Festive Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Knitting Pattern

Introducing the Festive Doll Dress knitting pattern! Designed for 18-inch dolls, this dress is worked seamlessly from top to bottom. Beginning at the neckline, the yoke is shaped with yarn-over increases, creating a rounded fit. The dress is worked back and forth to the hip line, then continues in the round to form the skirt. Garter stitch button bands add classic detail, while the hem and sleeve edges are finished with a simple crochet trim. Knit from sparkling yarn, this dress is perfect for holiday celebrations.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
---Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
- Increasing: yarn over (YO),
- Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog)
- Working in the round
- Basic crochet stitches – chain (ch) and single crochet (sc)

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

Materials: Spangle by Premier (affiliate link) Yarns DK weight yarn (75% Nylon, 25% Metallic) 164 yds/150m, 1.76 oz/50 g, color Spanish Nights – 2 balls

Needles: circular US #2 (2.75mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 28 sts x 40 rows = 3" x 1 1/4" double check

Notions:
yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, sew-on snaps, sewing needle and thread of matching color, spare double pointed needle (dpn), crochet hook 2.5 mm, black ribbon ½” wide for the belt, small embellishments of your choice (optional).

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
kfr&b - knit into front and back
yo - yarn over
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
sm - slip marker
pm - place marker
rm - remove marker
sc - single crochet
ch - chain


Pattern Notes:

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

Simple Rib:
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1 – repeat from * across the row
Row 2 (WS): *work the sts as they look: knit the knit ones and purl the purl ones.

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

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 dress is worked top-down, seamlessly, first back and forth till the hip line, from there - in rounds. The dress is worked in stockinette with button bands in garter stitch and round yoke with yarn over (yo) increases. The hem and the sleeve edges are finished with crochet.


Dress

Cast on 70 sts and work 4 rows : k4, *k1, p1 – repeat from * until 4 sts remain, k3, p1.

Row 5 (RS): k4, (yo, k2) x 31 times, yo, k3, p1 = 102 sts

Row 6 (WS): k4, p94, k3, p1

Row 7: k 101, p1

Rows 8 and 10 like row 6

Row 9 like row 7

Row 11: k4, (yo, k2) x 47 times, yo, k3, p1 = 150 sts

Row 12: k4, p142, k3. P1

Row 13: k149, p1

Rows 14 and 16 like row 12

Row 15 like row 13.


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 17(RS): knit 25, transfer the next 28 sts on a length of yarn, co 3, k44, transfer the next 28 sts on a length of yarn, co3, k24, p1. = 100 sts

Row 18 (WS): k4, p92, k3, p1.

Row 19: k99, p1.

Row 20 like row 18.

Repeat rows 19-20 six more times.

Row 33 (RS increase row): k4, (kfr&b, k2) x 30 times, kfr&b, k5, p1 = 131 sts

Row 34: k4, p123, k3, p1

Row 35: k 130, p1

Row 36: like row 34

Repeat rows 35-36 three more times

Row 43 (RS, increase row): k4, (kfr&b, k2) x 41 times, k3, p1 = 172 sts

Row 44 (WS): k4, p164, k3, p1

Row 45: K171, p1

Row 46 like row 44.

Row 47/round 1: k168, fold the working piece to make the beginning and the end of the rows meet, right side facing, from the right needle transfer the last 4 sts of the row (left bb) on a spare needle, overlap with the first 4 sts (right bb) on the left needle, hold the left and spare needles in left hand. Insert the working, right, needle in the first st on the spare needle, then in the first st on the left needle, yo, pull yarn through both sts. Repeat with the remaining 3 sts. Thus you close the work into round. Place a marker between the 2 and 2 sts of the former button band to mark the beginning of the round. = 168 sts

Rounds 2-6 knit around.

Round 7: (kfr&b, k2) – repeat around = 224 sts

Round 8: knit around.

Repeat round 8 forty (40) more times or to desired length.

To bind off the sts and finish the hem, insert the hook in the first st, *ch3, sc in the next st – repeat from * around.

Tie off and cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

Tie yarn, insert hook in the first st, *ch3, sc in the next st – repeat to the last open stitch, tie off and cut yarn


Finishing:

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

For the better fit on a doll, sew an underskirt.

Have fun!