This is my 2nd dress; the 1st one is here :)

Dress made for a 3 month old baby with a chest circumference of cca 43 cm. Changes below:

Started on 72 FSC (foundation single crochet) & 4.0 mm hook (used throughout) and joined in the round. This gave me 12 shells, pattern repeat being multiple of 3 sts. (Baby chest under armpits cca 43cm !!!)

Round 4, armpit:
- made 11 chains (instead of 5 from pattern) for each armhole to accomodate one extra shell per armpit; everything else stayed the same.

Round 5, work for underarm for the 11 chains:
- working in the established pattern, arriving at the 11 chains: skip 2 chains, in 3rd make (sc, ch2, sc), skip next 2 chains, in 3rd make shell, skip again 2 ch’s, in 3rd make (sc, ch2, sc), skip last 2 chains = finished the 11 chains here. Then continue as per pattern… Easy!

Round 6: the above increases gave me overall 2 more shells, so round 6 had 12 shells.

Made rounds 7+8: as per pattern and repeated them 7 more times, up to round 22 included => length here from top of shoulder is cca. 23cm.

Round 23 started the trim with TR Shells, as per pattern.
Trim length after rounds 23,24 & 25 = cca. 4.5 cm.

FO:
Total length from top of shoulder, before blocking:
cca. 28cm
Width under armpit: 46 cm

Heart: free pattern from Loops & Love Crochet (including photo tutorial if interested) website:

Round 1: Magic Circle, with 5.0 mm hook, Ch 3, then work the following stitches into the ring (US terms):
3 TR, 3 DC, Ch 1, TR, Ch 1, 3 DC, 3 TR. Ch 3 and slip stitch to the center of ring. Pull the ring tighter, but not all the way in as you will need to get your hook in there for the next 2 rounds.

Round 2: Ch 3, SC and HDC in first stitch, 3 HDC in next, 2 HDC in next. SC in the next 4 stitches. Ch 1, DC (in top of TR from previous round), Ch 1, SC in next 4 stitches, 2 HDC in next, 3 HDC in next. HDC and SC in last stitch. Ch 3 and slip stitch in the center of the heart.

Round 3: Ch 3, 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, 2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 9 stitches. SC (in top of DC from previous round), Ch 1, SC in next 9, 2 SC in next, SC in next, 2 SC in last stitch. Ch 3, Sl St in last stitch. Pull circle tight, fasten off, and weave in ends.

Note: If you are planning on surface slip stitching around your heart, do not weave in ends; pull the circle all the way tight until you finished your surface slip stitches. You might need to get into that last centre ring with your crochet hook to make the surface stitch that forms the “V” of the heart.

To surface slip stitch around the heart (a photo tutorial included on the website):
Step 1: Make slip knot with your yarn. Insert your crochet hook through one of the stitches of the heart. (Note: I made my surface slip stitches in the second round in from the outside of the heart, but you can also make these stitches around the outside round).
Step 2: Pull the loop of the slip knot through to the front of the heart.
Step 3: Insert your hook into the next stitch and yarn over.
Step 4: Draw up a loop (there will be 2 loops on your hook now).
Step 5: Make a slip stitch by pulling the second loop through the first one on your hook.
Step 6: Repeat steps 3-5 in each stitch around the heart.
Step 7: When you are finished surface slip stitching around the heart, make your last surface slip stitch into the stitch you started in. Fasten off and then weave in ends (on back of heart).

The little flowers on the dress: from Ravelry’s Dainty Mary Janes Booties - free pattern:
I started with a magic ring, but you could use:
Ch 3, sl st to form a ring.
Then simply:
(Ch 1, dc, ch 1, sl st) x 5 times into ring (five petals made).
Flowers mounted on 4th round - see photo, with the WS up on the public side.

Made the headband and its flower from Ravelry too, patterns here:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/emilie-rose-head...
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amikomo3-19-hairpin