Menu
IntermediateFree Girl Dress Knitting Pattern
I called this the Child's Play dress because knitting it is (almost) "easy as child's play" and also because the clean lines means it's great for "child's play" :)
The dress features raglan-style shoulders and seamless construction. Stockinette stitch is used throughout, with applied I-cord used to finish all edges. Simple crochet is used to make the button loops, but other techniques may be used for this.
Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off;
-Increasing: make 1 (m1), knit into front and back (kfr&b)
-Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog); ssk – slip, slip, knit
-Picking up stitches;
-Working applied I-cord.
-Basic crochet: chain
Sizes: 2 (4, 6, 8, 10)
Shown in size 4.
Measurements
For chest: 21 (23, 25, 26.5, 28) inches [53 (58, 64, 67, 71) cm]
Materials:
Briggs & Little Sport, sport weight yarn (100% wool), 430 yards (393 meters)/113 grams, color Light Blue- 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) skeins (MC)
Briggs & Little Sport, sport weight yarn (100% wool), 430 yards (393 meters)/113 grams, color Bleached White- 1 skein (CC)
Notions: 1 button, stitch markers, tapestry needle, sewing needle and thread of matching color.
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular needles 21” (52 cm), 24” (60 cm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.
Gauge for stockinette st: 22 sts x 36 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)
Abbreviations:
st, sts - stitch, stitches
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
kfr&b - knit into front and back loops
pu&k- pick up and knit
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.
pm - place marker
sm - slip marker
rm - remove marker
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
Bb – button band
Pattern Notes:
Stockinette stitch in rows:
Row 1 (RS, and all RS rows): knit
Row 2 (WS and all WS rows): purl
Repeat 2 rows
Stockinette stitch in rounds:
Al rounds - knit
The selvedge/edge stitches here are worked as follows: slip the 1st and purl the last st in both RS and WS rows.
Raglan increases: Increase for raglan by making 1 st (m1) on each side of indicated, marked, stitch in every right side (RS) row, as follows: knit to the marker, m1, sm, k1 (raglan st), m1. There are 4 raglan lines, so the number of sts increases by 8 in each RS row.
Side line increases: are worked in every 8th RS round on both sides to shape the bodice of the dress: work till marker, m1, slip marker (sm), work till the next marker, sm, m1, work to the end of the round. There are 2 side lines and 2 markers, thus the number of sts in each 8th row will increase by 2.
Short overview of the pattern:
The dress is worked from top-down, seamlessly, with opening on the back. At first the dress is worked as 2 separate pieces: the right part of the back, right sleeve and right front are worked from one ball of yarn, the left part of the back, left sleeve and left front are worked from another ball of yarn. You can work them simultaneously or one by one, we describe how to work the parts simultaneously. The parts are connected in front and the dress is worked in rows with the opening on the back.
At some point the back parts are joined and the dress is worked in rounds. Then the stitches are divided for front, sleeves and back. The sleeve sts are transferred to a length of waste yarn. Underarm stitches are cast on and the work goes on in rounds.
To shape the bodice, in every 8th row, the number of sts is increased by 2. The stitches are increased by 12 in a round to give a flared shape to the skirt. The skirt is finished with applied I-cord.
The sleeve sts are worked in rounds, top-down. The sleeves are also finished with applied I-cord. The neckline and the back opening are finished with applied I-cord as well.
The dress shown is worked from yarn of 2 colors. The bottom of the skirt and the lower part of the sleeves are worked in contrast color yarn. However, the color scheme might be different. The possibilities are endless.
Dress
With MC yarn cast on 19 (19, 19, 21, 23) sts, with yarn from another ball cast on again 19 (19, 19, 21, 23) sts and knit one foundation row (wrong side). Check the sts and place markers on raglan lines as follows:
1st piece (right back piece)
9 (9, 9, 10, 11) sts (right back) + 1 st (first raglan, place a marker before this stitch) + 6 (6, 6, 7, 8) sts (right sleeve) + 1 st (second raglan, place a marker before this stitch) + 1st (right front) + 1st (selvedge).
2nd piece (left back piece) from the 2nd ball of yarn
1st (selvedge) + 1 st (left front) + 1 st (third raglan, place a marker before this stitch) + 6 (6, 6, 7, 8) sts (left sleeve) + 1 st (forth raglan, place a marker before the stitch) + 9 (9, 9, 10, 11) sts (left back).
Row 1: (RS, 1st increase row):
Right part: *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, from * repeat one more time, k1, m1, p1. (+ 5 sts)
Left part: sl1, m1, *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, from * repeat one more time, knit to the end of the row. (+ 5 sts in each part). Total 24 (24, 24, 26, 28) sts in each part.
Row 2 (WS) and all WS rows:
Left part: purl all sts.
Right part: sl1, purl to the end of the row.
Repeat 1st increase row two (two, two, three, three) more times, each time the number of sts is increased by 5 in each part. Total after last repeat 34 (34, 34, 41, 43) sts in each part.
Row 7 (7, 7, 9, 9) (RS, 2nd increase row): *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, repeat from * one more time, knit to the end of the right part, cast on 9 (9, 9, 9, 11) sts, continue to knit with the yarn from the right part, cut yarn from the left part.
Knit to the next marker, m1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, knit till marker, m1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, knit to the end of the row. Total 85 (85, 85, 99, 105) sts.
Row 8 (8, 8, 10, 10) and all WS rows: purl.
Row 9 (9, 9, 11, 11) (RS, 3rd increase row): *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, from * repeat three more times, knit to the end of the row.
Repeat 3rd increase row nine more times. Total after last increase row 165 (165, 165, 179, 185) sts.
Row/Round 29 (29, 29, 31, 31) (RS, 4th increase row): *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, from * repeat three more times, knit to the end of the row, cast on 1 st, pm (this will mark the beginning of the round), join the work and continue to work in-the-round. Total 174 (174, 174, 188, 194) sts.
Round 30 (30, 30, 32, 32) and all even rounds: knit across.
Round 31 (31, 31, 33, 33) (5th increase round): *knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, from * repeat three more times, knit to the end of the round.
Repeat 5th increase round 4 (6, 9, 9, 10) more times. Total after last increase 214 (230, 254, 268, 282) sts.
Divide for sleeves and bodice:
Round 41 (45, 51, 53, 55): knit till marker, rm, k1 (raglan), transfer right sleeve sts (all sts till the next marker) to a piece of waste yarn, rm, cast on 6 sts for underarm, knit till next marker, rm, k1 (raglan), transfer left sleeve sts (all sts till the next marker) to a piece of waste yarn, rm, cast on 6 sts for underarm, knit till last st. Place marker in the middle of each underarm (between 3rd and 4th). Total after division 146 (154, 166, 176, 186) sts.
Continue to work bodice as established: all rounds knit.
To shape the hips, work side line increases as described in Pattern Notes: begin the sideline increases in round 27 (49, 61, 46, 52) and make these increases every 8th round. Increase 3 (2, 2, 5, 5) times.
Work 52 (65, 77, 86, 92) rounds. Purl the last round.
Total before skirt 152 (158, 170, 186, 196) sts.
Skirt
The rounds for skirt are numbered from round 1.
Round 1 (increase round):
For size 2: *(k3, m1) 16 times, k2, m1, from * repeat 3 times, k2, m1 (+52 sts) = 204
For size 4: (k2, m1) twice, *(k3, m1) 15 times, (k2, m1) 2 times, k1, m1, from * repeat 3 times, (k2, m1) twice. (+58 sts) = 216
For size 6: *(k3, m1) 16 times, k2, m1, from * repeat 3 times, (k3, m1) 6 times, k2, m1, (+58 sts) = 228
For size 8: *(k3, m1) 15 times, (k2, m1) 2 times, k1, m1, from * repeat 3 times, (k3, m1) 12 times. (+66 sts) = 252
For size 10: *(k3, m1) 16 times, k2, m1, from * repeat 3 times, (k3, m1) 12 times, (k2, m1) 5 times. (+68 sts) = 264
Work 9 rounds as est: all rounds knit.
Round 11 (2nd increase round): *k17 (18, 19, 21, 22), pm, m1, from * repeat 12 times. +12 sts for each size.
Work 9 rounds as est: all rounds knit.
Repeat 2nd increase round five more times in every 10th round, increasing for 12 sts in every increase round.
In every 10th round, m1 at each marker, increasing for 12 sts: *knit till marker, m1, sm, from * repeat 12 times.
Work 78 (86, 100, 130, 142) rounds or to desired length.
Work the last 36 rounds with CC yarn.
Bind off using I-cord bind off method.
Sleeves
Sleeves are worked in rounds on circular needles using “magic loop” method. Alternatively, the sleeves can be worked on 5 dpn needles. Work one sleeve at a time.
Transfer stitches from waste yarn.
Round 1: pu&k 3 underarm sts, knit across, pu&k 3 remaining underarm sts, pm to mark the beginning of the round.
Round 2: knit across.
To shape the sleeve decrease at marker as follows: k1, k2tog, knit around to 3 last sts, ssk, k1, sm. Work the decreases in every 8th round
Work as established 86 (104, 114, 122, 132) rounds or to desired length.
Work the last 30 rounds in CC yarn.
Bind off using applied I-cord method.
Finishing
Weave in ends.
Starting at the lower point of the back opening, work applied I-cord around the back opening and neckline.
See video instructions for knitting applied I-cord.
Block.
Sew on 1 button at the top of the back opening on the right side.
Crochet one 1 1/2-inch length of chain for the button loop. Sew it on the inside of the right? back.
Have fun!
