Cotton Candy-knitted dress for little girl .

Here’s an adorable dress that’s worked from the bottom up with
a wrapped-stitch lace pattern and simple sleeveless garter stitch bodice. This dress embraces all the delightful aspects of little-girl outfits in the summer—pink, lacy, fun, pretty and perfect!

Cotton Candy-knitted dress for little girl

Cotton Candy-knitted dress for little girl

Sizes
Child’s 2 (3, 4) years
Instructions are given for smallest size, with larger sizes in parentheses. When only 1 number is given, it applies to all sizes.
Finished Measurements
Chest: 22½ (24, 24¾) inches
Length: 22 (23, 24) inches
Note: Dress is designed with 2 inches of positive ease; keep this in mind when choosing your size.

Cotton Candy-knitted dress

Materials
• Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop (DK weight; 50% cotton/50% bamboo; 292 yds/100g per ball): 2 balls
pink joy #208
• Size 6 (4mm) 16- and 24-inch circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge
• Cable needle
• Closed stitch markers
• Removable stitch markers
• Stitch holders
• 4 (¾-inch) pink plastic buttons

Gauge
18 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches/10cm in garter st (blocked).
16 sts and 26 rows = 4 inches/10cm in
Lace pat (blocked).
To save time, take time to check gauge.

Special Abbreviation
Cluster 3 (CL3): *With yarn in back, sl 3 sts to cn; wrap yarn twice around sts on cn counterclockwise, then slip sts from cn to RH neeedle unworked.

Pattern Stitch
Lace (multiple of 8 sts)
Notes: A chart is provided for those preferring to work pat st from a chart. The beg-of-rnd marker is moved on Rnds 5 and 15 to accommodate the pat rep.
Rnd 1: *Yo, sk2p, yo, p1, [k1, p1] twice; rep from * around.
Rnd 2: *K3, p1, [k1, p1] twice; rep from * around.

Rnd 3: *K1, yo, ssk, p1, CL3, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 4: *K1, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 5: K1, *yo, p1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, k1, k2tog; rep from * to last 8 sts, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, k1, sl 1, remove marker, slip st back to LH needle, then k2tog using first st of next rnd; replace marker.
Rnd 6: *K1, p1, k2; rep from * around.
Rnd 7: *K1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, p1, k2tog, yo; rep from * around.
Rnd 8: Rep Rnd 4.
Rnd 9: *[K1, p1] twice, yo, sk2p, yo, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 10: *[K1, p1] twice, k3, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 11: *CL3, p1, k1, yo, ssk, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 12: Rep Rnd 4.
Rnd 13: *K1, p1, k1, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk; rep from * around.
Rnd 14: Rep Rnd 6.
Rnd 15: K1, *p1, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk; rep from * to last 8 sts, p1, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, slip last st to RH needle; remove marker; slip last st back to LH needle, replace marker on RH needle.
Rnd 16: Ssk, using last st of previous rnd and first st of new rnd; *[p1, k1] 3 times, p1, k1; rep from * to last 7 sts,
[p1, k1] 3 times, p1.
Rep Rnds 1–16 for pat.

Special Technique
Attached I-Cord: *K2, ssk, sl 3 sts back to LH needle; rep from * until all sts have been bound off. Graft rem 3 sts to first 3 I-Cord sts.
Pattern Notes
This dress is worked in the round from the bottom of skirt to the armholes, then split into front and back, which are worked flat.
The upper bodice is finished with an I-Cord edging

Dress
Skirt
Using longer needle and preferred stretchy cast-on method, loosely cast on 152 (160, 168) sts; pm for beg of rnd
and join, taking care not to twist sts. Work 2 rnds in 1×1 rib. Work [16-rnd Lace pat] 6 times; piece
should measure approx 13 inches (before blocking).


Designer’s TIP:

Blocking the garment before applying the I-cord edging ensures that your gauge will be met and therefore picked-up stitches for the edging will lie properly.


Bodice
Change to shorter needle.
Dec rnd: *K1 (2, 0), [k1, k2tog] 25 (26, 28) times; rep from * once—102 (108, 112) sts.
Work in garter st (purl 1 rnd, knit 1  rnd) until bodice measures 1¾ (2½, 2¾) inches, ending with a knit rnd.
Shape Armholes
Division rnd: [P43 (46, 48), bind off 8 sts for underarm] twice.
Transfer 43 (46, 48) sts to holder for front. Insert removable marker into last bound-off st.

Back
Knit 2 rows.
Dec row (RS): K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1—41 (44, 46) sts.
Continuing in garter st, rep Dec row [every RS row] 3 times—35 (38, 40) sts.
Work even until armholes measure 3¼ (3¾, 4½) inches, ending with a WS row.

Shape Neck
Division row (RS): K13 (14, 15); join 2nd ball of yarn and bind off 9 (10, 10) neck sts; knit to end—13 (14, 15) sts each side.
Working both sides at once with separate balls of yarn, knit 1 row. Dec row (RS): K1, k2tog, knit to neck; knit
to last 3 sts, ssk, k1—1 st dec each side. Rep Dec row [every RS row] twice— 10 (11, 12) sts each side.
Work even until armhole measures 4¾(5½, 5¾) inches, ending with a WS row.

Buttonhole row (RS): K2, yo, ssk, k2 (3, 4), k2tog, yo, k2; rep on other side.
Knit 4 rows.
Loosely bind off all sts.

Front
Transfer sts to needle and with RS facing, rejoin yarn.
Work same as for back until armholes measure 2¼ (2¾, 3¼) inches.

Shape Neck
Division row (RS): K13 (14, 15); join 2nd ball of yarn and bind off 9 (10, 10) front neck sts; knit to end—13 (14, 15) sts each side.
Working both sides at once with separate balls of yarn, knit 1 row. Dec row (RS): K1, k2tog, knit to neck;
knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1—1 st dec each side.
Rep Dec row [every RS row] twice—10 (11, 12) sts each side. Work even until armhole measures
4¼ (4¾ , 5¼) inches, ending with a RS row.
Loosely bind off all sts.

Finishing
Wet-block piece to measurements, stretching Lace pat to open and allowing garter st to relax.

I-Cord Edging
With RS facing, using longer needle and beg at marked st at bottom of armhole, pick up and knit 178 (190, 200) sts around armholes, across straps and neck edges as follows: 18 (19, 21) sts along back armholes; 1 st at each corner of armholes and top of straps; 10 (11, 12) sts along top of straps; 6 sts along inside of back neck
edges; 9 (10, 10) sts across bound-off neck sts; 8 sts across bound-off underarm sts; 16 (18, 19) sts along front armholes; 8 sts along inside of front neck edges.
Using waste yarn and provisional cast-on method (see page 81), cast on 3 sts onto LH needle.
Change to working yarn and work Attached I-Cord (see pages 52 and 81) around edge until only the 3
I-Cord sts rem.
Cut yarn leaving an 8-inch tail. Using tapestry needle, graft 3 rem sts to cast-on sts using Kitchener st
Weave in ends.

Steam-block lightly to set I-Cord edging.
Sew buttons to front straps opposite buttonholes on back.