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Hannah Dress is my first dress design. It’s very personal. I remade it from start to finish 3 times. It HAD to be perfect but I didn’t know why I felt that way, until I say the model images on my miracle baby.
When you design knits for your miracle baby, those photo shoots hit different. Every single image is a testimony to the One who saved both of our lives when doctors had given up and resigned themselves to an emergency cesarean that would involve 2 fatalities. They had given up hope. But God! We both survived that night in what our doctors called an unexplainable miracle.
When I see these pictures I can’t help but think of the moment they told me we were both dying.
I can’t help but think of her first tiny breath and her itty bitty 1lb cry.
I can’t help but think about how small that 1lb11oz baby girl was.
I can’t help but be thankful for the vibrant, beautiful, full of life, toddler she has grown into and that I am actually live to witness it.
To you, it’s just a knit dress on a cute toddler.
To me, it’s a testimony.
I didn’t know how badly I needed these images until our Tiny in a dress I designed just for her until I had them. I didn’t know how much healing it would give my heart until I saw them. I really, REALLY needed this and I’m so grateful I get to share it with you.
For this project I used my one of my favorite kid friendly yarns, KnitPicks Heatherly Sport. It is an acrylic/merino blend that is soft but strong and machine washable. All attributes you need for busy toddlers! It knits up very nicely and the colors are great. All pastels but not just in your classic baby colors. the earthy tones are so modern and beautiful. And can we talk about that $5.99/hank price? That’s a 328 yard hank! I only used 3 hanks for this size 24mth dress so makes the biggest size only $18! You really can’t go wrong with that.
This dress is knit top down in a classic raglan style, which makes it great for an advanced beginner. And bonus, NO SEWING, NO SEAMS!
To purchase the yarn for this project click here.
Materials and Info
Size: 0-3m, 3-6m (6-12m, 12m) 18m, 24m
Materials: Approximately 2, 2 (3, 3) 3, 3 balls of KnitPicks Heatherly Sport (100g/328y), needle, stitch markers
Needle Size: 4(US) 3.5mm & 5(US) 3.75mm straight and dpn
Gauge (tension): 24sts & 40 rows to make 10cm square, using size 5(US) 3.75mm needles
Chest Measurement: 41, 44 (47, 50) 52, 54 cm
METHOD
This pattern is a top-down raglan that is worked in the round with 5cm of ease. The skirt is worked to knee-length, then a ruffle is added to take it just below the knee.
Baby Hannah Dress Pattern
NECK
Cast on 42, 48 (50, 52) 52, 52 sts in using larger needles
Join in the round
SET-UP ROUND
Purl 2 (front), pm,
Purl 6, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 (sleeve), pm,
Purl 26, 28 (30, 32) 32, 32 (back) pm,
Purl 6, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 (sleeve), pm,
Purl 2 (front)
RAGLAN SHAPING
Raglan shaping and neck shaping are worked AT THE SAME TIME so be sure to read both Raglan Shaping and Neck Shaping sections before continuing.
Shape raglan seams by increasing 1 st each side of each marker, a total of 8 sts increased per round
Work each raglan round as follows:
Inc round/row – [k1, m1l, work to 1 st before marker, m1r, k1, sm] repeat across
Work raglan increases as described above on every other round/row 7, 7 (6, 6) 7, 8 times, then every 4th round 5, 6 (7, 8) 8, 8 times.
Work 3 rounds without any raglan increases.
NECK SHAPING
Stitches are increased at the beginning and end of each row to shape the front neck.
Start front neck shaping after working 10, 7 (3, 5) 5, 5 rows after the set-up row:
(All sizes EXCEPT 0-3 and 3-6)
Cast on 1st at each end of front neck.
Work 3 rows with no neck shaping
(All sizes EXCEPT 0-3)
Cast on 1st at each end of front neck.
Work 1 row with no neck shaping
(All sizes)
Cast on 1 st at each end of front neck every following 2, 3 (3, 3) 3, 3 rows.
Cast on 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 2 sts at each end of next row.
Cast on 3, 4 (4, 2) 2, 2 sts at each end of next row.
Cast on 6, 4 (4, 5) 5, 5 sts at each end of next row.
Jon in the round
STITCH COUNT CHECK
Total stitches: 160, 176 (180, 192) 200, 208
Front/Back: 50, 54 (56, 60) 62, 64
Sleeve: 30, 34 (34, 36) 38, 40
DIVIDE FOR BODY AND SLEEVES
Work across 25, 27 (28, 30) 31, 32 front stitches, remove marker,
place 30, 34 (34, 36) 38, 40 sleeve stitches on stitch holder,
cast on 6 sts, remove marker,
work across 50, 54 (56, 60) 62, 64 back stitches, remove marker,
place 30, 34 (34, 36) 38, 40 sleeve stitches on stitch holder,
cast on 6 sts,
Work across remaining 25, 27 (28, 30) 31, 32 front stitches, remove beginning of round marker, work across 25, 27 (28, 30) 31, 32 remaining front stitches, place beginning of round marker.
[112, 116 (124, 132) 136, 140 sts]
BODY
Continue in stockinette until your work measures 11, 13 (14.5, 16) 17, 18 cms from measuring from back of neck.
Work in k1p1 around for 2.5, 2.5 (3, 3) 3.5, 3.5 cm
SKIRT
Waist increase round – [K1, m1] around [224, 232 (248, 264) 272, 280]
Work in stockinette st until your work measures 18.5, 20 (22, 24) 28, 30.5cm from waist increase round.
Purl 1 round.
RUFFLE
Round 1 – [k3, p3, k2] around
Round 2 – [k1, yo, k2, p3, k2, yo] around
Round 3 – [k4, p3, k3] around
Round 4 – [k1, yo, k3, p3, k3, yo] around
Round 5 – [k5, p3, k4] around
Round 6 – [k1, yo, k4, p3, k4, yo] around
Round 7 – [k6, p3, k5] around
Round 8 – [k1, yo, k5, p3, k5, yo] around
Round 9 – [k7, p3, k6] around
Round 10 – [k1, yo, k4, ssk, p3, k2tog, k4, yo] around
Round 11 – repeat round 9
Round 12 – repeat round 10
Round 13 – repeat round 9
Bind off purlwise.
SLEEVE (REPEAT FOR BOTH SLEEVES)
Using larger needles (you may need to use dpn or magic loop),
pick up and knit 3 sts from underarm,
work the 30, 34 (34, 36) 38, 40 sts from stitch holder,
pick up and knit 3 sts from underarm, pm.
[42, 38 (40, 42) 44, 46 sts]
Knit 1, 1 (1, 1) 3, 1 rounds.
Next round – decrease 1 stich at each side of marker.
Knit 4, 6 (8, 10) 10, 12 more rounds.
Work in 1×1 rib for 1.5cm.
Bind off.
NECK
With right side facing, using smaller needle (smaller size might require dpn), beginning at the back left raglan, pick up and knit:
6, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 sts from left sleeve,
12, 12 (12, 14) 14, 14 sts down left front,
12, 8 (8, 10) 10, 10 sts along center front,
12, 12 (12, 14) 14, 14 sts up right front,
6, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 sts, from right sleeve,
26, 28 (30, 32) 32, 32 sts from back.
[74, 76 (78, 86) 86, 86 sts]
Join in the round and place beginning of round marker.
Work for 2cms in 1×1 rib.
Bind off in pattern.
FINISHING Sew the hem of the skirt and sleeves. Weave in all ends and block according.
Abbreviations
K – knit
P – purl
PM – place marker
SM – slip marker
STS – stitches
YO – yarn over
K2tog -knit 2 stitches together
SSK – slip, slip, knit the slipped sts together
M1R – Insert the left needle under the strand that runs between two stitches from back to front, then knit this strand
M1L – Insert the left needle under the strand that runs between two stitches from front to back, then knit this strand through the back loop
Download Baby Hannah Dress PDF
