Short Sleeve Lace Top for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Top Knitting Pattern

This stylish top features a lacy pattern on the bodice and a raglan-style yoke for a smooth, modern look.

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 double pointed needles
-Working lace patterns
-Picking up stitches

Size: fits 18-inch dolls like American Girl, Our Generation and other dolls with similar body.

Materials: Lace weight yarn (100% wool), 50g/328 yds (300m) – 1 ball

Needles: circular and double pointed needles (dpn) US #1 (2.25mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge for stockinette st: 28 sts x 48 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)

Notions:
yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, invisible plastic sew-on snaps, sewing needle and thread of matching color, small embellishments of your choice (optional).

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
ssk - slip-slip-knitpu&k- pick up and knit
yo - yarn 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.
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
sm - slip marker
pm - place marker
rm - remove marker
co – cast on


Pattern Notes:

Stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): knit
Row 2: purl
Repeat 2 rows.

1x1 rib in rows: even number of sts.
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1 - repeat from * across
Row 2 (WS): *k1,p1 - repeat from * across
Repeat 2 rows.

1x1 rib in rounds: All rounds *k1, p1 - repeat from * around

Lace pattern in rows
Row 1 (RS):*yo, ssk - repeat from *
Rows 2 and 4 (WS): purl
Row 3: *k2tog, yo - repeat from *
Repeat rows 1-4

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till 1 st remains before the marker, yo, k1, slip marker (sm), k1, yo. There are 4 raglan lines, repeat on each raglan line, thus the number of sts in each RS row will increase by 8.

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: knit the first stitch and purl the last one.

Button Bands (bb) are worked in garter stitch on 3 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The sweater is worked top-down, seamlessly, back and forth. The yoke is worked in stockinette with button bands in garter stitch and raglan increases. The sleeves are worked in rounds on dpn. The bodice is worked in simple lace pattern.

Sweater

On circular needles cast on 60 and work 4 foundation rows in garter stitch : all rows knit.

Check stitches and place markers: 1 edge - 3 right bb - 6 right back - 2 raglan (place the first marker between these 2 sts) - 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place the second marker between these 2 sts) - 12 front - 2 raglan (place the third marker between these 2 sts) - 10 left sleeve - 2 raglan (place the forth marker between these 2 sts) - 6 left back - 3 left bb - 1 edge

Row 1 (RS): *knit till 1 st remains before marker, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 - repeat from * 3 times, knit till last st, p1. + 8 sts

Row 2 (WS): k4, purl till last 4 sts, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 1-2 twelve (12) more times.

The number of sts after
row 1 = 68
row 3 = 76
row 5 = 84
row 7 = 92
row 9 = 100
row 11 = 108
row 13 = 116
row 15 = 124
row 17 = 132
row 19 = 140
row 21 = 148
row 23 = 156
row 25 = 164

Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 27 (RS): k24, rm, transfer the next 38 sts to a piece of waste yarn, rm, co4, k40, rm, transfer the next 38 sts to a piece of waste yarn, rm, co4, k23, p1. = 96 sts

Row 28: k4, p88, k3, p1.

Row 29 (RS): k 95, p1.

Row 30: repeat row 28

Row 31 (RS): k4, * yo, ssk - rep from * to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Rows 32 and 34: k4, p88, k3, p1

Row 33 (RS,): k4, *k2tog, yo - rep from * till last 4 sts, k3. p1.

Repeat rows 31-34 seven (7) more times or to desired length, finish with 6 rows of 1x1 rib:

Rib row 1 (RS): k4, *k1, p1 - repeat from * till last 4 sts, k3, p1

Rib row 2 (WS): k4, *k1, p1 - repeat from * till last 4 sts, k3, p1

Bind off. Cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

Transfer 38 sts from waste yarn to 3 dpn, pu&k 4 underarm sts = 42 sts. Place marker between 2 and 2 underarm sts to mark the beginning of the round.

Work 5 rounds in stockinette, all rounds knit.

Round 6 (decrease round): "k1, k2tog - repeat from * around = 28 sts

Work 4-6 rounds in 1x1 rib: "k1, p1 - repeat from * around.

Bind off, cut yarn.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew invisible plastic snaps on the button bands.

Have fun!