creative friday & *free pattern*

it has been a long time since i have posted on creative friday, but i am excited to be back in the loop.  as you all know i LOVE creating anything & everything!!  felted soaps always seem to be on the horizon, so we'll start with those...

i did a lovely trade with another mama from our homeschool co-op.  she is already thinking of christmas & was interested in ordering a few soaps.  well, she is a cook & her specialty is tiramisu, which happens to be my husband's all time favorite dessert...  so we traded! ;)   3 felted soaps for one of her most amazingly delicious desserts...

a palm tree was her request, so i went with an a silhouette of two palms against a gorgeous island sunset.

a bird was her second request.  i call this one the "rainbow bird of happiness", after the most familiar "bluebird of happiness" that i have perched on our kitchen windowsill.

i need to restock on both roving & soaps, so @ this point i still owe her one. 

the chicken tractors??  i think we can count those as well...  woodworking, right??

and of course knit lovelies...

i have been making these vests on & off for the past month or so.  i LOVE them!!  so sweet & perfect & they go with everything!  the first i made for our daughter evyn.

this one was a special request for my sister-in-law.  she wanted a custom & slightly smaller one for a baby shower gift.  the yarn is 'rock candy mountain', from plum street fiber art (etsy).  it turned our absolutely gorgeous & so darn cute!

well, after falling head over heels with this pattern, then modifying it for babes, i decided to wing it & get a doll-sized version made.  as you can see, it turned out perfect!  so perfect, in fact, that i am including the pattern.

this size will fit a 12" doll perfectly, but i am thinking (& will next try) size #11 needles for a 16" doll.  it took just a smidge over 1 hour, which is always a nice touch! ;)

  

 look, mama & bebe vests...  i definitely think matching sets are soon to follow!  ;)

simply sweet doll vest
(scroll down for a downloadable pdf link ;)

what you will need:

worsted weight yarn, 0.7 oz/35 yds +/-

size #9 us needles

tapestry needles for weaving in ends

gauge, 5 sts & 6 rows = 1"

CO 48 sts

knit 3 garter ridges (2 rows in garter stitch = 1 garter ridge)

the body of the vest is knit in stockinette with 4 stitches on either side knit in garter stitch for border

knit in stockinette until the piece measure 4" from cast on edge

arms holes:

row 1) k12, BO 4, k16, BO 4, k12

row 2) knit to arm opening, then make 8 stitches, knit to next arm opening & repeat, knit to end of row

(56 sts)

**the rest of the vest is knit in garter stitch**

decreases:

1st decrease (right side facing)

- dec 11 sts evenly   *k3, k2tog*, repeat * 11x, k1  (45sts)

knit 3 rows

2nd decrease (includes button hole)

-dec 4 sts evenly     k2, YO, k2tog, k5, *k9, k2tog*, repeat * 3x, k1   (41sts)

knit 2 rows, BO, & weave in ends.

enjoy your new simply sweet doll vest!!  oh & i am adding the pattern to ravelry, so please do add your projects & photos once complete.  i'd love to see them!!

here is a pdf link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/212250526/Simply-Sweet-Doll-Vest

if you don't already have a Scribd account, you will need to sign up for one.  the good news is that they are *free*!!  :)

then you can print this pattern

happy weekend...xo