Chain-mail & Granny Squares

I have way too many things on the go right now, that I'm finding it difficult to focus. It also doesn't help that spring is finally here, and now there's all kinds of things needing to be done outside. As far as doll costuming goes, I was waiting to hear back from Iplehouse about their annual Photo Contest. This year they want people to come up with a short story relating to their ongoing 'Carved Heritage' series of dolls.  Well, I don't own any of them - mostly because I'm not into the larger dolls, and they never bothered to introduce a JID male character - which is about the only one I might have been interested in.  But I did have an idea for a side story with my other Iplehouse dolls, so thought I'd better ask first before I go wasting my time. Here's what they said....

We want you to include at least one Carved Heritage doll. 
If Carved Heritage doll isn't included, it will be excluded from the prize. 

Okay, all I can say is they don't seem to have much imagination, and are severely limiting the people who can enter then. So good thing I asked. But of course I posted my question on the first day of their five-day May holiday, and it's obviously taken awhile for them to get back to work and answer.

While I was waiting, I couldn't really start on my next doll costume, so I spent my time starting a tiny crochet afghan using the needle-punch yarn. There's no specific colour pattern, just a 'go with the flow'.

In preparation for some fantasy costumes, I also decided to take apart the chain-mail glove my son gave me three years ago. Up until now I've just used four of the fingers as sleeves on two separate outfits, but the costumes I have in mind now need larger sheets of chain mail. It was surprising after everything was cut (one welded loop at a time) into flat sheets, just how much there was. 

All I was left with was the thumb of the glove, and I wondered if I cut the top cap off the thumb, would it work as a chain-mail collar?  So I tried it on Miles, and yes, it would! Of course the doll's head has to come off in order to put it on, but that's easily enough done.

So now it's back to Peach's birthday cake, crocheting some more Granny squares, planting up my hanging baskets outside, choosing fabrics for the next doll costume - after I decided who I'm going to make something for first.  Lots to do!