The Sutton Pinafore Dress is the perfect everyday dress for over a tee, with unique little details including a pocket on the front, a dot-stitch detail on the back, and a neatly folded hem. The dress is knit in one piece from the bottom up, with subtle waist shaping, carefully designed edging, and shoulder straps that button at the front. Stitches are picked up for the lower edge of the pocket, and then the sides of the pocket are stitched in place. Instructions for two color options are included for either a solid color dress or a color-blocked dress using 3 contrasting colors.

You might call it a “jumper” (but our European friends will say “jumper” means a pull-over sweater!), or an “overall” dress, but “pinafore” seemed fitting for this sweet little knit piece.

This PDF knitting pattern is designed to fit 18” dolls such as American Girl®.

Supplies Needed:

Yarn
Fingering weight, approx. 150yds (137mts)/35-50g
Yarn Shown:
• Pink Sample: Comfy Fingering by Knit Picks (75% Pima Cotton, 25% Acrylic; 218yds (200mts)/50g): Peony
• Color-blocked Sample: Catona by Sheepjes (100% Mercerized Cotton; 68yds (62.5mts)/25g)
C1: Petrol Blue (400)
C2: Light Navy (164)
C3: Mercury (074)
(Given for example purposes only, no affiliation or endorsement is implied).

Needles
Size US 0 (2mm) and size US 1 (2.25 mm) circular needles or sets of 5 dpns* (or sizes needed to obtain gauge). A spare set of needles size 0 or smaller is needed if using the provisional cast-on (optional).
If using dpns, a set of straight needles the same size as the larger needles could be used for the front and back bodice sections if that is preferred, but it is not necessary as those sections are very small and can be worked back and forth on the dpns.

Gauge
14 sts x 23 rows = 2″ (5 cm) square in Stockinette stitch on larger needles after blocking.

Measurements
Finished waist circumference: 11″ (28cm).

Other Materials
Two buttons 3/8″ (9 mm) diameter, tapestry needle, straight or safety pins (2 for pocket and additional 6-8 for hem if not using provisional cast-on), stitch holder or scrap yarn, blocking tools. For provisional cast-on (optional): 100″ (2.5m) of scrap yarn, F/5 (3.75 mm) crochet hook (or similar size).

Skill Level: Intermediate