Lace Delight Dress for a 6-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Knitting Pattern

Craft a dress for a 6-inch doll with this clear knitting pattern, perfect for a fun project. The pattern guides you through knitting a lace dress that fits small dolls comfortably. Follow the steps to create a dress with an open lace design for a light look. This project offers a chance to practice lace knitting while making a charming outfit. The finished dress adds a sweet touch to your doll’s wardrobe.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
---Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
---Increasing: yarn over (YO), knit front and back (kfr&b)
---Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog), slip-slip-knit (ssk), Slip1 – knit 2 together – pass the slipped stitch over just knitted 2 together stitches (sl1-k2tog-psso)
---Working in the round on double pointed needles
---Working lace patterns
---Picking up stitches

Size: fits 6-inch dolls like American Girl Mini Doll and other dolls of similar size.

Materials: small amount of lace-weight yarn, I used Shadow Tonal by Knit Picks (affiliate link) 100% wool, 440yds (402 m) in 50 grams.

Needles: circular and double pointed needles (dpn) US #1 (2.25mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 32 sts x 48 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) in stockinette st:

Notions: yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, 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
pu&k- pick up and knit
yo – yarn over
Sl1-k2tog-psso - Slip1 – knit 2 together – pass the slipped stitch over just knitted 2 together stitches
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.

Stockinette in rounds: All rounds knit.

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

Lace pattern: multiple of 6 + 2 (edge sts)

WS rows (rows 1 and 3) purl

Row 2 (RS): k1 (edge st), * k3, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo – repeat from * to last st, k1 (edge st)

Row 4 (RS): k1 (edge st), * yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3 - repeat from * to last st, k1 (edge st)


Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till the marker, yo, slip marker, 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. In the WS rows purl the yo stitches.

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 2 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The dress is worked top-down, seamlessly, back and forth with button band in garter stitch. The bodice is worked in stockinette with raglan increases. The sleeves are worked in rounds on dpn, 2 versions of the sleeves are offered – a puff one and a straight.. The skirt is worked in the lace pattern. The length of the skirt is up to you. I crocheted the belts (a chain string) for the blue and lilac dresses, you can use a length of narrow ribbon.

Dress

Cast on 26 sts: 3 edge & bb – 2 back – 1 raglan (place a marker before this st) – 4 sleeve – 1 raglan (place the second marker before this st) – 4 front – 1 raglan (place the third marker before this st) – 4 sleeve – 1 raglan (place the forth marker before this st) – 2 back - 3 bb & edge

Row 1 (RS) (increase row): *knit till marker, yo, sm, k1, yo - repeat from * 4 times, knit till last st, p1. + 8 sts

Row 2 (WS and all WS rows): k3, purl till last 3 sts, k2, p1.

Repeat rows 1-2 two more times.

The number of sts after:
Row 1 = 34
Row 3 = 42
Row 5 = 50

Row 7 for the puff sleeve only: k8, yo, k1 (raglan line), yo, * kfr&b repeat 10 times, yo, k1 (raglan line), yo, k10, yo, k1 (raglan line), yo, * kfr&b 10 times, yo, k1 (raglan line), yo, k 7, p1.

You will have 9 sts back – 1 raglan - 20 sts sleeve – 1 raglan – 12 sts front - 1 raglan– 20 sts sleeve- 1 raglan- 9 sts back = 74 sts

Row 7 for the straight sleeve work as row 1 = 54 sts

Row 9 (increase row): like row 1. Stitch count for puff sleeve =82 sts, for straight sleeve = 62 sts

Row 11 (increase row): like row 1. Stitch count for puff sleeve =90 sts, for straight sleeve = 70 sts

Rows 10 and 12: like row 2.


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 13 (RS for the puff sleeves): k11, transfer 24 sts on a length of yarn, co3, k16, transfer 24 sts on a length of yarn, co3, k10, p1 = 44 sts

Row 13 (RS for the straight sleeves) k11, transfer 14 sts on a length of yarn, co3, k16, transfer 14 sts on a length of yarn, co3, k10, p1 = 44 sts

Row 14: k3, purl to last 3, k2, p1

Row 15: k4, (k1, kfr&b) 18 times, k3, p1 = 62 sts

Row 16: (WS) : k3, purl to last 3, k2, p1

Row 17 (RS): k4, *k3, yo, sl1 – k2tog- psso, yo, – repeat from * to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Rows 18 and 20: k3, purl to last 3, k2, p1

Row 19: (RS): k4, *yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3, – repeat from * to last 4 sts, k3, p1

Repeat rows 17-20 5 more times or to desired length.

Finish with 4 rows of garter stitch, Bind off, cut yarn.


Sleeves

Sleeves are worked one at a time on dpn

Straight sleeve: transfer 14 sts from waste yarn on 3 dpn, pu&k 3 underarm sts = 17 sts

Work 3 rounds (rounds start on underarm sts.)

Round 4: underarm sts: sl 1, k2tog-psso, k14 = 15 sts

Work 2-3 more rounds for short sleeves (or to desired length),

Bind off. Cut yarn.

Puff sleeve: transfer 24 sts from waste yarn on 3 dpn, pu&k 3 underarm sts = 27 sts.

Work 6 rounds in stockinette: all rounds knit.

Round 7: k3 (underarm sts), k2tog 12 times = 15 sts

Work 5 more rounds in stockinette. Bind off, cut yarn.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew snaps on the button bands. Chain a 10” long string for the belt. Sew on any embellishments.

Have fun!