Harry Learns to Play Quidditch

In the "Sorcerer's Stone", Harry is chosen to be Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. For those of you who STILL haven't read Harry Potter, Quidditch is the preferred sport of the Wizarding World. Below, in the movie, Harry meets with Oliver Wood at the Quidditch Pitch to learn the rules, and how to play the game. 

 

For this scene, Harry wears a Navy sweater and dark gray or putty colored corduroy trousers. Well, naturally, my Harry felt he needed a similar outfit, and fortunately, he had something similar ready to hand. 

At the the Portland, Maine Festival in 2007, we received a pair of cords, along with a hand knitted sweater, as part of our souvenirs. Mine were more tan than putty, but Harry didn't seem to mind. I purchased a navy sweater with cables in the sales room that year, which Harry confiscated after he joined my Sasha family in 2009. He says he can make do with the tan cords until I can find some gray or putty colored corduroy to make him a proper pair. Decent of him. 

Back in 2016, Running Press issued a collectible Quidditch trunk set, a must have for any die-hard Harry Potter fan. Naturally, I ordered one. It contains a removable quaffle, and two bludgers, plus a non-removable golden snitch, affixed to the inside of the lid. I was disappointed to find that there were no bats for the beaters included, but fortunately, I was able to make them, using instructions from The American Girl Ideas Blogspot. There are a lot of great ideas, instructions, and printable on this website that work well for Sasha and Gregor, as well as the American Girl dolls. But I digress...

 

Below is a photo of Harry, having a look into the Quidditch trunk, and wondering where the beater's bats could have disappeared to. Undoubtedly the work of those pranksters, Fred and George Weasley!

Harry's Hogwarts Pajamas and Bathrobe

This past fall, I finally got around to sewing up a couple of things that I've had in the works for a while, Harry's gray striped pajamas, and his dark gray Hogwarts bathrobe. In the movie, Harry's pajamas are a pale blue striped pattern, with the stripes in varied widths, as seen below, in the hospital scene from "The Sorcerer's Stone" movie.

Since it's often difficult to find the exact fabric you need in a scale that fits the doll you are working with, sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you are able to find. I found a decent  scale cotton fabric online a couple of years ago, with medium toned 1/4 inch gray and white stripes. Since gray is the Hogwarts school color, I thought that the gray stripes would be appropriate. The pajama pattern is from the "Sasha Dolls: Clothing and Patterns" book, by Ann Chandler, Anne Votaw, and Susanna Lewis. The pajamas were fun to make and Harry is relieved that he no longer has to sleep in his underwear, as there are numerous Sasha girls wandering around the doll room!

I made Harry's shawl collared bathrobe from a charcoal gray herringbone flannel and trimmed it with scarlett piping around the front edges. The pattern is a shorter version of the "Bathrobe and Booties" pattern by Phyllis Goedeke, that was printed in the Winter, 2000 issue of "Friends of Sasha" newsletter, which may, (or may not,) still be available from Dorisanne Osborn. I don't recall ever seeing Harry wear a bathrobe in the movies, but he is mentioned as having worn one in the Christmas morning scene in “The Sorcerer’s Stone,” (*Chapter 12) In any case, Hogwarts is often chilly, so my Harry wanted one to help keep him toasty. (Now he needs some slippers!)

Ron is a tiny bit jealous, as he often is, since he is still sleeping in shorts and a t-shirt, and has a borrowed robe. Then again, Ron is used to making do with hand-me-downs, so he is not overly fussed about it. 

"Well," he says comfortably, "Just so long as I get my school uniform before next term starts!" I am currently working on souvenirs for the 2020 Festival, and making face masks for my daughter, (an LPN who works at a nursing home,) and her friends. "We'll just have to see how that goes, Ron...poor Harry waited several years for his uniform."

"Oh, no..." moans Ron. "And I've only been here a couple of months. I'm doomed!"

"You're doomed," Harry agrees. A fat lot of comfort he is!

*FootNote:

 “Merry Christmas,” said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe”

Excerpt From

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

This material may be protected by copyright.

Harry's Hogwarts Wardrobe Takes Shape

After my Doll Club's meeting in August of 2015, I began to do some research on all things Harry Potter. After some consideration, I decided that my Harry looked fairly young, and was most likely entering his first year at Hogwarts, so I concentrated on items that were mentioned in the first book, or shown in the first movie. First, I sat down and sorted through things I already had, searching for anything I thought would work for Harry's muggle wardrobe. I already had several muggle things that he had claimed for his own, including a pair of navy shorts and a navy shirt with green frogs, a blue hoodie, the Halloween outfit with black pants, white turtleneck, and Magic Frog vest, plus a vest, made by Lorraine, of fabric from New Zealand that I'd purchased at her sales booth during the 2014 Festival in Phoenix, a "cactus" vest that I made him for the 2015 Ft. Worth Festival, the jeans from the 2015 Festival, plus some socks, underwear, shoes, and a pair of Wellies for trudging around the castle grounds. I had a small bag of feathers that I use when I make doll hats, and in it, I found a red one, a black one, and a couple of white ones that I thought were the right size for quills. I found a denim back pack for him in my accessory box, and a pair of tan cords and a navy pullover that I thought would work well for the outfit that Harry wears in the movie scene where Oliver Wood teaches him about Quidditch.

After assembling what he had, I sat down and looked over the list of basic school items I'd written up when I was doing a Back to School swap with Lorraine and Henry, and decided that Henry might enjoy going to school at Hogwarts. Among the items on that list were his Hogwarts letter, his ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express, school books, a Hogwarts school uniform, school robes, a wand, quills, ink, and a back pack. To that list, I added a plain pointed wizard's cap, a cauldron, potion ingredients, a set of brass scales, a winter cloak, a school scarf, pajamas and a robe, slippers to keep his feet warm on those cold stone castle floors, and a school trunk to keep everything in. I also added some optional items, namely an invisibility cloak, Hedwig and her cage, Quidditch robes, a Quidditch set, and a Nimbus 2000 broomstick, to be added when and if I found them. Once I had my plan, I found that I was quite eager to begin!

I began with printing out Harry's school letter, envelope, and his ticket to the Hogwarts Express, (below.) I found these by doing a Google search for images, saving the ones I liked best, then scaling them smaller and printing them out on parchment paper for an authentic look. I carved his wand from the end of a bamboo skewer that I had cut to the proper length and sanded smooth. The handle was made by putting a tiny daub of hot glue on the end of the wand, and shaping it with a toothpick while it was still hot. Then a thin string of hot glue was put around the bottom of the handle to define it. That was also done with the aid of a toothpick. I found this easier to accomplish by putting dots of hot glue on a paper plate as I needed them, then replacing them as they began to get too cool to manipulate. Once I was happy with the shape of the wand, I painted it. I used a brown base coat, then dry brushed on some black accents, and finished it off with a coat of sealer. It is shown on the top of Harry's trunk, with the Hogwarts letters, just below. You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them, by the way.




The grade one spell books are available as printables for 18" dolls in several places on the web. I got mine from the Wren*Feathers blog: https://jenwrenne.wordpress.com/?s=Spell+books 

Jenny also has patterns for a few other Hogwarts tutorials on her website. They may look a bit difficult at first glance, but the instructions are very clear, and they are actually quite fun to put together.

Around the end of September or early in October, the Christmas ornaments started to appear on the store shelves. I had seen a number of owls, but most were either too big, or too small. One day I was shopping in Michael's, and spotted a white owl, shown along with some other woodland type of ornaments. While it was not a dead ringer for Hedwig, as the feathers were accented with a pale brown instead of black, it looked to be the perfect scale, so I purchased one for Harry. (Frankly, the slight difference in coloring has never seemed to bother either of us much.) Some time after that, I found a bird-cage type of candle holder in the Family Dollar store. I whipped the tape measure out of my purse to make sure it wasn't too small. It turned out to be just right, and voila, Hedwig had a cage! She now sits cozily perched in the round metal spot meant to hold a tea light.

After Christmas, I got out my yarn and needles and began working on Harry's school sweater, using the same "Wizard in Training" pattern I'd used for the one I sent Henry. It was written by Sandy Wessel, and can be found on Ravelry under the name "Harry Potter School Sweater." I was out of sport weight yarn in the colors I needed, so I refigured the pattern gauge and used fingering weight yarn instead. There is also a great looking school sweater pattern in the "Knitting Patterns for Sasha, Gregor, and Baby" pattern book by Patricia Evans and Jane Woodbridge, if you have that book. If not, any basic sweater pattern with a V-neck would probably work, or even a v-neck vest pattern with sleeves added to it from another pattern. I used Brown Sheep Nature Spun yarn in Charcoal, Scarlet, and Sungold colors, but you could use any brand of yarn you like, as long as it's in the Gryffindor colors of gray, scarlet, and gold. 

Harry's house scarf was knitted in the round of the same yarn as the sweater. I believe I cast on 22 stitches in fingering weight yarn, using size 1 needles, knitted 9 rows of each color, and alternated 13 blocks of scarlet with 12 blocks of gold, casting off and finishing the ends with fringe. If you didn't want to knit in the round, you could just work in stockinette stitch rows on 11 or 12 stitches, instead.

I made Harry's shirt from a personal pattern that I had designed a while back, and have made frequently in both long and short sleeve styles. (Harry's navy frog shirt is made from the same pattern.) There are a number of similar patterns available, including a dress shirt pattern with sleeve and collar variations from the "Sixty Sewing Patterns to Fit Sasha and Gregor From Marcy Street Doll Company" pattern book, by Ann Louise Chandler. (It is now out of print, but sometimes the booklet, or the original Marcy Street patterns come up for bid on eBay.) Another of my favorites is pattern #131 - Shirt with Yoke and Sleeve Variations from Denise Ortakales of "The Doll Carriage", (which also come up for bid on eBay every now and then,) and the last of my favorites is the shirt from Evalyn Styles' Brownie Jumper and Blouse, from the Winter 2003 issue of Friends of Sasha newsletter. (The 2003 four issue set *may* still be available from Dorisanne Osborn.) There are other shirt patterns available as well. Judi Arrington sells lovely patterns with a very nice fit on her website: http://designsbyjudi.angelfire.com/Sasha/SashaCat.html

Harry's pants are made of lightweight gray wool gabardine, from a pants pattern that was published in Friends of Sasha. Mine has a front opening mock fly, but that detail really doesn't matter, as the sweater covers the front of the pants anyway. When I made the swap outfit for Henry, I made the tie of a lightweight satin fabric, and sewed on the contrasting ribbon stripes. However, for Harry's uniform tie, I simply cut a piece of scarlet grosgrain ribbon for the tie and cut it to a point at the ends, stabilizing the edges with FrayChek. I intend to paint stripes on it using a gold paint pen, when I get around to doing that.

I had been looking for a trunk for some time, when I finally found one at Hobby Lobby that I thought was large enough to hold Harry's wardrobe, but not so large that it looked ridiculous. One of the last things I put in his trunk before he and I set off for the August 2016 Club meeting, where our wardrobe challenges were to be revealed, was his plain pointed wizard hat, which all the students are shown wearing in the scene of the Sorcerer's Stone movie where Professor Dumbledore awards the House Cup. I just cut a cone shape of black wool felt, seamed it up the back, turned it right side out and plunked it onto his head! Below is a photo of Harry's trunk, wardrobe, and accessories, as of August, 2016.



I have continued to work on both Harry and his wardrobe, and have several things that are not pictured above. I found some hair that was a good match for his color and started re-rooting the back of his head this past winter. It's coming along well, especially since I now have a rooting tool of sorts. I'll try to get a photo of his current set very soon and update it here on the blog. There are still a number of items on my list that I haven't yet made or found, but the journey is where much of the fun lies. I look forward to playing in Harry's magical world for a good while longer!

How Gregor Became "Harry Potter"

Back in 2009, I purchased a 1970 dark haired Gregor waif from Jackie Kraemer at the first Rochester Sasha Festival. He was one of the smaller boys, and had a number of scuffs, scrapes, and dents on his body, a few ink "bruises", a nasty case of pinkeye, and a rather bad hair-do. Still, he had great face paint, and a sweet, if solemn expression. I picked him up, and as dolls will sometimes do, he "spoke" to me. Well, what could I do? I adopted him on the spot and brought him home.

Once we were home, I set to work with a BufPuff, Dawn dishwashing liquid, shampoo, and Oxy-10 to see about fixing the worst of the damage. He was a good sport about the whole process, and stood quietly and patiently while I worked on him. Eventually, I was able to remove most of the ink spots and the pinkeye staining with Oxy-10, and popped out some of the dents with a dip in very hot water. His hair, I discovered, had been cut rather short, especially on the back of his head, but I reasoned that sooner or later, I would get around to re-rooting the worst spots. After a few months, he was dressed and put into the doll room with the other Sashas and Gregors. He looked quite a bit better, but I kept thinking that something was missing. (Beside a stocking cap to flatten his hair, I mean!)

As I was surfing eBay one fine day, I ran across a seller that offered round doll glasses for sale, with gold or black wire rims. Hmm...I thought, maybe that's what the new boy needs. I ordered a pair of the black rimmed glasses, and when they came I tried them on him. They weren't perfect...I knew they'd need to be twiddled some for a better fit. Still, his eyes seemed to light up and he lost that "unfocused" look that had been bothering me. That's when he confided that his name was "Harry...you know, like Harry Potter." Well, that explained a lot! I mean, you'd probably be a little rough looking, too, if you'd been fighting Lord Voldemort!

Harry quickly became one of the favorites of the doll room, and a frequent visitor to the annual Sasha Festival. I began adding things to his wardrobe, some inspired by the costumes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, some made specifically to go with Festival themes, and others just things that I thought were cute and looked kind of wizard-y, like the Halloween vest that he's wearing below.

After a while, Harry had a decent Muggle wardrobe, but he still wanted a Hogwarts school uniform and accessories. It wasn't until August of 2015 that I really started to get serious about working on it. My doll club decided to have a year long wardrobe challenge, where we would work on a wardrobe for one specific doll. I knew that mine would be for Harry, so after the August meeting, I set to work.

Stay tuned for more on how Harry's wardrobe took shape!

A V-Neck Sweater to Fit Sasha Baby or Toddler

It's been quite some time since I posted anything on my blog. I've had good intentions for keeping it current, but life seems to get in the way, more often than not. At any rate, I'm going to try to update it more often...we'll see how that works out!

Several years ago, I wrote a pattern for a knitted V-neck sweater to fit Tonner's Effanbee Toni doll. Recently, I was working on a wardrobe for Sasha Baby Matti, one of the Helper doll and wardrobe sets for the 2017 Sasha Festival. I was looking for a pattern for a V-neck sweater to fit him, and I decided to try the Toni sweater on to see how much adjustment the pattern would need. To my great surprise, it fit Matti perfectly, just as it was written! The sweater I knit for him is pictured below. Fair warning, it is knit on small needles, with fingering wool, so it is a little fiddly. 

V-Neck Raglan Sweater

For Sasha Baby or Toddler

© 2007 By Charla McGuire Neal

Materials:

Fingering or sock weight yarn

Size 0 and Size 1 needles

Stitch markers

Three stitch holders

Gauge: With Size 1 needles, 9sts =1”, 12 Rows = 1”

With size 1 needles, cast on 38 sts.

Row 1: Knit into the front and back of the first st, (inc 1 made,) k 1, inc 1, place marker, inc 1, k 6, inc 1, place marker, inc 1, k 14, inc 1, place marker, inc 1, k 6, inc 1, place marker, inc 1, k1, inc 1. At the end of this row, you should have 5 sts in the first and last (front) sections, 10 sts in the second and fourth (sleeve) sections, and 18 in the center (back) section.

Row 2 and every even numbered row: Purl across, slipping markers. (Wrong side)

Row 3 and all knit rows: Inc 1 in first st. K across front section to last st before marker, inc 1 in last st before marker, slip marker, inc 1 in next st, knit across sleeve to last st before marker, inc 1, sl marker, inc 1, k across back, inc 1, sl marker, inc 1, k across sleeve, inc 1 sl marker, inc 1, k across front, inc 1 in last st.

Continue in this manner, increasing first and last st plus before and after each marker on right side rows, and purling across, slipping markers on wrong side rows, until there are 30 sts in each sleeve section. The sleeve should measure about 3” wide at this point.

Next row: Knit across front to marker. Do not increase. Place front sts, along with marker, onto a holder. K across sleeve to marker. Remove marker and place back sts on holder, Join loose end of yarn and k across second sleeve to marker. Remove marker and place remaining front sts on a holder. Working both sleeves at once, using separate ends of the yarn to work each sleeve, k in stockinette st until sleeve measures about 3 3/4” long, measuring from neck edge down center of sleeve. Switch to size 0 needles and work 5 rows in k1, p1 ribbing. Bind off in ribbing.

Body:

Row 1: Switch back to size 1 needles. Place the already knitted sts (the ones with the marker still on the holder,) onto your right needle, removing the marker. Place the remaining front sts from the holder onto the left needle first, then the back sts. Join yarn at the underarm of the already knitted sts, and knit across the back and remaining front sts.

Row 2: P across

Work even in stockinette st for about 1 3/4” from underarm, (about 3 1/4” from center back neck) or to desired length. Switch to size 0 needles and work 5 rows in k1,p1 ribbing. Bind off in ribbing. Steam block sweater and sew sleeve seams.

Button Band:

(Note: Work in k1, p1 ribbing throughout.)

Using size 0 needles, cast on 6 sts. Work 5 rows.

Buttonhole row: K1, p1, k1, bind off 1 st, p1, k1, p1.

Next row: K1, p1, k1, YO, k1, p1.

Continue knitting the border, making a buttonhole every 7 rows until 4 buttonholes are made. Sew border on as you knit it. Buttonholes should be on right front for a girl, or the left front for a boy, and top buttonhole should fall just where the front begins to curve back for the V-neck. Continue to knit border and sew on, going around neck and down other side of front. Bind off at bottom edge. Steam press button band seam. Sew small buttons to front band, opposite buttonholes. Note: Some people make button holes on both sides of the band, so that with minor alterations, it could be used for either sex. Just sew the buttons on over the button holes on the side you are not using.

As always, this pattern is posted for your personal enjoyment. You may share the link wherever you'd like, but please don't post the pattern anywhere without my express written permission. Thanks!

A Crocheted Dress Bodice for Sasha

As promised, here is the pattern for a crocheted dress bodice with a fabric skirt, sized to fit Sasha dolls. Sasha ranges in size from around 16 inches to 17 inches. The pattern may, or may not fit other similar sized dolls. It will not fit the 18" American Girls, who are not only taller, but much bigger around than Sasha dolls. Crochet is fairly stretchy and forgiving, but not that stretchy and forgiving! I will probably be working on an American Girl size later this year, for my granddaughter's McKenna. When and if I do, I'll post the directions for the AG size here.

The dresses pictured above are two of the finished dresses that were made as table favors for the Sasha Festival. As always, this pattern is posted for your personal enjoyment. You may share the link wherever you'd like, but please don't post the pattern anywhere without my express written permission. Thanks!

Crocheted Dress Yoke

 Charla McGuire Neal

© 2013

To fit a 16” to 17” Sasha doll

Materials:

Size 8 Hook  (1.5 mm)

#10 Crochet Cotton

About 30 inches of ¼ inch ribbon

Fabric to match crochet cotton (7 ½ inches by 28 inches)

3 very small buttons (about ¼ inch)

Chain 55

Row 1:  Dc in 3^rd ch from hook and in next 5 ch sts for back yoke, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in next ch,) [corner shell made,] dc in next 13 chs for sleeve, repeat from * in next ch st for 2nd corner shell, dc in next 11 sts for yoke front, repeat from * in next ch st for 3rd corner shell,  dc in next 13 chs for second sleeve, repeat from * in next ch st for last corner shell, dc in last 6 chs for back yoke, ch 4, turn.

Row 2: Note: you will be working a double crochet in every other dc, with a ch 1 between them. (Fillet st)

Sk 1 dc, (ch 4 counts as first dc plus ch 1,) dc in 3^rd dc, *(ch 1 skip next dc, dc in next dc.) Repeat from * working to corner. When you reach the corner ch 2 space, you you should have a dc in 1^st dc of corner you worked in row 1.  You will ch 1, sk 2^nd dc of row 1 corner, then work corner shell in ch 2 space. Continue from *, as above, working to end, ch 3, turn.

Row 3: Work dc in each dc and ch 1 sp across back, work corner shell in corner ch 2 space, work in fillet st across sleeve, work corner shell in corner, work dc in each dc and ch 1 sp across front, work in fillet st across sleeve, corner shell in corner, work dc in each dc and ch1 sp across back, ch 3, turn.

Row 4 - 5: Continue as above, working dc st in every dc st for backs and front, fillet st in sleeve sections, corner shell in ch 2 of each corner shell.

Row 6: Work across back sts plus 1 dc in ch2 space of corner shell, ch 8, sk all sleeve sts, work 1 dc in ch 2 sp of front corner, work all dc sts across front, 1 dc in ch 2 sp of 2^nd front corner, ch 8, sk all sleeve sts, 1 dc in ch 2 sp of back corner, and every dc across back, ch 3, turn.

Row 7 & 8: Dc in each st all around, including under arm ch sts, ch 3, turn. At end of Row 8, ch 4, turn.

Row 9: Sk 1^st dc, trc in 2^nd st, *(ch 1, sk next dc, trc in 4^th dc,) repeat from * across row, ending with trc in top of turning ch, ch 1, turn. (You should have 43 trebles, including the ch 4 turning at the beginning of the row.)

Row 10: Sc in each trc, and each ch 1 space across row, ch 3, turn.

Row 11: 1dc in bottom of turning ch, sc over top of next trc, work 5dc shell over top of following trc, sc over top of next trc, and so on, continuing across row. Finish with 2 dc in top of turning ch, ch 1, DO NOT TURN…instead:

Work in sc, up side of left back to neck, ch 1 turn, and work back down as follows: Make 1 sc, ch 2, sk 2 sc, (ch 2 buttonhole made,) 8 sc, ch 2 buttonhole, 8 sc, ch 2 buttonhole, sc to end of row, ch 1, turn. Work sc in every st up back, (including 2 scs in the ch 2 buttonhole spaces,) to top. Ch 1 at corner, sc around neck, ch 1 at right neck edge, sc down back to bottom edge, ch 1, turn and work back up to neck edge. Break off and work in the ends.

Sleeves:

Note: You will be crocheting up and over the top of the sleeve, back across the underarm to the beginning, then working shells over the top of the sleeve to opposite side, where you will break off.

 Row 1: With right side facing you, attach thread to back corner of right sleeve, where the fillet crochets meet the underarm dc’s.  (This would be the side of the row where you worked dc’s to underarm, then did the 8 ch’s.) Sc in the side of the dc where the thread was attached, hdc in the side of the next row, ch 1, and work fillet st in each fillet st across sleeve. At bottom of row, hdc in side of dc row, sc in corner where sleeve meets underarm sc’s, then sc in each sc of underarm, join.

Row 2:  (Note: You will only work the upper sleeve fillet sts in this row, not the underarm sc sts.)

Ch 1, sc in top of sc, work 3 dc shell in top of hdc, sc in top of next dc, 3 dc shell in next dc, across row, end with sc in corner sc, between sleeve top and underarm, break off thread and work ends in.

Repeat with Left sleeve, attaching thread at front corner instead of back corner, and proceeding as before.

Finishing: Press bodice.

Serge sides and bottom of skirt. Fold about ¼ in. of skirt to wrong side, then gather top edge and pull up to fit bottom of bodice. I serged my skirt top for neatness and to hold the gathering in place, but you can finish it any way you prefer. Stitch skirt to bodice by machine or hand stitch with matching thread, aligning top of gathers just below the row of treble crochet beading for the ribbon. Sew back seam, press, and finish back edge of skirt. Fold up ¾ inch on bottom of skirt, press, and hem.

Sew three buttons to right back of bodice, matching position of buttonholes. Run ribbon through beading and tie in a bow at back.

Please remember, I am not a professional pattern designer, nor am I a professional typist. I am the only one who has tested this pattern so far. If you find a mistake or a typo, please feel free to contact me, and do let me know how the pattern worked out for you.

For those in the UK, please bear in mind that there is a difference in terminology between the US and the UK. As I recall, our single crochet is your double crochet, our double crochet is your treble crochet, and our treble crochet is your double treble crochet. Our half double crochet is, of course, your half treble.

How I Spent Spring (and Part of Summer,) 2013

I always enjoy the annual Sasha Festival, and having missed last year's Festival in England, I was really looking forward to the 2013 Festival. As usual, I had a wonderful time, both visiting with old friends who attend nearly every year, and meeting the first time attendees, many of whom are already on-line acquaintances. The Festival, which celebrates Sasha Morganthaler and the dolls she created, is a small, family friendly event, held at a different location each year, entirely organized and staffed by volunteers. It is difficult to describe the feeling of friendship and camaraderie that is the hallmark of the Sasha Festival. I can only say that there is a reason why the same people keep returning year after year! The 2014 Festival will be held in Phoenix, AZ.

I usually volunteer as a table hostess during the Festival. Often, part of that duty is to provide a small table favor for your guests. I'd seen some cute dresses with a crocheted bodice and fabric skirt on someone's doll at a previous Festival and thought I'd try something similar for my table this year. I didn't have a pattern, but I've been crocheting since I was seven years old, and was fairly sure I could create my own version.

I spent the end of May fiddling around with crocheting and making notes on the various trial versions of the bodice. A good part of June was divided between working on CFA projects, and crocheting and sewing the actual table favor dresses. Here are a few pictures of the finished products, taken on my table at the Festival. I needed eight for that night, but have made several more since I've been back home. I'm working on writing the pattern up, and will publish it here when I have it ready, so if you are a Sasha collector and/or crocheter, stay tuned!

A Back to School Swap for Sasha

I recently signed up to participate in a Back to School Swap for Sasha, which was hosted by Lorraine Tyler, whom I had just met in person at the 2013 Sasha Festival. Good fortune smiled on me, and Lorraine turned out to be my swap partner! Her swap to me arrived this past week. She sent me a darling plaid school uniform, with a white blouse and red school tie. Along with the outfit, she included a wonderful school satchel, filled with a set of colored pencils, an amazingly tiny pencil case with a working zipper, a Sasha sized Beatrice Potter book, and a miniature paint set. When it arrived, my lovely Alexandra immediately laid claim to it and has been wearing it ever since. We both love it! Alexandra may love it just a bit too much!

Alexandra's First Day of School

 

Alexandra has her new school things neatly laid out on the table, ready for the first day of school.

She can't wait to get them all packed into her satchel and head off to catch the bus!

"Zoe," she asks, "Is my satchel on straight? What time will the bus arrive to pick us up?"

"What? What do you mean, school doesn't start until tomorrow? I'm ready to go now!"

Summer Play Set for Amelia Thimble

I've been working on some rather small crochet projects recently, for a very tiny ball jointed doll called Amelia Thimble. In case you aren't familiar with her, at a mere four inches tall, Amelia lives in a sewing box, has a button studded bed, a dog named Rags, and a new friend called Izzy. Created by Joe Petrollese, Amelia is available from the Wilde Imagination website.

I wanted to share the pattern for one of Amelia's little crocheted outfits with you. I warn you, crocheting in a decent scale for a doll this tiny requires fine thread, small steel hooks, and may cause some serious eye strain! Still, if you have the patience for it, it can be a little addictive! The basic set can be varied to make different outfits. Shorten the pantalets to make bloomers. Use a different stitch pattern for the top, or lengthen it for a dress. Have fun, and by all means, let me know what you've made!

Crocheted Summer Play Set

For Amelia Thimble

by Charla McGuire Neal

Copyright 2012

Size 30 Crochet Thread (I used DMC Cebelia)

Size 11 Steel crochet hook (1.1 mm)

Pantalets

For waistband, cut a piece of 1/8" elastic to just fit around Amelia's waist. Butt the ends together, or overlap just slightly, and stitch by hand, OR, if you can find one of the clear or pastel colored latex ponytail holders in the right size, they would be ideal. (Blaxx, Goody, and Vidal Sassoon all make them.) I've tried using them, but the size I've found either have to be knotted to fit, which is less than ideal, (the knot leaves a bump, and the extra bit of band folded against the main band is awkward to crochet over.) Doubling the band works, kind of. The band will go around Amelia's waist, but is a *very* snug fit, and makes the pantalets difficult to get over her feet and knees. That's why I've pretty much gone back to the 1/8" elastic for the ones I've been making.

Note: Every row of pantalets is worked in the same direction, from the outside, without turning when you start a new row.

Row 1: Work 26 sc over the elastic ring, join to first sc with a sl st, ch 1, do not turn.

Row 2: Sc in every sc around, join, ch 2 (26 sc, not counting beginning ch st)

Row 3: Dc in every sc around, join, ch 2.

Row 4 & 5: Same as above, but at end of row, ch 5.

Row 6: Skip 1st 13 sts, join ch to next st with sl st, ch 2. Working one leg at a time, DC in same st as ch 2, then in each of remaining 12 dc. Work one dc in each of the 5 ch sts dividing legs, join and ch 2

Row 7 & 8: Dc in each dc, join, ch 1

Row 9: Sc in next 2 sc, sk 1 st, sc in next st, repeat to end of row, join, ch 2

Row 10: Sc in next sc, (*ch 2, sc in next st,) Repeat from * to end of row.

Break off, and work in ends of thread. Join thread at back of bloomers, and work second leg same as the first.

Sleeveless A Line Top

Bodice: Ch 29

Row 1: Sc in 2^nd ch from hook & each ch across, 28 sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 2: Sc in 1^st 4 sts, ch 4, sk 6 sc, sc in next 8 sc, ch 4, sk 6 sc, sc in last 4 sc.

Row 3: Sc in each sc and each 4 ch sts across. (24 sc)

Row 4: Sc in each sc across, ch 2, turn.

Skirt:

Row 5: Skip first sc, dc in 2nd sc, ch 1, dc in same sc, (V stitch made,) sk 1 st, Work V st in next st. Continue across row, skipping one stitch and working a V stitch in the next, working 1 dc in the last st, ch 2, turn.

Row 6-8: Work 1 V stitch in the center of each v st across, working 1 dc in top of turning ch, ch 2, turn.

Row 9: Repeat last row, ch 1, turn.

Row 10: Sc in every dc and ch st across row, ch 1 at end of row, then turn and sc up the side of the back. When you reach the sc rows of the bodice, ch 1, (buttonhole made,) sc in the end next 2 sc rows, ch 1, (buttonhole made,) sc in top row, break off.

Reattach thread at the neck edge of opposite back side, ch 1, sc along side to bottom of skirt, working over the end threads. At the bottom of the row, ch 1 and join with a sl st to the skirt bottom.

Work in loose ends of the thread. Sew two 2.5 mm pearl beads to right side of the back, across from buttonholes.

This pattern is posted for your own enjoyment. You may share the link freely with your friends, but please do not post the pattern anywhere else without my express written permission. Thank you!

Time Flies...

...especially when you are on vacation! I seem to not only be getting older, but correspondingly slower. I have the house all to myself this week, but just don't seem to be getting that much done. Of course, it could partially be because of the frequent breaks I've been taking for morning coffee, checking on the elk, checking email, reading the paper, lunch, knitting break, scanning old family photos into the computer, snack break, phone calls, checking Ravelry, getting distracted by Yard Crashers and/or Paula Deen, dinner, checking email again, looking up and importing recipes into The Recipe Manager, (my recipe program,) checking Ravelry again, running to town for cleaning supplies that I forgot to get when I was there over the weekend, soaking in the hot tub, and watching reruns of Bones. (Oh, and blogging, of course.) Still, I've only gotten about half of my to-do list checked off, and my vacation time is already three quarters over. Well, what's to be done, but soldier on. With frequent mental health breaks, of course. ;-)

A New Baby Arrives!

A new Sasha baby, that is. It is my 5 year old granddaughter, Ella's, first Sasha. Ella has named her new baby either Rose Amanda, or Amanda Rose, depending on her whim at the moment. Regardless, we have been calling her baby Rose, and not surprisingly, baby's favorite color is, well....rose! Baby Rose was adopted from Dorisanne Osborn. Dorisanne sent some cute little things along with her. The yellow crocheted dress she is wearing is one of those items. I have also contributed a couple of things I had on hand, including a white flannel diaper and a rose print receiving blanket, so at least baby Rose doesn't have to go around in her birthday suit. Undoubtedly, though, a suitable wardrobe must be gotten underway, and as far as Ella is concerned, the sooner the better!

I am off work for two weeks, and although I plan on doing some serious house cleaning, I also hope to find time to make a few additions to Baby Rose's wardrobe. Stay tuned for further updates!

Rescuing Harley

This is Harley, a seven month old chocolate labrador, who was recently staying here at the farm. His original owners took him without realistically considering how quickly he would grow from a cute little puppy into a rather large dog who needs a lot of exercise and room to run. I fell in love with him...who could resist those warm brown eyes, and that tongue-lolling doggie smile? Well, my hubby, for one, which is why he was only a foster-dog and not a permanent fixture!

I can't say it was easy to let him go, but I know it was best thing for Harley. During the brief time he was with me, though, I enjoyed his company more than I can say. When I sat outside on the old garden bench, he sat on the bench with me, his head, or sometimes his entire body, resting on my leg. When he wasn't trying to be a lap dog, he rolled around on the ground near my feet, playing with a toy made from a few old socks rolled up and knotted inside another old sock. He liked me to play tug of war with the sock toy, but his favorite game was fetch. I'd throw a tennis ball for him over and over, and he'd race after it and bring it back every time. He never tired of that game, even if I did! When my arm got tired of throwing, I'd distract him by taking a long walk over the farm. He was like Pooh's friend, Tigger, not running through the fields, but bouncing through them, in an exuberant display of unadulterated doggie joy.

Harley has since moved on to his new home, with a 20-something young man, who loves to go duck and pheasant hunting. He and his friend, who trains hunting dogs, were impressed with Harley's retrieving skills. For such a young dog, they say he is already displaying a lot of promise as a hunting companion. I'm thrilled that he's found such a good home and will be with someone who'll give him plenty of opportunity to do what he loves and was bred to do. He was only with me for a month, but he won't be forgotten. Have a great life, Harley...I'll miss you!

Summer Crochet for Sasha Baby

Earlier this summer, on the Ravelry "Sasha Friends" group, a few of us decided to do a Summer doll project. It could be anything we wanted, so long as it was for one of the Sasha dolls, and could be worn in the summer. I chose to crochet something for Sasha Baby. Although there are a number of people doing knitting patterns for the Sasha dolls, crochet patterns are a bit harder to come by, so I decided to try making one up myself. For inspiration, I looked through my patterns for real babies. I found a couple I liked that were worked from the neck down. I've done several lacy little doll dresses for the Tonner 10" Ann Estelle dolls that were worked that way, and I felt very comfortable with the style, so I decided to give it a try.

It came out rather well, and for once, I remembered to write the instructions down as I went along, so I'm sharing the pattern for those who might enjoy crocheting a dress or top for their Sasha Baby. Feel free to direct friends here to get the pattern, but please do not sell it! If you find a mistake in my directions, please let me know so that I can correct it, and keep in mind that I am not a professional designer! I will be adding a pattern for the diaper cover later, as it still has a few kinks that need to be worked out. For friends in the UK, please remember that here in the US we use different terms. Our double crochet is, I believe, your treble, and our single crochet is your double. (Or something like that!) Without further ado, here is the pattern:

Lacy Crocheted Summer Top or Dress for Sasha Baby

Materials: 1 ball #10 crochet cotton

#7 Steel crochet hook (1.5 mm)

Gauge is not critical, as the lacy fabric is pretty stretchy, and you can try the yoke on the doll for fit before you start the shells. Mine is 9 dc = 1" and there is about 5/8" from the center of one shell st to the center of the next one.

Shell St = (2dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same st

Picot St = (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch 2 space

Row 1- Ch 43, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in each ch across, (42 sc) ch 3, turn

Row 2- Dc in next 2 sts, *(2dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts,) repeat from * 9 more times, dc in last 3 sts, (53 sts) ch 3, turn

Row 3- Dc in next 3 sts, *2dc in next st, 1dc in next 4 sts,) repeat from * 9 more times, dc to end, (63 sts) ch 3, turn

Row 4- Repeat Row 3, (75 sts)

Row 5- Dc in bottom of ch 3 turning, (1/2 shell made,) *(skip next st, shell in next st,) repeat from * across, ending with 2 dc on top of ch 3 from last row, (35 shells, plus ½ shell at each end) ch 3, turn

Row 6- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, ch 3, (forming underarm,) skip nine shells, shell in next 7 shells, ch 3, skip nine shells, shell in last 5 shells, 2dc on top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn

Row 7- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, dc in each of 3 underarm chs, shell in next 7 shells, dc in each of 3 underarm chs, shell in last 5 shells, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn

Row 8- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, shell in center dc of underarm sts, shell in next 7 shell, shell in center dc of underarm sts, shell in next 5 shells, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn.

Row 9- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in each shell across, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn.

Row 10 and subsequent rows – Repeat row 9

Work a total of 13 rows for a top or 17 for a dress.

Edging: Attach thread at neck edge on Right hand side of dress back. With outside of dress facing you, work a row of sc down the back edge of the dress. When you reach the bottom corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner st, (picot made,) then working across the bottom of the dress, *(sc in top of each dc of shell, picot in ch 2 space of shell,) repeat from * around to left corner of dress back, work picot in top of ½ shell, then turn and sc up the left back. When you reach the yoke, make a button hole at the bottom and another at the top neck edge, by working a sc, ch 2, sk a space, sc. Fasten off and work ends in. Sew tiny buttons to right back yoke under button holes

Knitting for Sasha

I've loved and collected dolls nearly from the time I was big enough to hold one. One of my all time favorite dolls is the Sasha doll, designed by Sasha Morganthaler, and manufactured at various times by Gotz, in Germany, and Frido or Trendon, in England. Sadly, these dolls are not in production at this time, but they are still widely available on the secondary market, and have an enthusiastic following on the web.

A large part of my enjoyment of the dolls I collect is derived from clothing them and collecting or making accessories for them. Sewing and knitting for Sasha and her brother, Gregor, is particularly satisfying, as the dolls are both well proportioned and easy to pose. They do not require a stand and are so well balanced, they can even stand on their heads!

Recently, I have been participating in a KAL with the Sasha group on Ravelry, and have just finished this sweater for my latest Gregor, a brunette boy from the 1970 Trendon production. He has had a rough life up until now, and has the scars to prove it. His hands and feet have slight chew marks, there is a dent on his upper right shoulder, and when he arrived, he had several ink and marker "bruises", which have finally faded with repeated applications of Oxy 10. He's apparently been the client of a young barber-in-training at some time or another, and still has a spot of shorter hair at the back of his head as a souvenir of that adventure. He also has a few spots where the hair just wants to stick up, no matter how long I keep his nylon stocking cap on, in an effort to convince it to lay flat. He is still a very handsome boy, though, and I'm happy to have him. He tells me that his name is Harry.

Anyway, getting back to Harry's new sweater, it is made of Telemark wool, from Knit Picks, in a nice shade of blue green, called Fjord Heather. The pattern I used is "Guernsey Fest" from Sirikind.com. I really love this pattern, and think I will be using it a lot. It is fun to knit, has lots of style options, sizes to fit both the Sasha dolls and American Girl dolls, and at the time of this writing, at least, the $5.95 purchase price is being donated to "Room To Read."

I started my sweater on October 5th, and finished it on October 12th. I primarily knit on it during my lunch hours at work, and for the occasional hour or so on the few evenings that I had something I wanted to watch on television. I knit the turtlenecked version. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the crocheted cast off that was used to finish the turtleneck collar. It does give a nice stretchy edge, but I just don't like the way it looks. In all fairness, it's the first time I've ever done a crocheted cast off, so maybe I'm just not doing it correctly. I'll have to do a search and see if I can find video instructions. In the meantime, Harry thinks it's lovely and warm, and is not as picky about the finishing details as I am!

Originally published on Monday, October 12, 2009

Winter Warmth

Okay, I admit it. Winter has never been my favorite season, and now that I’m older, it’s pretty much lost any attraction it ever held for me. The cold is not invigorating as it once was. Now it just bites unpleasantly. The lack of sufficient sunlight hours leaves me feeling lethargic and reluctant to leave my warm bed in the mornings. Although I still think that snow falling silently to the ground is beautiful to behold, I no longer want to get out and play in it. I’m more than content to watch it from inside the house. Ice is no longer a venue for winter sports, but has instead become the enemy, having dropped me unceremoniously to the frozen ground twice this year...so far. No permanent damage done, but I don't like to tempt fate, so I've ordered a pair of "Yak Trax" for my boots, as insurance against the third time being a charm.

Having said all that, there are some things about winter that I do like. For instance, a nice, long soak in the hot tub will leave you pleasantly warm and toasty just before bed in the winter. In the summer, it will leave you gasping for breath and cranking up the air conditioning. The warmth of a fire in the woodstove is hard to beat at the end of a cold winter’s day. It’s wonderful to be able to pull a rocker up in front of the stove, prop my feet on the hearth, and read or knit away an afternoon or evening, with a mug of tea or hot chocolate and a plate of warm, fresh scones close at hand. Add a cozy afghan and an Ott light, and winter becomes downright inviting!

Speaking of knitting, I’ve been doing quite a bit of it lately. My mother has new hand knit cotton dishcloths made from two different patterns, Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth, and Home Spun Living's Waffle Knit dishcloth. Many members of my Sasha family are now attired in warm winter woolies. Most recently, I’ve been working on knitted toys for my grandchildren for Easter. The two middle boys are getting knitted Sack Boys from a pattern by Alan Dart and the two youngest are getting knitted animals from patterns by FuzzyMitten.com. My first one, a Chocolate Bunny, is finally finished, and pictured above. The Fuzzy Mitten patterns are so cute, and so much fun to knit, I’m afraid they could easily develop into an addiction!

Another pleasant, but far more dangerous activity for a cold winter’s day is baking. When I have the time, I really love to bake. Lately, cakes, pies, hot rolls, brownies, and multiple batches of fudge have been rolling out of my kitchen with alarming frequency. For the past week, I have been thinking longingly of fresh, hot from the oven cinnamon rolls, and my Mom’s apricot fried pies. Mmmmmm! Fortunately, I know from experience that once it begins to warm up, and stay light longer, the baking gene will go dormant again. I just hope that happens before I have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe!

In the meantime, I’ll share with you my Mom’s recipe (which came from her Mom,) for her wonderful fried pies. We love the cooked filling, made with dried apricots or apples, but you can actually use any fresh fruit pie filling recipe, or any canned fruit pie filling.

Fried Pies

3 1/2 Cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda

Mix flour and salt, cut in Crisco until the consistancy of cornmeal.

Add baking soda to buttermilk. Add a little at a time to flour mixture until a soft dough forms, (you may not need to use all of the buttermilk mixture.) Pinch off pieces of the dough, and roll into saucer sized circles. Spread pie filling onto center of each circle, fold over, wet the outside edge and seal with fingers or a fork. Fry in a small amount of crisco, preferably in an iron skillet, until brown. Turn over and brown other side. Remove to paper towels to drain and serve warm.

Happy Fall!

Fall has hit Central Illinois in full force. The leaves have changed color. The wind howls around the eaves of my cottage, and rattles the windows, as if longing to come in out of the darkness. I love this time of year. I revel in the crisp fall air, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the juicy red apples, and the bright, heartbreakingly beautiful days. 

Here on the farm, the harvest is winding down. One by one, the surrounding fields have given up their bounty of corn and beans. The last cutting of hay is stacked in the barn. From the upstairs windows, I can now see a patchwork of empty fields, stretching endlessly out, like a quilt worked in brown, gray, and beige, broken up here and there with borders of orange, red, and gold leaved trees.

Thoughts of cold winter nights have me washing flannel sheets, checking to make sure all the storm windows are closed, and making myself a note to call "Mr Chimney" to get the wood stove ready for the winter season. Soon I'll be coming home in the dark, and staying there to knit, bake cookies with my grandchildren, or just sit by the wood stove with my feet propped up, looking at seed catalogs, and dreaming of Spring, but I am not quite there, yet. For right now, there are still leaves to be jumped in, hot cider to be sipped, and hot dogs to be roasted, so this weekend, I'll wish my sister a Happy Halloween birthday, and wish all of you a happy fall!

Living a Beautiful Life

I am a voracious reader. I always have been. Some of my favorite gifts through the years have been books. In the late 1980's, a friend gifted me with a book by Alexandra Stoddard, called "Living a Beautiful Life." It was a simple, but inspiring little book, encouraging the reader to make the most of what life has to offer, to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and to make every day of your life a special event. Furthermore, Alexandra demonstrated that you didn't have to be rich to live beautifully, it was mostly a matter of attitude and imagination. Wow, what a concept!

I've always possessed the ability to find beauty in the world around me, but I was truly inspired by that book, and immediately set about making my life even more beautiful. I took the good china out of the hutch and actually used it to eat off of. I invited my friends over and served them coffee laced with amaretto and real whipped cream in the tall glass irish coffee mugs that my Grandmother had given me one year for Christmas. I hung botanical prints in the bathroom and put the good towels out to be used instead of just admiring how nice they looked in the linen closet. I bought a set of soft, luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets for the bed. (They were on sale...no sense going off the deep end!) In short, I stopped waiting for later, and began enjoying each moment to the best of my ability. Life is much too short to put off doing the things that bring pleasure and happiness to your days.

Although, I actually live in a rather large old farmhouse, I consider this place online my virtual cottage, and plan to fill it with old fashioned charm, all the things that I love, and the various activities which continue to bring me pleasure...knitting, crocheting, cooking, gardening, taking pictures, reading, spending time with my family and friends, and enjoying my doll collection. I hope you'll stop by often for a cup of tea and a little pleasant conversation!