A dress featuring a flower stitch border. This stitch looks difficult but it isn’t at all. It is both fun and addictive. You can view a helpful video here:
https://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2015/01/flower-in-...

I have also used it in a pinafore design which can be found here .

For this dress, I knit the hem and flower stitch detail flat on 24 inch circulars, then joined in the round when I switched back to the dress color.

I changed colors frequently in the first few rows. To make it easier to seam up the back, I kept the yarn ends long( two inches) between color changes and tied them loose knots. I held these knots in the back as I seamed the opening. When the seaming was finished, I untied the knots and seamed in those ends snugly.

The colors I used for purple dress pictured here are noted at the end of each row below. The green row below the flowers is optional. I used a 2.25mm needle for super wash fingering weight ( made a neater flower, less loose) and a 2.5mm needle for 100% wool.

Flower stitch
Put yarn to back of work, slip as if to purl next 5 sts to RH needle dropping extra wraps. (Put yarn to front of work, slip them back to LH needle. Put yarn to back of work, slip again to LH needle) twice.

Directions:
Odd numbered rows are the right side of your work.

Row 1: CO 87 stitches using a long tail cast on. (Purple)

Rows 2-5: Knit (purple)

(If you wish to add a row of green, knit two extra rows of it here.)

Row 6: Attach yarn for flower color. Knit all stitches. (Pink)

Row 7: Knit 2, * (knit the next stitch wrapping the yarn 3 times around the needle) 5 times, knit 1; repeat from * to end, K1. (Pink)

Row 8: If you wish, you can attach a different yarn color here for the wraps. Purl 2, * flower stitch, purl 1; repeat from * to end, P1. (Orange)

Row 9: Attach yarn for flower color if you used an alternate color above. Knit all stitches (pink)

Row 10: Attach yarn for dress color. Knit all stitches. Join in the round. ( purple)

Row 11: Knit 2 together, knit to last two stitches, knit 2 tog. (85 sts)

Finish the dress as usual following the Seasonal Dresses pattern and my mods for an 84 stitch decrease found here . In the first decrease row for the bodice, you will need to purl 3 stitches together at the end to decrease the last remaining extra stitch.

You could also knit a dress with the flowers at the very bottom. See below.

Cast on 85 stitches. (Knitted in a multiple of 6 sts + 1)

Row 1 - Wrong side: Knit 1, * (knit the next stitch wrapping the yarn 3 times around the needle) 5 times, knit 1; repeat from * to end.

Row 2 - Right side: Purl 1, * flower stitch, purl 1; repeat from * to end.

Row 3 - Wrong side: Knit all sts.

Continue dress as usual. You will have one extra stitch to knit or purl together at some point before the bodice decreases.