2012 a New Year ~ and a New model doll

Happy New Year: 2012 beckons new beginnings in so many ways . . . . 

 

Firstly my thoughts quickly turn back the pages of time, to thoughts of my dear departed Mum, who sadly passed away from this physical plane 2nd Jan 2011 . . . . .
At times, I cannot fathom that she is no longer at the end of the phone line chatting away, no longer sending those loving cards . . . . and then there are times that I cannot believe it has been almost a whole year . . .
. . . time will heal I am sure of that, yet the more time goes by, the more I naturally miss her and my Dad even more so. I am smiling more today with my treasured memories  . . . and in a strange way, I am deeply consoled that my mum is now where she wanted to be, reunited once again with her life partner, my Dad . . . . 
Which brings me to my passion; my knitting and my dolls . . . they bring me much comfort and joy, providing an avenue to let go and let God . . . to explore my creative inspirations through dressing and designing for these 18 inch dolls; who, in their silence, have brought me so much pleasure, satisfaction and new virtual friendships beyond my wildest dreams.

I love designing & knitting for dolls and in turn sharing that passion too!!

And so it gives me much pleasure to share my new doll, Lena; (pictured far right) ~ 
a Kidz 'n' Cats 18 inch girl from the Heart & Soul Collection by doll artist Sonja Hartmann

Kidz 'n' Cats play dolls from 'With Heart and Soul' are designed by Sonja Hartmann. These stunning 18" dolls have beautifully sculpted faces and bodies (all vinyl) with extra moveable joints, and have hand knotted kanekalon wigs and acrylic eyes.

Read more here at Bambolina . . . . 

pictured here on Christmas day

Over time I will be designing and knitting for her, and of course my current Gotz girls . . . even as I write this post, I have already started a sweater which is currently on my needles, and I hope to be providing a pattern too! . . more on that in another post. 

What I love about this new girl is her articulation, how she comes alive in photo shoots, also I love that she is 18 inches tall, although slimmer than the American Girl dolls and my 18 inch Gotz models, I know I will be able to create designs for her with a little tweaking of my current designs.
Having a new model always brings an additional excitement, I love the challenges of creating for a new girl and cannot wait to share with you . . . . .

 

Be sure to check in on designs from my 2012 Winter Collection:

My thoughts have turned to the ski season with images of all things Nordic and Icelandic, so with this in my minds eye, I will be creating ensembles that reflect my love of fair isle patterns, represented in ensembles with a modern flare.

These completed ensembles I will showcase here and will once again be available for sale some time after the new year, in auctions listed on eBay, via a store my husband and I have, you will find them under my label Debonair Designs at Tekay-intl
  
Thank you for your shared interest, be safe and have yourselves a memorable and happy new year ~  Warmest regards, Deb & Dolls 

Christmas Blessings:

Christmas Blessings: Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays 

 
I will be taking a short break from knitting doll designs to celebrate Christmas with my family along with some much needed reflection as I approach the anniversary of my parents passing away . . . a difficult time . . . but I am surrounded with the love and support of my husband and children and am blessed to have a close relationship with my brothers, sister-in-laws and family across the miles in the UK.

Baking is planned for next week :)) I always feel closer to my mom when I am in the kitchen; my parents loved baking, so I inherited both their skills and some favourite traditional recipes. Thoughts of what to bake in turn had inspired this fair isle capelet ensemble I recently auctioned in our eBay store (now in the hands of a private collector).

Holiday Spice (and all things nice!!)

modeled by Julia from Gotz' 2003 Precious day Collection

 
 

Coming Soon from my 2011/2012 Winter Collection:

My thoughts have turned to the ski season with images of all things Nordic and Icelandic, so with this in my minds eye, I will be creating ensembles that reflect my love of fair isle patterns, represented in ensembles with a modern flare.

These completed ensembles I will showcase here and will once again be available for sale some time after Christmas, in auctions listed on eBay, via a store my husband and I have, you will find them under my label Debonair Designs at Tekay-intl
  
 Thank you for your shared interest, be safe. Warmest regards, Deb & Dolls 

Winter Holiday Collection

The upcoming holiday season is in full swing all around . . . .  I love this time of the year; the festive lights and awe-inspiring window displays.
So it is befitting to present the latest off my knitting needles, three capelet outfits from my 2011 Winter Holiday Collection. These finished ensembles are currently available for sale in auctions listed on eBay, via a store my husband and I have, find them here under my label Debonair Designs at Tekay-intl
 
One of these three capelet ensembles, 'Hogmanay', that my Gotz model Katie will show, made use of a new-to-me stitch pattern, yet followed the basic stitches of my newly released capelet pattern, Tundra.


The other two capelet ensembles, 'Candy Cane' and 'Starlight', also made use of this versatile pattern, with a couple of exceptions: I made use of an accent faux fur for the edging, working these rows in garter stitch and added the same to the button-bands, then made use of a two color combination throughout.

Here are my Gotz girls, from the Little Sisters Collection, to show and tell. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did creating them. Thanks for looking, and happy holidays. Stay safe and warm, Deb

presenting: "Hogmanay" 
modeled by Katie from Gotz' 2001 Little Sisters collection

complete with coordinating Tam and full mitts



Meaning of 'Hogmanay'

 presenting: "Candy Cane"

modeled by Lily from Gotz' 2001 Little Sisters collection

complete with coordinating Beret and full mitts

read what the new owner of this ensemble, Candy Cane, had to say here on her blog Never grow up

presenting: "Starlight"

modeled by Tess from Gotz' 2001 Little Sisters collection

complete with coordinating Beret and full mitts, and perfect for celebrating Hanukkah too!

And one more final picture to share :)

For your knitting pleasure, the capelet pattern, Tundra, is also available for sale:  Buy Now. 

presenting White Christmas

Fall is at the height of the season, cool crisp air beckons frequent walks, but my thoughts have quickly turned to the upcoming Christmas holiday season. I love all things traditional when it comes to celebrating this beloved season, both in it's true meaning and the festive decorations. So I returned to one of my all time favorites, Bing Crosby's White Christmas, in particular the final scene as the barn doors are opened.
To kick start off this new series, I made use of my newly released capelet pattern, Tundra.
Only this time with modifications: I chose to reverse the button closure on two ensembles and work an accent white faux fur for the edgings, one includes the addition of a hood.





Hope you enjoy these as much as I did creating them. Thanks for looking, Deb

presenting: "White Christmas Trio" 
modeled by Elisabeth, Jessica and Emily from Gotz' 2003 Precious day collection

Firstly, modeled by Elisabeth is 'White Christmas', complete with Santa style hat and full mitts

 

Second, modeled by Emily is 'Silent Night', complete with fur brimmed hat and full mitts

and third, modeled by Jessica is 'First Noel', complete with hood and full mitts

And one more final picture to share :)

For your knitting pleasure, the capelet pattern, Tundra, is also available for sale:  Buy Now. 

Tundra, a winter inspired capelet ensemble

Fall may be out my windows in full glory, but my thoughts have quickly turned to thoughts of winter designs for my Gotz girls, which of course fit the popular American Girl dolls too!

The lush white coat of the arctic fox provides both warmth and camouflage in winter

Browsing through the wonderful, and resourceful world wide web provided me with my theme for this year's winter collection.
I chose to focus my designs on animals of the Arctic tundra; located at the top of the world around the North Pole, creating visions of fuzzy warm knits in this barren winter wonderland.





To celebrate and kick start off this new series, I not only have the entire ensemble available for sale via an eBay store; TEKAY-INTL, that my husband and I have, but also have the capelet pattern now available for your knitting pleasure, more details and link below . . .  Hope you enjoy this and more to come, as much as I did creating them. Thanks for looking, Deb

presenting: "Tundra" modeled by Jessica, from Gotz' 2003 Precious day collection

Capelet Pattern Now Available buy now

Tundra; a winter inspired capelet complete with back-buttoned closure for easy dressing, along with a ribbed stitch turtleneck for extra warmth.

 This versatile trendy capelet is a great addition to your doll’s winter wardrobe and sure to become her favorite winter wear. For a finishing touch, add your favorite hat and mitts. hat and mitts not included 

This complete ensemble is also available for sale via TEKAY-INTL, an eBay store, under my label, Debonair Designs.

The first in a series from my 2011 winter collection.

To complete the look, I worked a matching hat, that features a faux fur brim along with faux fur cuffed mitts added for a finishing touch.

Trendy Capelet Ensembles from my fall series

Presenting once again three more fall inspired capelet ensembles for your delight. I initially sought to make use of a variety of Autumn colors for this seasons collection, yet wanted to break away from the traditional sweaters. These capelets gave me the outlet for both passions: fair isle, color-work and the ease to knit many of them, producing unique one-of-a-kind ensembles and instant gratification too!

presenting: "Harvest" modeled by Julia, from Gotz' 2003 Precious day collection

presenting: "Dogwood II" modeled by Jessica, also from Gotz' 2003 Precious day collection

 















presenting: "Dogwood " modeled by Hayley, my 18in Madam Alexander girl

These one-of-a-kind capelet ensembles, modeled by my Gotz dolls, Julia and Jessica and my 18in Madam Alexander doll, Hayley are currently available for sale in auctions via eBay, where my husband and I have a store, Tekay-intl.
Each capelet comes complete with trendy fingerless-mitts along with a coordinating hat.
See my current listings under my label Debonair Designs for each description.
Thank you for looking, Deb :)

from Debonair Designs 2011 Fall Collection

Fall/Autumn is my most favorite season to create outfits for, with nature offering so much inspiration I just had to experiment with a variety of color combination and chose these fashion trendy capelet ensembles to showcase my love and passion for fair isle doll-sized clothing. 

These one-of-a-kind capelet ensembles, modeled by my Gotz dolls and my 18in Madam Alexander doll, are currently available for sale in auctions via eBay, where my husband and I have a store, Tekay-intl.
Each capelet comes complete with trendy fingerless-mitts along with a coordinating hat.
See my current listings under my label Debonair Designs for each description.

from left to right, back row: Hayley wearing Dogwood, Elisabeth in Cumbrian, Emily in Aspen, Jessica in Autumn Ombre and Julia in Catskills. Front row: Katie is wearing Blue Ridge, Tess in Autumn Flame and Lily in Blue Ridge II.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them . . more is on my needles, so check back often!

Designer's Note: Patterns for these capelets are not available, since most of my spare time is used creating them for the commercial market. Also I am flattered by the requests to do custom orders, but will not be taking custom requests or repeat ensembles, except at my own discretion. This is simply to protect my creative inspirations that I will be listing as soon as complete. I invite you to check in on my listings often for more new fall and winter designs . . thank you, Deb

Blue Ridge, a fall Inspired ensemble

Blue Ridge

A beautiful summer day beckons . . . but thoughts and inspirations for the upcoming fall season are on my needles. . . . in my search for color combination I rely on what nature offers and does so well . . .






 
presenting: Blue Ridge  . . another fair isle capelet with matching eyelet beret and complete with fingerless-mitts.


 

and: Blue Ridge II

 These one-of-a-kind ensembles are the second and third in a series for my upcoming 2011 Fall Collection, that feature a fair isle pattern worked throughout with accents along the picot edge and back-buttoned closure for easy dressing. I made use of my Eyelet Beret pattern, (found on my free knitting patterns page) . .  where I added a matching fair isle pattern along the brim.

Please note these finished ensembles will soon be listed in auctions for sale through our eBay store, Tekay-intl . . . as soon as all six are complete I will post the links . . thank you for looking and your shared interest, Deb.   

Debonairness is complete

  Presenting: Debonairness

My summer project is all complete . .I am thrilled with the results. Love the drape, and especially the ruffles. Now with this sense of achievement under my belt, I feel satisfied and ready to get back into knitting for my dolls!! Check back real soon  . . . Summer may be out my window, but thoughts of Fall will soon be on my needles!!

Headline news and my summer project

Original picture source: Daily Mail, UK

My summer project and knitting that is making headline news . . . . some of you may be aware of recent knitting news that has become increasingly popular, I am talking about, HRH Duchess of Cambridge, Kate's Shawl pictured and I too am smitten! 
So when I discovered that members of the knitting forum Ravelry, have embarked on creating a hand knitted version, I just knew that this too would be a summer project for me.
Never before have I ever considered wearing a shawl, let alone knitting one, but like I said, I was smitten; love the colorway, the drape, the ruffles and how fashionable it looks on Kate also because of what it will represent for me personally . . 

Firstly I have always been keen on latest fashion trends and try to keep that in mind when creating outfits for my dolls, doll-sized knitting works for me; it is very rewarding and offers instant gratification. Yet having a special adult-sized knitting project puts a spring in my step!


Secondly, I adore watching royal news and I too watched the royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton take place; I cried, I smiled and I rejoiced with the world over. Since I was born and raised in the UK, my interest in the royal family has been one of intrigue and fascination of a world I cannot even begin to imagine, a royalist? perhaps, but I am both proud to be British, AND an American!

Thirdly: With the recent loss of my dear Mom at the beginning of the year, just over 2 years of losing my Dad, and then a month later losing my aunt, my grief has at times been overwhelming . . . my knitting is of great comfort to me, and serves also as a tribute to my mom, who taught me at a tender young age. I need this knitting challenge. . . 
Today, I can finally say that I am smiling more now with my wonderful memories.

And finally: My mom and aunt were avid royalists, I even inherited my mom's newspaper clippings of the Queen's coronation. So in knitting this shawl for myself, I can wrap myself in their love, and feel that spiritual bond, and be proud of the art of knitting, of being both British and American, I love all the excitement and comradeship involved with re-creating this shawl and feel honored to be part of the group on Ravelry dedicated to making this happen. I can only hope that my efforts reflect such talented designs. 

So I thought I would post my progress here . .. with sooooo many stunning patterns to choose from, offering intricate workmanship, I have narrowed down my choices to three contenders, two of which I have worked doll-sized, to get a feel for the pattern, from there I will choose and cast on for mine!!


First up is a textured stitch pattern, called: "CopyKat Shawls" by designer Rose Beck, whose own story is very inspiring, and who kindly gave me permission to sell my finished doll-sized shawl, please note this will be a one-of-kind, my 18in Gotz doll, Elisabeth is modeling it, I chose her because of her hair coloring, to match with the heavily published photo of Kate shown above.  

For my second choice I chose this stunning pattern, "Princess Kate Shawl" by British designer Eleanor Lee. I worked the kerchief version, which in turn works great as a small shawlette pictured here on my 31in Himstedt doll, Henni. This second contender is simply stunning, as is the pattern support.

And so I have decided which one I will be casting on for my adult sized shawl . . . .  "Cambridge"  by designer Carol Sunday.

They all are truly stunning designs, but this one, Cambridge, called to me to most. I am hoping to be casting on today and be finished before summer is out! Who knows, I may just work another!!! . .  but for now I will focus my efforts on this choice.

Of course for those interested in my doll designs, they have taken a back seat, but only for a short spell, while I take a much needed summer break to spend some quality time with my husband and children; explore our new area; tend to some chores that I have neglected, and have some time for reflection, especially since losing so many family members recently . . my knitting is of great comfort to me and helps promote relaxation along with learning how to simply be, while at the same time offering a great learning curve that will naturally improve upon my knitting skills and perhaps inspire new designs. ~ thank you for reading, Deb.