As much of a staple to your little one’s wardrobe as oatmeal might be to her diet, this little dress can be made out of a sturdy yarn for every-day wear. Paired with a long-sleeved t-shirt and tights or leggings, your little girl will stay cozy and comfortable this fall and winter. And if she still hasn’t outgrown it this spring, switch to a t-shirt or onesie beneath with bare legs and she’ll be all set for warmer weather.

This relaxed dress begins with a simple, scalloped hem that works up in just 3 rounds. Take it with you to Knit Night or while watching a movie because the next section is plain garter stitch with a decrease row at predictable intervals. The bodice goes quick, and finishing is easy - just knit up a couple quick pockets to sew onto the dress, trim the neckline and arm holes with an i-cord (supplemental instructions included), and sew in a zipper (a link to step-by-step instructions also included.)

The sizes listed above correspond to finished chest sizes of 17.5 (19.25, 20.5, 21, 21.75)”. Intended positive ease is approximately 1”.

This “Intermediate” pattern includes the following techniques:
• Knitting flat
• Decreases (K2tog, SSK, sytk)
• Increases (Make 1 and Kfb)
• Three-Needle Bind-Off
• Basic sewing (to attach pockets to the front of the dress)
• Sewing in a Zipper (link to a detailed step-by-step tutorial given)
• I-cord bind off (video link and detailed explanation given)
• Applied i-cord neckline trim (video link and detailed explanation given)

Instructions are fully written out (no charts) and a detailed schematic is included. An i-cord supplement is also attached to the pattern file so anyone not familiar with i-cord techniques can get the detailed instructions they want, but more experienced knitters won’t have to wade through instructions they don’t need. Tutorial links are also included for Sytk, Vertically Seaming Garter Stitch, and Reverse Long-Tail Cast On techniques, as well as for sewing in a zipper.

Materials:
Light sport weight yarn (Sample shown was made form Beaverslide Dry Goods Sock yarn, 80/20 Merino/Mohair 458 yds per 114g skein)
MC: 275 (345, 400, 440, 500) yds
CC: 40 (45, 50, 55, 60) yds
US Size 3 / 3.25mm needles, straight or circs
Pair of US Size 3 / 3.25mm dpns
7” dress zipper (I used an “invisible” style)
Thread that matches MC yarn

My thanks go out to the terrific testers who worked on this project and helped me work this kinks out of this pattern. I appreciate all of your work and the valuable feedback you provided Maritere, Galaz, Niks, Audurv, and Ceraphina!