Fairie Dress Pattern #525

SIZE 4 OR 5 YEARS

Materials: J. & P. Coats Knit-Cro-Sheen, 4 balls of color 123 Salmon Pink and 1 ball White, or Clark's O.N.T. Cronita, 5 balls Pink and 1 ball White. Milward's Casein knitting pins, 1 pair No. 3 (3 mm. size). Milward's steel crochet hook No. 6. 2 small pearl buttons. 3½ yds ¾"-width ribbon.

Back. Starting at bottom with pink, cast on 148 sts and work in garter stitch for 10 rows. 1st row pattern: K 1, * k 2 together, thread over, repeat from * across, ending with k 1. K plain for 3 rows. Last 4 rows constitute the pattern. ** Drop pink, attach white and work the 4 pattern rows. Drop white, and with pink work the 4 pattern rows twice. Repeat from ** 6 more times, then continuing with pink, work in pattern until piece measures 14 inches from bottom ending with a k plain row.

Yoke. K 4, * k 2 together, repeat from * to within last 4 sts, which are knitted (78 sts). Bind off 4 sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows, working in garter stitch. Decrease 1 st at beginning of each of next 2 rows. Work 2 inches straight. Next row: Work over 38 sts, turn. Work 12 ridges on these 38 sts forming back opening, bind off 5 sts at shoulder edge on each of next 4 rows, then bind off remaining sts. Attach thread at other underarm and work over 30 sts, then cast on 8 sts. Work other side to correspond. When 6 ridges are completed make a buttonhole as follows: Working from center edge towards armhole k 4, bind off 2, k across. On next row back, cast on 2 sts where 2 were bound off. When 7 ridges from this buttonhole are completed, work another buttonhole. Finish as for other side and sew down the 8 cast-on sts to form a placket.

Front. Same as back up to back opening. Then k 32, slip these sts on stitch holder, bind off next 4 sts, k remaining sts. Working armhole edge straight, decrease 1 st at neck edge every 2nd row until there are 20 sts on needle. Shape shoulder same as for Back. Work other side to correspond.

Sew side and shoulder seams. With wrong side of work towards you finish neck edge with 1 row of s c, ch 3, turn. D c in 1st s c, * skip 2 s c, 1 s c in next, ch 3, 1 d c in s c just made, repeat from * around and break. Finish armholes and bottom of skirt in same way, omitting the first row of s c. Cut off 4½-yd. lengths of ribbons for arm ties. Sew one ribbon on each side of each armhole about 1 inch above 1st row of armhole shaping. Draw re­mainder of ribbon through row of meshes immedi­ately below yoke.

This pattern was originally published in Spool Cotton #72, Children's Clothes and has passed into the public domain: the source states these designs "are no longer protected by copyright and you are free to do whatever you would like to do with them." It is reproduced here verbatim, including original vintage terminology, abbreviations, and measurements, which may differ from modern conventions. You can view the original transcription at freevintageknitting.com.