I have knit two dresses for a craft swap on birth.com.au.The first dress is a bright as bright can be royal blue. The edging at the bottom is a picot edge. So I did StSt for about 5 rows, then K2tog, YO, to make the egde. Folded it over and sewed it down. There is three rows of a little eyelet lace above the picot edging. The skirt part is all stst. Then the bodice is a simple cable pattern made of a multiple of 9 stitches. The pattern is:
Row 1 - ktbl, p2,k4,p2
Row 2 - same as 1st
Row 3 - ktbl, p2,CB4,p2.
Row 4 - same as first.
Cast on 128 st on a circular needle - so knit in one piece (no sewing!), then decreased to 72 st for the bodice (the cable part). The straps are two longinsh straps that you tie together. I thought this was best since I don't know the actual measurements of the recipient, so it can kinda be loosened or tightened if needed.
The yarn is Amaizing (corn fiber). Still have no idea how they make yarn from corn!!! It is 5ply and I held it double making it approx 10ply. While knitting with it, my hands turned blue!! So I have told me swapee to wash it separately or else i'm afraid all her clothes will turn blue!
I'm really happy with how it turned out, Really cute and elegant. If you made it cream or white I reckon it would be a lovely little flower girl dress.
Next is the pink dress made larger, about a size 3. It is also made with Amaizing. The pink didn't stain my hands nearly as much!! I held the yarn double for this as well, making it approx 10ply.
Cast on 144 stitches on a circular needle (4.0mm) so no seaming. Yay! The feather and fan lace pattern was easy as.
Row 1 and 2 - Knit
Row 3 - (K2tog) twice, (YO, k1) 4 times. (k2tog) twice.
Row 4 - Purl
HOWEVER! I didn't do the purl row, I did a knit row. So it isn't quite as textured as it should be. Still nice though, I think.
Decreased at the bodice, and worked plain old garter stitch there. Nice though. Made the straps like the blue dress so they tie up, can be loosened or tightened. Next time would make the straps a little thinner and longer, so its easier to tie up.
Both dresses could be worn in summer as a summer dress, or over a long sleeve shirt in winter. Also could be worn as a top once they are too short to be worn as dresses.
I'm really happy with how they turned out! It was hard to wrap them up and send them off actually, kinda wanted to keep them! I do hope my swappee likes them and uses them!
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