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Knitting is not just a pastime; it’s an art form that allows you to express your creativity, style, and skill. For the knitting enthusiasts looking for a new project that challenges you and ends up in a beautiful, wearable piece of art, the Michael Dress might just be your next favorite pattern. Designed with meticulous attention to detail and style, this free knitting pattern offers the perfect blend of fashion and craft.
The Design: A Fusion of Comfort and Elegance
The Michael Dress is an embodiment of what happens when comfort meets elegance in knitting. With its sleek silhouette and cozy feel, this pattern is designed for those who appreciate the finer things in life. The dress features a classic bodycon shape, which flatters various body types, and a simple yet elegant rib pattern that runs down the entire body, adding a touch of sophistication to the otherwise minimalist design.
Features of the Michael Dress Pattern
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Sizes: The pattern includes multiple sizes to accommodate different body measurements.
- Materials Needed: Berroco Vintage Worsted (218y/100g) yarn that ensures both comfort and durability, knitting needles, stitch markers, and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
- Stitch Pattern: The rib stitch pattern enhances the dress’s texture and visual interest, making it a fabulous piece to add to your wardrobe.
Step-by-Step Guide to Knitting Your Own Michael Dress
Getting Started
Before you cast on your stitches, you’ll want to gather all the necessary materials and decide on the size that best fits your measurements. Remember to choose your size by chest measurement not by your standard clothing size alone. Take your time to swatch for gauge—the key to ensuring your finished dress fits as intended.
The Construction
The Michael Dress is knitted seamlessly, in the round, allowing for easy customization. You’ll start with the neck, move on to knitting the raglan increases, then after seperating sleeves, you’ll knit the body and skirt, and finish with the sleeves.
Detailed Instructions
The free pattern includes detailed instructions for each step of the process, from the cast-on to the final bind-off.
A Few Tips for Knitting the Michael Dress
- Always count your stitches after finishing a row to avoid any mistakes that might throw off end result.
- Blocking is crucial. It will give your Michael Dress the professional finish and help the rib design pop.
- Personalize your dress by choosing a yarn color that compliments your style, or even consider adjusting length of the sleeves or the hem for a custom fit.
The Michael Dress is more than just a piece of clothing; it’s a statement. It shows that you not only have the skills to create something beautiful from a strand of yarn but also the taste to make a fashion statement in your handcrafted garment. So, pick up your needles, find your favorite spot to knit, and dive into creating your very own Michael Dress – happy knitting!
Materials and Info
MATERIALS AND INFO
Size: XS, S (M, L) 1X, 2X (3X, 4X)
Materials: Approximately 7, 7 (8, 8) 9, 10 (11, 13) hanks of Berroco Vintage Worsted (218y/100g)
Needle Size: 7(US) 4.5mm circular needles and dpn, 6(US) 4mm circular and dpn
Gauge (tension): 22sts & 28 rows to make 10cm square, using size 7(US) 4.5mm needles working in stockinette stitch
Chest Measurement: 74, 78 (82, 90) 98, 107 (119, 131) cm
METHOD
This pattern a crew neck raglan worked in the round from the top down with 10cm of ease. The sleeves are held and then picked up and worked in the round. The main body/skirt is knit in a 6 stitch rib while the edges are worked in a 1×1 rib pattern. The skirt length can be customized for desired fit. Lengths listed are for just under the knee. When adjusting length be sure to take into account extra yardage when adding length.
1X1 RIB PATTERN
Row 1 (right side row) – (k1, p1) across
Row 2 – knit all the knit stitches, purl all the purl stitches.
RAGLAN INCREASES Inc row – [k2, m1l, work to 2 sts before next marker, m1r, k2, sm] repeat [to] 3 more times, then continue to end of row/round. 8 sts increased
MICHAEL RIB
Round 1 – knit around
Round 2 – (p2, k4) around
Michael Dress Pattern
YOKE
Cast on using U.S. 6 circular needle: 88, 92 (96, 100) 100, 104 (108, 116) sts.
Join in the round.
Work in 1×1 rib for 2.5cms
Set up row (wrong side) – [k38, 38 (40, 42) 44, 46 (48, 52)], pm, [k6, 8 (8, 8) 6, 6 (6, 6)] pm, [k38, 38 (40, 42) 44, 46 (48, 52)], pm, [k6, 8 (8, 8) 6, 6 (6, 6)]
Start working Michael Rib now with a round 1.
RAGLAN SHAPING ROWS/ROUNDS
Work raglan increases as described above.
every round 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 0 (6, 12)
then every other round 14, 15 (16, 19) 29, 31 (30, 28) times,
then every 4th round 6, 6 (6, 5) 0, 0 (0, 0) times
working the Michael rib as follows:
After the m1l on the front/back
XS – k4, Work in Michael rib across
S – k4, Work in Michael rib across
M – k2, Work in Michael rib across
L – k3, Work in Michael rib across
1X – k1, Work in Michael rib across
2X – k2, Work in Michael rib across
3X – Work in Michael rib across
4X – k2, Work in Michael rib across
After the m1l on the sleeves
XS – k2
S – k4
M – k1, p2, k1
L – k4
1X – p2
2X – k2
3X – p2
4X – k2
Then work 3 rounds without increases
STITCH COUNT CHECK
Once all the raglan and neck increases have been completed you will have 248, 260 (272, 292) 332, 352 (396, 436) sts on your needles divided as follows:
78, 80 (84, 90) 102, 108 (120, 132) sts (front),
46, 50 (52, 56) 64, 68 (78, 86) sts (sleeve),
78, 80 (84, 90) 102, 108 (120, 132) sts (back),
46, 50 (52, 56) 64, 68 (78, 86) sts (sleeve)
DIVIDE FOR SLEEVES
Remove markers as you get to them.
Knit across the front sts, place the next 46, 50 (52, 56) 64, 68 (78, 86) sts on a holder or waste yarn (right sleeve), cast on using the backwards loop method 6, 10 (6, 6) 6, 6 (6, 6) sts (right underarm), knit 78, 80 (84, 90) 102, 108 (120, 132) sts (back), place the next 46, 50 (52, 56) 64, 68 (78, 86) sts on a holder or waste yarn (left sleeve), cast on using the backwards loop method 6, 10 (6, 6) 6, 6 (6, 6) sts (left underarm), knit to beginning of round marker. 168, 176 (180, 192) 216, 228 (252, 280) sts
BODY AND SKIRT
Continue in Michael Rib pattern until piece measures 70, 70.5 (71, 71.5) 72, 72.5 (73, 73.5) cm (or desired length accounting for extra yardage when adding length) measuring from underarm.
Switch to smaller circular needle.
Work in 1×1 rib for 4 cms. Bind off all sts in pattern.
SLEEVES
Keeping in stripe pattern, work each sleeve one at a time as follows: Pick up 4sts from underarm, knit 46, 50 (52, 56) 64, 68 (78, 86) sts of the sleeve on the holder, pick up 4sts from underarm on to U.S. 7 double pointed needles, place marker at center underarm to keep track of the beginning of round. 54, 58 (60, 64) 72, 76 (86, 94) sts
Work 17, 17 (17, 17) 19, 19 (19, 19) rounds in pattern.
DECREASES
Decrease 1 st at each side of marker
every 14th round 4, 5, (5, 0) 0, 0 (0, 0) times
then every 12th round 4, 0 (3, 3) 0, 0 (0, 0) times
then every 10th round 0, 0 (0, 7) 0, 2 (0, 0) times
then every 8th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 10, 11 (0, 0) times
then every 6th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 7, 0 (16, 15) times
then every 4th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 0 (2, 4) times
[38, 44 (44, 44) 44, 50 (50, 56) sts].
Continue without increasing in stripe pattern until sleeve measures 39, 39.5 (40, 40.5) 41.5, 42 (43, 43) (or desired length) measuring from underarm.
CUFF
Switch to smaller dpn needles
Work in 1×1 rib for 4 cms. Bind off in pattern.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends and block as desired.
Abbreviations
k – knit
P – purl
pm – place marker
sm – slip marker
k2tog -knit 2 stitches together
ssk – slip next st knitwise, slip next st knitwise, place stitches back onto left needle, knit both slipped sts together
m1l – pick up from front to back the strand between the 2sts on your needles, knit through back loop
m1r – pick up from back to front the strand between the 2sts on your needles, knit through the front loop
Download Michael Dress PDF
