Sweet Little Dress

Melissa's pattern is ready for you all.  Enjoy!

Sugar & Spice – A Sweetly Satisfying Little Knit Dress 
By Melissa Tyler

This delicious little dress works up super quickly and is very customizable.  Show off a beautiful hand-dye, knit stripes or color blocks – be creative and have fun and your little one will love it! 

Materials: Child’s t-shirt, any size will do, but try to get one that will be a little long on the wearer 

1 skein Classic Elite Seedling or a minimum of 110 yards of your favorite DK or worsted weight yarn for a size 4T.  You’ll need more or less if you are using a different size shirt or want a longer skirt.  Nothing too precious as it will probably need lots of washing!

Size 7, 24” circular knitting needles, or size to obtain gauge
Sharp sewing needle
Strong thread to match the shirt color, I used a few strands of embroidery floss
Tapestry Needle
2 Stitch Markers

Gauge: 18 sts/4” - The gauge is a bit loose for the yarn in order to obtain a more fluid fabric.

Prep Work: Make sure to wash your t-shirt before you begin!  Start at one of the side seams and use the sewing needle and thread to backstitch along the top edge of the hem.  Work through both layers of fabric and make ¼”-long stitches.  Aim for a multiple of 3 stitches.  My sample was 105 stitches sewn around the hem. 

Get Started: Using your circular needles, start at one of the side seams and pick up and knit 1 stitch through each sewn stitch.  Place stitch marker and join to work in the round.  I also placed another marker at the opposite side seem so that I had an easy visual for my half-way point – you’ll have a lot of stitches on that needle! 

Rnd 1: Knit through the front & back of each stitch to the end of the round
Rnds 2-6: Knit all stitches
Rnds 7-8: *K2, P1, repeat from * to end of round
Rnd 9: Purl all stitches
Rnds 10-14: Knit all stitches 
Rnds 15-16: *K2, P1, repeat from * to end of round
Rnd 17: Purl all stitches

Bind Off in Picot Edging as follows:  BO 1 st, *slide stitch back to left needle, cast on 2 sts, BO 4 sts, repeat from * to end.  Use tapestry needle to weave in ends.  Block lightly if desired.