Knitted dress for little girl-knitting pattern

This is a sweet, functional and practical dress for your little sweetheart.
Because children grow so quickly, this design is made to adapt to their quickly changing sizes.

Sizes
Infants 0–3 months (3–6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 2 years, 4 years)
Instructions are given for smallest size, with larger sizes in parentheses.
When only 1 number is given, it applies to all sizes.
Note: Garment is intended to be worn with approx 2 inches of positive ease.

Finished Measurements
Chest: 17¾ (18¼ 19¼, 20¾ 21¾, 23, 23¾, 25¾) inches
Length: 14¾ (15, 15½, 16, 16½, 17¼, 18, 19¼) inches, including yoke

Materials
• Universal Yarn Adore (DK weight; 55% superwash merino wool/45% acrylic; 273 yds/100g per ball): 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2) ball(s) peony #101 (A) and 1 ball each Capri #103 (B), banana #111 (C) and coral #112 (D)
• Size 4 (3.5mm) 24-inch circular and double-point needles (set of 4)
• Size 5 (3.75mm) 24-inch circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge
• Stitch markers
• Waste yarn or stitch holder
• 2 (¾-inch) plastic or wooden buttons
• Waste yarn or fiberfill to stuff the sun toy

Gauge
22 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches/10cm in St st with larger needles.
To save time, take time to check gauge.

Pattern Stitch
Seed St (odd number of sts)
Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Rnd 2: Knit the purl sts and purl the knit sts as they face you.
Rep Rnd 2 for pat.
Special Technique
I-Cord: With dpns, cast on 3 sts. *Do not turn, slide sts to other end of dpn, pull yarn across back, k3; rep from * until cord is desired length. Bind off.

Pattern Note
Dress is knit from the bottom up to the armholes in the round. At that point, the dress is worked flat, working
the front shaping and then the back shaping; neckband and straps are horizontal extensions of front and back. Pocket and toy are worked separately.
Body
With B and smaller needle, cast on 99 (101, 107, 115, 121, 127, 131, 143) sts, pm and join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts.
Rnds 1–8: Work in Seed St.
Rnd 9: Switch to larger needle and knit 1 rnd.
Rnd 10: With A, k1, k2tog, knit to end of rnd—98 (100, 106, 114, 120, 126, 130,
142) sts.
Knit until piece measures 9½ (10, 10¼, 10½, 11, 11½, 12, 12½) inches from cast-on edge, ending last rnd 3 sts before the beg-of-rnd marker.

Front
Shape Armholes
Row 1 (RS): Bind off 5 (6, 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5) sts (removing marker), k44 (44, 48, 52, 54, 58, 60, 66), place the rem sts on waste yarn or a st holder.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3 (dec): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec.
Row 4: Purl.
Rep [Rows 3 and 4] 11 (10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, 16) more times—20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 30, 32) sts. Cut A.

Shape Neckband & Straps
Row 1 (RS): With B, cast on 10 (10, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 16) sts, k20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 30, 32), cast on 10 (10, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 16) sts—40 (42, 48, 50, 56, 58, 58, 64) sts.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3 (inc): K1, kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1—42 (44, 50, 52, 58, 60, 60, 66) sts.
Row 4: Knit.
Rep [Rows 3 and 4] twice—46 (48, 54, 56, 62, 64, 64, 70) sts.
Row 5 (Buttonhole): K1, k2tog, yo, knit to 3 sts from the end, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7 (dec): K1, k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog, k1—44 (46, 52, 54, 60, 62, 62, 68) sts.
Row 8: Knit.
Rep [Rows 7 and 8] twice—40 (42, 48, 50, 56, 58, 58, 64) sts.
Bind off all sts kwise.

Shape Armholes
Row 1 (RS): Bind off 5 (6, 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5) sts, knit to end—44 (44, 48, 52, 54, 58, 60, 66) sts.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3 (dec): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec.
Row 4: Purl.
Rep [Rows 3 and 4] 11 (10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, 16) more times—20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 30, 32) sts.

Designer’s TIPS :

You might consider choosing a size one size larger than the current size the recipient is wearing. This piece is meant to be able to be worn for an extended period of time. Also, if the child who will be wearing the piece is taller than average, you can increase the length of the body.

This is a great grow-with-me piece since it works as a layering set. The buttons can be moved to make for a longer-lasting fit, and the dress easily adapts into a tunic as the child grows. I’ve chosen to stuff the sun toy with leftover waste yarn for this project.

For one thing, the yarn tends to stay stuffed better than stuffing does, and it does not poke through the knitting like stuffing. Also, if you use the same color of yarn as the toy is knit in, you can’t see the stuffing. Using waste yarn is resourceful and saves you a trip to the store and a little bit of money!

DESIGN BY JESSICA ANDERSON