NEW - Little Skipping Friends

Greetings friends. I've just popped in to tell you about a second 'Little Friends' pattern. This one is named 'Little Skipping Friends'.

 

 

Four cute 15cm (6in) knitted dolls with their skipping ropes. Maggie, Mary, Milly and May are made from the same basic pattern but their pretty clothes and hair styles give them a very different appearance.

 

 

 

 

The easy to follow knitting and sewing patterns will utilise lots of odds and ends of yarn and fabric.

 

 

 

Milly can be made with a sweet blue cardigan

 

Or you might want her to look more like Milly Molly Mandy in the famous story books. You will find instructions for both options in the pattern.

 

The traditional Milly Molly Mandy wears a pink and white striped dress with short sleeves.

 

You'll need pink and white striped cotton. The stripes should be approximately 3mm wide.

 

Imagine living in Milly Molly Mandy's little white cottage with a thatched roof. There are roses round the door and hollyhocks peeping in through the windows. . . . perfect.

 

 

You'll find the 'Little Skipping Friends' pattern in my three shops -

Etsy, Ravelry and LoveKnitting

Little Friends

Over the summer I've had great fun making tiny dolls inspired by Milly Molly Mandy stories and Miss Read's 'Village School' books.

Each little doll is 15cm (6in) tall. 

 

 

  

They are all dressed as 1950s children and wear cotton frocks with full skirts, cardigans, sandals and short white socks.

  

The little friends love to skip and each little girl holds her own skipping rope. 

 

 

 

Summer will soon be over and it will be time for school again but for now they happily spend their days skipping around their village.

 

 

These four little friends can be found in my Jollymakes Etsy shop.

 

 

 

Alice in Wonderland

This year, 2015, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll celebrates it's 150th anniversary. It was first published in 1865 and has been a popular children's classic ever since.

 

 

The story has been illustrated many times over the years by a wide variety of artists, all with their own individual styles and interpretations of each character.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps the most recognisable illustrations are the originals done by John Tenniel in the 1860s. He produced satirical cartoons for Punch magazine and this style is evident in his Alice in Wonderland illustrations which were originally in black and white. Later they were tinted with colour.

 

 

 

Tenniel's tinted illustrations became very popular and were used for a number of children's games and toys (see above).

 

 

It is the brightly coloured Disney cartoon illustrations that today's children will recognise (see above).

 

 

 

If you would like to make a Wonderland Rabbit like these you will find both colour combinations in my knitting pattern. There is even a template for the pocket watch which is of course an essential addition!

The doll in my Alice in Wonderland pattern has yellow hair (tied with a ribbon). She wears a blue dress and white apron just as the Disney Alice did. The original Alice in Tenniel's tinted pictures wore a yellow dress but somehow I think blue suits her better.

Knitting patterns for Alice and the White Rabbit can be found in my Etsy and Ravelry shops and on Loveknitting where patterns are prices in GB pounds.

Milly Molly Mandy Stories

I'm popping in to thank those of you who visited my Dollytime Facebook page and entered the recent 'Dolly Giveaway' by choosing a name for this little girl.  The winner has given her the pretty name 'June' and she will soon be skipping around in lovely Hampshire.

 

I mentioned previously that she would make a perfect pupil in Miss Read's 'Village School' stories but several of you have suggested she could also be a character in the Milly Molly Mandy books and I have to agree. 

 

If you're familiar with my blog you'll probably know that I have a selection of Milly Molly Mandy books and as you can see they aren't in the best condition as the much loved stories have been read countless times over the years. They aren't exciting stories by today's standards but could perhaps best be described as 'comfort reading'. Milly Molly Mandy and her friends enjoy roaming around in the countryside, having picnics in hollow tree trunks, cooking potatoes on bonfires and spending a few pennies at the village fete.

 

 

 

The stories, written and illustrated by Joyce Lankester Brisley, were first published in the 1920s and the wonderfully detailed illustrations give a romantic view of life in an English village at that time. Milly Molly Mandy, always wearing a pink and white striped dress, lives with her family in a 'nice white cottage with a thatched roof'.

 

Her best friend lives in a nearby farm and is affectionately known as 'little friend Susan'. This picture shows the two of them heading off in search of blackberries.

 

 

Family meals are of course always eaten round the large table in the kitchen.

 

This is the village shop owned by Miss Muggins and on this occasion Milly Molly Mandy has been left in charge. I love the array of merchandise on display. It's hard to believe shops ever looked liked this but local towns in those days were often not within easy reach and so village shops had to cater for everyday needs.

I am currently working on another Dolly Giveaway and this fabric might give you a clue as to what it will be. When ready I'll announce the Giveaway here and also on Facebook.

NEW doll pattern

Greetings friends. I have some good news for all you dolly knitters out there. My new pattern is finished at last. Phew! To tell you the truth I never thought I'd complete it as its been on the go for several months. 

The cosy fireside chair where I do much of my pattern testing and writing has been surrounded by little heaps of children's picture books which I have dipped into for inspiration. Many of you know I'm especially fond of the plump, rosy cheeked and happy little children illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell and I have to confess the new dollies (yes there are two) do resemble some MLA characters.

Meet the twins, Jasmine and Violet, the latest little girls to be welcomed into our playroom. They might look a bit similar to their other Dollytime cousins but are different in several ways. Let me explain . . . . . 

These little cuties are 38cm (15in) tall and made to withstand a lot of love, cuddles and boisterous play. When I started the pattern all those months ago I experimented and knitted with two strands of yarn as I wanted the knitted fabric to be thicker, more robust and less likely to have areas where stuffing could be visible though the stitches. To my delight it worked really well and as a result each of these dolls is knitted from two strands of double knitting (DK) yarn. (In the US I suggest using worsted and in Australia 8 ply). The various clothes are knitted from a single strand of yarn in the usual way. If you wanted to use the same yarn as me you will find details of the brands and colours used plus the web site of an excellent British company that posts yarn worldwide.

As I have already mentioned, I wanted the dolls to be robust but also fun to play with. Knowing that all little girls love to style a doll's hair my next task was create hair that could be regularly and easily re-styled in different ways. And so I chose a lovely golden yellow chunky yarn which is stitched on firmly but can be tied, lifted and pinned in order to create several cute styles. No brushing allowed of course, you use your fingers as a comb (details in the pattern).

The hair is quite long and below Jasmine demonstrates how easy it is to tie it into bunches on either side.

Now she has tied the bunches high on her head for a different look

Or how about some plaits (braids)

Below is Violet, the little dancing doll. She has only plaited the front of her hair and then tied the plaits on top with a bow. The hair at the back is left long.

This little rascal also likes to tie all her hair on top which she is demonstrating here. All the styles and how to create them are described in the pattern.

Finally of course I knew these dollies would require a variety of clothing that would be easy to put on and take off. There are patterns for two dresses, two cardigans (long and short), shoes with socks attached and panties. For Violet the dancing doll I have created some leggings. Hopefully I will be designing some extra clothing for the twins sometime next year. If you posess the basic knitting skills then you will find the dolls and their clothing are very easy to knit. There are lots of pictures, hints and tips to assist you and as a result the pattern extents to a lengthy 26 pages.

Well  . . . After that detailed description I hope you can appreciate why it has taken me quite a while to get to the end of this particular project! I've had great fun doing it and I hope those of you who decide to knit one or both of the dollies will enjoy creating your own cute little characters.

You can find the new pattern in my shops below. Click on the one you wish to go to.

ETSY SHOP - (instant download within 10 minutes)

UK SHOP - (NOT an instant download as I email the patterns to customers myself)

RAVELRY SHOP - (instant download pattern)

I think it's time to give my needles a rest for while!  

Until next time.

Eli  x

Keep smiling

I couldn't resist buying this new book when I spotted it recently. All the postcards that Mabel Lucie Attwell created during the two world wars are illustrated inside. What a prolific artist she was.

The little knitting girl below appeared on a card in 1916 and is very typical of MLA's early work.

The knitting girls below are from the early 1940s and by then the style had changed considerably.

As Mabel Lucie Attwell grew older her daughter painted the illustrations for all the books. The two annuals below are typical of her work and date from the early 1970s. Just look at those tots dressed in 70s flowery shirt, tank top and flares! Happy days!!

Whether painted by Mabel Lucie or her daughter the sweet faces of the little children have always been favourites of mine.

I took a break from knitting this week and designed three little needle cases. On the front of each I appliqued a little girl with rosie cheeks and smiling face. No prizes for guessing where my inspiration came from.

If you'd like to take a closer look you'll find these needle cases in my Etsy sewing shop 'Flutterby Stitch'.

Thanks for popping by.
Eli x

A Fine Romance by Susan Branch

Greetings friends. This week I've been reading 'A Fine Romance' by Susan Branch. My American friends will of course be well acquainted with Susan's many books which are all beautifully hand written and illustrated in her own joyously inimitable style.

As soon as I jumped into the pages of a 'A Fine Romance' I was whisked away with Susan and her husband Joe on the trip they made in 2012 across the Atlantic on board the magnificent liner Queen Mary 2. Once in England I met their friends, stayed with them in some wonderful cottages and ventured along country highways and byways on a journey of enchanting discovery.

Susan's love and admiration for all things Beatrix Potter inevitably meant a trip to Beatrix's Lake District home. Hill Top cottage is world famous and open to the public and needless to say the cottage and it's garden were explored in intimate detail!

Below is a picture from the book showing Castle Cottage where Beatrix Potter lived after she married William Heelis. This was the final view Susan had of the area and she said her tearful 'goodbye' as rain fell from leaden skies.

Castle Cottage isn't too far from my own home so it was fascinating to read Susan's journal and I have to confess when she said goodbye to Beatrix Potter's world I shared her sadness with a tear in my eye. I was certain Beatrix would love reading the book.

As I reached the last page I was truly sorry the journey was over as it had been such fun. It has rained here in the Lake District all week but as I closed the book I noticed the sun had popped out and so I hatched a plan. . . . . . We ate a hasty supper and at 7 o'clock jumped into the car and sped off to join the queue waiting for the arrival of the small ferry that transports people across Windermere lake. And here comes the ferry; we'd better get ready to drive on board.

Whether you speak the English language or not I think this sign would leave you in no doubt about the danger of driving too close to the water before the ferry has properly docked!

We buy a ticket. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . and we are on our way. The late August sun will soon have disappeared behind the hills so I hope I can reach my intended destination before it does.

It's a lovely evening to cross the lake but the clouds are gathering and it looks as if rain could return tomorrow.

A few minutes later we drive off the ferry and head for a small village. And here it is. A sleepy little collection of old cottages enjoying the last of the evening sun. The village is Near Sawrey.

It is the picture below of Beatrix Potter's old home, Castle Cottage, that I have come to capture by way of a thank you to Susan whose fascinating journey I have been allowed to share. . . . .

Apart from their supreme talent, Susan and Beatrix have many things in common and I know if Miss Potter happened to see me pop the book on her old stone wall she would have loved to take a peek and be full of admiration for the detailed work she found inside. As Susan lives too far away to take a quick after-supper trip to the village I decided her book should make the trip in her place.

During her visit last year Susan noticed lots of Beatrix Potter figurines for sale in local shops but no sheep and so I thought I'd bring along my own little flock to say 'Hello!' I'm sure several of you will recognise them (see free knitting pattern in the sidebar).

Time to leave. Pick up the book and tuck it safely into my bag. Remove the sheep before they tumble off the wall and then say 'goodbye' to Castle Cottage.

Finally, let me show you one more thing. Beatrix Potter painted the picture below over 100 years ago and it can be found in the Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. The building in the background is in the village and in Beatrix's day was known as the Tower Bank Arms (you can see the name on the front). Below the name is a clock. And guess what ? . . . . . .

The Tower Bank Arms is still open for business and the clock still tells the correct time.

If you haven't already discovered Susan's blog then do pay her visit, but I warn you, you won't want leave. Enjoy your weekends everyone.

Susan Branch Blog