Free Children’s Knitting Pattern for the Youth June Dress is at the bottom of this post—plus more kids’ patterns here.
When I designed the Youth June Dress, my goal was to create a free children’s knitting pattern that was not only beautiful and practical but also connected to the Baby June Dress and Adult June Dress. This top-down raglan dress, with its elastic waistband and elegant picot hem edges, has quickly become one of my favorite pieces. Watching it come together from the neck down, with each section seamlessly flowing into the next, is a satisfying process that any knitter will appreciate.
The June Dresses: A Trio of Free Children’s Knitting Patterns
The Youth June Dress is part of a set of designs that includes the Baby June Dress and Adult June Dress. These dresses are all connected by their shared design elements, such as the picot hem edges and A-line skirts. When I first designed the Baby June Dress, I fell in love with how the delicate picot edge added a gentle and charming finish to the garment. Naturally, I kept this detail in the Youth June Dress free children’s knitting pattern to maintain that same sweetness.
This pattern is perfect for creating matching outfits for families, especially those looking for mommy-and-me sets. My own children love when I knit matching pieces for them, and the Youth June Dress has become a favorite among them. It’s a free children’s knitting pattern that works for a variety of ages, making it a versatile option for all the kids in your life.
The Yarn Choice: Lion Brand Coboo for a Perfect Free Children’s Knitting Pattern
For this free children’s knitting pattern, I knew I needed a yarn that was both soft and breathable. Lion Brand Coboo, a blend of cotton and bamboo, was the perfect choice. This yarn is light and comfortable against the skin, making it ideal for a dress like the Youth June Dress. Since children can be picky about what they wear, I wanted to ensure this pattern would be as cozy as it is beautiful.
Not only is Coboo soft, but it’s also machine washable—a huge bonus for a free children’s knitting pattern intended for active kids. From birthday parties to church or outdoor play, this dress will stand up to any occasion. Plus, parents will appreciate the ease of tossing it into the washing machine when needed.
Raglan Construction for an Easy Fit
The top-down raglan construction is one of my favorite techniques to use, especially in this free children’s knitting pattern. It’s seamless, which means no piecing together at the end, and it allows you to easily adjust the fit as you go. If your child is growing quickly or you want to try it on for size, you can do so without much trouble.
The Youth June Dress, like the Baby and Adult versions, includes an elastic waistband. This feature helps define the dress’s shape and ensures it stays in place without feeling restrictive. The elastic waistband is integrated into the dress, which makes it comfortable and unobtrusive. As with all my designs, practicality is key, and I think you’ll find this feature a welcome addition to this free children’s knitting pattern.
Twirl-Ready A-Line Skirt
The A-line skirt is one of the highlights of this free children’s knitting pattern. Its flattering and comfortable shape allows for maximum movement, making it perfect for little ones who love to twirl. The midi-length gives the dress an elegant, slightly grown-up feel while still being playful and appropriate for a child.
The A-line shape also ensures the dress drapes beautifully, especially when knit with Lion Brand Coboo. This yarn gives the fabric a soft, flowing quality that looks lovely in motion. Whether your child is running around outside or spinning in front of the mirror, this free children’s knitting pattern won’t hold them back.
Picot Hem Edges: The Signature Detail
One of the defining features of the Youth June Dress, and a key element in this free children’s knitting pattern, is the picot hem edging. Found on the neckline, sleeves, and skirt, the picot edge adds a delicate touch to the overall design. It’s a subtle detail that makes the dress feel polished and refined, without adding too much complexity to the knitting process.
In the Youth June Dress, the picot edges are worked as part of the overall pattern, so there’s no need to add them afterward. This keeps the project simple and enjoyable, allowing you to focus on the joy of knitting. The picot hem edges make this free children’s knitting pattern truly stand out, giving it a polished, handcrafted look.
Why I Love This Free Children’s Knitting Pattern
There’s something uniquely satisfying about knitting a dress from the top down, especially with a free children’s knitting pattern like the Youth June Dress. Watching the garment take shape as you work through the raglan increases and transition into the skirt is an experience that I find deeply rewarding.
The Youth June Dress is versatile, which is one of the reasons I love this free children’s knitting pattern so much. It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Pair it with sandals for a casual summer look, or add tights and a cardigan for the colder months. The pattern’s simple design allows for customization—whether you want to add stripes, color blocking, or even embroidery.
Perfect for Every Season
Although this free children’s knitting pattern is great for warm weather, it’s also easily adaptable for the cooler months. You can layer it with a long-sleeve shirt and leggings, making it wearable all year round. The Coboo yarn keeps it lightweight and breathable for summer, while layering ensures it stays cozy in winter.
Conclusion: A Free Children’s Knitting Pattern to Treasure
The Youth June Dress is more than just a free children’s knitting pattern—it’s a piece that’s designed to be cherished and worn for years to come. Whether you’re knitting for your own child or gifting it to someone else, this pattern offers the perfect balance of elegance and comfort. It’s part of a trio of dresses that can create lasting memories, and I hope you enjoy knitting it as much as I enjoyed designing it.
If you’re looking for a fun, engaging project that results in a beautiful, wearable dress, the Youth June Dress is the free children’s knitting pattern for you. Happy knitting!
Materials and Info
Size: 3, 4 (5, 6) 7, 8 (9, 10) 11, 12 (13, 14) yrs
Materials: Materials: Approximately 5, 5 (6, 7), 7, 8 (8, 9), 9, 10 (10, 11) balls of Lion Brand Coboo (100 g/232 yards per ball); knitting needles; stitch markers; waste yarn or stitch holders; a yarn needle; and elastic for the waist casing.
Needle Size: Needle Size: US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles in lengths suitable for the neckline, yoke, body, and skirt; US 5 (3.75 mm) double-pointed needles or a circular needle suitable for working the sleeves in small circumferences.
Gauge (tension): 24 sts × 40 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) square in stockinette stitch worked in the round on US 5 (3.75 mm) needles, after blocking.
Intended wearer chest circumference: 21¾, 22½ (23¼, 24), 25¼, 26½ (27½, 28¾), 30, 31 (32¼, 35½) in / 55, 57 (59, 61), 64, 67 (70, 73), 76, 79 (82, 90) cm.
Finished dress chest circumference: 23, 24½ (24½, 26¼), 26¼, 28 (29½, 29½), 31¼, 32¾ (34½, 34½) in / 58.5, 62.5 (62.5, 66.5), 66.5, 71 (75, 75), 79, 83.5 (87.5, 87.5) cm.
METHOD
This dress is a top-down raglan worked in the round, with short rows to raise the back neckline. Choose a size by comparing the wearer’s chest measurement with the finished dress circumference and allowing for your preferred ease. The skirt length is adjustable.
PICOT ROUND
[k2tog, yo] around
Youth June Dress Pattern
NECK
Cast on 84, 84 (92, 84) 92, 88 (96, 100) 104, 100 (104,104) 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
Fold the neck edging to the wrong side along the picot round, aligning each cast-on stitch with its corresponding live stitch. Knit each live stitch together with the corresponding cast-on stitch or loop. Keep the joining round loose enough to preserve the neckline’s stretch. The stitch count remains unchanged.
Switch to larger needles.
SET-UP ROUND
Knit 17, 17 (18, 18) 19, 19 (20, 21) 22, 22 (23, 23) (back), pm,
Knit 8, 8 (10, 6) 8, 6 (8, 8) 8, 6 (6, 6) (sleeve), pm,
Knit 34, 34 (36, 36) 38, 38 (40, 42) 44, 44 (46, 46) (front) pm,
Knit 8, 8 (10, 6) 8, 6 (8, 8) 8, 6 (6, 6) (sleeve), pm,
Knit 17, 17 (18, 18) 19, 19 (20, 21) 22, 22 (23, 23) (back)
Raglan shaping and neck shaping are worked AT THE SAME TIME using short rows. You can use the method of short rows that works best for you. I am using wrap and turn short rows and describe those below.
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, wrap the yarn around next stitch.
Turn your work.
Step 2 (WS): Purl to beginning of round marker (mid back).
Step 3 (WS): Purl to 1 st before the next raglan marker, M1R purlwise, p1, slip marker, p1, M1L purlwise. Purl to 1 st before the next raglan marker, M1R purlwise, p1, slip marker, p1, M1L purlwise, p2, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Step 4 (RS): Knit to beginning of round (mid back).
Steps 1–4 add 8 sts in total: 2 sts to each sleeve, 2 sts to the front, and 2 sts to the back.
Work Steps 1–4 three more times, working 2 additional front stitches beyond the previous turning point before each new turn. Resolve each previous wrap together with its stitch as you encounter it.
Four sets of raglan increases have now been completed, adding 32 sts in total. These count toward the first raglan-increase sequence below.
Knit one complete round, resolving any remaining wraps together with their stitches.
Raglan increase round: *Knit to 1 st before the next raglan marker, M1R, k1, slip marker, k1, M1L; repeat from * three more times, then knit to the beginning-of-round marker. 8 sts increased.
After completing the four sets of short-row raglan increases and the following complete knit round, alternate one raglan increase round with one plain knit round an additional 3, 3 (3, 5), 4, 4 (5, 4), 4, 7 (5, 8) times.
Then work 3 plain knit rounds followed by one raglan increase round a total of 9, 10 (10, 10), 11, 12 (12, 13), 14, 13 (15, 14) times.
Including the four sets worked during the neckline shaping, you have completed 16, 17 (17, 19), 19, 20 (21, 21), 22, 24 (24, 26) sets of raglan increases.
Knit 3 rounds without increasing.
STITCH COUNT CHECK
Total stitches: 212, 220 (228, 236) 244, 248 (264, 268) 280, 292 (296, 312)
Front/Back: 66, 68 (70, 74) 76, 78 (82, 84) 88, 92 (94, 98)
Sleeve: 40, 42 (44, 44) 46, 46 (50, 50) 52, 54 (54, 58)
DIVIDE FOR BODY AND SLEEVES
Knit 33, 34 (35, 37), 38, 39 (41, 42), 44, 46 (47, 49) back sts. Remove the raglan marker.
Place the next 40, 42 (44, 44), 46, 46 (50, 50), 52, 54 (54, 58) sleeve sts on waste yarn or a stitch holder.
Cast on 4, 7 (5, 6), 4, 7 (8, 6), 7, 8 (11, 7) underarm sts. Remove the next raglan marker.
Knit across the 66, 68 (70, 74), 76, 78 (82, 84), 88, 92 (94, 98) front sts. Remove the next raglan marker.
Place the next 40, 42 (44, 44), 46, 46 (50, 50), 52, 54 (54, 58) sleeve sts on waste yarn or a stitch holder.
Cast on 4, 7 (5, 6), 4, 7 (8, 6), 7, 8 (11, 7) underarm sts. Remove the final raglan marker.
Knit the remaining 33, 34 (35, 37), 38, 39 (41, 42), 44, 46 (47, 49) back sts to the beginning-of-round marker.
There are 140, 150 (150, 160), 160, 170 (180, 180), 190, 200 (210, 210) body sts.
BODY
Continue in stockinette stitch until the body measures 4, 4¼ (4¾, 5), 5½, 6 (6¼, 6¼), 6¾, 6¾ (6¾, 6¾) in / 10, 11 (12, 13), 14, 15 (16, 16), 17, 17 (17, 17) cm from the underarm cast-on edge.
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 140, 150 (150, 160) 160, 170 (180, 180) 190, 200 (210, 210) 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
Cut the elastic to the required finished waist length plus the overlap needed for joining. Overlap and sew the ends securely to form a loop, checking that it stretches sufficiently for dressing. Place the loop between the casing layers without twisting it.
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
Check the required skirt length on the wearer. Each 9-round shaping sequence adds approximately ¾ in (2.5 cm) at the stated round gauge. Work fewer or additional complete sequences to adjust the length. Before working the picot round, ensure the stitch count is even; increase 1 st if necessary.
Knit 1 round.
First increase round: *K10, M1L, place a marker; repeat from * around. At the end of the round, use the existing beginning-of-round marker instead of placing an additional marker.
There are 154, 165 (165, 176), 176, 187 (198, 198), 209, 220 (231, 231) sts.
Knit 8 rounds, slipping markers.
Repeat the following 9-round sequence a total of 13, 14 (15, 16), 17, 18 (19, 20), 21, 22 (23, 24) times:
Round 1: *Knit to the next marker, M1L, slip marker; repeat from * around.
Rounds 2–9: Knit, slipping markers.
Including the first increase round, you have worked 14, 15 (16, 17), 18, 19 (20, 21), 22, 23 (24, 25) skirt increase rounds.
There are 336, 375 (390, 432), 448, 493 (540, 558), 608, 660 (714, 735) sts.
Sizes 4, 8, and 14 only: On the final round before the picot round, increase 1 st using M1L.
All sizes: There are now 336, 376 (390, 432), 448, 494 (540, 558), 608, 660 (714, 736) sts. Remove the skirt-shaping markers, keeping the beginning-of-round marker.
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)
The stated underarm pickup counts include any corner stitches needed to close gaps. Do not add extra stitches beyond the listed counts. Place the beginning-of-round marker at the center of the underarm.
Using larger needles (you may need to use dpn or magic loop),
pick up and knit 3, 4 (3, 3) 3, 4 (4, 4) 4, 4, (6, 4) sts from underarm,
knit the 40, 42 (44, 44) 46, 46 (50, 50) 52, 54 (54, 58) sts from stitch holder,
pick up and knit 3, 4 (3, 3) 3, 4 (4, 4) 4, 4 (6, 4) sts from underarm, pm.
[46, 50 (50, 50) 52, 54 (58, 58) 60, 62 (66, 66) 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.
ABBREVIATIONS
K – knit
K2tog -knit 2 stitches together
M1 – make 1 stitch; use M1L for the skirt increases
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
M1R – Lift the strand between stitches from back to front and knit through its front loop to make a twisted increase.
M1R purlwise – Lift the strand between stitches from back to front and purl through its front loop to make a twisted increase.
M1L purlwise – Lift the strand between stitches from front to back and purl through its back loop to make a twisted increase.
P – purl
PM – place marker
RS – right side
SM – slip marker
SSK – slip, slip, knit the slipped sts together
STS – stitches
ST – stitch
WS – wrong side
YO – yarn over
Youth June Dress PDF
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