Designer Spotlight: Grace Notes Doll & Clothing by Beth Webber

Making dolls is Beth Webber’s passion – and more than that, it’s her talent. Whether sewn, crocheted or knit, she sees each one as “a tangible expression of grace.”

So it’s perfectly fitting that Beth named her newest doll Grace Notes. Knit in the round from the bottom up, Beth paid extra attention to make sure her doll’s feet weren’t too big. She used a tight gauge so stuffing wouldn’t poke through and added a pipe cleaner wrapped in batting to reinforce the neck. After a couple of prototypes, she started making clothes. Grace Notes Simple Sundress & Shrug and Grace Notes Shorts & Tee Shirt are two fun options knit in our Vintage yarn. Best of all, you can get the patterns free on Ravelry!

How long have you been knitting/crocheting?

I taught myself to knit a little over two years ago, and  I have been crocheting since my grandmother taught me over 45 years ago.

Any interesting stories about your design process?

Not all knit increases are created equal.  The first two prototypes were knitted using the ‘knit front-and-back’ increase, which looked, frankly, clunky.  For the final doll, I used a lifted increase, which made a lovely, practically invisible, increase.

What made you choose this yarn?

I absolutely love Berroco Vintage for making dolls, especially the color, Fondant – it is a perfect, pale pink. This yarn feels wonderful when knitting with it. It’s a tactile joy!

Any knitting disaster stories?

One of my aunts tried to teach me to knit when I was 10, but gave up and told me ‘knitting is too hard for you to learn!’ That negative lesson stayed with me for way too many years, until I came upon a knit doll (by Fiona McDonald) that I just had to make. So, I taught myself to knit!

What’s your favorite thing about knitting/crochet?

My favorite thing about knitting and crocheting is the infinite variety that can be created by a ball of yarn and a hook or two sticks. A toy to comfort, a blanket for warmth, a sweater, dress, doily, lace, yarn bombing, mittens and cozies…ad infinitum.

Do you have a cool design you want to share? Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn? You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.