In this post I’d like to show you some outfits which were all knitted from the same ball of yarn. I acquired a 100 gram ball of Panda Lyscot knitting & crochet cotton. It’s a 100% mercerised cotton. I don’t know a great deal about cotton yarns as I’ve only recently started knitting with them so I decided to find out what mercerised means. For those of you who don’t know here is a definition:
Mercerisation is a treatment for cellulosic materials, typically cotton threads, that strengthens them and gives them a lustrous appearance. The process is now less frequently used for linen and hemp threads.
The modern production method for mercerised cotton, also known as “pearl” or “pearle” cotton, gives cotton thread (or cotton-covered thread with a polyester core) a sodium hydroxide bath that is then neutralized with an acid bath. This treatment increases lustre, strength, affinity to dye, resistance to mildew, but, on the other hand, increases its affinity to lint.
Cotton with long staplefibre lengths responds best to mercerisation. Mercerised thread is commonly used to produce fine crochet.
Our models today are two regulars, Midge and Marissa and a newcomer to this blog, Sally.
- Midge – 2001 Aviator AAFES Barbie
- Marissa – Fashionista Raquelle 2012
- Sally – Spinning Bubble Fairy Barbie 1998
Sally is wearing another version of the dress I showed you in the last post. It is a snugger fit and looks a bit see through. Sally should probably wear a slip with this to avoid the same sort of embarrassing incident that happened to Lady Diana Spencer many moons ago when she was photographed in a see-through skirt.
Marissa is wearing a crop top and skirt. The skirt is the same pattern as the purple one in the previous post. I actually did not think that it would fit over her larger hips but it does although rather snugly. I think that the rib stitch band looks better in this yarn.
The lacy stitch on the top is a bit see-through as well but Marissa is not the modest type.
Next in Midge in a bikini set. I’ve made this in various yarns already some thicker and some thinner than this one but I think that this is the perfect yarn weight for this. It fits Midge quite snugly and fabric is firm. The panties will not fit the larger hipped dolls so I’ll have to experiment either with a snap fastener at the back or possibly adding a few stitches to make it a bit bigger.
All these garments haven’t even made a dent in the ball of yarn so I can use it to create quite a lot more outfits. I’m also thinking about getting some in another colour to make striped tops and bottoms. I think this last one would look quite good in navy and white.
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls 
What amazingly fine knitting. These are beautiful garments that fit well. Too bad my boys are beyond their fashion doll stage. 😉
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Did they have one ?:)
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They both liked them for years but my older boy especially enjoyed them. He called them all his “Barbies” but they also had individual names. He had both adult and children dolls and a horse. He liked dressing them in different outfits, posing them as families and driving them around in the sports car. We accumulated a file-sized box of dolls and another box of clothes and accessories from garage sales. It was hard to see those go when we down-sized.
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I can imagine it would have been. I know that one day I’ll have to downsize my collection and it will be hard to let them go.
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🙂
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Lovely work, and great info on mercerized cotton. I always thought it had to do with spinning it. It is cool to learn what it really is. lol
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gorgeous work. I imagine these would dye rather well,if there were some thing you wanted to custom match ,.will these shrink after washing?
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I would normally handwash in cold or lukewarm water so I would not think so but in a hot machine wash or if you dunked it in boiling water maybe. I haven’t tried. May experiment some day.
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