Playing with scale for dollhouse crochet

Scale is everything with miniature crochet

​I specialize in crocheting dollhouse bedspreads, and I usually make them to fit a miniature queen-size bed. This means that my bedspreads can't be more than 6 inches from top to bottom, but they can be as wide as 8 inches.
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The fun part is to get as much detail and as many stitches into your little textile as possible.  To do that, you need to work in the smallest scale that you can.  That means fine thread and tiny hooks of course.  

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I wanted to show how you can adapt just about any crochet motif to 1/12 scale.  I found a good crochet pattern to play around with in a vintage issue of Magic Crochet.  Designer Myoshi Kuroi used a classic wheat motif as the repeating square of a gorgeous tablecloth.   
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I worked the motif up into a 6 inch square with a size 8 hook steel and a #30 cotton thread. It's a beautiful design, but clearly out of scale for a miniature bedroom!

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I worked it again, but changed hook, thread and stitches to make a miniature afghan.  

I used very fine thread and a size 13 hook. In addition, I substituted half double for the double crochet stitches.  With some additional rows to frame the design, I have an afghan that will fit very nicely on a miniature queen-size bed.  

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I did a little more tweaking and reworked the border, using a simple shell pattern that had a little more structure.  I also tea-dyed the textile for a warmer look.  Just a few simple changes, and now the design is perfect for a dollhouse display.  And it is One Of A Kind.

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Detail of thread crochet stitches in this unusual miniature bedspread.

Delicate dollhouse bedspread with a lovely shell stitch border.