The knitting circle has become the new salon of our age
The thing about knitting is that it can be both a solitary pleasure and a great communal activity. Not to mention very trendy. The knitting circle has become the new salon of our age, where friends can meet to share knowledge and exchange pattern ideas as well as catch up on all the latest gossip. There’s been a huge increase in demand for new wools and interest in new techniques over recent years. Witness the success of fashion knitting books such as Stitch and Bitch and contemporary knitting designs by manufacturers like Rowan.
Urban Antoinette, Adèle Makéda Close-up Doll from the Modern Pompadour Collection, models a chunky aran mini sweater dress in the softest baby cream. She’s so toasty that she’s thrown her Chocolat Disco Wig on the floor!
Currently there’s a rash of boutique wool shops opening in many major cities. In London there is Loop, San Francisco’s got Urban Knitting Studio, and in New York there’s Gotta Knit!, to name but three. These stores often offer in-store knitting lessons and custom finishing services.
Small wonder that our doll-sized chums have been keen to get in on the action. Mattel released the Knitting Pretty Barbie and Skipper Gift Set, with both gals kitted out in knitted suits ready to get clicking with their own doll-scale wool and needles. Even those upscale Sybarites got in on the act with the Tribe outfit from Superdoll, the hippy chick fashion includes a crocheted handbag with just a little wool and needles inside.
This three-piece outfit is shown off in true vintage style by a brunette Hong Kong Lilli. The off-the-shoulder day dress is complemented by a cosy edge-to-edge jacket and a jaunty Tam O’Shanter. All knitted in a chunky mushroom wool/silk blend. Lilli has every reason to look snooty in this head-turning haute couture! The lower inset picture shows a cowl-neck sweater against one of Virginia Lakin’s knitting books.
So why not try hand-knitting for yourself? There’s a wealth of vintage patterns out there, which can be used straight or given a modern spin for 21st century look. One of my favorite vintage knitwear designers is Virginia Lakin, who produced superb patterns in the 1960s. Her booklets can sometimes be found on eBay. Many of the designs shown here have been based on her work. It’s amazing how up-to-date these styles can look on modern dolls, I think the Fashion Royalty posse had a good time modeling them.
PICK YOUR PATTERN
If you’re fairly new to knitting, it’s best to start with something simple to get going. Long, long scarves continue to be big for the fall and what could be an easier project? Simply cast on about 10 stitches using US size 2 (2.75 mm) needles and 3-ply cashmere for a touch of luxury. Make every row knit for a soft chunky scarf or k 1, p 1 (even rows) and p 1, k 1 (odd rows) for a gorgeous rib effect. Just keep knitting until you reach the desired length, You can vary the width and the length according to taste and the doll you’re knitting for. If you start now you could get a whole bundle made as holiday gifts for your doll-loving friends.
For more advanced knitters there are loads of patterns, old and new, available on the internet. Check out the free doll patterns at knittingpatterncentral.com – these are mainly for larger dolls but they have some simple projects to get started with; more experienced knitters can scale down the patterns to fit smaller fashion dolls. Another good source of inspiration is vintage adult patterns, these can be used as inspiration for creating your own versions of doll patterns. Try to track down anything by Alice Starmore – for example Knitting from the British Islands and Sweaters for Men are both great source books, although now sadly out of print but sometimes available on the internet. A detail from an adult-size fair isle sweater can be used to great effect in a doll-size garment. The rock and roll ensemble modeled by Kyori Sato in this feature is a perfect example.
Kyori has a rock and roll moment in this graphic high-neck geometric knit jacket and boot ensemble. She completes the retro look with vintage pants (as before) and a Raven Boost wig from the Fashion Royalty “Extra Volume” Luxury Wigs range. This garment uses a technique of knitting from top downwards with either a circular needle or a set of 4 double-ended needles.
Vintage patterns for dolls can be great when given a contemporary twist, perhaps by using an unexpected yarn, maybe knitting a guy’s sweater for a girl (even vice versa!), or simply by changing the length. The chunky cream sweater modeled here by Adele was originally designed for vintage Ken, but by making it a little longer and using a softer tone, it becomes an up-to-the-minute winter warmer fit for a 12″ fashion model.
THE RIGHT YARN FOR THE JOB
It’s vitally important to pick the right wool for your project. Choosing the wrong texture or color could result in a sweater your dolls just refuse to wear. This is less disastrous than it would be for a full-size grown-up’s outfit, as the beauty of knitting for the diminutive figure is that with practice you can easily complete a sweater in an evening while watching TV. But it would still be a shame to produce something rendered unwearable by an ill-considered choice of yarn.
In her book Son of Stitch and Bitch, Debbie Stoller gives the following advice when knitting for a man. Or as she puts it “I know what boys like… for the most part men dress simply. They like navy blue, gray khaki, olive, and black. Sweaters, if they wear them, are done up in plain stitches such as stockinette and ribbing… choosing a project to stitch for a guy is no time to make like Henry Higgins and My-Fair-Lady his ass. Self-striping and anything novelty is an immediate red light. A man (like a woman) knows what he likes.”
Lest this should put you off knitting for your male dolls, I think there are some useful general principles here. When knitting on a small scale, the simpler the better, and this applies to both choice of color and texture, and to both male and female dolls. There’s plenty of visual interest going on in the knitting itself and at this size you don’t want to overwhelm the project by too much intricacy and fussiness. Just in the way that the most effective garments are often the simplest, most pared down ones (think classic Chanel, Jasper Conran and Jean Muir for Jaeger), an understated color palette and a pure plain yarn will often create the most successful knitwear.
The other great thing about knitting for dolls is that it allows you to use up all of those scraps that have been gathering dust since you made the cashmere bedsocks for Great Aunt Susan or stitched Grandpa’s cardigan. If you’re not a knitter yourself (although I’d strongly urge you to become one, it’s so therapeutic) you might find that knitting friends can be persuaded to use up their wool odds and ends on projects for you, just give them the patterns and pick a yarn from their stock. You don’t need much, the vee-neck vest pattern at the end of this article uses a tiny 1/4 ounce of 3-ply cashmere.
A LITTLE NEEDLE KNOWLEDGE
Something to remember when using patterns from the 60’s or earlier is that the standard needle sizes have changed over the years. The cashmere vest was originally intended to be knitted on a Boyes No. 2 needle. this conveniently translates to a modern US size 2 needle or a European 2.75mm. But an old size 12 steel dpn is a modern US size 1 and a 13 steel dpn.corresponds to a US size 0. However, help is at hand in the form of the Fiber Gypsy website (the details are shown at the end of the feature) where there is a handy conversion guide for a whole variety of needle types.
Looking very sharp in a tweed silk-mix bouclé yarn of black and buff. This sweater features three-quarter length sleeves and a sexy cropped waistline. La Belle du Soir Kyori Sato also wears vintage black capri pants and matching Silkstone heels.
ADJUSTING YOUR CLOTHING
To get a good fit when following any pattern, it’s very important to get the tension right. This is usually given as the number of stitches and rows needed to achieve a square of 1″ by 1″. If your sample is too small you should increase your needle size until you get a 1″ square, or reduce the needle size if your square is coming up too big.
With practice, it’s possible to create outfits for bigger dolls by using larger needles and thicker yarn. As a rough example, a 16″ fashion doll is one third bigger than a 12″ doll. So if you’re using a 12″ doll pattern for a 16″ doll, your test sample square needs to scale up by a third. This means that the given number of rows and stitches in the pattern should be made to measure 1 1/3″ by increasing the needle size and yarn thickness.
It’s kind of trial and error, but knitted fabric is way more forgiving than dressmaking fabric. So you can attempt rescaling knits in a way that wouldn’t be wise with sewn patterns, the fun of knitwear is that you can get away with a little more stretch and give.
INSTRUCTIONS TO KNIT A VEE-NECK VEST
The sleeveless vest is suitable for both male and female fashion dolls about 11″-12″ tall. The body of the vest is knitted circularly using 1/4 oz 3-ply fingering yarn and a set of number 2 (2.75mm) double pointed needles. This gives a neat seam-free finish and nicely cuts down the bulk of the finished garment. You can alter the length of the vest by increasing or decreasing the number of rounds knitted, use your doll as a guide as you go. Working to a tension of 9sts x 13 rows gives a 1″ square. Standard knitting abbreviations are used throughout.
Euphoric Pierre De Vries looking hunky in a hand-knitted taupe sleeveless vest, with a fully-fashioned vee-neck, in pure cashmere – he loves the feel of it right next to his skin. Pierre is modeling trousers, belt and glasses from the Turning Heads Outfit, featured in the FR Homme debut collection. Instructions on how to knit this garment begin below. The vest was knitted in 3-ply baby cashmere.
Begin at bottom, cast on 42 sts and rib in k 1, p 1 for 4 rows. Divide on 3 needles as follows: With 1st needle, k 21 sts; 2nd needle, k 12 sts; 3rd needle, k 9 sts. With yarn end left from casting on, sew ribbing together to form circle. Knit 10 rounds. 11th round: Inc in 1st st, k 19,. inc in next 2 sts, k 19, inc in next st. Now knit each round until piece measures 2 1/4″ from bottom, ending on needle with 10 sts on it.
Back: Work 1st needle (23 sts) as follows:
Row 1: P 2 tog, k to last 2 sts, p 2 tog.
Row 2: P to end. (The p st on the right side forms a ribbing effect along armhole.)
Row 3: P 1, k to last st, p 1.
Row 4: P to end. Rpt rows 3 and 4 six times.
Shape shoulders: Bind off 4 sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Then cast off 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Cast off remaining 7 sts.
Left front: Attach yarn and work 2nd needle (13 sts) as follows:
Row 1: P 2 tog, k to end of row.
Row 2: K 3, p across to end of row.
Row 3: P 1, k to last 5 sts, k 2 tog, k 3.
Row 4: K 3, p across to end of row
Row 5: P 1, k across to end of row.
Row 6: K 3, p across to end of row.
Row 7: P1, k to last 5 sts, k 2 tog, k 3.
Row 8: K 3, p across to end of row.
Repeat rows 5 and 6 four times on 10 remaining sts.
Shape shoulder: Cast off 4 sts, k across; 3 sts remain. K 4 rows on these 3 sts and cast off.
Right front: Work third needle (10 sts) as follows:
At neck edge, cast on 3 sts for border and work as for left front on 13 sts, reversing shaping. To decr on 3rd and 7th rows, use “slip 1, k 1, pass slipped st over” instead of “k 2 tog.” Sew right front border under left front border.
Sew shoulder seams and sew border together at the back of the neck and sew to neck edge. Pin flat, steam lightly and let dry.
If you’re making this sweater in cashmere yarn, a gentle wash in Woolite will greatly improve the softness and texture before presenting the sweater to your favorite doll.
This pattern was adapted from an original 1962 pattern by Virginia Lakin.
Sources and further information
• For a very useful conversion chart showing needle sizes go to fibergypsy.com. This table is invaluable when working from vintage or European patterns as it lists the most common equivalents for US, Old US and old UK needle sizes.
• Stitch and Bitch and Son of Stitch and Bitch, both by Debbie Stoller, published by Workman, 2004, 2007, in the US
• Sweaters for Men, by Alice Starmore, published by Pavilion, 1990 in the UK
• Knitting from the British Islands, by Alice Starmore, published by Bell & Hyman, 1983 in the UK
• The 30s Family Knitting Book, by Jane Waller, published by Duckworth, 1981 in the UK
• Petite Doll Knitting Book, by Virginia Lakin, published by Lakin Enterprises, 1962 in the US
This feature was originally published in Haute Doll Magazine, 2008.