Knitted Babes

Harumpf

2009-03-18T16:45:00.001-07:00

That is the name of the monkee to the right. He is made from the pattern by Monkee Maker. BUT I've not acquired the knack of making a nice looking mouth. I'm hoping it will come with practise. I guess we'll see. Anyway, his mouth looks like he is a bit pissed and says "Harumpf!"

2009-03-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Baby Babe

2009-03-13T12:48:00.001-07:00

I finally made a baby for my Babe...here she is!!!
I used this pattern HERE

Tina T. Sings 'Proud Mary!'

2009-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

My tribute to the beautiful soulful singers of the 70’s to now! Forever youthful and their music timeless!
Difficult to find just the right hair color. Tina had so many! Her high heeled shoes were made from a disgarded plastic wrapping, bent to shape…and a split sponge type ear plug. Knitted silver thread for the shoe tops and jewelry. Babe altered of course for that unstoppable figure of Tina’s.

Meet Lily and her big sisters

2007-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Meet Lily. (Her wardrobe is not finished yet, but I couldn't wait to get a photo!)

She was fashioned after a photo of a child in a ballet costume, and I'm so glad I had the photo. I would have never created a doll like this without the inspiratation of the photo. It's hard to see, but I stenciled red flowers on the netting to simulate the ones on the real costume. They show up better in real life, than in the photo.

I'm having a hard time intrepreting the pattern for the ballet shoes, so I think I'm just going to improvise a little.

She is to be a gift for the girl she was fashioned from, and a total surprise! Neither the child or the mom knows yet!

These 3 babes were born in December. The two on the left were gifts for nieces for Christmas, and the one on the right lives with me. She likes hanging out by my knitting chair!
Just wanted to share! You can read more about them at my blog, if you like. I just love this blog, and enjoy looking at all the babes! (btw...my 12 yr old wants one of those aliens!! Thats really cute!)

The eyes on all my babes are made from felt, and stitched on with complimentary colors of embroidery floss. I put a colonial knot in the middle for the pupil, then tiny straight stitches around for added interest and to secure the felt. The eyelashes are straight stitches too.
The hair on all my babes are hooked to the head with a crochet hook. I have a tendancy to make them with very full heads of hair, which is hard to style. I tried to make the Lily doll with a hair bun, like the model, but her hair was just too thick. Two of the dolls have hair made from fingering weight yarn, two have worsted weight hair. The Mouths are also felt, secured and embellished with embroidery floss.
The first 3 babes were made entirelly from my stash! For Lily, I had to get more pink yarn for the body, and I had to buy the netting for the tutu. The yarn for her hair and tutu was found at a thrift store. Other than that, she was created from my stash as well. The felt I've been using I got from an estate sale about a year ago. I had bought a whole bag with many colors no longer available on the market that I know of. Perfect for matching eye color to the intended "Mom". There are different shades of green and blue, and a couple shades of pink for the mouths.
Surfin'Sandy at

I Love Lucy...

2007-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

So this is my first horse knit from Claire Garland's new book, Dream Toys. She's was a hoot to knit and her name is Lucy (explanation for the name over at my blog if you're interested).

I'm very pleased with how she turned out. I'm very tempted to keep her, but she's meant for my wee neice. At some point, I'm sure I'll make up the saddle and other accessories for her too.

Babe in progress

2007-03-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

in a concerted effort to avoid the floppy neck which seeps stuffing, i decided to use 2 strands of brown sheep cotton fleece on size 6's. it's producing a lovely, firm fabric, but it's a bit big :p case in point:

i'm hoping by the time i sew it together and stuff it won't be as ginormous, but my daughter likes them a bit more robust :) i just really really really really really really hope the stuffing doesn't show or poke through. my next biggest worry is the hair. last time i did the hair for katie it was so heavy that her body folded in half at the neck and it wasn't even full or lovely. if anyone has tips on hair do's please share. i am the world's WORST "finisher" (i.e. with the sewing and whatnots).

knit on!

andie

Natural Babe

2007-03-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hello again!

Okay, I ended up frogging that last double stranded Babezilla and used size 2's with a single strand of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. Much more normal sized Babe. Since I had a fitting problem with the knitted dress, but still wanted to share a picture... I made sure to give our Natural Babe some privacy. So, until I can whip up that knitted dress, she is a free-wheelin' Babe.

PS - I just received my Dream Toys book. OMG.. I want to make EVERYTHING! Yay Claire Garland :p

knit on!

andie

Springtime for Maggie...

2007-03-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I actually put this outfit together quite some time ago, but I was on the dreaded dial up back them. It's a whole new world now, with wireless and such. So I thought I would post Maggie's little springtime outfit. It was the other half of Purl's creation (another one of our little challenges) for her babe Clemmy. That was a while ago now. You'll have to go trawling through the archives probably, like Jan. or Feb. In any case, she put together a watermelon hat for her babe. I concocted this lemon slice bag and went from there.

The bag is all done in felt with a little bit of stiching around the sections. I embellished a little bit with 'seeds', which are little crystal beads.

Next I knit a little white hat (pattern from the book) and embellished it with more beads and a little bit of ribbon.

Springtime always proves a little chilly, therefore a shrug is the order of the day. This pattern came out of a stitch dictionary.

A little pleated skirt to complete the ensemble.
Now miss Maggie is ready for the season. Until later!

Roxxy Roller

2007-03-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Meet Roxxy!

Roxxy is a junior in high school. She's also a poet, and can often be seen at poetry slams around the community, sharing and baring her soul. She's a barrista at The Coffee Hole, working there on weekends and on the morning shift, because she has first period free at school. She's been listening to Dead can Dance and the Cocteau Twins on her mp3 player a lot lately, and the last show she went to see was Evanescence. The message on her cell phone says, "Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs so leave a message and I'll call you back." When her mom asks her why she wears skulls, she says "It shows that no matter how you cover up, everybody's the same underneath. It's a symbol of human unity, Mom!" She didn't get her mom's permission for the eyebrow piercing or the lip piercing and was grounded for a month. The only subjects at school she really cares about are English and Art. She's going to have a show at the Coffee Hole next month of her collages and sculptures.

Springtime for Greta

2007-03-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Just checking in and loving all the Babes. I fashioned a snazzy crocheted halter top for Greta. It is actually just a granny square with a hook and eye closure for the back.

Tres Chic, tres easy.

Sheryl

Babes on the Beach

2007-04-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, I've been following the knitted babe-along for a while now and have really been enjoying everybody's posts! I've been too behind in my UFO's to actually contribute until now. I'm finally finished my third and best Babe who I've named "Marina".

She is 99.9% made from the Dream Toys pattern with the exception of the ruffles. I just couldn't bring myself to cast on all those stitches on such tiny needles that were called for on the ruffles. Instead, I improvised and did a simple crochet shell ruffle (which turned out just fine, I think).

Anne S from Victoria BC

Sea, land and sky.

2007-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ella, Belle (sneaking in from 'Toys to Sew') and their sister Rainbow-Tinkerbell were desperate to join the party and so stopped their busy schedule of making new friends, going to school, joining in on ballet classes, visiting the shops, travelling in the car, bumping down the stairs...to pose for their extended family.

They are awaiting the next offering from the Making Fairy, Rainbow Tinkerbell is hoping it will be her dress, since it is a little cold away from Fairyland!

They are really pleased to meet you all, and are very proud to be part of such a great looking family (they've been peaking over my shoulder at you all).

Sparing her blushes!

2007-05-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Tinkerbell is now clothed! So, she no longer has only her blushes to hide behind.

She's off to the seaside with the other 2 babes and their minders for a week, so I'll look out for the next Spirit the tide may bring.

Babes and a Horse

2007-05-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Maribeth!

I made all of these babes over the past summer and fall. Unfortunately, I have no new pictures of my most recent. The darkest one was my first. I did not name any of these, as some I did not want to become overly attached to because I gave them away for Christmas presents to some distant cousins. Soon I will take pictures of my newer dolls. They have been made using the pattern in the book Dream Toys, which if nobody has noticed, has a slightly shorter head because the increases are on both the purl and knit side. I also am in the process of making a Perdi Bird from the kit I received last Christmas. I know, I can't believe I haven't finished it yet! All of the clothes are done, and body pieces, I just must knit and sew the legs, arms, and face.

The horse in the Dream Toys book was quite a distraction, which is my excuse for not finishing the Perdi Bird doll. I made this horse to give to my step-cousin, and am in the process of finishing a white unicorn for myself.

Bella the Unicorn

2007-05-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Reading over alll of the posts last night motivated me to finish this unicorn. I have named it Bella. As you can see, she likes to play in the flowers.

Her mane is made out of Angora, and is very soft, however a bit static-y at times. Bella's body, hooves and snout is Zora Merino. I knitted her on size 5s just as the pattern called for. Once I learn how to crochet, I will make her a blanket and saddle according to the Dream Toys book, though I may get impatient and just improvise.

Fairy Baby

2007-05-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest addition to the family- the Fairy Baby. She must be magic, since I did her hair with some leftover Kid Silk Haze, and she looked all stringy and bedraggled: a bit like a Trainspottingesque toy. Then putting her away overnight to mull the fix-it plan, I awoke to found her hair had puffed up into a proper bouffant and so I am pleased with her.

Tutu-roo

2007-05-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

I am tooting my own horn about this little beauty. I have temporarily named her Bella. She is a birthday present for a friend's little girl this coming weekend. I loved how she turned out. I tried something new with the way I attach a Babe's hair. The tutu wasn't bad to add, it was the little ballerina slippers that gave me the most trouble. After 3 tries I finally had a pair that fit. I plan to make a carry bag for her and all her possessions.
Such fun!

Greta (naked)

2007-05-20T17:18:00.001-07:00

This is Greta. She is a spicy, long-haired diva who loves to play the piano! Her arm span amazes her teacher. She has no clothes but the socks on her feet, for now (she spent all of her extra cash on the piano lessons!). Her head is made with the girl pattern in Dream Toys so it is a little more round/heart-shaped than most of her peers.

She was knit on size 3mm needles which I got with my dot pebbles kit. I believe that this size is a bit inbetween a size 2 and 3. This worked perfectly because the yarn was a bit thicker than I'm accustomed, and I believe a tad larger than fingering weight. I'm not sure about this, however, because Greta turned out the same size as my other dolls, knit on regular size 2 needles and fingering weight.

If you want the pattern for the socks, please comment and I will write back ASAP.

MB

2007-05-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Rita & friend

2007-05-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is Rita, my 5th babe. She just left me and now lives with my niece. My three first babes also have moved to other nieces. (They left in a hurry before Chrismas, so I forgot to take a photo of them.)

In this picture Rita is redy for a big party. She also have other items in her wardrobe.

I still have one babe living with me. She doesn't have a name, poor thing.

Princess Anne plus group shots.

2007-05-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends! I'd like to introduce Princess Anne. While educated in the courtly arts such as conversation, diplomacy, swordplay, and ballroom dance, Princess Anne can't help being a modern girl. She caused a royal scandal by modeling underwear, and recently took on an acting job in a feature role as Gooney Bird Greene. She also explored the idea of being a bald pop princess, but it didn't stick. Although Princess Anne is in a bit of an exploratory phase right now, she's very good-hearted and shows promise to settle down into the life of a well-behaved princess who will have the will and power to make positive changes in the world.

I'd also like to share a few group shots. The first illustrates a day at school, when my daughter rounded up all sorts of girls to go to class. The second is the complete collection of Knitted Babes. A few shipped off to their new home, and will receive a more formal introduction later.

Knitting Ann

2007-06-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

Knitting Ann (have a look here) has got a stola ;-))

I've seen all the new Knitted Babes... will soon knit some new ones!

Sally the Seductress...

2007-06-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sally sits on her front porch. Its a typically overcast gray skied day in the small coastside town of Pacifica, California. The ocean view lies behind her. Ho...hum... what to do on such a gloomy day! She wears a light blue brimmed sun hat and a matching blue knitted halter top. Blonde braided strands of yarn are hung as glittery golden beads fall over her shoulders. Sally is sitting upright without falling due to a styrofoam tubing claimed from my son's guitar holder that is inserted in the neck. Her nails are dark dusty pink, made by felting them on with wool roving and toe nails to match of course. Pastel pink and white slippers adorn her tiny feet and are attached by velcro never to be misplaced.
Temperatures are cool today, maybe another day to go to the beach......

Perdi Bird

2007-06-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Dot Pebbles Perdi Bird kit I got for christmas. I think it looks very cute, and my sewing has improved a bit. The only thing I had trouble with was the apple green for the shoes. There was NOT at all enough of the apple green yarn to make the apples or finish the shoes. I improvised and just didn't make the soles, (sewing the fronts up into mini socks and connecting the white tweed to that). I found the rosette hard to make, however, I think it looks fairly nice. Tell me what you think!