Knitting Knit - Candy Cane Dress

Candy Cane Dress for SD size girls

Here is the pattern for a Christmas dress and hat that I made for my girl. It's my first "real pattern" so feel free to let me know if something doesn't make sense or if there is a mistake. Enjoy! Oh, you can see bigger (though not better at the moment...) pictures of the dress over in the knitting circle thread.

4 or 5 size 1 (2.25mm) dp needles
1 ball Patons Brilliant Color 03005 “White Twinkle” (I’ll call this W in the pattern)
1 ball Patons Brilliant Color 04430 “Beautiful Burgundy” (I’ll call this B in the pattern)

Gauge: 8 st = 1 in
12 rounds = 1 in

With B cast on 60 st, distribute so that there are the same number of stitches on each needle, this pattern is worked primarily in the round. The dress is made from the skirt hem up so you can lengthen the dress early on, or stop at the waist and make just a skirt.

K2 P2 for 4 rows of ribbing.
Join W.
K 5 rows.
Keep alternating colors every 5 rows until you have 10 total stripes, 5 in B and 5 in W.

Eleventh Stripe -B Begin to decrease for waist. You can follow the pattern for decreasing below, or place markers every 15 stitches to mark where you should decrease.
Round 1: K all sts
Round 2: K7, K2tog, K13, SSK, K13, K2tog, K13, SSK, K6 56 stitches
Rounds 3-5 K all stitches

Twelfth Stripe – W
Round 1: K all
Round 2: K 6, K2tog, K12, SSK, K12, K2tog, K12, SSK, K6 52 stitches
Rounds 3-5 K all stitches

From here one you won’t be doing stripes, unless you want to. I tried it and it just seemed too busy, so I changed it.

Work another 10 rounds in W, this is the waist of the dress. If you want to make just a skirt, bind off in pattern and weave in ends. Otherwise, begin increasing as follows. I’m keeping with sets of 5 rounds as much as possible to break up the pattern (I’ve been working on it in small bursts) or allow for you to continue stripes if you like.

Round 1 K all
Round 2: K6, MO, K12, MO, K12, MO, K12, MO, K6 56 sts
Rounds 3-5: K all stitches

Join B
Round 1 K all stitches
Round 2 K7 MO, K13, MO, K13, MO, K13, MO, K6 60 sts
Rounds 3-5 K all sts

Rounds 1-5 K all sts

Now you need to increase more in the front for the bust.

Round 1 K all
Round 2 K24, MO, K10, MO, K24 62 sts
Rounds 3-5 K all

Round 1 K all
Round 2 K24, MO, K12, MO, K24 64 sts
Rounds 3 K all
Round 4 K22, MO, K4, MO, K8, MO, K4, MO, K22 68 sts
Round 5 K all

Begin armhole (back and forth knitting)
Round 1 K all
Round 2 K 14, BO 3, K32, BO3, K14 62 sts

From here you will stop knitting in the round, you’re working just on the back now. You may want to move all of the stitches for the back onto one needle, and all of those for the front onto another. (The front and back here are not done in groups of 5 rows, sorry! But you could simply keep changing colors every 5 rows and add as many as needed at the end to make a complete stripe.)
Row 1 - K 14
This and all other WS rows - p 28
Row 3 - BO 1, K24, BO1 26 sts for back
Row 5 - BO 1, K22, BO1 24 sts
Row 7 - K all stitches
Row 9 - K all stitches
Row 11 - MO, K22, MO 26 sts

Front
Right Side
Row 1 - Join B, BO1, K 30, BO1 32sts for front
Row 2- this and all WS row – purl all stitches
Row 3 - BO 1, K28, BO1 30 sts
Row 5 - BO1, K 26, BO1 28 sts
Row 7 - K all
Row 9 - MO, K26, MO 30 sts
Row 11 - K all, CO 2 at end of row 32 sts

Now join front with the back, knitting 26 sts across the back, then CO 2 stitches and continue in the round (rearranging stitches back onto more needles if necessary). K 13 stitches to bring your knitting around to the middle of the back, which will be the start of the round. 60 sts

Knit 1 more round. Join W, K 5 rounds (or more if you wish), bind off. The collar should curl down naturally. If you don’t like that, switch to ribbing for the last 5 rounds.

At this point you can decide if you want to make sleeves or leave the dress how it is.

Sleeves
Starting at the bottom of the armhole, pick up 24 stitches with B.
K 3 rounds
Join W and K all stitches until the sleeve reaches approximately to your doll’s elbow (30 rows for my doll).
Join B and K 2 rounds.
Join W and K 1 round, then Inc one stitch every six stitches. 28 sts
Join B and K 2 rounds
Join W and K 2 rounds.

Repeat these 8 rounds (adjusting the number of stitches between increases) one time. 32sts
Join B and continue to increase 4 stitches every 4th round of each set of eight rounds until sleeve is the desired length. Rib the last few rows to keep it from curling, or if you want, add 5 rows of T at the cuffs to make them match the neckline. BO all stitches.

Repeat for other sleeve.

Santa Stocking cap

On same needles with WT CO 60 sts
K all stitches for 8 rounds.
Join BB –K 4 rounds
Join WT- K 4 rounds
Join BB- K 2 rounds
Round 3: K 7, K2tog, K13, K2tog, K13, K2tog, K13, K2tog, K6 56 sts
Round 4: K all stitches
Join WT-K 4 rounds
Join BB- K 2 rounds
Round 3 – K6, K2 tog, K12, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K6 52 sts
Round 4 – K all stitches

Continue in this manner (4 rounds WT, 4 rounds BB with decreases in 3rd round) until you are down to 16 sts. Don’t join WT, but rather keep knitting with BB until the end of the set of four rounds where 4 stitches remain. Run tail of yarn through 4 stitches, weave in ends. Add a pom pom, tassel or bell to end of hat.