Blue Porcelain Girl’s Lace Dress

Free Girl Dress Knitting Pattern

I called this dress the Blue Porcelain dress, because the white decorative motif on the front looks a lot like white patterns on blue porcelain. This cute dress is great for any occasion.

It is seamless, and features raglan-style shoulders for all-day comfort.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
--Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: yarn over (YO), make 1 (m1)
- Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog), slip-slip-knit (ssk)
-Working in the round on circular and double pointed needles
-Picking up stitches

Sizes: 2 (4, 6, 8) years

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 23 (25, 27, 28.5) inches [58 (63, 68, 71) cm]
Length: 19 (23, 26, 27) inches [48 (57, 65, 67) cm]
Sleeve: 8.5 (10.5, 11.5, 12.5) inches [21 (26, 29, 32) cm]

Materials: Lion Brand (affiliate link) (affiliate link) LB 1878 100 % wool fingering weight yarn 2045 yards (1870 meters) / 500 gr, color 108 Dusty Blue - 1 cone (MC)
Lion Brand (affiliate link) (affiliate link) LB 1878 100 % wool fingering weight yarn 2045 yards (1870 meters) / 500 gr, color 099 Fisherman – small amount (CC)

Needles: circular US # 2 (2.75mm), double pointed needles (dpn) for sleeves, OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge for stockinette stitch 28 sts x 40 rows = 4" (10cm)

Notions:
- 4 stitch markers
- Stitch holders or 2 pieces 12”-15" long of contrasting color waste yarn to hold stitches
- Yarn needle
- 5 small buttons.
- Sewing needle and thread of color matching the yarn for attaching the buttons

Abbreviations:
k - knit
k2tog - knit 2 together (right slanting decrease)
p - purl
sl - slip
yo - yarn over
co – cast on
ssk - slip, slip, knit (left slanting decrease)
sk2p - slip 1 – knit 2 together - pass slipped stitch over.
m1 - make 1 increase - make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit as a regular stitch.
w&t - wrap and turn in short rows
RS - right side
WS – wrong side
Bb –button band
St – stitch
Sts - stitches
pm - place marker
sm - slip marker
Pattern Notes
Stockinette in rows:
Row 1: knit
Row 2: Purl
Repeat 2 rows

Stockinette in rounds: all rounds knit

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit

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

Lace pattern in rounds: Multiple of 6
Round 1 and all odd rounds: knit
Round 2: *k 3, yo, sk2p, yo - repeat from * to the end of the round.
Round 4: *yo, sk2p, yo, k3 - repeat from * to the end of the round.
Repeat rounds 1-4.

To wrap and turn in the short rows:
With yarn in front sl 1 stitch to the right needle. Move yarn between the needles to the back
Slip the stitch back to the left needle. Turn the work and bring the yarn back to the wrong side between the needles.
Button bands on the back of the yoke are worked in garter stitch over 4 stitches in the beginning and in the end of the rows.

Button holes are worked on the right button band, in the beginning of the row, as follows: k 1, k2tog, yo, k1. Button holes are made in rows 3, 13, 23, 33, 43.

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: slip the first stitch knitwise, purl the last stitch in the row.

Raglan increases; Increase for raglan by making 1 st (m1) on each side of indicated, marked, stitch in every right side (RS) row: m1, sm (slip marker), k1 (raglan st), m1. There are 4 raglan lines, so in each RS row the number of stitches is increased by 8. In even rows (WS), the m1 stitch is purled.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The dress is worked top-down, seamlessly, with raglan sleeves. The yoke is worked back and forth in stockinette st, the skirt is worked in-the-round in lace pattern and garter stitch contrasting color bands. Sleeves are worked in the round in stockinette on double pointed needles (dpn), or use 16” long circular needles if you prefer.

Yoke

Cast on 77 (79, 83, 83) sts. Work 2 rows in garter stitch. Check the stitches and place markers before the raglan line stitches:

1 edge st - 4 button band sts – 12 (12, 13, 13) right back sts - 1 raglan line (place a marker before this st) - 8 right sleeve sts - 1 raglan (place the second marker before this st) – 23 (25, 27, 27) front sts - 1 raglan stitch (place the third marker before this st) - 8 left sleeve sts - 1 raglan st (place the forth marker before this st) - 12 (12, 13, 13) left back sts - 4 button band sts - 1 edge st.

From row 3 button bands are worked in garter stitch (knit in RS and WS rows) and the rest of the stitches in stockinette (knit in RS and purl in WS rows).

In rows 3 and 4 we shape the back with short rows. Please read carefully.

Row 3 (RS):
a) sl 1 (edge), k 1, k2tog, k1 (button band with a hole), short rows: k 11, w&t, purl back 11, k4, p1;
b) sl 1, k 4 (bb), k 6, w&t, purl back 6, k4, p1;
c) sl 1, k4 (bb), k 12 picking up all wraps and knitting them together with the sts around which they are wrapped;
* knit till marker, m1, sm, m1 - repeat from * 4 times, k to to last st, p1. = 85 (87, 91, 91) sts

Row 4 (WS):
a) sl 1, k4 (bb), short rows: p 11, w&t, knit back 15, p1;
b) sl 1, k4 (bb), p6, w&t, knit back 10, p1;
c) sl 1, k4 (bb), p 12, picking up all wraps, purl to the last 5 sts of the row, k4, p1.

Row 5 (and all odd, RS, rows, increase rows): ) sl 1,* knit till marker, m1, sm, m1 - repeat from * 4 times, k to to last st, p1. = 93 (95, 99, 99) sts
Row 6 and all even (WS) rows: sl 1, k 4 (bb), purl to last 5 sts, k4, p1.

Repeat rows 5-6 21 (25, 27, 30) more times. Don't forget to make button holes in rows 3, 13, 23, 33, 43.


Total stitches after 48 (56, 60, 66) rows = 261 (295, 315, 338) sts.

Block the yoke.


Closing the work into round:

With RS facing, transfer the last 5 sts (left bb and edge st) in the row onto a spare needle, fold the yoke and position this needle under the beginning 5 stitches (right bb and edge st). Insert the right needle into the first st on the left needle, then in the first st on the spare needle, yarn over, pull the yarn through both sts, cast both of them off. Repeat with the remaining 4 sts of the button band. Thus you will join the work into a round and have 256, (290, 310, 333) sts.
Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Round 1: knit to 1st marker, remove marker, knit raglan st (raglan sts are included with the backs and the front), transfer the sleeve sts, 54 (62. 66. 72) to a length of waste yarn, co 7, knit front sts, 71 (81, 87, 93), transfer the sleeve sts, 54 (62. 66. 72), to a length of waste yarn, co 7, knit all sts to the right underarm sts, place a marker between the third and the forth underarm sts to mark the beginning of the round = 162 (180, 192, 204) sts

Round 2: knit around.


Skirt

Work the next 4 rounds with CC yarn in garter stitch: rounds 3 and 5 knit, rounds 4 and 6 purl.
Change to MC yarn and work the lace pattern for 4 (5, 6, 6) inches [10 (12, 15, 15) cm]. There are 27 (30, 32, 34) lace pattern repeats per round.

Work the next 4 rounds in CC yarn and garter stitch: rounds 1 and 3 knit, rounds 2 and 4 purl. At the same time, in round 3 of the garter stitch pattern, add 24 stitches to your work, distributing them evenly (no increases for size 2). Total = 162 (204, 216, 228) sts. Purl the next (4th) row of the garter stitch pattern and check again that you have the number of stitches multiple of 6.

Change to MC yarn and work the lace pattern for 4 (5, 6, 6) inches [10 (12, 15, 15) cm]. There are 27 (34, 36, 38) lace pattern repeats per round.

Work the next 4 rounds in CC yarn and garter stitch: rounds 1 and 3 knit, rounds 2 and 4 purl. At the same time, in round 3 of the garter stitch pattern, add 30 stitches to your work, distributing them evenly . Total = 192 (234, 246, 258) sts. Purl the next (4th) row of the garter stitch pattern and check again that you have the number of stitches multiple of 6.

Change to MC yarn and work the lace pattern for 5 (6, 6, 7) inches [12 (15, 15, 18 cm] or to desired length. There are 32 (39, 41, 43) lace pattern repeats per round.

Work 5 (6, 6, 7) inches 12 (15, 15, 18) cm] in lace pattern and MC yarn or to desired length.

Work the last 9 rounds in garter stitch with CC yarn. Bind off.


Sleeve

The sleeves are worked in the round in stockinette stitch: all rounds knit.
Transfer sleeve sts from waste yarn to dpn, distributing them evenly.

Round 1: Starting with the 4th underarm stitch, pu&k 4 sts, knit sleeve sts 54 (62, 66, 72), pu&k 3 sts underarm. = 61 (69, 73, 79)
Place a marker at the beginning of the round, it starts underarm with the forth st. Knit all rounds. At the same time

every 8th round, make 2-stitch decreases in the following way: k the first stitch, k2tog, knit all sts around to the last 2 sts, ssk. Make decreases 9 (12, 13, 14) times.

Work 78 (98, 108, 118) rounds in stockinette (all rounds knit) or to desired length. The number of stitches after the last decrease is 43 (45, 47, 51).

Change to CC yarn and work 5 more rounds in garter st.
Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in all ends. Block the dress. Sew on 5 buttons. You can decorate the front of the yoke with embroidery, beads or crochet flowers.

Have fun!