Where I get my patterns and how to do a project like this frugally.

I am an average teenager, an average unemployed teenager, so all my money for this project comes from gifts or from one of my knitting commissions (For example I crocheted a tetris cell phone cozy for someone I know who will soon be in a tetris movie, that pocketed me about 15 dollars, all or practically all of which went to my doll project.)

YARN
    The yarn is simple to obtain, thriftstores often have a yarn section. I could head to a thrift store and pick up two skeins of baby, sock, or fingering weight yarn for about $2.50 (my trusty google says this translates to 1.5726£ or 1.8921 euros). True, this is usually red heart or some other acrylic yarn but it works especially if you are like me and have allergies to most animal fibers.

   Another option to use that you could also get from the thrift store is crochet thread also known as crochet cotton. When making doll clothes I usually suggest size 3 or size 10 crochet thread (size three is bigger.)

Both types of yarn can come in many vibrant colors including variegated (which I don't suggest for using for doll clothes because the color changes can become overwhelming.) Most of the yarn used in my doll projects are made from yarn from thrift stores.

THE DOLLS

Where do I look for dolls? My trusty friends the thrift store and the garage sales. You can buy most of these barbies in the price range of from $.75 to $6.00 used. Keep in mind just because a barbie is more expensive doesn't mean it is better. Here are some examples. One of these dolls was $ 1.25 and fully clothed (not in the clothes she is in now) and the other was only $.75 also fully clothed (in the clothes she is shown in.) Can you tell which is which?

I don't think so.

A good price for a Kelly doll is between $.10 and $.75. I have bought a bag of 6 Kelly dolls for $2.50 before, which isn't a bad deal.

As for Ken, if you find one for under $5.00 buy it, especially if it is clothed. Kens (especially non-white Kens) are fairly difficult to find.

If you can't find a Ken  and you want one for your doll 'family' you can always find a GI Joe (which tend to be more expensive at thrift stores, but about the same price as Kens at garage sales.)

CLOTHES TO GO WITH THE KNITTED AND CROCHETED ITEMS

So... where do you think I will go first for shoes and other clothes that are not knitted or crocheted for barbies? If you said thrift stores and garage sales you are RIGHT!

You can buy bags of clothes for about $2.50 at thrift stores and the prices are all over the place at garage sales.

QUESTIONS ABOUT KEN'S CLOTHES.

So you might ask if Ken can wear GI Joe clothes or vice versa, the answer is usually. Try them and see, as it all depends.

BARBIE KNITTING PATTERNS

Just Barbie

http://www.sindyclothes.com/Sindy%20Knitting%20Patterns.htm

This lovely site is full of clothes originally intended for Sindy, a doll about the same size as Barbie but they will work just as well for Barbie. There is a lovely nurse pattern that I am currently working on. ^_^

http://happyyellowhouse.com/htm/easterfrock.html

A fairly easy pattern.

http://www.crochetnmore.com/fashiondollsundress.htm

This site has many many patterns for barbie.

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/dollsbarbie.htm
Cute barbie witch pattern on here, as well as other cute things.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTblythe.html

Blythe, like Sindy is a doll with a body about the same size as barbie.

This is just a tasting of Barbie patterns avalible, I will post more on a different post later on when I can feel my fingers again.I will post Ken and Kelly clothes on a seperate post, different from Barbie clothes patterns