For a change, a little dress!

One of the sites I subscribe to featured a little dress a few weeks ago, and I was eager to knit it up and see what it was like. It is called Darling-Dress from www.pickles, should you wish more information. It is sized as a newborn to 3 months, but I think it is more of a 3 month size. The finished dress, using 5 mm needles, measures  10.5 inches shoulder to hem, waist circumference is 14 inches. I used a sport yarn for this but I did not keep the label for the colour or specifics of the yarn. Rereading the directions, perhaps they meant to use size 5 needles, meaning 3 3/4 mm??? hmmmm. That would indeed make a newborn size dress. I made it a little shorter than the pattern specified, which was not intentional. The dress kept rolling up and with all the bumps I kept getting a different measurement. It really needed to be blocked when it was finished to get it to lay flat.

I made some tiny shorts to go with the dress, as you can see. These are just called baby shorts, and they turned out large as well when made as the directions specified. I would use a smaller needle for them next time, and not make the waistband and cuffs so long. The cuffs are fine when turned up, but I don't think that is the intent. Directions for 2 sizes were given, and I made the larger size as there did not seem to be much difference. Using 4.5 mm needles for the body and 4 mm needles for the cuff and waistband gave the final measurement as the directions stated ... 15 inches around the hips. Plenty of room for diapers in there I think! I would not make the body as long next time, unless I find a baby to try them on and find that they actually fit!

Same old bootie pattern, using size 5mm needles. The finished length of the bootie is 4 1/2 inches.

If I decide to make this again, I would alter the pattern of the stitches on the dress. I don't like the bumpy look of the garter stitch rows. Stripes are okay, but I don't like the bumps. Also, I think I would make a picot edge on the bottom rather than have it do the roll. It would be easy to alter the pattern to make it wider, and of course longer if a larger size is needed. I had to learn the Kitchener stitch for the shorts, in order to close up the gusset. I had to keep the computer page with the directions up to follow along each time I did anything, so I certainly need more articles that use this stitch to really perfect it! But it turned out quite well for a first try. Another thought I have, with the finished dress, is that the baby really does need to wear a tiny tshirt or undershirt under the dress. It looks like a sundress, but a knitted sundress would be too hot in parts and the shoulders would be cool. They do show the baby in the illustration wearing a little tshirt under the dress.

New project to start tonight! It will be time for American Idol soon and that is prime knitting time for me!