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AZURE - American Girl Doll Dress

When knitting was not as popular as today, I did a few "American Girl Doll Fashion Shows" for local libraries. I knitted many outfits for my four AGDs and one Madam Alexander (one day I will show you those outfits in the video), then I dressed them up, took other pieces of their wardrobe to a library, and displayed them where children and adults could see the "knitted fashions." 

Today, I would love to share with you another dress that I designed, and this time I also videotaped the making of the dress. If you knit this dress I hope you will make a little girl very happy. 

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VIDEOS FOR RIGHT-HANDED KNITTERS:

  1. VERY DETAILED VIDEO TUTORIAL - PART 1/2 (dress)
  2. VERY DETAILED VIDEO TUTORIAL - PART 2/2 (lacy pattern)
VIDEOS FOR LEFT-HANDED KNITTERS:
  1. VERY DETAILED VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR LEFTIES PART 1/2 (dress)
  2. VERY DETAILED VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR LEFTIES PART 2/2 (lacy pattern)

If you would rather like to follow the written pattern then scroll down. Happy knitting.

Material:

  • Yarn - LANA GROSSA, Gomitolo Puno; Color: 013; Light (3); 70% Cotton, 19% Merino Wool, 11% Alpaca; 5.3 oz/150g; 623 yd/570 m; I used 40 g/1.42 oz of yarn
  • Knitting needles #4 (3.5 mm)
  • Markers
  • Yarn needle (to weave in the ends)
  • Scissors
  • Button

Abbreviations:
CO - cast on
M - marker
K - knit
P - purl
YO - yarn over
K3tog - knit 3 stitches together
S3K - slip each stitch knitwise three times, place them back on the needle and knit through the back loop
CDD - center double decrease - slip two stitches as if to knit them together, knit next stitch, then pass two slipped stitches over the knitted one
P-row# - pattern row number


Gauge:
4" x 4" = 22 sts x 30 rows

Measurements:



Step-by-Step Directions:

This dress is knitted top-down. First, it is knitted back and forth, then in the round.
CO 58 sts

Row 1-5        *[K1, P1]* - 29x, turn
Row 6            *[K1, P1]* - 2x, K50, *[
K1, P1]* - 2x, turn
Row 7            *[K1, P1]* - 2x, P50, *[K1, P1]* - 2x, turn


Row 8            *[K1, P1]* - 2x, M, K8, m1, K1, M, K1, m1, K3, m1, K1, M, K1, m1, K20, m1, K1, M, K1, m1, K3, m1, K1, M, K1, m1, K8, M *[K1, P1]* - 2x, turn
Row 9            *[K1, P1]* - 2x, P58, *[K1, P1]* - 2x, turn

Repeat Rows 8 & 9 eleven more times (total 12x, including Rows 8 & 9) while adding 8 new stitches in every EVEN row (Rows 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30), thus purling 8 more stitches in every ODD row. You should add 96 sts in total.

CONNECT BACKS TO FRONT:

Before you start connecting fronts and back together put sleeve stitches on holders (I use 2 thick strings).

First, work on overlapping and connecting both back parts together as such:
Overlap both edges (the buttonhole side on the top!) in such a way that you will K2tog 1st buttonhole side stitch with 4th stitch of the other edge (this will be beginning of your new round), 2nd buttonhole side stitch with 3rd stitch of the other edge, 3rd buttonhole side stitch with 2nd stitch of the other edge, 4th buttonhole side stitch with 1st stitch of the other edge (see the video if you need help). You can remove all the markers as you knit. Also, remember you knitted 2 sts together 4x, thus you will have 46 sts for the back. (If needed you can watch the video - Part 1).

Now you are ready to connect fronts and back (knit in the round):

Rnd 1            K21, CO 1 st,  K46, CO 1 st, K21 (total 94 sts = 4+21+1+46+1+21)
Rnd 2-3         K94
Rnd 4            P94
Rnd 5            Make 8 holes for the ribbon: K6, K2tog, YO, *[K10, K2tog, YO]* - 3x; K8, K2tog, YO; *[K10, K2tog, YO]* - 3x; K4 
Rnd 6            K94
Rnd 7            P94
Rnd 8-?         K94 

Repeat Rnd 8 as many times as needed until you reach 4", depending on if you want to knit a lacy pattern at the bottom of the dress. If you don't want to knit a lacy pattern then knit another inch and then finish with 5-6 rows of either the ribbing or the garter stitch to prevent curling of the edge. 
You could also make the dress longer by knitting more rounds before the pattern OR keep repeating the lacy pattern few more times.

NOTE:
Before you will start with the lacy pattern, you need to add 5 extra sts in your last round - distribute these stitchers evenly among 94 sts (make one stitch about every 18-19 sts). You need to have 99 sts total. You will work with 11 stitch repeats - that means for the lacy pattern you will do 9 REPEATS.

LACY PATTERN:






Rnd 1            K2tog-2x; *[YO, K1]* - 3x; YO; SSK - 2x (Repeat 9x)
Rnd 2-3         K11 (Repeat 9x)
  • Repeat Rnd 1-3 three more times (Rnd 4-12);
  • Then repeat Rnd 1 and 2 (Rnd 13 & 14), before you will finish the dress with the garter stitch edging (Rnd 15-19)
Rnd 15          P11 (Repeat 9x)
Rnd 16          K11 
(Repeat 9x)
Rnd 17          P11 (Repeat 9x)
Rnd 18          K11 (Repeat 9x)

In Rnd 19 BO by using purl stitches.

SLEEVES

Note: There are 29 sts for each sleeve. Since we CO one stitch between front and back (each side) we need to CO in the underarm area in such a way that we will not have any holes. If you observe you can fit in five (5) extra stitches. That will bring the total stitches for the sleeve to 34 sts. (If needed you can watch the video - Part 1).

Knit the sleeves in the round.

Rnd 1            Starting in the middle of the underarm area CO 3 sts, K29, then finish CO 2 more sts
Rnd 2-7         *[K1, P1]* - 17x
Rnd 8            BO all the stitches, weave in the ends.
 
Note: If you wish to knit long sleeves then instead of ribbing keep knitting in the round and decreasing 1 sts at the beginning of the row, and 1 stitch at the end every few rows (approx. every 6 rows) - about four times, then finish the sleeve with 5-6 rows of ribbing.

Weave in all remaining ends/tails. Block. Dress up the American Girl Doll or give it as a gift.



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Copyright:
You may not sell my written pattern to anyone, and you may not publish it as your own.
However, you may sell a finished product (any size of the scarf) made by you, but you have to give me a credit.

Thank you.

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Note: Most of the time I work as fast as I can to keep up with knitting and crocheting requests. I have to videotape, edit videos, then convert them & upload them to my channel. After that often I post on my blog patterns. I answer many questions, which means that often I work up to 16 hours a day. I would tremendously appreciate it IF anyone of you finds an error in the written pattern, so please, let me know - where (what rows) and what may be the problem. Many future knitters & crocheters from our artsy and crafty virtual world will thank you for your good deed, including myself.