Adventures in Doll Crocheting: Acanthus Top

Before I transitioned, I bought a copy of the Acanthus Top pattern from Morale Fiber. (UK crocheters, be warned that the pattern uses US crochet terms.) I ended up making the top and then not wearing it, which is a pity because it's really a nice design. I just had huge breasts and was self-conscious about them. (Below is the cover image on the Morale Fiber website; I am not that skinny.)

I decided to see if I couldn't scale the Acanthus down to Smart doll size. I divided everything by 3 and realized my girl was definitely an XS. (The Medium bust, or a Pear body, will probably get you a different size. Please note that the Acanthus Top sizes are given in imperial units, so you will need to measure these doll busts in inches.) For yarn, I used a pale-green bamboo crochet thread that I bought over a decade ago and lost the label for. I decided to try my 1.9mm hook first.

My gauge looked good, so I started at it. Rather than adhering to the numbers of rows specified in the original patterns, I looked instead at what looked good on the doll's body.

I'm an experienced crocheter, so here's how much time each bit of the pattern took:

• Each bralette cup: 1 hour
• Each strap and side panel: 1 hour
• Outer decoration and connecting the halves: 3 hours
• Total time: 7 hours

It's a nice quick project. Here's how my girl looks in it!