This year the Advent Calendar will feature a knitting pattern which will make a winter dress for a 1:6th scale female doll (this is designed to fit a regular or Curvy Barbie type doll and will go over a modern Sindy dolls head). The design can be knitted as a plain dress or with a two colour pattern. The photo of the dress design will be added on 1st December with the first part of the pattern.

As usual this will not have a religious theme, although it will be Christmas/Winter based, so everyone can take part.

Each morning a new part of the Advent Calendar pattern will be posted on my blog pages. The calendar will start on 30th November 2024 (more details and abbreviations list) and a new part of the pattern will be added each day from 1st December, with the final part and finishing instructions being given on 24th December. There will be a KAL for this Advent Calendar running throughout December on the Buttercup Miniatures Group if you wish to join in. You do not need to join the group to participate.

As usual the design has been kept simple so no matter how rushed you are preparing for Christmas, you can find 20 to 30 minutes a day to sit and relax with a few rows of knitting. By working a few rows a day this should give people more confidence to tackle a complex looking design and discover it is not as difficult as it may appear.

The dress is knitted flat on two needles and then sewn up. There is very little shaping (and no shaping in areas of colour work), so this should be within the abilities of most knitters from intermediate to experienced alike. The design may look complex, but if you follow the pattern exactly, as it is written, this should be within the abilities of most knitters. NOTE: Colour work areas will have written instructions only in the free pattern.

Ability Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Materials required: One pair of size 14 (2.00 mm/US size 0) knitting needles, 135 metres/150 yds No 10 or No 12 crochet cotton in main colour (M), and 23 metres/25 yards contrast colour (C), 3 stitch holders or safety pins.

Finished size of dress
Neck to hem –.17 cm/7¾-inches. Across chest - 6.5 cm/2½-inches. Sleeve seam – 7 cm/3-inches

Gauge - worked over stocking/stockinette stitch: 5 rows = 1 cm and 5 stitches = 1 cm

The Advent calendar will only be available for FREE on my blog pages until 9.00 am 6th January 2025, when it will be removed and be released as a digital pattern to buy from Ravelry. If you wish to take advantage of the free pattern make sure you collect all 24 parts as they are posted or be prepared to buy the pattern.

© Copyright Frances H. Powell 2024
All rights reserved. This pattern is for private use only and may not be reproduced in any form, or reproduced for commercial gain including selling any item knitted up from these patterns without written permission from Buttercup Miniatures. Reproducing or transmitting this pattern by any means for any purpose other than for personal use constitutes a violation of copyright law.