Break from the fibers: Custom Cosette

It's easy for me to get lost in dying and spinning these days, so it's always a treat when someone comes to me with a really special request for one of my handmade dolls.  In this case it's Cosette!

Thank you Easter bunny

I've been gone for a while, but I'm back for one of my favorite holidays... Bunnies, chocolate, what's not to love? And so it's time for a new pattern! We're going back to basics with my latest WIP: meet William.

William is a classic standing bunny pattern, and like the others he stands about 12-14 inches tall. However he features a few charming differences; He's got accented hands, feet, and ears that allow for an unlimited number of custom variations. He also features a slightly chunkier build than my other dolls. And although William is a solid boy, switch out his shorts for the apron style dress pattern Mia wears and you've got yourself a whole new bunny ;D

I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek...
Keep an eye out for William, and other new patterns, in my shops this year!
etsy.com
ravelry.com
craftsy.com

Preview my new hand spun doll kits (coming soon!)

Looking to create a handmade heirloom for someone special? Or maybe a unique gift for the crafter in your life?
This holiday season I'll be offering a few very special kits! Like previous kits, these will feature all my favorite supplies: premium cotton fabrics, hand made glass eyes, ribbons, buttons, and other accessories. But these kits are even more valuable, because they also feature my very own hand spun wool!

The wool is a combination of fibers, dyed by me, and then carded together to create a rich deep color that you can't get from hand painting alone. I've worked hard to bring together some of the most popular color combinations based on past requests, and taken the time to create new pairings that I think you'll love.

You're getting a sneak peak into my process here, as I match my pre-carded fibers to the fabric. Once the fibers are carded, I spin them into a worsted spun(smooth), worsted weight single (100g as most of my patterns call for).

In my opinion, a plush single yarn(vs plied yarns) makes the best doll. And with this kit you'll be able to make your choice of bunny, kitty, or bear ;D

Doing the math: increase and decrease evenly row over row

I've recently received a few questions about a technique used in many of my patterns:
"SC across, INCR 3sts evenly over each of the next rows, trying not to place increases in the same place row over row."
Firstly, the instructions are written this way to allow flexibility and ease of creation. Once you understand it, it's easier to complete using the "technique" versus tracking each row on a pattern sheet(especially if you happen to be travelling). And if you are creating more than one, it allows you to find the formula that you like the best (although I know I do it differently every time!)

OK, now for the math! The formula works thusly...

random number(Stitch count of row/Number of Inc)

Explanation:
OK, say you have 24 stitches in the row, and you need to increase 3.

1. 24/3=8


2. now choose a random number from 1 to 8, let's pick 5... meaning we'll increase in the 5th stitch of our repeat


3. so we'll work the row like this: SC next 4 sts, inc1 in next st (the 5th st), SC next 3


4. repeat 2 more times to complete the row, for a total of 27 sts.


5. do this as many times as the pattern calls, just choose a different random number every time (at least 2 higher or lower than the previous row).

Now how about decreases? Same thing...
OK, say you have 24 stitches in the row, and you need to decrease 3.

1. 24/3=8


2. now choose a random number from 1 to 8, let's pick 5... meaning we'll start our decrease on the 5th stitch


3. so we'll work the row like this: SC next 4 sts, dec1 in next 2 sts, SC next 2


4. repeat 2 more times to complete the row, for a total of 21 sts.


5. do this as many times as the pattern calls, just choose a different random number every time (at least 2 higher or lower than the previous row).

I hope this helps make the pattern instructions clearer ;D

the holidays are over!

Wow, the holidays were CRAZY busy... and I'm sure I'm not the only one. But They are finally past and now to look ahead to 2012!
So, as some of you know, I have become addicted to spinning! I got some amazing alpaca fiber for Christmas and I just haven't been able to put it down. So what that means for you? Well, new dolls and kits featuring my very own hand spun wool of course! Right now I'm working on a lovely kit that not only has the supplies to make a beautiful doll, but also includes a handmade project bag and lavender sachet to protect that ooak creation you'll be working on ;D

But in order to do all this I need to clear some space in my workshop... so for all of you who have been asking "when will I see more FO's in the shop?" The answer is today! If you follow me on twitter than you've probably already seen that Mia and Libby are up for sale in my shop! But what you don't know is that I will be listing a few more of my stock every day over the next few weeks. So if your interested in getting your hands on one of my own personal favorites (and at a discount I might add) just keep an eye on the etsy shop!
Thanks as always, and happy new year!
Dawn.

September CAL: Hermione the unicorn

Well, it's been a little while but we're back together for this adorable crochet along requested specifically by our ravelry group! This little unicorn is a fantastic way to feature some of those "must have" custom or specialty yarns that you have lurking in your stash, even if you only have a few yards ;D

For this CAL I definitely suggest joining the ravelry group (if you haven't already) because I will not be around much this month. The group has some experienced crocheters and they have always been great at supporting each other!

I can't wait to see the herds of unicorns come to life ;D

Download the pattern from my website now!

Kits are here!

Wow, I have been wanting to do this for so long!
I don't know about you, but my favorite part of making ami's is choosing the supplies, matching up fabrics, and mixing up the colors! Unfortunately I can't finish them quick enough to keep up with my imagination. This means all those dolls I dreamed up but couldn't get to myself will now be up for grabs in my etsy shop ;D

I've started off with Mia (a bunny), but I'll probably be expanding to make other patterns available as kits soon.
The kits include things like:

• hand dyed/painted wool


• fabric pieces for sewn clothes(serged)


• felt for eye details


• coordinated custom fabric covered buttons


• hand made glass eyes

Each one is unique. I only hope that whoever ends up with these kits are kind enough to share the FO pics with us!

Ami of the month: May

Bonjour Cosette!
She's this month's FO... featuring the most lovely handspun yarn I picked up at YarnParty2011 from Mid Valley Fibers. As a matter of fact it was the yarn that inspired the doll. I love this colorway called "Sunset over water", and I had a great time matching the fabrics in her apron skirt! To me she looks like blue skies and sunshine ;D
You can see more in my etsy shop!

May CAL: it's Neila the koala

Well it's that time again! Time to CAL with us on ravelry, and this CAL brings us Neila the little koala... suggested by one of our CAL members, and I couldn't resist! I've never seen a koala in person, but that's never stopped me before ;D
For mine, I decided to paint the hands and feet, and even a little bit of the ears for some added interest... but I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Grab up your free pattern today and join us on ravelry, group name: CALwithDawnToussaint

Ami of the month

Some of you might remember that I started off making custom ooak amigurumi and offering them in my etsy shop. Well, I'm going back to my roots... sort of ;D
I've decided to offer 1 finished object in my etsy shop every month! That means every month you will have the opportunity to pick up a custom designed, handmade cutie that I made just for the love of ami's (and those are the best kind if you ask me!) I'll be making something new every month, which may or may not be based on one of my existing patterns, and will definitely include all my favorite materials. Look for custom hand spun yarns, hand made buttons, and gorgeous fabrics... and keep an eye on this blog right here for a sneak peak at each month's offering!

Speaking of, have you seen this month's offering? Meet Mia ;D
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72509208/mia

I spoiled myself at yarnparty 2011

How could I resist, it was my birthday after all ;D
It all started a few weeks ago when my awesome husband asked, "any special requests for your birthday?"... well since you asked! And off we drove to Savage, Maryland. When we got there I was a little concerned because parking was a challenge(the place was packed!), but once a got inside the Savage Mill building I was pleasantly surprised. It's a charming place filled with little shops including paper crafts, pet stuff, paintings, beads, quilts, and more. So we made our way over to the main hall where the yarn party was being held and walked on in (no fee to get in!). The floor was crowded but manageable, and I made my first sweep around the room in about 5 minutes. Then in the next 2 passes I picked up all the items I had my eyes on and well... I came home with a great big bag of fancy hand dyed, hand spun, hand sheared, and all around awesome fibers... so I thought I'd share my favorites with you here!

Meet Amelie

Many of you out there asked for an all crochet version of my little Aubrey, and here she is! Amelie also wears an adorable little crochet sweater dress that's removable. She's just the latest in my "ready to wear" collection.

It took me a while to work out just the right combination of features, so thanks to all of you for your patience... She's a great pattern to start with if you're new to ami's, or if you just need something to work up as a quick gift!

Enjoy ;D

Valentine's CAL: Roman the lovebird

Meet Roman, my Valentine gift to you ;D

Whew, I feel like I just made it in under the wire! I would hate to disappoint, especially after all the words of encouragement here and on ravelry... but I wanted to get him just right. I was going for a more home made look with Roman, and I think I got there, but only after about 4 tries. Sometimes you have something in your head and it takes a little extra effort to bring it to life. I also wanted to offer something that gave each of us the opportunity to make it our own, and I think this pattern does that!

Thanks so much, and as always I can't wait to see your creations!
Remember to join us on ravelry: CAL with Dawn Toussaint

Download pattern: Roman the lovebird
*This pattern was updated on 2/19/2011 ;D

Aubrey: the pattern

Well I first want to thank everyone for all their kind comments on Aubrey, my latest creation. It was because of all your compliments that I have decided to offer the pattern in my ravelry and etsy shops!

If you haven't seen her yet, you're in for a surprise... not only does she have removable clothes, she has hair that buttons on! That's right, dress up time is taken to another level. Right now she is the only one of the prete a porte collection to have removable hair, but I have a feeling it won't be long before there are some more. And before you ask, yes I am working on an all crochet version as well!

So thanks again for your comments and questions... I love to hear your thoughts, so let me know what you'd like to see next in my shop!

Murray (the merry) reindeer

It's Christmas time, and I have an early gift for you...
As promised, our December CAL is a brand new reindeer pattern! You can download the pattern here, or on ravelry, and then join the ravelry group to share your progress.

Thanks for your support this year, and happy holidays to all!
Dawn.

Spooky cute Halloween projects

So I love Halloween! It's my favorite holiday to decorate for, and this year is no exception...
I have a few Halloween themed patterns available, but this one was made just for me. This little wolf boy has been on my mind for a while (I think I first sketched him out last year) and I'm so glad I finally took the time to create him! I did some experimenting to get his hair just the way I pictured it, using a latch hook technique to attach wool yarn in 5 different colors to the head. Then brushing the hair with a wire pet brush, and finally working the hair rubbing and twisting in my fingers until it was the shape I wanted. As an accent I also added quilting thread, felt, and fabric strips to the hair in strategic spots to get a slightly "wild" look. I used the same process on the tail... and yes it took a really long time, but he is just what I wanted!

What are you working on for Halloween? What are you thinking about making...
Are you like me, do you have one of those projects that just doesn't make the cut year after year? Let's hear about it!

Crochet-a-long: Manuel part 4

Last part, here we go!

When we attached the legs to the belly(part1) we left 9 leg stitches open per leg, and these are the stitches we are going to pick up and use to begin the main body. So choose a leg as the starting point (they're all the same so it's your choice), find the first stitch(right most stitch, closest to the belly)and attach yarn. The starting point you choose will be the center back of the monkey. Begin R1 here.




R1-3: SC across. (36 sts)
R4: SC next 10, begin attaching muzzle by lining up 15 stitches of the last row of the muzzle with next 15 stitches of body and work SC through both layers, SC last 11. (36 sts)
R5: SC next 4, join first ear by lining up next 6 sts with 6 sts of bind of edge of the ear(make sure the ear is facing the front!) SC through both layers, SC across 15 remaining muzzle sts, attach second ear over next 6 sts, SC last 5 sts. (36 sts)
R6: unravel last 3 sts made, begin attaching tail by lining up 9 sts of tail to next 9 sts of the body, SC next 30 sts.
R7: SC across working across 9 remaining tail sts.

Begin decreases.
R8: *SC 4, DCR1 over next 2 sts * repeat across. (30 sts)
R9: *SC 3, DCR1 over next 2 sts * repeat across. (24 sts)
R10: *SC 2, DCR1 over next 2 sts * repeat across. (18 sts)
R11: *SC 1, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (12 sts)
Time to stuff...
Stuff the legs first, stuffing pretty firmly. Then the body and tail. You can also add a wire to the tail at this point (if you want it to be posable). Otherwise you can pose it when your monkey is complete and stitch it in place. If you are using safety eyes you will want to attach them now as well.

R12: *DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (6 sts)
Bind off leaving a long tail. Weave tail through remaining stitches and pull to close. Secure and pull tail to inside to hide.


All that's left to do now are your finishing touches: eyes, expressions, accessories, anything you can think of!

Let's see your finished product! Post it on Ravelry: CAL with DawnToussaint

Crochet-a-long: Manuel part 2

Part 2 is a piece of cake, enjoy ;D

TAIL(make 1)
Start with (color B) a magic circle into which 6 SC are made.
R1: INCR1 in each stitch across (12 sts)
R2: *SC 1, INCR1* repeat across (18 sts)
R3 to end: SC until piece measures about 5-6 inches from beginning.
bind off and set aside.

MUZZLE(make 1)
Start with (color A) a magic circle into which 6 SC are made.
R1: INCR1 in each stitch across (12 sts)
R2: *SC 1, INCR1* repeat across (18 sts)
R3-4: SC across.
R5: *SC 2, INCR1* repeat across (24 sts)
R6: *SC 3, INCR1* repeat across (30 sts)
bind off and set aside.

Crochet-a-long: Manuel part 1

OMG it's CAL number 2... As requested, it's a monkey, crocheted together (no sewing required)! ENJOY ;D

This pattern will be in 4 installments, Wed & Sat (EST)!

As always, the rules remain the same, so here they are:
1. Ask any question or feedback that comes to mind while working on this project, that's why we're here!
2. Please share your pics, we want to see how it's going!
3. Even though this pattern is free, please don't copy and distribute it... but feel free to link to it here!


So here's the first installment of Manuel:
This pattern assumes that as you work, the "right side" is facing out.
color A is a natural cream colored wool(as seen in my pics)
color B is a brown colored wool(as seen in my pics)

LEGS(make 4)
Start with (color A) a magic circle into which 6 SC are made.
R1: INCR1 in each stitch across (12 sts)
R2: *SC 1, INCR1* repeat across (18 sts)
R3: Make bobble, SC next 17.
R4-5: SC across.
R6: change to color B, work a row of chain st across in front loops only.
R7: SC across in back loops skipped in previous row.
R8-15: SC across.
Bind off and set aside.




BELLY(make 1)
Start with (color B) a magic circle into which 6 SC are made.
R1: INCR1 in each stitch across (12 sts)
R2: *SC 1, INCR1* repeat across (18 sts)
R3: *SC 2, INCR1* repeat across (24 sts)
R4: *SC 3, INCR1* repeat across (30 sts)
R5: *SC 4, INCR1* repeat across (36 sts)
Next row joins legs to the belly (same technique we used for Padma)
R6: *With yarn attached to belly piece, pick up one of the legs and SC next 9sts through both belly and leg.* make sure your toes are pointing in toward the center of the belly! Repeat with each remaining leg, and bind off.

Crochet-a-long: Padma part 4

Last part, here we go!

When we attached the legs to the belly(part1) we left 12 leg stitches open, and these are the stitches we are going to pick up and use to begin the main body. But to minimize gaps between the legs we are also going to work in 2 of the stitches used to attached the leg and belly in our round (one on either side of the leg). That means we will work 14 stitches across each leg of this round. So choose a leg as the starting point (they're all the same so it's your choice), and identify the 12 open stitches, then go 1 stitch before and attach yarn. The starting point you choose will be the center back of the elephant. Begin R1 here.




R1-3: SC across. (56 sts)
R4: *SC 6, DCR1 over next 2 sts, SC 6* repeat across. (52 sts)
R5: SC across.
R6: SC 22, join trunk by aligning back 9 stitches of flattened trunk with next 9 stitches of body, SC through both layers of those 9 stitches, SC 21. (see image RIGHT)
R7: SC 22, SC front 9 stitches of flattened trunk, SC next 21 on body.

Make Padma's tail here by chaining 12, turn, skip 2 ch and work slip st in next 10 ch (working back toward body).
R8: *SC 5, DCR1 over next 2 sts, SC 4, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (44 sts)
R9: SC across
R10: *SC 4, DCR1 over next 2 sts, SC 3, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (36 sts)
R11: SC across
R12: *SC 6, join ear by aligning 7 stitches of flattened ear with next 7 sts of body, SC through both layers of those 7 stitches, SC 5* repeat.
R13: *SC 4, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (30 sts)
Time to stuff...
stuff the legs first, stuffing pretty firmly. Then the body and a small amount in the trunk to help shape the face. Don't over stuff the body, since you will have one last chance to add some stuffing before closing. If you are using safety eyes you will want to attach them now as well.
R14: *SC 3, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (24 sts)
R15: *SC 2, DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (18 sts)
Last chance to get in any stuffing before closing!
R16: *SC 1 ,DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (12 sts)
R17: *DCR1 over next 2 sts* repeat across. (6 sts)
Bind off leaving a long tail. Weave tail through remaining stitches and pull to close. Secure and pull tail to inside to hide.


All that's left to do now are your finishing touches: eyes, expressions, accessories, anything you can think of!

Let's see your finished product! Post it on Ravelry: CAL with DawnToussaint