Infant’s Crocheted Dress

For details see Old Afghan Stitch, page 27, and Purled Afghan Stitch, page 36

MATERIALS

SUNLIGHT four-fold Germantown

7 skeins white

3 skeins red

1 skein green

1 Amber Crochet Hook, No. 5

4 Pearl Buttons

INSTRUCTIONS

This little dress is crocheted with white yarn in the Old Afghan Stitch and trimmed in red and green. A cross stitch pattern is embroidered in front of dress, around sleeves and at the bottom.

Begin on front part at bottom of gown, use white yarn and make a chain of 92 stitches.

1st row: Pick up 1 loop in each stitch on the chain (92 loops on needle), * put yarn over hook, pull through 1 loop and repeat from * to end of row. (Pick up the loops loosely and pull through rather tight.)

2nd row: Same as 1st row, with exception of taking up the loops through the loops on preceding row in front. Repeat 2nd row.

Make 13 rows.

Start decreasing. Pick up 14 loops, decrease 1 (take 2 loops together as 1), pick up 15, decrease 1, 24, decrease 1, 15, decrease 1, then pick up the last 15 loops and pull through as before.

Make 4 rows.

Repeat the decreasing row, always having 24 loops between the decreasings in center of row, then it will be 2 loops less between the decreasings on the sides and 2 loops less toward the edges for each decreasing row. Make 3 rows between for each time and decrease 6 times more.

Make 2 rows. Add 22 stitches on each side for the sleeves. Make 3 rows, decrease 2 stitches same as before at the center of row, leaving the 24 loops between. Make 5 rows and repeat the last decreasing. Make 1 row.

Pick up 35 loops on the next row (36 on needle) and make 6 rows for the shoulders and sleeve. Break off the yarn and finish the other side the same.

Border—1st row: Use the red yarn, pick up 1 loop in each stitch on the chain at bottom of front part (92 loops on needle) and pull through same as before (pick up the loops loosely and pull through easy).

2nd row: Same as 1st row, with exception of taking up the loops through the loops on preceding row from the back. Repeat the 2nd row, the Purled Afghan Stitch.

Make 8 rows. Finish off last row with 1 row in the slip stitch, taking up through the loops in the back.

Last row, on wrong side of work: (Make last row after the sides are put together.)

Make 1 single crochet (always taking up in double stitch), a chain of 3 stitches and another single crochet in same stitch on preceding row, skip 2 stitches and repeat.

Finish off border at top with 1 row in the green: Make the single crochet with 1 stitch in every loop of the 1st row in the white, having the white part of the work toward you.

Make the back same as the front, with exception of making an opening to button at neck. Make 36 rows on back, then pick up half of the loops on the row and finish one side, then the other. Crochet 1 row with white in the single crochet around opening in back, making 3 buttonholes on one side (make 1 chain and skip 1 stitch for each buttonhole).

Embroider a cross stitch pattern in red 601½ inches wide and 5 or 6 inches long in front of dress below neck and outline it in green with 1 row in the single crochet, taking up in the loops of the Afghan Stitch. Make a cross stitch pattern in red around bottom of gown ½ inch above border.

Join at the shoulders: Put back and front together with wrong side out and join with the slip stitch, taking up through the loops from the right side (take 1 loop from each edge on the hook, put yarn over, pull through and repeat).

Cuff: Use red yarn and pick up 1 loop in each stitch at bottom of sleeve (pick up loosely and pull through a little tight). Make cuff exactly the same as border at bottom of dress. Make 6 rows in the Purled Afghan Stitch. Embroider a narrow cross stitch pattern in red above cuff. Collar: Make collar same as cuff; pick up 1 loop in each stitch around neck, decrease 1 stitch in each corner (4) for every row and make 5 rows. Make a buttonhole on one end of collar same way as before.

Sew gown together on wrong side and put the buttons on.

Holder for the Belt: Make a chain of 12 stitches and make 2 rows in the single crochet.

Make 4 holders. Fasten 2 in front and 2 in back 5 inches above border.

Belt: Use red yarn and make a chain of 140 stitches. Make 5 rows in the Purled Afghan Stitch and finish off last row with the slip stitch. Put belt through holders and join to a circle. Make 1 row with green in the single crochet around both sides of belt.

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