Girl's Old-Time Raglan Banded Dress

Free Girl Dress Knitting Pattern

This dress is knitted seamlessly from the top down, using primarily stockinette stitch. The sleeves feature raglan construction. As an accent, I added 3 colored bands to the hem using reverse stockinette stitch. This gives them something of a 3-D look and also contributes to shaping the skirt. You can omit them altogether, or just knit them in the same yarn as the rest of the dress if you would like them to stand out less.

SIZE: 4 [6, 8, 10, 12] (shown in size 4)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 23 [25, 26.5, 28, 30] inches [58 (64, 67, 71, 76) cm}

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing
-Working in the round
-Picking up stitches

Materials:
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Black Cherry Heather - 5 (6, 7, 8, 9) skeins (color A, main color)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Cloud - 1 skein (color B)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Marshmallow - 1 skein (color C)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Carnation - 1 skein (color D)

Notions: yarn needle, 7 stitch markers, 2 pieces of waste yarn 20”-25” long.

Needles: US #7 (4.50 mm) circular needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge for stockinette stitch: 18 st x 24 rows = 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm).

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p – purl
m1 - (Make 1 increase) - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row knit (purl) it as a regular stitch.
pm - place marker
sm - slip marker
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
st, sts - stitch, stitches

Pattern Notes:

Stockinette Stitch in rows:
Row 1 (RS) and all RS rows: knit
Row 2 (WS) and all WS rows: purl
Repeat rows 1-2.

Stockinette in rounds: all rounds knit

Garter Stitch in rounds:
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Repeat rounds 1-2.

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

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 the number of sts in each RS row will increase by 8.


Directions

The dress is worked from the top to the bottom first back and forth, then, after shaping V-neck, in rounds without seams. The sleeves are worked in rounds.

With yarn A cast on 23 (27, 29, 31, 31) sts and purl 1 foundation row.

Check the sts and place markers: 1 edge st, 1 st (left front), 1 st (first raglan line, place the first marker before this st), 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) sts (left sleeve), 1 st (second raglan line, place the second marker before this st), 9 (11, 13, 13, 13) sts (back), 1 st (third raglan line, place the third marker before this st), 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) sts (right sleeve), 1 st (forth raglan line, place the forth marker before this st), 1 sts (right front), 1 edge st.

Work stockinette stitch pattern for 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) rows increasing by 8 sts (double increase at each raglan line in each odd, RS, row as follows: m1, sm, k1 (raglan st), m1.

Row 1 (RS and all RS, increase rows): sl1, *knit all sts till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, repeat from * 4 times, knit the remaining sts till the last one, p1.

Row 2 (WS and all WS rows): sl 1, purl all sts.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 8 (10, 12, 12, 12) more times.

At the same time, to shape V-neck, make 1-stitch increase at the beginning and the end of the row (+2 sts per row) in every 6th WS row 3 (4, 5, 5, 5) times: sl1, m1, purl to last st, m1, p1 in rows:

for size 4: rows 6, 12, 18

for size 6: rows 6, 12, 18, 24,

for sizes 8, 10, 12: rows 6, 12, 18, 24, 30

In the next, RS, row knit these sts.

Closing the work into round:

Row 19 (25, 31, 31, 31)/round 1: work as row 1, at the end of the row cast on 1 st with the single cast on method and join into round: knit all sts till the first marker, this will be the beginning of the round.

Round 2 and all even numbered rounds: knit.

Round 3 and all odd numbered rounds: *m1, sm, k1, m1, knit all sts till the next marker, repeat from * 4 times. (+8 sts)

Repeat rounds 2 and 3 8 (10, 12, 14, 16) times.

Repeat round 2 one more time.

After round 20 (24, 28, 32, 36) the number of stitches is 182 (204, 224, 242, 258).


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Rounds 21 (25, 29, 33, 37): sm, k1 (raglan stitch), transfer left sleeve sts 41( 46, 50, 55, 59 ) to a length of waste yarn, cast on 3 sts with single cast on, remove stitch marker, knit second raglan st, knit back sts 47 (53, 59, 63, 67), remove stitch marker and knit third raglan st, transfer right sleeve sts 41 (46, 50, 55, 59) to a length of yarn, cast on 3 sts with single cast on, remove the stitch marker, knit forth raglan st, knit all front stitches 50 (55, 61, 65, 69) till the first stitch marker before the first raglan st.

Move this marker 2 sts left and place before the 2nd left underarm stitch, knit both remaining sts till it. That will be the beginning of the round. You have 106 (118, 130, 138, 146) sts.

Continue to work bodice in rounds.

Work 9 more rounds in stockinette. In round 30 (34, 38, 42, 46) place 5 more markers (you already have the 1st marker at the beginning of the round) in the following places:

Size 4: sm, k17, place the second marker, k18, place the third marker, k17, place the forth marker, k18, place the fifth marker, k18, place the sixth marker, k18 to the end of the round.

Size 6: sm, k19, place second marker, k20, place third marker, k 19, place forth marker, k20, place fifth marker, k20, place 6th marker, k20 to the end of the round.

Size 8: sm, k21, pm. k22, pm, k 21, pm, (k22, pm) 3 times

Size 10: sm, k23, pm, k22, pm, (k23, pm) twice, k24, pm, k23.

Size 12: sm, (k24, pm) three times, k25, pm, k24, pm, k25.

Round 31 (35, 39, 43, 47) increase round: *m1, sm, knit all sts till the next marker - repeat from * 6 times. + 6 sts = 112 (124, 136, 144, 152 sts)

Round 32 (36, 40, 44, 48) knit all sts, slipping markers while working. Repeat this round 4 more times.

Round 37 (41, 45, 49, 53) increase round: sm, k1, m1, knit all sts till the next marker - repeat from * 6 times.+ 6 sts = 118 (130, 142, 150, 158 sts)

Round 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) knit all sts, slipping markers while working. Repeat this round 4 more times.

Repeat rounds 31 - 42 (35-46, 39-50, 43-54, 47-58) four more times. You'll work 60 rounds in all and will make 6-st increase 10 times. The number of sts after these 60 rounds will be: 166 (178, 190, 198, 206).

Round 91 (95, 99, 103, 107): change to yarn B, knit around.

Rounds 92-94 (96-98, 100-102, 104-106): purl around.

Round 95 (99,103, 107,11) increase round: change to yarn A, work as round 31. + 6 sts = 172 (184, 196, 204, 210 sts).

Rounds 96-97 (100-101, 104-105, 108-109, 112-113): knit around with yarn A.

Repeat rounds 91-97 (95-101, 99-105, 103-109, 107-113) 2 more times, first repeat with yarn C, second repeat with yarn D.
When working with yarn A, don't forget to make increases at stitch markers. You'll have 2 more increases, 6 sts per round, the final number of sts will increase by 12: = 184 (196, 208, 216, 222) sts.

Work 3 more rounds with yarn A: knit around.

Work the next 6 rounds in garter stitch. Bind off.


Sleeve

Sleeves are worked in rounds.

Transfer sleeve sts: 41 (46, 50, 55, 59) from a piece of waste yarn to the needles, pick up 3 sts over the 3 underarm sts. Place a marker before the second underarm st, this is the beginning of the round.

Work 6 rounds in stockinette st. Bind off.


Collar

With yarn A, starting from the center of the back, pu&k 30 (38, 45, 46, 46) sts along the left side of the V-neck neckline, pu&k 1 st in the cast-on st of the V-neck, pm before this st, pu&k 30 (38, 45, 46, 46) sts along the right side of the neckline. = 61 ( 77, 91, 93, 93) sts. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Round 1: sm, knit till the next marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, knit all sts till the end of the round. +2 = 63 (79, 93, 95, 95) sts.

Round 2: knit around, slipping markers while working.

Repeat rounds 1-2 four more times.

With yarn B knit I-cord for 35"-36" long for the bow.


Finishing

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew the I-cord along the neckline. Tie the ends into bow.

Enjoy!

Pattern was updated on October 22, 2018.