Barbie's 50th Birthday

Happy 50th Barbie!

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.

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 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.

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: Carrot & Mandarin

There have been so many babies amongst my family and friends lately that I decided to design a few knitting patterns that could become baby gifts.

This cute pattern is for a knit Carrot and Mandarin is a really versatile project that can be made into a baby rattle, sachet, or pincushion. It is a quick and inexpensive gift to make. I used one skein of orange and green Lamb's Pride yarn to make both toys with yarn to spare.


This pattern and the Rolled Brim Baby Hat with Stripes are both available in my etsy store.

Wooden Robot Toys

These wooden robot toys are so adorable. I love how they play with the idea of mass produced technology vs. one-of-a-kind handmade. via Make

Knitted Toys

I went to LACMA for fathers day today to see the paintings by Gustav Klimt. They were lovely, but it was really crowded. I went into the gift shop and they had all these adorable knitted toys. I especially liked this knitted mermaid doll. I would really like to make it so, I hope to come across a pattern for one.

Felt Balls from Yarn Scrap

I have been knitting predominantly with wool and alpaca yarns lately. It occurred to me that I do not have to throw away all those little scraps of yarn because they will felt. So, I started collecting a pile of loose yarn scraps to make into little felt balls. They can become beads, cat toys, or whatever you like.

How to:
Wad-up the scraps of yarn, reserving a few longer strands. Wet the wad down in very warm water, squeezing out some of the water. Use the reserved longer strands of yarn to help firm up and bind the ball together. Pour a little liquid dish soap on your palms and gently begin to rub and roll the ball around in your palms. Keep running the ball under hot water and adding soap as needed. As the ball begins to shrink and get firmer, use a little more pressure as you roll it around in your palms. When the ball seems solid, rinse in cold water to remove any excess soap. Rinse again in vinegar. Squeeze out any excess moisture and set aside to dry. Enjoy!