![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaZFtrcB4sSWdb6sDCccgrqHYtypzJwyaDLRYTJJY1RvA/image.png)

I was reading a very interesting post by @crosheille on an activity using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  You can visit her post  [here](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@crosheille/barbie-stem-kit-engineering-a-spinning-clothes-rack) for more details.  

The doll and clothes rack reminded me of my knitting, crocheting and sewing outfits for my (3) daughters’ dolls and teddies.    I ~~rescued~~  unearthed some and, fortunately, @jen0revision found one of the surviving dolls.  

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWt2qmeWLrigLdZcbf1c3KwkgjxuWkAdi8d7WdK1PJ9FS/image.png)

It's a bit shocking for me to think that these dresses must now be well over 10 years old.   I don’t have, therefore, a step by step photo tutorial  of how I made them.   

At the time I tried very hard to find suitable outfits that were easy to use by boisterous children.  I also wanted to improve my skills as part of the making process.

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRKjKvzfdmwdSGYN5fZMQgmP1PNPbWBEF7poRFpFjGYsm/image.png)

I always used 4-ply (thin yarn) and for the raglan sleeve / top down dark green cardigan above  I used size 2mm needles (may be size 0 in the US).  It was an extremely challenging cardigan to make because of the dark colour I foolishly chose. The pattern was hard to understand too so I realise it's not perfect, but I was proud of my ‘nano’ knitting at the time.  I never found small enough buttons to finish it properly, but it was a toy anyway ...  

The crocheted  cardigan that you see in the first photo was made using a size 2 to 2.5mm crochet hook.  That was a really fast project that was also ‘top down’.


Three things were always great when knitting, crocheting or sewing outfits for dolls :
- It was really fast to complete a ‘whole outfit’ 
- The outfits always fitted the dolls (and no zippers were ever needed) 
- The children were  always grateful to get new things for the dolls.   This was always the point too : to encourage their own creativity by seeing me making and measuring things, and finding ways of ‘making do’ with what we had.

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQvWqTPcLnLykUVKXkDpqYNcL6MfHK5CcJjo7ZRy38ing/image.png)

I also knitted companions for their dolls.   Actually the little dog below is one of the  last doll-related things I’ve made - so it is much more recent dating back to 2011 and [here's the pattern](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/20/royal-wedding-knitting-pattern-corgi?INTCMP=SRCH).

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXGDvjxNe4Z8PNM7CYynRjPQYag6kXB3TSyGVw1YDeLyf/image.png)

The dog is supposed to be a Pembroke Welsh corgi, but the ears keep turning forward.  

Anyhow,   thanks to @crosheille for hosting #needleworkmonday !

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_all photos by @cryptocariad_

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