Ice Skating Set

[irishnurse68]

This is the neatest set, and I can't wait to put it on Caroline! The set consists of striped fabric boots, knit mittens, and metal skates. The boots are cute, and seem to be well made. The mittens are fairly thick, and well knit...I just wish they were made from a color that would match her blue winter coat and hat. I feel like the mittens and boots are very "work day" in nature, while her blue winter coat and hat are pretty elegant. So there seems to be some incongruity with the whole outfit together.
The skates are wonderful! The straps feel like leather (but could be imitation, not sure), and the blades are metal. They feel pretty hefty in your hand. I give this set an A-

[Catlin]

I love these accessories. The boots were a pain to get on the first time, I had to unlace them pretty far. The skates were very easy to strap on, however. They looked so cute with the gloves and coat set. And Caroline can stand on her own while wearing her skates. A for the boots being a pain.

[Normandiefr]

Here's my PM Kirsten in her red boots (Mattel red boots, but my Kirsten has big feet) borrowing Caroline's skates. They fit!

[Normandiefr]

They are amazing and worth every penny. Very heavy, very old school Pleasant Company feel. If they actually buckled they'd be perfect (the closure is velcro) but I can live with it!

[kgabor19]

I hope my response isn't too late, but I bought the skates for my Laura. Sorry, I do not own Kirsten. I love them and will be adding a second pair for Caroline when free shipping happens. I think they are worth every penny.


Laura's Winter Ensemble by kgabor19, on Flickr


Caroline's Ice Skates by kgabor19, on Flickr

[Scarlett]

Oh my goodness, GET these SKATES! They are so gracefully shaped, just like in the book illustrations, but have a nice weightiness to them that allows the wearer to actually stand up with them on. The boots were pretty easy to get on, and the skates just secure right over them with velcro straps.
As soon as I opened these skates, I immediately felt a sense of nostalgia taking me back to the days of beautiful, detailed Pleasant Company merchandise. These would definitely be the thing I would circle in the catalog as a child and hope to see under the Christmas tree. It is easy to imagine that the skates were in fact made with the utmost care by Joseph and Hosea.
I love the mittens, too. So soft, and they remind me of Addy's purple mittens. Doll mittens are the cutest.
A++ for superior, heirloom quality!

Beckie with Fi's Party Dress and Crln's Skates (wm) by scarlett1854, on Flickr

Caroline's Skates Detail (wm) by scarlett1854, on Flickr

ETA: I remember a bunch of us wanting to know if the skates were compatible with other boots, via agplaythings.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=mainforum&thread=89541&post=987044, and I know they were proven to fit Kirsten's red boots, but I personally asked about Addy's boots, so here's my findings:

Caroline's Skates on Addy's Meet Boots by scarlett1854, on Flickr
The top strap that goes around the ankle is a bit loose, but the strap around the toe part is snug, so the skates are snug regardless. These are PM Addy boots, by the way, in case there is a difference.

[QNPoohBear]

The skates are amazing! The blades are real metal. They have a nice patina to make them look old, though in the book they are made new. The skates are super heavy. I'm not sure anyone could actually skate with them on. The straps are not real leather and close with velcro instead of threading through the buckle. This makes them a tiny bit more difficult to strap on PM feet. They velcro in two places. They DO fit PM girls over PM boots. Susanna is wearing them over Kirsten's (c. 1988 or 89) boots. The foot piece is a tiny bit short on bigger fit but they can squeeze on OK. The biggest negative is the huge copyright stamp on the foot piece. Ick! Kirsten's have "Pleasant Company" engraved on the bottom. I hate to admit it, but these skates are MUCH nicer than Kirsten's! I have the mittens and boots but haven't tried them yet.

A+ for the skates

The skates on Susanna


Skate close up


Caroline's skates left, Kirsten's right


Kirsten's skate top, Caroline's bottom

[Wickfield]

I got these skates as part of the winter swap at the end of last year (even before I got Caroline) and this is really a very superior set, albeit with a few minor issues. The skates are very heavy and quality - another reviewer mentioned that the skates in the book were new, but those were made for Rhonda, and Caroline had had hers for awhile so they would probably be a bit worn like these are. The shape is just like ice skates in period drawings with the little swirl at the tip, and a doll can stand in them easily while wearing them. I think the blades are kind of oddly thick though and don't actually look like they'd cut into the ice, and I wish that the faux buckles had been a little more realistic and less plasticky, but they are still nice.

The boots were really tiny and only fit on my Agnes Lydia over her thinnest stockings. I think they've stretched out a bit but they were tough to get on, even for me (and I usually don't have much problem with doll shoes). They are made of a nice material and I think Agnes Lydia is going to get them to go with her burgundy winter dress (Caroline isn't shown wearing these in her books).

The mittens seem a little bit fragile. They look really nice on the doll (and their earth tone coloring seems realistic) but there is not much stretch to the cuff and no elastic, so I'm a bit nervous stretching them over the doll's hand. Like the shoes, though, they look very nice when they are finally on.

I'd give this set an A and take off the plus simply because of the few tightness issues I noted. Still though, I would definitely buy it as it is a lovely piece for Caroline's collection!