Ada Matinee, hat & shoes 18" chest

Ada Matinee: Knitted Cardigan, Hat & Shoes for 18" Chest

What is Being Made

The Ada Matinee is a complete three-piece knitted ensemble designed for 18" chest dolls, created by Designs by Tracy D. This project includes a fitted cardigan with button closures, a coordinating hat, and matching shoes, making it an ideal intermediate-level knitting project for doll clothing.

Garment Details: Cardigan

The cardigan features a structured construction with shaped armholes and a fitted silhouette. The pattern includes left and right front pieces that are worked separately, with specific shaping instructions for the arm openings. The cardigan is fastened with 5 buttons, providing both functional closure and decorative detail. The body is worked primarily in stockinette stitch, with decorative patterning incorporated into the design.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch (STST): The primary stitch used for the main body of the cardigan, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Yarn Over (YO): Used to create decorative eyelet details and lace elements throughout the pattern
• Decreases: Multiple decrease techniques including K2TOG (knit 2 together), SKPO (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over), and SSK (slip, slip, knit) to shape the garment and create patterned details
• Increases: M1 (make 1) technique used to pick up loops between stitches for shaping
• Slipped Stitch: Incorporated for textural variation and refined edges
• Cast On and Cast Off: Standard techniques used to begin and finish pieces, with specific cast-off instructions for armhole shaping

Stitch Patterns

The Ada design incorporates a lace pattern featuring alternating yarn overs and decreases. The pattern sequence includes purl stitches combined with yarn overs and centered decreases (P3TOG - purl 3 together) to create an elegant openwork design. The repeating pattern structure allows for consistent visual interest across the front panels and other garment sections.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 200g of DK (double knit) weight yarn in a single color
• Needles: Two sizes required - 4mm needles for the main fabric and 3.25mm needles used together with the 4mm needles
• Notions: 5 buttons for cardigan closure and a small amount of ribbon for the hat

Tension and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a tension of 22 stitches to 30 rows over 4 inches (10cm) using 4mm needles in DK yarn. This tension measurement is essential for achieving the correct finished size of 18" chest. Maintaining consistent tension throughout the project ensures proper fit for the doll garment.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, the Ada Matinee requires knitters to be comfortable with basic stitch techniques, pattern reading, and shaping methods. The combination of stockinette stitch with lace patterning, multiple decrease techniques, and garment construction across multiple pieces makes this suitable for knitters with some experience beyond beginner level.

Additional Components

Beyond the cardigan, this pattern includes instructions for creating a coordinating hat and shoes to complete the ensemble. The hat incorporates the ribbon detail, while all pieces are designed to work together as a cohesive outfit for the 18" doll.