Sweet Nothings Crochet: YET ANOTHER CUTE BABY DRESS

Yet another cute baby dress - free crochet pattern info from Sweet Nothings Crochet

This is my third pattern in quick succession for an easy really cute crochet baby dress – and as you can see it’s rainin’ baby girls .. and I’m happily going through my ‘to-do’ list.. absolutely no complaints here. Thanks to this dress (and all the other projects I did during the Ravellenic Games), I won a really neat Gold Medal ! Yaay !

and I made a matching headband and cap to complete this set here

Today I have used some of our lovely Indian Vardhaman Millennium 4-ply acrylic yarn with a 4 mm crochet hook but you can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this creation yourself. Thank you for joining me.

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All my blogs can be printed. Find the printer friendly (green) link on the right side of this blog. You can also hit Control P (or Command P for Mac) on your keyboard, and the blog will go directly to the connected printer.

Remember that you only print if absolutely essential. Save paper – Save Our Earth.

Inspired by this photo, here are my pattern notes.

Just in case this is the pattern you're looking for, then this was the inspiration.

Materials used : Today I have used ~ 80 gms of our lovely Indian Vardhaman Millennium 4-ply acrylic yarn with a 4 mm crochet hook

Optional : Stitch marker

For Indians : You could use Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns as well as Oswal & Vardhaman acrylic yarns ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn , Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.

Size made : For a 0 - 6 month old

Difficulty level : Intermediate Skill level

Stitches used :

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M

How to add beads : https://youtu.be/EcpgMgBox8I

How to work with beads in crochet : https://youtu.be/yanbAnF_pr0

Instructions using U.S terminology

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern. For your convenience there video tutorials through the blog too

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement.

This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

So before we set off on our new creative journey, let’s take a quick look at what we’re creating here today.

We start with the yoke, working from the chest / waist up. Now it’s up to you to decide *where* your *waist* is – by that I mean that you can have it just under the armholes, or you could go way lower to the waist.

These instructions are not that important when working for a new born baby dress, but they do when the dress sizing is for a larger child. Remember that you need to ensure that you need to work with the largest of these measures (i.e if you want your yoke starting at waist, but the chest measure is larger, then that’s you will use half the chest measure)

We will then work on the skirt portion of our dress off the bottom of the yoke.

Now there is a link for a set of charts depending on age of child and I’d suggest we use that as a reference.

There is a pattern that we will work for the corners of our yoke. I need to give you instructions with numbers, so just for convenience, I am going to write this pattern out for Yoke for a 0 – 6 month baby.

Using this pattern info you can make this to any size, using any yarn with a suitable hook.

You will take a look at the chart for the yokes, and you will work it according to the numbers given for the size on your chart

There is a link given above for chart on square neck sizing. Check that out before you start, in case you do not have a well-fitted outfit of the child you’re making this for.

And just when you thought we’re going to pick up our hooks, I’m holding you back with more *ideas* and *tweaks*.

As I’ve said before, I love little baby dresses with a little flare and not totally “A”-lined and here’s what I’ve done to add flare in this dress.

When the pattern repeat for the skirt portion is a long/large one, then with the restricted number of stitches for the tiny chest portion, we need to figure a way to add stitches for the skirt… all on that first round.

Remember here that if you alter the pattern repeat given, you need to calculate the number of stitches you are starting with on your own

a) In the pattern below, it will say “sk … sts” (the … being indicative of number of sts). So you could reduce the gap and reduce the number of sts skipped.

b) You keep the number of sts skipped the same, but instead of using 3 sts for the 3 dc in between, on that first round , you work all 3 dc in the 1^st st

c) You combine both (a) and (b)

All this said, I am going to write the pattern instructions as charted and you can tweak it and create your beautiful dress as you please

PART I : YOKE

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

Start Row 1 : with fsc for the number of stitches per chart (i.e according to the yoke size you’re making). Turn.

Place markers for the four corners of your yoke.

By the chart that we’re referring to now (for the 0-6m), we will count off 7 sts and place a maker on the 8^th st for 1^st corner, then count off 11 sts and place the 2^nd marker, then count of 16 sts and place the 3^rd marker, and finally count off 11 sts and place the 4^th last marker.

We also have a “V”-st for this part of the yoke which is (dc ; ch 1, dc) all in the same st or ch-sp

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

Row 2 : dc in the 1^st fsc and in each fsc till the 1^st marker ;

“V”-st in the marked st ;

*dc in each fsc till the next marker ; “V”-st in the marked st* ;

rep *to* till end. Turn.

Before we move any further, quick note. You need to decide how much of an opening you need for your buttons at the back. Depending on how deep that is, you will work back and forth in rows. Once you have a button placket that you’re happy with, then you will just join with a sl-st at that last st, and work in rounds thereafter.

For little babies, and younger kids, you will work a longer button placket so that we can ease the dress past the babies’ head properly.

Row 3 : dc in the 1^st dc and in each dc till the 1^st ch-1 sp ;

“V”-st in the same ch-1 sp ;

*dc in each dc till the next ch-1 sp ; “V”-st in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* till end. Turn.

Rep Row 3 till we have the yoke size we need.

So what’s our yoke size? It’s right there on the chart. So the top part of the chart shows you the number of stitches needed, and the lower part is the folded over yoke, and it has the length of shoulder and length from shoulder to base of yoke. So work according to the sizing you’re creating, and we’ll meet in a bit for the skirt part of the yoke.

I suggest that we work the skirt portion of our dress in rounds. So on that last row for the yoke, go ahead and join the two ends so that we have a neat round to work on.

PARK 2 : SKIRT

Our stitch count is in multiples of 10.

So first you need to fold the yoke down and check that between the front and back of the yoke, you have multiples of 10 stitches.

For this section of our skirt pattern, we are going to use a “V” stitch which is different from the “V”-st used for the yoke

Our “V”-st here will be (dc ; ch 3, dc in the same st), which will all be worked in the same st or ch-sp.

Note that when we say “V”-st here on, it’s this and not the “V”-st used before.

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

Round 1 : dc in the 1^st 3 sts ;

*ch 1, sk next 3 sts, “V”-st in the next st ;

ch 1, sk next 3 sts, dc in the next 3 sts* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st dc.

Round 2 : sk the 1^st dc ; dc in next dc ;

*ch 1, 7 dc in the next ch-3 sp (of “V”-st) ;

ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next dc ; sk next dc* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Round 3 : “V”-st in the 1^st dc ;

*ch 1, sk next 2 dc, dc in the next 3 dc ;

ch 1, sk next 2 dc, “V”-st in the next dc* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

The following round, as you’ll see is a lot like our Round 2.

We’re just moving the 7 dc a little to get this lovely pattern going.

Round 4 : 7 dc in the 1^st ch-3 sp ;

*ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next dc ;

ch 1, sk next dc, 7 dc in the next ch-3 sp* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Round 5 : sl-st into the 1^st 2 dc ; dc in the next 3 dc ;

*ch 1, sk next 2 dc, “V”-st in the next dc ;

ch 1, sk next 2 dc, dc in the next 3 dc ; * ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

And that’s our pattern done. Rep Rounds 2 – 6, ending with a Round 2 or 4, till you have a project of the length you need.

To figure out the general length of dress, do visit the convenient link(s) given right at the top of this blog.

For the last round, you could opt to work a row or picots all around the 7 dc. As I’m working with a thicker yarn, I’ve decided not to do that, but you work your creative genius and enjoy.

Fasten off and weave in ends.. and Voila ! Yet another beautiful dress made for your cute lil' baby girl or young lady.

Ta da.. isn’t this just beautiful ?? 😊

I should also share a new idea I had for the button. I had these lovely little pink beads that I’d already used on that final row, and thought they’d look lovely as a button. So first I took a regular shirt /pant button and covered it with a little fabric. I then sewed in the beads onto that little fabric top. The base of the button was easy to attach on, as there is the fabric to hold on to.. and I think the end result is pretty amazing.. what do you think? More details here

FINISHING :

1. You have joined the shoulders and got the armholes in place before we got the skirt portion done so yaay

2. You need to work the button placket – so I’d suggest we start with one round of sc all around the neckline.

3. I then worked a small shell border – and in case you want to do this, then work the sc around the neckline in multiples of 3 or 5.

4. Small shell pattern all around : (Multiples of 3) : sc in the 1^st sc ; sk next sc and 3 dc in the next sc ; sk the next sc and sc in the next sc. Rep this pattern all around for a small shell. End with a sc or sl-st in last st.

5. Large shell pattern all around : (Multiples of 5) : sc in the 1^st sc ; sk next 2 sc and 5 dc in the next sc ; sk the next 2 sc and sc in the next sc. Rep this pattern all around for a large shell. End with a sc or sl-st in last st.

6. Picot finish : You could end with a small picot (check “how to” on top of blog) and you could do this every alternate stitch – but first you would need to do that round of sc to start.

7. You can do one of these three finishes around the armhole as well.

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I have a few girls dresses already made, and just in case you want a dekho at those free patterns … here you go

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/10/enchanting-dress.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/09/rose-dress.html