Free Pattern: Top Hat for 1:6 Scale Dolls

I have been working on creating a mad hatter tea party diorama with my dolls and needed a top hat, so I made one. I am posting a pattern and instructions so you can make one too. This pattern is for personal use only.
Model: Mattel Top Model Head with Volks Neo EB Body
Outfit: Mattel
Necktie & hat: me
Teapot: Rement

Materials
Scissors
Heavy card stock
Pencil
White glue
Tape
Acrylic paint
Paint brush
Ribbon



Directions
1. Cut out all three pattern pieces and trace them onto card stock. Trace and cut out two hat brims. Test out the opening hole inside the hat brim to make sure it will fit your doll’s head. I made this hat for a doll with a ponytail, so the opening for the head is a bit large.
2. Fold the pointed pieces to 90-degree angles. The pointed pieces are used to attach the parts of the hat together.
3. Curl up the wall piece of the hat and stuff it into the hole of one brim piece. Glue the ends of this piece together and tape it closed from the inside. Glue the points at the base of the hat wall to the underside of the brim. Glue this brim down to the other brim you cut out so the points will be sandwiched and hidden between two pieces of card stock.
4. Place the top on the hat, concealing the points inside the cylinder of the wall with glue.
5. Let the glue on the hat dry. Apply several coats of acrylic paint, allowing it to dry, then embellish with a ribbon hatband.

New Knitting Pattern: Doll Sweater Tank

The girls had a get together today to catch up and have a drink at home. They had to take a group photo to show off their new sweater tanks. The perfect item for any fall wardrobe.

This new knitting pattern, sweater tank, fits most medium and small busted 1:6 scale dolls including Barbie, Obitusu, Volks, and J-Doll. I used Cotton Classic yarn by Tahki Stacy Charles. It is an inexpensive yarn that comes in a rainbow of beautiful colors.

The pattern is available at my etsy store.

New Knitting Pattern: Squared Up, fingerless Mitts

I adore fingerless gloves because they keep your hands warm and still let you do things. The design for this Squared Up pattern was inspired by the open floor plans of loft living and the clean geometric lines of mid-century modern furniture.

This pattern calls for 3 colors of Sock by Shibui Knits. It is a really soft superwash merino wool in semi-solid colors. The pattern for Squared Up is available in my etsy store and includes sizing instructions for small, medium, and large sized gloves.

New Knitting Pattern: Mermaid Tail for Dolls

Transform your Barbie into a siren of the sea with this new knitting pattern, Mermaid Tail for Barbie.

The pattern, which requires knitting in the round, increasing, and decreasing is now available in my Etsy store, AnsleyBleu.

The pattern calls for 1 skein of Cotton Classic yarn by Tahki Stacy Charles and US 5 dpns or a long circular needle.

Free Gift Box Templates

The Senri International School website that has over 35 templates for boxes available for free that you can print out on your own card stock. There are some really great designs available that are perfect for little gifts. I really like this one for a pyramid.

Twist Collective - New Online Knitting Magazine

Twist Collective is a new online knitting magazine created by Kate Gilbert and her knit designer friends. I am excited about this new format and the patterns available are lovely. The main difference with this magazine and other online knitting magazines is that the patterns are for sale.

It is a sad fact that knitwear designers get paid much less for their design work today than what they were paid in the 1980's. Although I enjoy a free pattern, I am more than happy to pay the small fee of $7 for a knitting pattern. This way individual designers make money for their talent and also retain the rights to their work. There is nothing like good pay to inspire great work. I hope this project takes off and sets a new standard for the fair treatment of artists.

There is a nice interview about Twist Collective with Kate Gilbert on episode 90 of the Ready Set Knit podcast.

Jenny & Nicole of Stash & Burn podcast also discuss this new magazine in episode 59.

There was a great discussion about the fair treatment of knitwear designers over at Cast On podcast, but I can't seem to find which episode it was on. Lily Chin also touches on this topic during her interview on episode 67 of Craft Sanity.

Book Inspired Knits - Twilight Series

This summer it has been hot, so I have been doing much more reading rather than crafting. About a month ago I was bitten by the Twilight series written by Stephenie Meyer. They were so much fun to read. I also started listening to a great podcast about the series, Imprint.

As with many other books, this series has inspired a number of knitters. Two that stand out are this great pair of Eclipse socks by Shiny Knits that were inspired by the Eclipse book cover, and this pair of Twilight socks by Chicken Betty that were inspired by the Twilight book cover. I may have to start knitting socks!

Free Pattern: Merbaby

Angry Chicken has a great how-to up for this adorable Merbaby. I have been wanting to create a mermaid doll for a while now, but have not gotten to it yet. I love this idea and think it would make the perfect gift for one of the little girls in my life.

New Knitting Patterns at Berroco

Although LA has had record breaking heat the last two days and it is almost unbearable to even look at knitting, I am smitten with this new sweater pattern, Crotona, over at Berroco. It is knit in Cuzco which has a gorgeous color pallete. If I do get a chance to make it, I would probably shorten it to hip length. This pattern and a few other amazing patterns can be found in Berroco's Booklet #281.

New Knittng Pattern Love: Praying Mantis

I totally adore the creature knitting patterns of Seattle based artist Hansigrumi. They are completely cute and a little creepy at the same time. She has just completed a new knitted toy, a Praying Manits, which I love. Her work is so detailed and well crafted. I will have to make one of her patterns soon. You can purchase her knitting patterns at her etsy store.

Sewing Pattern: Twist-It-Up Bandeaua Top

I just came across the pattern for the cardi-wrap in an hour that I wrote about a while back and thought I should visit the Threads website again. They have a free pattern up right now for a super cute Twist-It-Up Bandeau Top that can be worn several ways. The pattern looks really easy and should be a fun thing to wear out on a summer evening.

They have a few other cute patterns up right now too in addition to this great sewing tips & tricks guide.

New Knitting Pattern: Sparkle Beetle

Metallic beetles fascinate me. Their beautiful colors and body structure are striking and sometimes creepy. I wanted to create a toy that captured that glitter and form, but also had a sense of humor. So, the Sparkle Beetle knitting pattern is born.

This knitting pattern uses 4 balls of Shine Worsted yarn by Knit Picks where a thin metallic yarn is held together with this soft cotton yarn so the beetle sparkles.

The beetle measures 12” long x 11” wide, from leg to leg.

The pattern is available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com

New Knitting Pattern: Rolled Brim Baby Hat with Stripes

I have created another hat pattern, but this time it is for baby. It is called the Rolled Brim Baby Hat with Stripes. I made this little hat for the same friend that I made the Strawberry Baby Rattle for. She wanted a baby hat for the little guy when he comes home from delivery, and I am happy to be able to fulfill this request.

I used Merino Style yarn from Knit Picks. So this is a very soft, yet inexpensive gift to make. I have really enjoyed designing for baby I will probably do more. This pattern is available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com.

Knit Strawberry Baby Rattle

I wanted to make something for a friend of mine who is having a baby soon. While browsing at patterns over at Ravelry, I came across this adorable Knit Strawberry pattern by Pez Diva. I saw it and knew that it would make a perfect baby rattle.

I used two yarns held together, Lamb's Pride and Berkshire, so it would be large and have a pretty variegated effect.

For the rattle, I filled a small plastic egg with peppercorns and sealed it with my favorite low VOC silicone glue.

I also added a small plastic ring onto the stem of the strawberry so the toy may be clipped onto a stroller or whatever. To cover the plastic ring in yarn, I used a crochet tutorial which was written up over at Lula Louise.

New Knitting Pattern: Batgirl gloves

Introducing a new knitting pattern, Batgirl Gloves. Fight crime and keep your hands warm at the same time. These fitted fingerless gloves allow you to harness the feminine power of Batgirl.

My quest is to create knitting patterns that capture the spirit of feminine confidence and power but also have a sense of humor. Batgirl is an icon that captures this spirit. I was inspired to create this pattern after seeing this adorable photo (scroll down a bit) of Natalie Zee Drieu, Senior editor of Craftzine.

The pattern calls for 3 balls of Merino Style yarn from Knit Picks, so they are inexpensive to make.

This pattern and the two other patterns I have created along this same vein (Leia Wig & Breast Pillow) are a available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com. More to come!

Knitted Valentine Gifts

This year I gave knitted Valentine gifts to the ladies in my family. I knitted up a bunch of Mochimochi Land's Hearts using Lamb's Pride yarn. I only washed them once, so they are only slightly felted.

I had intended to make the hearts into pins with some sort of embroidery or beading on them, but I did not like how they were turning out. So, I used an eye dropper to impregnate them with lavender oil. They turned out to be great sachets.

New Knitting Pattern: Simple Stripes Fingerless Gloves

I have just completed a new knitting pattern for fingerless gloves. They are titled Simple Stripes Fingerless Gloves. I adore fingerless gloves because they allow you to keep warm and still do things.

I was inspired by the bright Lemongrass green wool yarn and came up with this design. These gloves are shaped to fit the wrist and thumb, and have a pretty picot edging for a little feminine touch.

I used Lion Wool yarn from Lion Brand Yarn Co. These gloves knit up quick and are inexpensive to make. They are a perfect project to make for a gift or as a treat for yourself.

The pattern for these gloves are available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com

New Knitting Pattern: Breast Pillow

Breasts are a very powerful feminine symbol of nurturing. I created this knit pillow pattern in the spirit of honoring the feminine spirit, but with a sense of humor. It was a present for my boyfriend this past holiday. It makes a cozy addition to our couch pillows.

I dyed my own yarn for this project using Knit Picks Bare Peruvian Highland Wool with Jacquard acid dyes. I wanted colors that referenced the 1960's Playboy cartoon artist, Eldon Dedini.

This 9.5-inch diameter knit breast pillow pattern is worked from the top down using double pointed needles or a circular needle. A circular piece of fleece fabric is sewn into the bottom of the pillow for finishing. The pattern is available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com.

New Knitting Pattern: 3 Ribs Brim Boyfriend Hat

I have just published a third knitting pattern in my "Boyfriend Hat" series. This one is called 3 Ribs Boyfriend Hat. It is made up with a worsted weight yarn and has 3 simple ribs that travel the circumference of the brim of the hat. This pattern along with the other two are available in my etsy store, ansleybleu.etsy.com.

The first in the series was the Rolled Brim Boyfriend Hat. The second was the Ribbed Knit Boyfriend Hat.

Free Pattern: Felted Knit Mushrooms

I have just come across these adorable knit and felted mushroom patterns by Kathryn Ivy. You can see more photos of her work at her flickr page.