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Free Knitting and Crochet Patterns from Elaine Phillips

Candy Cane Dress for 18-inch Doll

Difficulty level: *** Intermediate

Free Doll Dress Knitting Pattern

The dress is worked top-down back-and-forth with raglan sleeves and button band on the back to the waste line, then the skirt is worked in the round in chevron and garter stitch patterns. The sleeves are worked on dpn in the round.

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

Materials: Nature Spun by Brown Sheep (affiliate link) sport weight yarn, 50 g / 168 m (184 yards), color white - 1 skein. (color A)
Lion's Vanna's Glamour, color Red, 50 g / 185 m (202 yards) - 1 skein. (color B)

Needles: US #4 (3.5 mm) circular, OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE, set of double pointed needles (dpn) of the same size.

Gauge for stockinette stitch for yarn A: 24 st x 32 rows = 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm)

Notions:
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or 2 pieces 10” long of contrasting color waste yarn to hold stitches
- Yarn needle
- 3 sew-on snaps size 2/0 or 3/0
- Sewing needle and thread of color matching the yarn for attaching the snaps
- Crochet hooks 2mm and 3mm

Abbreviations:
sm - slip marker
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
k2tog – knit 2 together
ssk – slip, slip, knit
kf&b – knit front and back
P – purl
St – stitch
Sts - stitches
pu&k - pick up and knit
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
m 1 - 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/round purl/knit it as a regular stitch.
bb – button band


Pattern Notes

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

Stockinette in rounds: All rounds knit.

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

Garter stitch in rounds: knit the first round, purl the next round. Repeat 2 rounds.

Chevron Pattern in rounds
Multiple of 11 sts.
Round 1: *K2tog, k2, kf&b twice, k3, ssk – repeat from *.
Round 2: knit.
Repeat rounds 1-2.

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

Raglan increases: In every right side (RS) row, work till 1 st remains before the marker, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1.

Button Band (bb) is worked in garter stitch on 2 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.


Dress

The dress is worked top-down back-and-forth with raglan sleeves and button band on the back to the waste line, then the skirt is worked in the round in chevron and garter stitch patterns. The sleeves are worked on dpn in the round.

Using 3.5mm/US #4 circular needles, with color A (white), cast on 42 sts, these include: 1 edge - 2 right bb - 4 right back, 2 raglan sts - 6 right sleeve - 2 raglan sts - 8 front sts - 2 raglan sts - 6 left sleeve sts - 2 raglan sts - 4 left back sts - 2 left bb - 1 edge. Place markers between raglan sts. Slip markers while working.

Work 2 rows in garner stitch: both rows knit, except the edge sts.

Row 3 and all RS rows: (RS increase row): sl 1, *knit all sts till the last st before the marker, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1, repeat from * 4 times, knit all sts to the last st, p1. You'll get + 8 sts in every RS row:

Row 3 = 50 sts.
Row 5 = 58 sts.
Row 7 = 66 sts.
Row 9 = 74 sts.
Row 11 = 82 sts.
Row 13 = 90 sts.
Row 15 = 98 sts.
Row 17 = 106 sts.
Row 19 = 114 sts.

Row 4 (WS) and all WS rows: sl 1, k2, purl all sts, slipping markers, to the last 3, k2, p1.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 eight more times.


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 21 (RS): sl 1, k 16, transfer 26 sts to a piece of waste yarn, co 3, k28, transfer 26 sts to a piece of waste yarn, co 3, k16, p1 (= 68 sts).

Row 22 (WS): sl 1 , k2, p62, k2, p1.

Row 23 with color B (RS, increase eyelet row): sl 1, k2, (yo, k2) 31 times, yo, k2, p1. ( = 100 sts)

Row 23 (WS): k 1, p98, p1.

Row 25 (RS, increase row): sl 1, k3, m1, (k4, m1) 23 times, k3, p1. ( = 124 sts)

Row 26 (WS): sl 1, k2, p118, k2, p1.

Row 27 (RS, with color A): sl 1, k122, p1.

Row 28 (WS): sl 1, p123.


Join skirt into round:

Holding the working piece with right side facing, transfer the last 3 sts (edge and 2 bb) to a spare needle.
Fold the working piece and place the spare needle with 3 sts over the 3 sts of the right bb, hold them together in the left hand. Insert the right needle in the first stitch on the spare needle, then in the first stitch on the left needle. Knit the stitches together. Repeat for the remaining 2 pairs of sts. Place a marker between the first and the second just knitted sts to mark the beginning of the round. (= 121 sts)



Round 1 (increase round) : (k11, m1) eleven times (=132 sts). Note that the first 2 sts of the round are already on the left needle, so you have to knit 9 till the first m1.

Round 2: k132.

Rounds 3-6 work in color B (red) in garter stitch. Rounds 3 and 5 knit, rounds 4 and 6 purl.

Rounds 7 - 12 work in white.

Round 7: *K2tog, k2, kf&b twice, k3, ssk - repeat from * 12 times.

Round 8: knit

Repeat rounds 7-8 two more times.

To get the skirt 7” long, repeat rounds 3 - 12 five times, ending with 6 rows of garter stitch in color B. To get the skirt 9” long, repeat rounds 3-12 seven times, ending with 6 rows of garter stitch in color B.


Sleeve

Transfer 26 sts to dpn, distributing evenly, pu&k 3 underarm sts.= 29 sts

Work in rounds with white yarn for 15 rounds.

With red yarn, kfr&b each st. = 58 sts.

Work 6 rounds in garter stitch with red yarn. Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in the yarn ends. Block the skirt.

Sew on 3 snaps on the button band.


Belt and sleeve strings:

Using crochet hook 2mm and red yarn, work a chain about 4” long. Tie off. Make another string. Insert the strings into sleeves between the red and white parts.

Using crochet hook 3 mm and 2 strands of yarn – one red and one white – work a chain about 20” long. Tie off. Insert the belt in the eyelet row.

Enjoy!

Pattern was updated on October 1, 2018.


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Comments

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Leave a comment about the article.
Poster: Karen Gasperoni
September 4, 2012

I LOVE this dress! Can you tell me the finished length of the dress BEFORE knitting the bodice. My gage seems correct but I would like to be sure.

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