As 2014 draws to an end, I’m being reminded of the fact that it’s a whole new year soon and that means a whole new year’s worth of posts to think about. As I typically write posts for BlytheLife in advance, I’m asking you if you have any suggestions for post topics that you’d like to see in 2015!

Some general topics that you may want to know more about include:

• DIY knitting or crochet patterns (anything in particular you’d like to see made?)
• DIY tutorials for other doll-related crafts (make a suggestion!)
• Photography tips (I’m not the best, but I do try!)
• Facts about Blythes (what do you want to learn about?)
• Customization tips? What do you want to learn about?
• Question of Week happens every Monday – What questions do you have for the dolly community that you’d like to see asked?

You can post below or submit a suggestion through the submission form.

I also love doing interviews and hosting giveaways! If you’re interested in doing an interview with me on BlytheLife, let me know!

The thought of my Blythes taking part in hobbies that I partake in just tickles me, so I had to find a way to get them involved in knitting. If you already know how to knit, this DIY will be a lot easier for you. If you don’t already know how to knit, you will need to learn how to cast-on (I use the long tail cast-on) and how to do the knit stitch. I find that KnittingHelp.com (very appropriately named!) is very helpful when it comes to learning knitting, they have many free videos! Click to read more of this entry.

Moxie (SBB) wears ericaduh (dress); Sophie (CapChat) wears Kult of Kulta (dress); and Belarus (LM) wears ericaduh (dress).

There are a variety of stock hair cut styles available out there for Blythe:

• Side-part, no bangs (or fringe)
• Side-part, with bangs
• Centre-part, no bangs
• Centre-part, with bangs
• Short, medium-length, or long hair

And then for the type of hairs:

• Straight hair
• Curly hair

And any creative combination of the above. I’m not going to get into the different ways that they decide to cut/style the bangs, because I don’t even known how to refer to them (normal-looking vs. wonky?).

I’ve found that I greatly appreciate centre-part hair styles over side part, and I quite like it it with or without bangs. I find that the evenness of bangs is quite hit or miss when it comes to Takara quality these days.

What are your Blythe hairstyle preferences?

Mimi Bobeck x Blythe hybrids makes for a Blythe on a chubbier body. Is it a phase that will eventually wash out in the Blythe community, or is it here to stay for good? Only time will tell!

The Blythe community is no stranger to having Blythe heads on non-stock bodies. See: Licca, Pure Neemo, and Obitsu. Generally speaking, those bodies offer more posing capabilities with Blythe rather than detracting from what poses the doll initially has uncustomized. Mimi Bobeck, for those in the dark, was a character from The Drew Carey Show. There were dolls released of Drew Carey and Mimi Bobeck in relation to the show, both of which are considered to be collectible items.

If you are looking to get a Mimi Bobeck body for a doll either now or ‘sometime in the future’, might I recommend that you try to find one now before the prices get a little more exorbitant? Prices on eBay are climbing! Unlike Licca, Pure Neemo, and Obitsu, Mimi Bobeck dolls are no longer being manufactured which adds to the limited factor of how many are available which does nothing to help the price of each one.

The Mimi Bobeck doll, in her unaltered glory.

The Mimi Bobeck body has many differences from the standard Takara Blythe body:

• The knees do not bend
• The legs are naturally set further apart than Blythe’s legs are
• The hands are spread far apart (making it more difficult to dress)
• The neck must be adjusted to allow it to fit into a Blythe head
• The bust is larger
• The doll’s stomach is rounded
• The arms and legs are thicker
• The plastic is more rigid

Shoes (and we all know how much I love doll shoes) are hit and miss with the Mimi Bobeck body. The plastic is harder than Blythe’s, and that makes fitting on boots a bit more difficult. This is really a trial-and-error type of experiment when it comes to fitting shoes on.

Some people have found that their Mimi Bobeck’s have stained bodies – this unfortunate phenomenon is due to the stock clothing that the doll comes with (think of Rosie Red and the red bodice of her dress – same thing). Your mileage may vary on the presence, or amount, of stains that your doll comes with as there are many factors that come into play when it comes to the plastic staining (including humidity and temperature).

Genius! Jen extended the neck peg which will allow the doll to still tilt her head.

Having a customized/hybrid Blythe on a Mimi Bobeck would mean getting a new wardrobe that could be able to accommodate the difference in size of the body, as well as having a wardrobe that was more ‘open’ in the back to compensate for how far apart the the hands are set on the Mimi Bobeck body.

The photos included in this post are all from Jen/Blythe Spa Time. Photos used with permission.