Spring Dress

Size: 1-2 years
Skirt length: ~11.5''

Color A: Yarn: Zitron Life Style(2 balls, 155m per ball, color 1862). Gauge: 25sts/4 " on 3 mm needles.
Color B: Yarn: Tebe Filati Collection (2 balss, 140 m per ball, color: Edwardian rose). Gauge: 22 sts/4 " on 3.5 mm needles.
Color C: Yarn: Sock It to Me 4 ply (from ellan.com) 1 ball (color: rose wine). Gauge: 28 sts/4 '' on 3 mm needles.

Materials:

3 mm 24" (60 cm) circular needles
3.5 mm 24" (60 cm) circular needles
3.5 mm 32'' (80 cm) circular needles
Stitch marker, tapestry needle.

Method
Back
Using Color A, cast on 70 sts.
RS: Knit
WS: Purl
Continue in stockinette stitch till the piece measures 2.5'', ending with the wrong side.


Armhole shaping:

RS: Bind off 3 sts, knit to the end
WS: Bind off 3 sts, purl to the end
RS: Bind off 2 sts, knit to the end.
WS: Bind off 2 sts, purl to the end.
RS: Knit 2 together, knit to the last 2 stitches. Slip each stitch to the right needle in knit wise manner, pass back to the left needle, knit 2 together.
WS: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times (52 sts)
Knit in stockinette stitch till armhole measures 9 cm from the first bind off.
RS: Knit 16 sts, bind off 20, knit 16 sts. Join second ball of yarn between first 16 knitted stitches and 20 bound off ones.
WS: Purl
RS: Dec 1 st at each neck edge ( knit 2 tog on the left side, ssk on the right side) ssk: slip 2 stitches knot wise to the right needle, pass them back to the left one, knit 2 together.
WS: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 5 more times (each shoulder strap has 10 sts now)
RS: Knit
WS: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times.
Bind off.

Front:

Same as back till armhole measures 6 cm form the first armhole bind off.
RS: Knit 20, bind off 12, knit 20. Join second ball of yarn between first knitted 20 sts and 12 bound off ones.
WS: Purl.
RS: Dec 1 st at each neck edge ( knit 2 tog on the left side, ssk on the right side) ssk: slip 2 stitches knot wise to the right needle, pass them back to the left one, knit 2 together.
WS: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 9 more times (each shoulder strap has 10 sts now)
RS: Knit
WS: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 6 more times.
Bind off.

Putting the bodice together:

Sew together left shoulder straps.
Using Color C, and with right side facing pick up 138 stitches evenly across starting at the right shoulder strap at the back, back, left shoulder strap at the back, left shoulder strap at the front, front, right shoulder strap at the front. Knit 3 rows in 3x3 rib (ie knit 3, purl 3). Bind off.
Sew together right shoulder straps.
Using same yarn, and right side facing pick up 114 stitches evenly along armhole edge. Knit 3 rows in 3x3 rib.
Repeat with second armhole.
Sew sides.

Skirt:

With Color B, and right side facing pick up 140 stitches along the edge of the bodice with 24'' 3 mm circular needles. Place a stitch marker, join in a round.
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: *Knit 3, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 3: Knit.
Rnd 4: *Knit 3, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 5: Knit.
Increase Rnd (Rnd 6): *Knit 3, make 1, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 7: Knit
Rnd 8: *Knit 4, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 9: Knit
Rnd 10: *Knit 4, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 11: Knit.
Rnd 12: *Knit 4, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 13: Knit.
Rnd 14: *Knit 4, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 15: Knit.
Increase Rnd (Rnd 16): *Make 1, knit 4, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 17: Knit.
Rnd 18: *Knit 5, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 19: Knit.
Repeat Rnd 18 and 19 five more times.
Increase Rnd (Rnd 30): *Knit 5, make 1, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 31: Knit.
Rnd: 32: *Knit 6, purl 1*, continue in * to the end of the marker.
Rnd 33: Knit
Repeat Rnd 32 and 33 nine more times or till you run out of yarn. Just make sure you have enough yarn to complete last full round. Skirt measures about 4.5'' at this point.
Increase Rnd (Rnd 52): Change to color A, and * Make 1, knit 6, purl 1* to the end of the marker.
Rnd 53: Knit
Repeat Rnd 52 and 53 five more times. Skirt measures about 5.5'' at this point.
Rnd 64: Change to color B, and continue in established pattern till you run out of yarn (ie use up 2nd ball). Just make sure you have enough yarn to complete last full round. Skirt measures 9'' at this point.
Change to Color A
Knit 10 rounds in established pattern.
Change to Color C.
Knit 4, knit into front and back of 5th stitch, continue like that to the end of the round.
Start knitting in seed stitch, ie knit 1, purl 1.
Next Round: Purl 1, knit 1, etc
Continue in seed stitch for 15 rounds. Skirt measures 11.5'' in length at this point.
Bind off in seed stitch pattern.