Cotton Dress Pattern Instructions
Materials
Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic Sport weight yarn (164 yards (150 meters) / 50 grams, 100% cotton), color white 2 balls and blue 1.25 balls
Small buttons
Needles
US 1 (2.25 mm) circular needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
Gauge
22 sts x 32 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)
Pattern Notes
Garter stitch: all rows knit
Stockinette stitch:
- Odd rows (RS) knit, even rows (WS) purl.
Lace Pattern
The lace pattern is worked as a 6-round repeat, the first round has 7 sts, which increases to 17 sts in the last round.
Five rounds of lace are worked in the same way: rounds 1, 3, 4, and 6 are knit, round 2 is purl. All changes are worked in the 5th round of the 6-round repeat.
Every fifth round of the repeat will be described below.
Abbreviations
- RS - right side
- WS - wrong side
- k - knit
- p - purl
- yo - yarn over
- bb - button band
- pu&k - pick up and knit
- psso - (slip one, knit the next 2 together, pass the slipped over the k2tog) = 1 st instead of 3
Dress Description
The dress is worked top-down. The yoke is performed back and forth with a button band on the front. It is worked in stockinette stitch with raglan sleeves, and the skirt incorporates a wave-like lace pattern.
Raglan increases are executed with yarn overs before and after the marked raglan stitches in each right side (RS) row, thereby increasing the number of stitches in each RS row by 8.
Selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: knit the first stitch in a row, purl the last one.
The button band is worked in garter stitch - all rows knit. Button holes are created by k2tog, yo in the following rows: 3, 11, 19, 27.
Yoke Instructions
With white yarn and circular needles, cast on 60 stitches (52 + 6 button band + 2 selvedge). Work 2 rows in garter stitch.
Distribute the stitches as follows:
- 1 selvedge - 3 button band (bb) - 9 left front - 1 raglan (place a marker) - 6 left sleeve - 1 raglan (place a marker) - 18 front - 1 raglan (place a marker) - 6 right sleeve - 1 raglan (place a marker) - 9 right front - 3 bb - 1 selvedge
Row 3 (RS) and all odd rows: knit, yo before and after each raglan marker, purl the last stitch.
Row 4 (WS) and all even rows: k selvedge st, k 3 (bb), purl to last 4 sts, k 3 (bb), p 1 (selvedge).
Work 32 (34, 36) rows. In each odd row, increase the number of stitches by 8.
Divide for Bodice and Sleeves
Row 33 (35, 37) (RS): knit left front sts, transfer the left sleeve sts to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 4 sts for the underarm, knit back sts, transfer the right sleeve sts to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 4 sts, knit right front sts, p 1. Add raglan sts to back or fronts.
Row 34 (36, 38) (WS): k 4, purl all sts including the 8 cast on sts, to last 4, k 3, purl the last st.
Row 35 (37, 39): knit to the last 4 sts, transfer the last 4 to a spare needle, overlap them with the beginning 4 sts, knit the first sts from both needles together, then the second sts together, third and fourth. Knit to the underarm, knit the first 2 sts of the underarm. Place the marker, this will be the beginning of the round.
The eyelet round (technically it's the first round, but for convenience, we call it the eyelet round): *k2 tog, yo - repeat across the round.
Round 1 (with blue yarn): this is the first round of the lace pattern repeat. Knit.
Round 2: purl
Round 3: knit this round and carefully check the number of stitches; it should be divisible by 7! If you lack 1-6 sts, add the needed number of them in this round distributing them evenly.
For size 12, you have 112 sts or 16 repeats.
For size 18, you need 119 sts or 17 repeats. Increase by 3 sts evenly (1 near each underarm and 1 at the button band).
For size 24, you need 126 sts or 18 repeats. Increase by 6 sts evenly (1 near each underarm, 2 at the back and 1 at each front).
Rounds 4 and 6: knit
Round 5: *k2tog, (yo, k1) 3 times, yo, k2tog - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Work the next 6 rounds (7-12) with white yarn:
- Rounds 7/1, 9/3, 10/4, 12/6: knit
- Round 8/2: purl
- Round 11/5: *k2tog, (k 1, yo) 4 times, k1, k2tog - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Work the next 6 rounds (13-18) with blue yarn:
- Rounds 13/1, 15/3, 16/4, 18/6: knit
- Round 14/2: purl
- Round 17/5: *k2tog, k2, (yo, k 1) 4 times, k1, k2tog - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Work the next 6 rounds (19-24) with white yarn:
- Rounds 19/1, 21/3, 22/4, 23/6: knit
- Round 20/2: purl
- Round 23/5: *k2tog 2 times, (yo, k 1) 5 times, yo, k2tog 2 times - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Work the next 6 rounds (25-30) with blue yarn:
- Rounds 25/1, 27/3, 28/4, 30/6: knit
- Round 26/2: purl
- Round 29/5: *k2tog 2 times, (k1, yo) 6 times, k1, k2tog 2 times - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Work the next 6 rounds (31-36) with white yarn:
- Rounds 31/1, 33/3, 34/4, 36/6: knit
- Round 32/2: purl
- Round 35/5: *k2tog 3 times, (yo, k1) 5 times, yo, k2tog 3 times - repeat from * 16 (17, 18) times
Repeat rounds 31-36 for sizes 18 and 24 to the desired length. Change colors every 6 rows.
To finish the hem, work 4 rows in garter stitch and bind off.
Sleeve Instructions
Sleeves are worked in the round.
Transfer 38 sts from waste yarn to needles. With blue yarn:
Round 1: pu&k 4 sts underarm, knit 38. Place a marker; this is the beginning of the round.
Rounds 2 and 4: purl
Rounds 3 and 5: knit. Bind off.
Finishing
Weave in the yarn ends. Sew buttons to the button band. Crochet a chain using 2 threads (white and blue) 40” (100 cm). Thread into the eyelet row.
