Swing by Spring

Knitted dress in DROPS Belle. Piece is knitted top down with round yoke, lace pattern, leaf pattern and short balloon sleeves. Size: S - XXXL

DROPS 223-2
DROPS design: Pattern vs-074
Yarn group B
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SIZE:
S - M - L - XL - XXL - XXXL

MATERIALS:
DROPS BELLE from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
550-600-650-700-800-850 g colour 02, off white

KNITTING TENSION:
21 stitches in width and 28 rows vertically in stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.

NEEDLES:
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 4 mm
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4 mm : Length 40 and 60 or 80 cm for stocking stitch.
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 3 mm
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3 mm : Length 40 cm and 80 cm for edges.
Needle size is only a suggestion! If you have too many stitches on 10 cm switch to a larger needle size. If you have too few stitches on 10 cm switch to a smaller needle size.

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EXPLANATION FOR THE PATTERN:

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PATTERN:
See diagrams A.1 to A.3. Choose diagram for your size.

INCREASE TIP (applies to on skirt):
Increase alternately before and after each marker thread (i.e. do first increase before every marker thread, do second increase after every marker thread etc.).
Increase 1 stitch before every marker thread as follows:
Work until 1 stitch remains before marker thread, 1 yarn over (= 1 stitch increased), Increase like this at every marker thread (= 8 stitches increased total).
Increase 1 stitch after every marker thread as follows:
Work until marker thread, work 1 stitch after marker thread, 1 yarn over (= 1 stitch increased), Increase like this at every marker thread (= 8 stitches increased total).
On next round knit yarns over twisted to avoid holes.
Then work the new stitches in stocking stitch.

DECREASE TIP (applies to sides of dress):
Decrease 1 stitch on each side of marker thread as follows: Work until 3 stitches remain before marker thread and knit 2 together, knit 2 (marker thread is between these stitches), slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over stitch worked.

CAST-OFF TIP:
To avoid a tight cast-off edge you may use a larger needle size. If this also is too tight, work a 1 yarn over after approx. every 4th stitch while casting off (cast off yarn overs as regular stitches).

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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DRESS - SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
Work neck edge and yoke in the round from mid back, top down. Now divide yoke for body and sleeves. Body is worked in the round on circular needle, top down. Work sleeves in the round on double pointed needles/short circular needle, top down.

NECK EDGE:
Cast on 100-100-104-108-112-120 stitches on circular needle size 3 mm with Belle. Knit 1 round.
Then work rib = knit 1/purl 1. When rib measures 2-2-3-3-3-3 cm, switch to circular needle size 4 mm.
Insert 1 marker at the beginning of round mid back, measure yoke from this marker!

YOKE:
Work A.1 in the round (= 25-25-26-27-28-30 repetitions of 4 stitches).
When A.1 has been worked, there are 200-200-208-216-280-300 stitches on needle. Piece now measures 4-4-4-4-6-6 cm from marker.
Then work A.2 in the round (= 25-25-26-27-28-30 repetitions of 8-8-8-8-10-10 stitches). REMEMBER THE KNITTING TENSION!
When A.2 has been worked, there are 275-300-312-351-392-420 stitches on needle. Piece measures approx. 14-14-14-17-19-19 cm from marker (i.e. 16-16-17-20-22-22 cm from cast-on edge).
Work in stocking stitch until piece measures 18-20-21-23-25-27 cm from marker. Now divide piece for body and sleeves. Work next round as follows:
Knit 38-42-44-50-58-63 (= ½ back piece), slip the next 62-66-68-76-80-84 stitches on a stitch holder for sleeve, cast on 8-8-12-12-12-12 new stitches on needle (= in the side under sleeve), knit 75-84-88-99-116-126 (= front piece), slip the next 62-66-68-76-80-84 stitches on a stitch holder for sleeve, cast on 8-8-12-12-12-12 new stitches on needle (= in the side under sleeve), knit the last 38-42-44-50-58-63 stitches (= ½ back piece).

BODY:
= 167-184-200-223-256-276 stitches. Insert 1 marker thread in the middle of the 8-8-12-12-12-12 new stitches under each sleeve (= in the side of body). There are now 83-92-100-111-128-138 stitches on front piece and 84-92-100-112-128-138 stitches on back piece.
Move the marker threads upwards when working; they are used when decreasing in the sides later.
Work in stocking stitch in the round.
When piece measures 3 cm from division, decrease 1 stitch on each side of every marker thread - read DECREASE TIP (= 4 stitches decreased). Decrease like this every 2 cm 4-4-4-4-5-5 times in total = 151-168-184-207-236-256 stitches.
Work stocking stitch in the round until piece measures 15-15-16-16-16-16 cm from division.
On next round insert 8 marker threads in the piece as follows:
Knit 9-10-11-12-13-16, insert 1 marker thread, * knit 19-21-23-26-30-32, insert 1 marker thread *, work from *-* 7 times in total and finish with knit 9-11-12-13-13-16
Now increase stitches for skirt as follows:
On next round, increase 1 stitch before every marker thread – read INCREASE TIP!
Increase alternately before and after every marker thread for every increase on every 6th round 15 times in total = 271-288-304-327-356-376 stitches.
Work in stocking stitch in the round.
When dress measures 56-57-56-57-58-59 cm from division (approx. 8-8-11-11-11-11 cm remain, or to desired measurements), knit 1 round while increasing 1-0-6-3-4-4 stitches evenly = 272-288-310-330-360-380 stitches.
Then work A.3 in the round (= 34-36-31-33-36-38 repetitions of 8-8-10-10-10-10 stitches). When A.3 has been worked, there are 408-432-434-462-504-532 stitches on needle. Cast off by knitting– read CAST-OFF TIP.
Dress measures approx. 86-89-92-95-98-101 cm from shoulder and down.

SLEEVES:
Slip the 62-66-68-76-80-84 stitches from stitch holder in one side of piece on double pointed needles/a short circular needle size 4 mm, and pick up 1 stitch in each of the 8-8-12-12-12-12 new stitches cast on in the side under sleeve = 70-74-80-88-92-96 stitches. Work in stocking stitch in the round until sleeve measures 12-11-10-8-7-5 cm from division (approx. 5 cm remain until finished measurements, try the dress on and work to desired length). Knit 1 round while decreasing 16-16-14-14-14-14 stitches evenly = 54-58-66-74-78-82 stitches.
Switch to double pointed needles size 3 mm. Work rib in the round = knit 1/purl 1 for 5 cm. Cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl - remember CAST-OFF TIP!
Sleeve measures approx. 17-16-15-13-12-10 cm from division. Work the other sleeve the same way.

Diagram explanations

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