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When it comes to knitting, there’s a certain magic that happens when you pair the right pattern with the perfect yarn. Recently, I embarked on a delightful journey creating the June Dress, a beautiful baby dress pattern, and I couldn’t wait to share my experience with you all.

The June Dress is a charming, free knitting pattern that’s perfect for those who love to craft delicate and adorable garments for little ones. What makes this dress stand out is its elegant picot hem detailing at the neck, sleeves, and skirt, as well as a practical and stylish elastic casing waistband. To bring this pattern to life, I chose to work with Lion Brand Coboo yarn—a blend of cotton and bamboo that proved to be an excellent choice.

Choosing the Right Yarn

Selecting the appropriate yarn is crucial for any knitting project. For the June Dress, I wanted something soft, breathable, and comfortable for a baby’s sensitive skin. Lion Brand Coboo yarn is a fantastic choice for this purpose. It’s a DK weight yarn that’s composed of 51% cotton and 49% bamboo, providing the perfect balance of softness and durability.

Coboo yarn has a smooth texture and a lovely drape, which is ideal for baby garments. The natural fibers ensure that the dress is lightweight and breathable, making it suitable for warmer months. Plus, the yarn’s slight sheen adds a touch of elegance to the finished piece, enhancing the overall look of the dress. You can purchase this yarn here.

Starting the Project: Picot Hem Neckline

The first step in knitting the June Dress was the picot hem neckline. The picot hem is a beautiful detail that gives the dress a delicate, scalloped edge. It might look intricate, but it’s quite straightforward to create. The process involves knitting a few rows of stockinette stitch, then working a row of yarn overs and knit-two-togethers to form the picots, followed by more rows of stockinette stitch before folding and sewing the hem.

As I worked on the neckline, I found the Coboo yarn to be very cooperative. The stitches were easy to see and handle, making it a joy to knit the picot hem. The resulting edge was soft and perfectly formed, adding an adorable touch to the dress.

Knitting the Sleeves

Next came the sleeves, which also featured the picot hem detail. The pattern called for knitting the sleeves in the round, which is my preferred method as it eliminates the need for seaming later. The picot hem on the sleeves echoed the neckline, creating a cohesive look throughout the dress.

One of the aspects I appreciated most about using Coboo yarn for this project was its stitch definition. The picot edges looked crisp and neat, and the yarn’s slight sheen highlighted the intricate details beautifully. As I knit each round, I could already envision the dress taking shape and how adorable it would look on a little one.

The Elastic Casing Waistband

The elastic casing waistband was a new technique for me, and I was eager to try it out. This feature not only adds a practical element by ensuring a snug fit but also contributes to the dress’s overall aesthetic by creating a gentle gather at the waist.

To create the casing, the pattern instructed me to knit a few rows of stockinette stitch, fold the fabric, and then sew it down, leaving an opening to insert the elastic. Once the elastic was in place, I sewed the opening shut, and voila! The dress had a cute, cinched waist that added to its charm.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to insert the elastic, thanks to the flexibility and smoothness of the Coboo yarn. The yarn’s softness made it easy to manipulate the fabric, and the resulting waistband was comfortable and secure without being too tight.

Knitting the Skirt

The skirt of the June Dress was perhaps the most enjoyable part to knit. With its flowing design and picot hem edge, it was a relaxing and satisfying section to work on. The pattern included simple increases to create a gentle flare, giving the dress a lovely, feminine silhouette.

As I knit the skirt, I marveled at how well the Coboo yarn draped. The bamboo content in the yarn provided a slight weight that allowed the skirt to hang beautifully, while the cotton ensured it remained soft and gentle against the skin. The picot hem at the bottom of the skirt was the perfect finishing touch, tying together the design elements of the neckline and sleeves.

Final Thoughts

Completing the June Dress was a rewarding experience. The combination of the elegant pattern and the luxurious Lion Brand Coboo yarn resulted in a stunning, comfortable, and practical garment. The picot hems added a touch of sophistication, while the elastic casing waistband ensured a snug and comfortable fit.

One of the joys of knitting is the ability to create something beautiful and functional from a simple skein of yarn. The June Dress is a testament to this, transforming the soft strands of Coboo yarn into a delightful dress that any little one would look adorable in. As I admired the finished piece, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

If you’re looking for a knitting project that is both enjoyable and results in a gorgeous, wearable piece, I highly recommend giving the June Dress a try. The pattern is well-written and easy to follow, making it suitable for knitters of various skill levels. And with Lion Brand Coboo yarn, you’ll have a soft, elegant fabric that’s perfect for baby garments.

Happy knitting, and may your projects bring you as much joy as this one brought me!

Materials and Info

Size: 0-3m, 3-6m, (6-12m, 12m) 18m, 24m

Materials: Approximately 2, 2 (3, 3) 4, 4 balls of Lion Brand Coboo 100g/232yds, 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.

PICOT ROUND

[k2tog, yo] around

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

June Dress Pattern

NECK

Cast on 64, 68 (72, 76) 76, 76 sts in using smaller needles

Join in the round, placing beginning of round marker.

Work 7 rounds in stockinette stitch

Work a picot round

Work 7  rounds in stockinette

Knit around, each time combining one st from the cast on and one st from your needles

Switch to larger needles.

SET-UP ROUND

Purl 13, 14 (15, 16) 16, 16 (back), pm,

Purl 6, 6 (6, 6) 6, 6 (sleeve), pm,

Purl 26, 28 (30, 32) 32, 32 (front) pm,

Purl 6, 6 (6, 6) 6, 6 (sleeve), pm,

Purl 13, 14 (15, 16) 16, 16 (back)

RAGLAN SHAPING

Raglan shaping and neck shaping are worked AT THE SAME TIME using short rows. Use the method of short rows that works best for you.

Row 1 (RS): Knit to 1 st before marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L, knit to 1 sts before next marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L, k2. Turn your work.

Step 2 (WS): Purl to beginning of round marker (mid back).

Step 3 (WS): Purl to 1 st before marker, M1R, p1, sm, p1, M1L, purl to 1 sts before marker, M1R, p1, sm, p1, M1L, p2. Turn your work.

Step 4 (RS): Knit to beginning of round (mid back).

A total of 8 increases have been worked. Repeat 1-4, but each time working 2 more sts before turning another 3 times, so a total of 4 raglan increases have been worked.

Now work each raglan round as follows:

Inc round/row – [knit to 1 sts before marker, m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1l] repeat across

Work raglan increases as described above on every other round/row 10, 11 (12, 12) 13, 14 times. For a total of 14, 15 (16, 16) 17, 18 raglan increase rounds.

Work 0, 1 (1, 3) 3, 3 rounds without any raglan increases.

STITCH COUNT CHECK

Total stitches: 176, 188 (200, 204) 212, 220

Front/Back: 54, 58 (62, 64) 66, 68

Sleeve: 34, 36 (38, 38) 40, 42

DIVIDE FOR BODY AND SLEEVES

Work across 27, 29 (31, 32) 33, 34 back stitches, remove marker,

place 34, 36 (38, 38) 40, 42 sleeve stitches on stitch holder,

cast on 3, 3 (2, 4) 4, 3, place beginning of round marker, cast on 3, 4 (2, 4) 5, 3 sts, remove marker,

work across 54, 58 (62, 64) 66, 68 back stitches, remove marker,

place 34, 36 (38, 38) 40, 42 sleeve stitches on stitch holder,

cast on 6, 7 (4, 8) 9, 6 sts

[120, 126 (132, 144) 150, 150 sts]

BODY

Continue in stockinette until your work measures 5, 6 (7, 8) 9, 10 cms from measuring from under arm cast on.

ELASTIC CASING

Outside casing is worked as follows:

Knit 4 rounds

Do not break the yarn.

Inside casing is worked as follows:

From a new ball of yarn, pick up and knit 120 (126) 132 (144) 150 (150) sts from the WS of the work using larger size circular needle from 4 rounds below the current round on the needles.

Knit 3 rounds

Place the sewn elastic in between the layers of the casing then join the inside and outside sections of the casing by knitting 1 stitch from the outside section together with 1 stitch from the inside section around.

SKIRT

Knit 1 round.

Waist increase round – [K10, 9 (11, 12) 10, 10 m1, pm] around [132, 140 (144, 156) 165, 165]

Knit 8 rounds

Wait increase round – [knit to marker, m1] [144, 154 (156, 168) 180, 180

Knit 8 round

Repeat the above 9 rounds for a total of 7, 8 (9, 10) 11, 12 times [8, 9 (10, 11) 12, 13 total increase rounds)

Work a picot round.

In smaller needle, knit 7 rounds

DO NOT BIND OFF, cut enough yarn to sew all the way around (always err on the side of extra!), fold the hem at the picot round and sew the hem in place.

SLEEVE (REPEAT FOR BOTH SLEEVES)

Using larger needles (you may need to use dpn or magic loop),

pick up and knit 4, 4 (3, 4) 5, 4  sts from underarm,

knit the 34, 36 (38, 38) 40, 42 sts from stitch holder,

pick up and knit 4, 4 (3, 4) 5, 4 sts from underarm, pm.

[42, 44 (44, 46) 50, 50 sts]

Knit 7 rounds

Work a picot round.

Knit 6 rounds.

DO NOT BIND OFF, cut a long tail of yarn (enough to sew all the stitches down), fold the hem at the picot round and sew the hem in place.

FINISHING

Weave in all ends and block according.

June Dress PDF