg - beginning; alt - alternate; dc - double crochet; ch - chain; cm - centimetre; ins - inches.

Tension:

12sts to 5cm (2ins) on 4mm (no.8) needles.

 

Back

Using 3 1/4mm (no.10) needles, cast on 69 sts. work 4 rows in g.st.

Change to 4mm (no.8) needles and pattern

1st Row: K1, *yfwd, sl.1, K2tog, psso, yfwd, K5, rept from * to last 4 sts, yfwd, sl.1, K2tog, psso, yfwd, K1.

2nd and Alt rows: Purl.

3rd Row: As 1st Row.

5th Row: K4, * yfwd, sl.1, K1, psso, K1, K2tog, yfwd, K3, rept from * to last st, K1.

7th Row: K1, *yfwd, sl.1, K2tog, psso, yfwd, K1, rept from * to end.

8th Row: Purl

These 8 rows form the pattern.

Continue in pattern until the 7th row of the 5th pattern has been worked.

Dec. row: * (P2tog) 4 times, P3tog (P2tog) 5 times, P3 tog, rept from * to last 21 sts, (P2tog) 4 times, P3tog, (P2tog) 5 times. (32) sts.

Change to 3 1/4mm (no.10) needles.

Work 2 rows g.st.

Next Row: * K1, yfwd, K2tog, K1, rept from * to end.

Work 2 rows g.st.

Change to 4mm (no.8) needles. Purl 1 row.

Shape Armhole and Divide for Back

Cast off, K13 (including st on needle) turn.

Purl 1 row.

Continue in st.st, dec 1 st at armhole edge on following 2 rows. (11sts)

Continue without further dec. until armhole measures 6cm (2 1/2 ins) finishing on a purl row.

Cast off.

Rejoin yarn to remaining sts. Work to correspond with other side reversing all shapings.

Front

Work exactly as instructions for Back to shape armholes.

Shape Armholes

Continue in st.st. Cast off 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of the needle on the next 2 rows (22sts). Continue without further dec until work measures 5 rows less than Back to Shoulder finishing on a right side row.

Shape Neck

P7, cast off 8, P7.

Next Row: K to last 2 sts, K2tog

Next Row: Purl

Rept last 2 rows once more. Cast off remaining sts.

Rejoin yarn at neck edge to remaining sts and work to correspond with other side reversing all shapings.

Sleeves (Both Alike)

Using 3 1/4 (no 10) needles, cast on 20 sts. Knit 2 rows.

Next Row: *K1, inc in next st, rept from * to last 2 sts, K2 (29 sts)

Change to 4mm (no 8) needles. Work 8 rows in pattern as given for Skirt of Dress.

Shape Top

Keeping pattern correct, cast off 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Dec 1 st at each end of the needle on the next 6 rows.

Cast off.

To Make Up

Join shoulder, side and sleeve seams. Sew in sleeves.

Using 3 1/4 (no 10) needles and with right side facing, K6 sts from left back neck, pick up and K5 sts down side of neck, 8 sts across front neck, pick up and K5 sts up side of neck and K6 sts from right back neck.

Work 3 rows in g.st. Cast off.

Work 1 row of dc round back opening, working 3 small loops for buttonholes.

Sew on buttons to correspond with buttonholes.

Thread ribbon through holes at waist.

 

 

I hope you have fun making this dress for your little girl's dollies. If you would like to make the whole outfit, please contact me with your email address and I will happily send you a pdf of the instructions.

 

 

 



A Bounty of Berries

August is a busy month for me. 'Tis Harvest Time - the original reason for allowing children a summer holiday from school - and the main harvest in my house is blackberries. For any of you who have never been blackberrying, then you really ought to try it ~ it’s free food after all! You don’t need a lot of time or equipment, you don’t even to travel far to do it. Blackberries grow in cities just as well as they do in the countryside, try looking around the edge of parks, allotments, even business parks / industrial estates. There is some snobbery that city berries will be covered in petrol fumes and dirt, but unless they’re growing on an exceptionally busy road this really isn’t the case.

 

Having said that, it’s a much nicer activity to pick in a green place. I go to the local woods (which is still on the island!) with son and dog in tow, a toy bucket or an empty ice-cream tub in a carrier bag ready for my treasure. Do not wear your best white t-shirt! The juice can stain, and you will at the very least go home with purple fingers (and probably lips too!) The ripe berries are a plump glossy black, don’t pick the dark red as they’re not fully ripe and will just be sour and unpleasant. Likewise, avoid those with a dull sheen as they have gone beyond ripe and are beginning to moulder. An hour with a decent crop on the bushes should be plenty of time to fill a 2 litre ice-cream tub, which will give you approx 1 kilo of fruit. When you get them home stand the tub under a gently running tap and wash the berries handful by handful, draining in a sieve. Layer them on a sheet of paper kitchen towel (to absorb some of the water) in another empty ice-cream tub, removing each sheet of paper once the layer is full. This helps soak up some of the water and makes it easier to get the berries out once they are frozen. When the tub is full, simply replace the lid and pop it in your freezer. You now have berries to hand all year round!

As well as being delicious, blackberries have a multitude of health benefits:

1. Blackberries are one of the top ten foods containing antioxidants.

2. Blackberries are packed with polyphenols helping to prevent cancer and heart disease.

3. Blackberries are filled with anthocyanins (antioxidants which give blackberries their deep purple colour) which help in memory retention and the risk of hypertension.

4. Blackberries are said to strengthen blood vessels, help fight heart disease and help improve eyesight.

5. The high tannin content of blackberries help tighten tissue, relieve intestinal inflammation, and help reduce hemorrhoids and stomach disorders.

6. Ohio State University found that blackberries may protect against esophageal cancer, a cancer caused by gastric reflux disease.

7. Blackberries have shown to protect against other types of cancers. They contain phytoestrogens (plant estrogens), a compound believed to play a vital role in preventing breast and cervical cancer.

8. Blackberries are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Manganese and fibre. 9. The high fibre content of blackberries help reduce risk of intestinal disease and the risk of developing diabetes.

10. Blackberries are a healthy food choice that kids and adults love. They are a great way to refuel after a hard workout and help aid in fighting obesity.
 

One cup of fresh blackberries has 62 calories, 1 gram of fat, 15 carbohydrates, 8 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein and only 1 mg of sodium.

(from ingredients, inc.)

So, what are you going to make with them? My main uses of blackberries are jam, crumbles, and blackberry vinegar; but they are extremely versatile and can be used in many recipes. Try stirring them through muffin batter in place of blueberries, or blitz a handful of berries in a blender with a banana and some milk for a delicious smoothie – this is a particularly good use of the frozen berries as they chill the smoothie as well as adding flavour and a fabulous purple colour.   

Below is a quick and easy crumble recipe for you to try. I always use eating apples as they are what I have to hand. However if you want to use cooking apples by all means do so, but I would recommend adding a couple of spoons of sugar to the fruit mix.

 

 

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

Cooking time: 35-45 minutes

Serves:  4

Ingredients:

250g Blackberries
500g Apples

Crumble Topping:

170 Rolled oats
50g Wholemeal flour
40g Demerara sugar
50g Butter

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350F / Gas 4.

Peel, core and slice the apples. Put in a large, ovenproof dish and stir in the berries.

Place the rolled oats, flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and rub together until well mixed. Sprinkle over fruit and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream. Or custard.

The juice and grated rind of an orange makes a lovely addition to the fruity filling of this crumble, or why not try a little cinnamon in the crumble topping?

Blackberries are usually in season from early August until mid-late September, so you still have a couple of weeks left to enjoy them. I'd love to hear what you make with your berries!