Easy, quick, and simple enough for a 3 yr old to dress that pesky barbie shape. Have you ever tried to help a 3 yr old with those awful barbie outfits??? Their as impossible as Barbie is. This fits any small Pony/Barbie type body in many ways. Try putting a fastener (velcro or a snap) at the middle of both ends of the tube. Then you can clasp the tube under the Pony tail, and under the Pony neck for a very nice little suit!
Trim with fun fancy yarn for some flair. Or leave it as it
comes off the machine and let the ends roll.
Materials:
Any dress, cotton, or scraps very thin yarn.
Note: choose cast on #1 or #2 or #3 for closed end circular cast on. #3 being the most work for the knitting machine, instead of the knitter.
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Pattern:
Cast on: If you can't manage the e-wrapping done circular to cast on #1-3 method, then just start knitting on scrap yarn for 10 or more rows, then one row of ravel cord. Then, leaving a long enough tail, just start knitting with your main yarn. Use the yarn tail at the beginning to run through the open "live" st. of main yarn above the ravel cord. Barbie won't mind, and you can do a quick edging over it to hide it if you like. Try a fringe from the Fringe page. You could also finish the top of the tube this way if you did not want to cast off and wanted to zip off a lot of little barbie tubes in a hurry.
To do all this: T4/4 (or adjust for yarn and machine) Set for Half Pitch (H) on ribber. Slide lever to I. 10-0-10 on both beds (less for thicker yarn, or tighter clothes). Set knitter for zig zag cast on with no part buttons on.
Knit across and hang a ribber comb and large weight.
Set up for circular knitting. Left part button on main carriage, and right part button on ribber. Knit in circular on waste yarn for at least 10 rows, and then one row on both beds with ravel cord.
RC 000, Thread up main yarn, and begin circular knitting. Go to "tube" directions below.
Closed Cast on #1---T4/4 (or adjust for yarn and machine) Set for Half pitch (H) on ribber. Slide lever to I. 10-0-10 on both beds (less for thicker yarn, 8-0-8 for tighter clothes).
Set up knitter for a zig zag cast on. No part buttons on ribber or main bed.
Knit across. Hang ribber comb and one large weight.
Set up for circular knitting. Left part button on main carriage, and right part button on ribber. Knit in circular on waste yarn and then one row on both beds with ravel cord.
RC 000, COL-Pull out all needles on the main bed that will knit next. E-wrap (or crochet cast on) with main yarn toward cariage, and thread carriage with this yarn.
Knit across.
Pull out all needles on ribber and e-wrap away from carriage with the yarn from the carriage that is being knitted. Move the ribber and main carriage carefully to the other side and thread up with yarn from the e-wrapping before continuing. Now you have main yarn ready to knit circular. Hang one ribber claw weight on each side of tube with a large ribber weight on each one or keep the ribber comb in with a large weight.
Go to "tube" directions below.
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Closed Cast on #2-- T4/4 (or adjust for yarn and machine) Quick cast on of your choice, CO 20 (or 16) ST.
Knit approx. 10 rows, more or less on scrap yarn
Knit one row ravel cord.
Thread up the mast with main yarn. E-wrap, (or crochet cast on) over ravel cord on 20 (or 16) st.
Knit across.
Set ribber to H, to knit every needle, slide lever to I. T4/4. Set both carriages for circular knitting. Left part button on main carraige, and right part button on ribber.
Then hang half of the st. on the ribber in a tubular shape. Keeping the other half still on the main bed. Now you are set for circular knitting with a closed cast on edge. Hang ribber claws on each side of the tube (one for main bed, one for ribber) with a large ribber weight on each.
Go to "tube" directions below.
Closed Cast on #3-- T4
Cast on any quick method and knit 10, or so, rows of scrap yarn.
COR knit one row with ravel cord and put ribber cast on comb on the stitches.
COL put in both part buttons on the main bed and ribber bed carriages and moved the carriage to the right with no yarn in it. This is a free pass.
COR pull main bed needles to hold positon and e-wrap the needles (or crochet cast on). Remove part buttons on the MB carriage and knit across.
COL put main bed part buttons back on. Bring carriage back to the right side.
COR Pull ribber bed stitches to hold positions and e-wrap them (or crochet cast on). Remove part buttons and knit one row across.
cast on is complete, but you have a little jog on the right hand side. If you hang a stitch heel earlier in the set-up, you can probably avoid it.
Set the machine for circular knitting. Left main bed part button pushed in, and the right ribber bed part button up.
Go to "Tube" for next directions.
Note: Diane is the one who made up the #3 cast on for me after I fretted and worried over how to do it. Thank you Diane!
Please visit Diane's site "Diminity's Dry Goods and Emporium" for the marvelous "Penny Sock", and "Mini-Penny Sock". It's the model for technical how to of my preschool size sock. While your there I hope you notice the exceptionally cute sweater pattern she has! "Bella Lace". You won't be sorry...
Tube: Knit about 50 circular rows for a skimpy top and skanky skirt, about 100 circular rows for waist legnth top , or skirt. Knit about 200 rows for dress. (adjust for your tension and particular yarn) If you want it to draw in at the waist more, you can dial down the tension for a few rows in the middle of the knitting. Even the long tubes fit the Pony as well as Barbie. Dress Pony's from the back legs up for the tighter tubes.
Trim as desired. Add elastic waist, or skirt hem, if you want. the younger the Barbie dresser, the easier it is with nothing but a tube. Try fun fur crochet at the edges! Or go to my fringes page and pick one of the crochet like fringes. They are very stable for kids and barbies.
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Copyright © Natalie Langkilde 2004
All rights reserved unless permission from the author nammyl@charter.net