Thursday 7 April 2016

AKA Amigurumi Apparel: Superhero Cape

Kwokkie Doll from behind where she can show off her royal blue cape with yellow initials inside a red border.  Her harmony day clothes consist of an orangge beanie, red dress and red sneakers with white laces.  She is wearing a red yarn ribbon in her black hair and an orange sleeveless vest for Harmony Day.
Kwokkie Doll
wearing her cape.
"Is it a bird?"
"Is it a plane?"

It's …
Super-Kwokkie!
  
A quick post about the superhero cape worn by 
Kwokkie Doll on Harmony Day this year.

Kwokkie Doll had already left on her journey with the Little Colourful Teacher, Ms A.K., when it was decided that she should have a cape.  Not just any old cape–a superhero cape.

A common piece of attire on fun occasions like school sports days, a superhero cape was an absolutely essential wardrobe piece. It takes courage to leave one's comfort zone and seek adventure far away as our two friends did, so the cape's other purpose was to inspire.

Because Kwokkie Doll's 'working title' was AKA Amigurumi and she was travelling with Ms A.K. (who was doing some pretty heroic things at the time), it was decided that her cape would be decorated with the initials 'A.K.'

A deep blue crocheted cape with 'string' ties, all made with 8 ply acrylic yarn. The yellow initials 'A.K.' are embroidered in the centre of a red outlined 5-sided shape similar to an inverted triangle with the top corners cut off at an angle and the main point pointing downwards.
After many doodles and sketches, the design was set and embroidered onto the cape.
The cape is made of 8 ply acrylic yarn and is a great way to use up small leftovers.  The cape weighed only 5 grams and needed less than 15 metres of yarn for the main body of the cape.  The embroidery used tiny amounts of scrap acrylic.

Today I am happy to share my pattern notes.  The cape was made with a 4.5 mm aluminium hook. My favourite hook for working with 8 ply acrylic has a red, lightweight, plastic handle which makes it easy on the hands.



Kwokkie Doll's Superhero Cape
designed by Jodiebodies for personal use only

This pattern uses US crochet terms because the original Lily Doll patterns are from the USA. Abbreviations are listed at the end.

One stitch is worked into each stitch of the previous row unless otherwise specified; e.g. '5 sc' means '(1 single crochet stitch worked into the next stitch) 5 times'  or 'Work 5 single crochet stitches across the next 5 stitches'.  Turning chains are not counted as stitches.

Foundation: 9 ch
Row 1: 2 ch, 2 hdc in next st, 5 sc, 2 hdc in next st, turn (9 sts)
Row 2: 3 ch, 4 dc, 3 dc in next st, 4 dc, turn (11 sts)
Row 3: 2 ch, 3 hdc, 2 dc in next st, 3 hdc, 2 dc in next st, 3 hdc (13 sts)
Row 4: 2 ch, 13 hdc, turn (13 sts)
Row 5: 3 ch, 2 dc in next st, 5 dc, 2 dc in next st, 5 dc, 2 dc in next st, turn (16 sts)
Row 6: 3 ch, 16 dc, turn (16 sts)
Row 7: 3 ch, 16 dc, turn (16 sts)
Row 8: 3 ch, 15 dc, 2 dc in next st, turn (17 sts)
Row 9: 3 ch, 17 dc, turn (17 sts)
Row 10: 3 ch, 17 dc, turn (17 sts)
Row 11: 3 ch, 17 dc, fasten off (17 sts)
Finish by working sl st around edge in same colour starting at the top corner and working around the side and bottom edges until the opposite top corner is reached. Secure the thread and use the loose ends as ties.   

ch - chain
dc - double crochet 
hdc - half double crochet
sc - single crochet 
st(s) - stitch(es)

© lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au, March 2014
This pattern is for personal use only and is not to be sold, copied or re-published without permission from Jodiebodie of Lupey Loops.  Please link back to this page when telling others about it. Thank you!


Sometimes I think we all need a superhero cape for those times when we fight a good fight and find ourselves achieving amazing things.


When was the last time you could have used a superhero cape?





Links

AKA Superhero Cape, Ravelry project page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Jodiebodie/aka-superhero-cape

Little Colourful Teacher, blog: http://littlecolourfulteacher.com


Related Posts on Lupey Loops



"AKA Amigurumi Apparel: Harmony Day", 21 March 2016: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/aka-amigurumi-apparel-harmony-day.html

6 comments:

  1. Hi Jodie! I love your idea of having a superhero cape for the doll! Well done! I bet it looks smashing on!

    Enjoy your week!
    Ingrid xx
    Myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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    Replies
    1. Hi Ingrid! I was so pleased that the cape fit and it looks great. It is good to see the photos that Ms AK shares. It's a bit of fun and fantasy. You need to find fun in this life! :-)

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  2. Everybody needs a superhero cape, now you have to make an adult one!
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    Replies
    1. Are you throwing down the gauntlet, Meredith? ;-) Hmmm!

      I just realised I hadn't answered my own question about when I last needed a superhero cape. Some days, just getting dinner on the table and getting the dishes done feels like a superhuman feat. Maybe I should have a superhero cape hanging next to my kitchen apron!

      Seriously, I do like the ease of capes, especially bed capes, and it is interesting to see full capes coming back into style. Maybe I will search for a nice full cape to crochet. Once I saw one at the Royal Adelaide Show made of alpaca and the price tag was over AU$500. Now, there's a good reason to crochet my own! :-)

      Gillian at Hookin'a Yarn blog made a beautiful poncho - I love the style - but it is knitted not crocheted.

      Do you have any suggestions for crocheted capes?
      We can 'save the world' one crochet stitch at a time! hehehe
      Have fun! :-)

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  3. Replies
    1. Coming from you, Amalia, a goddess of adorableness yourself, that is a special compliment. Thank you!

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