Drawstring Raglan Summer Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Knitting Pattern

For this knitted summer dress, I wanted to see if I could knit an entire dress seamlessly, as one piece. I did it!

The dress is knitted from the neck down. It features raglan-style shoulders. To add shape to the dress at the waist, I used 2x2 ribbing. Without it, the dress ends up looking a little sack-like :)

I chose a self-striping yarn with short color repeats, and I think this was a good choice. You could probably use a solid color if this dress is going to be part of an outfit, but for a stand-alone dress, a multi-hued yarn is best, I think.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:

-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off

-Increasing: yarn over (YO), knit front and back (kfr&b)

Materials:

Jo-Ann Sensations (affiliate link) Breeze sport weight yarn 595 yards (544 meters) / 170 grams (6.00 ounces) color 27 purple lime - 0.3 skein

Notions: yarn needle, 5 stitch markers

Needles: circular US #2 (2.25 mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 22 st x 32 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm)

Abbreviations:

K – knit

P – purl

St , sts– stitch, stitches

kfr&b - knit front and back

co – cast on

yo - yarn over

sm - slip marker

Pattern Notes:

Stockinette Stitch in rounds: All rounds knit

2x2 Rib in rounds: All rounds *k2, p2 repeat from * to the end of the round

Garter stitch in rounds:
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Repeat 2 rounds

Raglan increases: Increase for raglan by yarn over (yo) on each side of indicated, marked, stitch in every other round: yo, sm (slip marker), k1 (raglan st), yo. The number of sts increases by 8.

Directions:

The dress is worked from top down in rounds without seams, with raglan increases.

Cast on 66 sts, join and continue to work in rounds, place a marker at the beginning of the round, slip marker while working. The beginning of the round is in the mibble of the back.

Rounds 1-2: knit

Round 3 (eyelet round): * k2tog, yo, repeat from * to the end of the round

Rounds 4-5: knit

Check sts (=66) and place 4 raglan markers : 10 (right back) - 1 (the first raglan line, place a marker before this st) - 11 (right sleeve) - 1 (the second raglan line, place another marker before this st) - 20 (front) - 1 (the third raglan line, place another marker before this st) - 11 (left sleeve) - 1 (the forth raglan line, place another marker before this st) - 10 (left back).

Round 6 and all even rounds: slip the beg. marker, *knit till the raglan marker, yo, sm, k1, yo - repeat from * 4 times, k the remaining sts. till the end of the round. (+8 sts)

Round 7 and all odd rounds: knit

Repeat rounds 6-7 eight more times.

After round 6 the number of sts = 74 sts

After round 8 = 82 sts

After round 10 = 90 sts

After round 12 = 98 sts

After round 14 = 106 sts

After round 16 = 114 sts

AFter round 18 = 122 sts

After round 20 = 130 sts

After round 22 = 138 sts

Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Round 24: sm, k20, bind off the next 29 sts, k40, bind off the next 29 sts , k20. = 80 sts
Rounds 25-26: knit

Rounds 27-40: work 2x2 rib: *k2, p2 - repeat from * to the end of the round

Round 41 (increase round): *kfr&b, k2 - repeat from * to the end of the round = 120 sts

Rounds 43-69: knit

Round 70: purl

Round 71: knit

Repeat rounds 70-71 two more times.

Bind off.

Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Insert either a piece of yarn, or cord, or ribbon into the eyelet round along the neckline.

Enjoy!