Lilac Dreams Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Knitting Pattern

The doll dress knitting pattern is a chic design tailored for 18-inch dolls. Its seamless, top-down construction features an eyelet and welt patterns on the skirt, effortlessly blending natural, lilac, and purple colors. Perfect for summer adventures, this dress adds a touch of whimsy to any doll's collection.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
---Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
- Increasing:yarn over (YO),
- Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog),
- Working in the round on double pointed needles
- Picking up stitches

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

Materials: Simply Cotton Sport by Knit Picks (affiliate link), 100% organic Cotton 164 yards/50grams. We used 3 colors, approx. 1/3 of a ball.

Needles: circular and double pointed needles (dpn) US # 2 (2.75mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 28 sts x 36 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette st.

Notions:
yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, invisible plastic sew-on snaps, sewing needle and thread of matching color, small embellishments of your choice (optional).

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

Pattern Notes:

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

Reversed stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): purl
Row 2: knit
Repeat 2 rows

Garter st in rows: all row knit

Garter st in rounds
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Repeat 2 rounds

Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till 1 st remains before the marker, yo, k1, slip marker (sm), k1, yo. There are 4 raglan lines, repeat on each raglan line, thus the number of sts in each RS row will increase by 8.

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 in one piece top-down, seamlessly, back and forth with the closure on the back. It is worked in stockinette with button bands in garter stitch and raglan increases. The sleeves are worked in rounds on dpn.


Dress

Using circle needles and white colored yarn cast on 56 sts and work 2 foundation rows in garter st - both rows knit.

Row 1 (RS, eyelet row): k4, *yo, k2tog - rep 24 times, yo, k3, p1 = 57 sts

Row 2 (WS): k4, p49, k3, p1

Row 3 (RS increase rows): k4 (right button band), k4 (right back), yo, k1, pm (place marker), k1, yo (1st raglan line), k10 (right sleeve), yo, k1, pm, k1, yo (2nd raglan line), k13 (front), yo, k1, pm, k1, yo (3rd raglan line), k10 (left sleeve), yo, k1, pm, k1, yo (4th raglan line), k4, k3, p1 = 65 sts

Row4: k4, purl 57, k3, p1

Row 5 (RS and all odd/RS rows): *knit till 1 stitch remains before the marker, yo, k1, sm, k1, yo - repeat from * 4 times, knit till the last st, p1. Thus you add 8 sts in each odd row.

Row 6 and all even, WS, rows: k4, purl till last 4 sts, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 5-6 nine more times

Stitch count after the increases:
After row 3 = 65 sts
After row 5 = 73 sts
After row 7 = 81 sts
After row 9 = 89 sts
After row 11 = 97 sts
After row 13 = 105 sts
After row 15 = 113 sts
After row 17 = 121 sts
After row 19 = 129 sts
After row 21 = 137 sts
After row 23 = 145 sts


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 25 (RS,): k 20 (right back), transfer the next 34 sts to a piece of waste yarn (right sleeve), cast on 3 sts (for underarm), k 37(front), transfer the next 34 sts of the sleeve to a piece of waste yarn (left sleeve), cast on 3 sts (for underarm), k 19, p1 (left back). = 83 sts

Rows 26 (WS): k 4, purl 75, k3, p1.

Row 27: knit till last st, p1.

Row 28: knit 4, purl till last 4, k3, p1

Repeat rows 27-28 three more times. Cut white yarn, continue in lilac-colored yarn.

Row 35 (RS increase row): k4, (k1, kfr&b) – repeat 37 times, k4, p1 =120 sts

Row 36: k4, p112, k3, p1

Row 37: k till the last st, p1

Row 38: k4, p112, k3, p1

Repeat rows 37-38 six more times

Row 51 (RS): k4, p112, k3, p1

Row 52 (WS): knit till the last st, p1

Row 53: knit till the last st, p1

Row 54: k4, p112, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 53-54 one more time

Row 55 (RS, eyelet row): k4, (yo, k2tog, k2) - repeat to last 4 sts, yo, k3, p1 = 121 sts

Row 56: k4, purl till last 4 sts, k3, p1

Row 57 (RS): knit till last st, p1

Row 58 (WS): knit till last st, p1

Row 59 (RS): k4, purl till last 4, k3, p1

Row 60 (WS): k4, purl till last 4, k3, p1. Cut lilac yarn, continue with purple yarn

Row 61 (RS, increase row): k4, (kfr&b, k2 ) - repeat till last 5 sts, kfr&b, k3, p1 = 158 sts

Row 62: k4, purl till last 4, k3, p1

Row 63: knit till the last st, p1

Row 64: k4, purl till last 4 sts, k3, p1

Repeat rows 63-64 three more times

Row 71 (RS): k4, purl to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Row 72 (WS): knit till the last st, p1

Row 73: knit till the last st, p1

Row 74: k4, purl to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Row 75 (RS, eyelet row): k4, (yo, k2tog, k2) – repeat to last 4 sts, yo, k3, p1.

Row 76: k4, purl to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Row 77: Row 73: knit till the last st, p1

Row 78 (WS): knit till the last st, p1

Row 79 (RS): k4, purl to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Bind off, cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

Transfer 34 sts from waste yarn on 3 dpn, 1 pu&k 3 underarm sts/ = 37 sts.

With lilac yarn knit 1 round, then purl round 2, Cut lilac yarn, continue with purple: knot round 3, purl round 4. Bind off


Finishing:

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

Have fun!