Knitting Knitting Circle V9

Hi all, haven't been able to knit for ages due to severe cataract in both eyes. Operation on eyes is done last month so
I hope to join you all again with some knitwork!

 

I just finished this sweater for Asa - it's a little bulky with the Andalusian stitch but seems cosy regardless.



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Perfect for fall. She certainly looks very pleased to have it.

 

Lovely sweater, cobaltconduct!

 

Thank you @Lillith & @El BJD!

I was not super happy with how bulky and stiff the seams become when stitching pieces together so I went for another sweater, but knit it in a circle on double pointeds and picked up stitches in the armholes instead of making sleeves separately. Great success, the drape is so much better!

Spoiler: straight off the needles

Blocking doll knits absolutely matters in the fit and finish. If you are lazy like me, take it as a sign to give your work at least a good steamy press.

 

@cobaltconduct EXCELLENT sweaters! Love your BJDs, too!

For my really tiny BJDs (just over 3" tall), I work seamless raglan sweaters from the neck down to eliminate bulky seams. I knit the body in 1 piece but seam the sleeves (for my sanity). The sweater neck becomes stretched out during knitting, so I knit the neck banding last to tighten that up. My goal for the sleeves is to just cover the wrist joints.
Happy Knitting!

 

@Answer42 I am in awe of the detail in your tiny knits!

In my quest to put a sweater on all of my dolls, I've finished another one! I don't have the body for it yet so I didn't dare to try it on another doll for now, but I'm pretty pleased with it - too bad it's so heavily stained already though

 

@cobaltconduct such a cute sweater. ❤️ have to knit again, most of the time I just dye the yarn, bit didn't use it. XD

 

@Brezel thank you! Custom dyed yarn sounds very fun!

I've finished my quest of knitting each doll a sweater. Finally everyone's ready for the season! I guess a black turtleneck is pretty useful to have in the wardrobe (aka the plastic box all the doll clothes are in) but it's been hell trying to pick up any dropped stitches in this

 

Are those RealPukis? I haven't seen those around in ages!

 

@cobaltconduct it is fun to dye yarn. Love your sweater. ^^

Knitted one this is one in SD and selfdyed yarn. ^^

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YUP! CP/Fairyland still offers Realpukis from time to time. Their latest offering was Anubis Soso.

 

Hi all! I've been out of the hobby for quite a while and want to return. I don't know how to knit. Would you be so kind to help me out? Is there any easy tutorial around? I'm especially interested in such tiny things as clothes for RealPuki and PukiFee...

 

@erica_ua Try Youtube videos on "how to knit". I definitely recommend you learn to knit at human scale first before tackling tiny knitting. Beginning knitters often start with worsted weight yarn and U.S. size 8 (5mm) needles.
Once you've mastered the basics and you achieve consistent tension, you can try using finer yarns and needles. At that point, try knitting for Pukifees first. You'll need magnifiers to work on the scale of Realpukis.
Best of luck! I hope you start knitting soon! My free Pukifee and Realpuki knitting patterns will be waiting for you on Ravelry!

 

Everyone here is so skilled, wow! I started doing scarves to learn how to knit last year, and this year I've started off trying to learn how to make a triangle shawl. I've just learned how to add stitches, if that gives you any idea of how much of a beginner I still am.

I tried to learn knitting in the round earlier today, but that went sideways since my needles were way too long. (I know it's advised to make human-sized things first, but I have no desire for human-sized things, so I started on doll size.) We'll give it another try when the shorter needles come in.

I do have a question here: is there any sort of... order? that you would recommend learning in? As in, should I learn how to make different items before learning different stitches, or the other way around? And are there any items I should learn first? Like hats before sweaters, or something. It's a confusing question, maybe, sorry about that. Any insight would be great! As it is, I'm just sort of poking at random things that seem beginner-ish.

 

I would say start with making a thing you want to make! It can be boring to make little try-out patches if you have no goal for them. If you want to practice knitting in the round, leg/wrist warmers are an easy start to build up the muscle memory while also small enough to somewhat get an idea about knitting for doll size (and also not too small to be super frustrated about them). And if you want to practice decreases and picking up stitches, mittens are a good one as well. All in all, I would still recommend doing smaller human-size items before tackling either human scale sweaters or very small doll stuff, it's just easier to learn if the thing doesn't take too long nor is too fiddly. I found tutorials in this blog helpful with starter items.

 

I was 12 when I learned to knit. I wanted to make a sweater for my new baby brother. The lady next door taught me, for which I'm forever grateful! I learned tension so well that my gauge is always right on. I learned to sew seams together properly. Both my brother, my sister, and my own 2 children wore that sweater, which I still have, over 60 years later! So if you can find an online tutorial in youtube, which I have found and tested for a few friends in the past, you will learn how to knit correctly. My other suggestion is to go to a specialty yarn shop which will most likely have knitting lessons. I actually took some lessons a few years ago to learn how to knit in the round. I quite enjoyed the lessons plus I took along a few of the dolls and clothes that I knitted for them. The compliments were wonderful!!

 

Here are the ravelry results for RealPuki: Ravelry

And for PukiFee: Ravelry

I personally love the patterns by Wovenflame, but they do cost. You will need laceweight thread to knit for them.

 

@cobaltconduct Thanks for the advice! There's a lot of useful patterns on that blog, I'll probably make some.

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind having some soft knitted scarves and shawls for myself, too. And it'd be good for practice. Still, I want to work on making doll items alongside that. I guess I'm too impatient to do the natural progression- I do this with every hobby I start. Just jump into the deep end, for better or worse. I think I'm doing alright with this shawl project, but we'll see in a few days when it's done.

 

well, here it is, my first attempt at a shawl



it's supposed to be a triangle, but the point got blunted and the bottom bowed. honestly not sure what to do about that... but in any case, it was a fun project. on to something else!

 

It looks nice! You can always block it into a more appropriate shape if you want

 

Yes, you need to block it! Is the yarn wool? Wet it, and dry it to shape you want. Pin the edges to the desired shape, and let it dry fully. It will be what you want it to be!

 

Blocking would help, but it's also possible your bind-off is a bit tight. Bind-off tension just takes practice, or trying out methods other than the basic (I like a sewn bind-off or Icelandic with garter stitch).

 

Oh, blocking! I'd heard of that but hadn't thought about it. The yarn is actually low-pill acrylic, but according to google you can block that also. As soon as I can get a hold of some foam or something, I'll try that.

Though I also acknowledge that my bind-off is probably tight. I think in general my stitches are tight; I worry a bit about leaving holes in my work. Tension is definitely something I need to get a proper handle on.

 

Acrylic should also take steam blocking quite well - you can pin your item on a towel and press it through a damp tea towel (or use the steam function if your iron has a good one), then let it set for 30 min or so. It's often a faster way, especially if you don't have a lot of space to leave the pieces to dry for a long time.

Don't worry too much about tension with your first items - it'll get better the more you knit and the more muscle memory your hands build. If you worry about holes, I'd recommend switching to a bit thicker yarn with the same needles so the holes fill themselves more easily and your hands can relax more

 

100% synthetic yarns and threads never blocked well enough for me. I switched to natural fibers and cold blocking for that reason.

Anyhoo, we are very SNOWED and ICED in here for the next couple of days. I knit Unoa a hat to commemorate the rare event in Pacific Northwest. I added Bingsu beads only to find out they're NOT beads, just coils of -what- cellophane? Lesson learned! The pattern is free on Ravelry. I made a Spring version, too. C'mon, Spring!

 

My craft goal this year is to knit away my stash before getting any new yarns - I had some nice bits left from my end-of-the-year sock run so I've started to turn them into raglan sweaters for my dolls. I was sad there wasn't enough for long sleeves at first but it turned out pretty cute regardless, I think?

 

@cobaltconduct Definitely cute! I honestly think I like short-sleeved sweaters better than long-sleeve, but they're so inconvenient when you're a human... luckily dolls don't get cold, haha!

 

oh yes! I could never wear something as scratchy on my skin!

 

@cobaltconduct Cute! And the fit is PERFECT!

I spent the last 2 days knitting this scarf for 7.5" Realfee. A long time ago, I picked apart (very tediously) a nylon ribbon yarn, Lion brand "Incredible" because I wanted a thread with variegations on a tiny scale. The stretchy nylon thread wouldn't block very well, so I used a 2x2 rib stitch to get it to lie flat. With U.S. #0000 (1.25mm) needles, the 14-stitch scarf is 3/8" wide unstretched and a surprisingly-long 10.5 inches in length. The nylon has an attractive sheen the photo doesn't pick up.
Long after the "Incredible" deconstruction, I found Valdani variegated threads. Yay! The trinity stitch hat is made of Valdani pearl cotton and the pants are Valdani 3-ply cotton embroidery floss. I hope to experiment with silk and rayon embroidery threads next. I've knit swatches but the real test is making an actual BJD item.
Happy Knitting!

 

@Answer42 Oh, that scarf! So tiny.

 

@Answer42 how tiny! And how drapery at that scale! Amazing work as always.


I made a pair of human socks out of this yarn and was a sad that the dye pattern didn't quite lock in at the size/stitch count I needed. It worked beautifully for a doll sweater, though! I love how the varied stripes and spirals twist around the body, I'm so happy I kept the scraps.

 

@cobaltconduct Nicely done! Love the precise fit!

I posted a free spats pattern for SD-size feet on Ravelry yesterday. Spats make shoes look more like boots which can save $, if you don't want to buy or can't find BJD boots for your doll.
Happy BJD Knitting!

 

Ahh spats are and excellent idea! Gonna add them to my knit list

 

Great idea, Answer42! I was just admiring them on Ravelry earlier today.

 

I used "Denim Silk" yarn from Berocco (discontinued, unfortunately) and unraveled the chainette (I-cord) yarn to knit a blanket for 3" tall Realpuki but the drape wasn't what I hoped for at that scale, even with U.S.# 00 000 needles and 23 stitches/inch. So 7.5" tall Realfee has it as a shawl. I'll go back to knitting Realpuki sweaters with "Denim Silk" since drape isn't as big an issue there. I love this now-BJD-scale tweed yarn! It's finer than 1 ply of embroidery floss!

I have also un-plied e. Lavold's discontinued "Silky Tweed" yarn from 8 plies down to 1 ply which knits with U.S. #0000 at 18 stitches/inch. That's a bit thicker than 1 ply of embroidery floss.

These real tweed yarns show up sometimes on Etsy and ebay. Some people on Ravelry are willing to trade or sell these yarns but I've had the least amount of success getting a response there. (I'm not selling any myself; I love it too much.)



P.S. I developed the stitch pattern "Early Ears of Corn" specifically for this project but it doesn't show that well in the above photo. I'll post the stitch pattern (in #10 crochet thread) on Ravelry tomorrow/Friday.

 

That is lovely!
Have you tried going to colourmart.com and search their leftover mill end sets for cobweb weight yarn? They often have sets with multiple small leftover cones of really yummy yarns. I got there a set of merino/silk, very thin and very pretty, each color was only a few to several grams, so there were many colors. It was great for tiny projects

 

@Uggst Ooh! GREAT advice! THANK YOU!

 

I posted a simple free hat pattern for 6" tall Pukifee on Ravelry today.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

I needed to knit another sweater to correct and update my Pukipuki sweater pattern on Ravelry and in the DoA Workshop.
Stay cool, everyone!

 

I just posted a free Pukifee/Lati Yellow knitting pattern on Ravelry.
Super easy top: just cast on, knit and cast off! Both Pukifees and Lati Yellows are about 6" tall.

 

After years and years of knitting scarves and wraps....I finally cracked the code to making a sweater! I can't follow patterns...as trying to figure them out makes my brain hurt and feel dyslexic. So, without any pattern I finally figured it out.

Here my SartoriaJ Melissa (Bronaugh) is modeling actually the third one I've made so far.

Bronaugh by luluna33, on Flickr

 

I posted another free pattern on Ravelry; this time it's a shawl for 10" tall Littlefee.

 

Thank you! It's adorable!

 

Here's my super easy shawl pattern free on Ravelry for 19" BJDs.
Model is Dollmore's Illua.

 

This is such a pretty knit! I love the coloursand the bit of texture you have added!

 

Oh thank you ever so much! While I still love making scarves and wraps (anything flat) it's now nice to add a sweater to my repertoire. Though, I'm still knitting flat just sewing two side together.

This was my first sweater.

Ragnarr by luluna33, on Flickr

 

Really detailed and delicate. Just wait until you discover seamless! I don't enjoy sewing together and always try and make things seamless. People think I'm being smart but it's born from pure laziness haha.
I need to try cables on some doll sweaters, I've only done them on human sized yet.

 

Thanks! I can't imagine how to finagle seamless! That seems (no pun intended) to be harder and more work intensive than having seams. I will try to work my way up to that someday. I also have to try blocking my finished stuff. I still haven't even tried that.

Dolly sized cables are fun! Got for it.

 

Ooh, is he supposed to be a Viking character? I love that styled beard, and the cables go with his braids so well!

 

Thanks so much! Yes! He is a Viking...I thought the sweater would be fun to try on him.

 

I made a hat!


I realize it's a ridiculously simple design, but I'm not an experienced knitter and just to manage to keep the stitch count consistent throughout is a win for me.

 

I just found this thread on here! I enjoyed seeing everyone's projects. It's inspiring! I always wanted to knit sweaters for my dolls but never r3eally ever got to doing it. I found a really good pattern on Ravelry by Wovenflame (I think!) I bought it and finished this sweater for my MSDs! It is sized for MNFs, and it's fitting all of my dolls. I'm very proud of it, even though you can see some mistakes. This pattern is knit in the round and I really like doing it that way. i don't enjoy blocking out the pieces and then sewing them together, but I am totally okay with doing it if need be.

20241202_220539 by PepperoniPizza 13BlackCats, on Flickr

BTW, does anyone know of any good patterns to buy for 60cm dolls like Delf boys? I know slimline 18" doll patterns would work with some minor adjustment, but I'd love to find some made for BJDs.

 

Nice work on this sweater. Wovenflame's patterns are the best! I have most of them. Her pukifee pattern was my first bjd pattern. I'm no help with your Delf size though.

 

Thank you! I want to try her Pukifee patterns - the little sweaters should knit up quickly! I'll just keep looking for 60 cm patterns - maybe I'll find something perfect!

 

I posted free Pukifee patterns on Ravelry. Look under "BJD" due to Ravelry's limits on title length.
Happy Hunting!

 

I have a couple of new, free Ravelry knitting patterns for BJDs: a shawl for 6" to 8" BJDs and a vest for 10" BJDs. Both patterns are very simple and can be altered for different doll sizes. Photos are on Ravelry.
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is your best year yet!

 

Thank you! Happy New Year to you too!!!

 

Summer seems to be over soon and Dott needed a proper sweater - it was mostly a project just to get rid of some leftover yarn bits but it turned out quite cozy-looking

 

It turned out great! I would wear it haha. Works perfectly with the doll too.