Knitting Pattern: Lace-Trimmed Summer Dress

Here is a fun summer dress in two versions - sleeveless and short-sleeved. It is loose, boxy, and has some lace stitches for a summery feel. Rather than taper in the bottom with ribbing, add a crochet edge.

Materials:

• Number six American circular needles, or straight needles of you work front and back separate.
• I Crochet hook (American)
• 16 ounces of sport weight cotton or silk yarn - or a new fiber like Ingeo, SoySilk, or Tencel

Gauge:
4 rows per inch wide
6 rows per inch long
on number six needles
(Note: If you knit with lots of  tension, you may need a larger needle.)

Pattern 1:
Horizontal Lace:
multiples of two
Rows 1,2,3: Purl
Row 4: YO, slip 1, knit 1, passed slipped stitch over

Pattern 2:
Butterfly stitch
multiple of 10
Rows 1 and 3: K 2tog, yo,k1,yo,slip1,k1, passed slip stitch, knit 5
Rows 2 and 4: P7, slip1, p2
Rows 5 and 11: Knit
Rows 6 and 12: Purl
Rows 7 and 9: Knit 5,k 2tog, yo,k1,yo,slip1,k1,passo
Rows 8 and 10: P2,slip1, p7

Pattern 3:
Row 1: Single crochet length
Row 2: *sc, chain 3,skip one sc* Repeat across.

Directions:

To knit in the round make back and front at same time.

Back:
Cast on 80 stitches. Work in stocking stitch for five rows. Then make Pattern Number 1 until pattern is complete. Work stocking stitch for two rows. Then work Pattern Number 2 across until pattern is complete. Work two rows in stocking stitch and then repeat Pattern Number 1 until pattern is complete. Then, work even in stocking stitch until the piece measures 46 inches.

Front:
Cast on 80 stitches. Work in stocking stitch for five rows. Then make Pattern Number 1 across until pattern is complete. Work stocking stitch for two rows. Then work Pattern Number 2 across until pattern is complete. Work two rows in stocking stitch and then repeat Pattern Number 1 until pattern is complete. Then, work even in stocking stitch until the piece measures 35. Bind off top edge.

Shape Front Neck:
Knit across 35 stitches,then bind of ten. Continue across. Add extra yarn just before bind off. Work both sides of the neck at the same time to keep the piece even. Decrease inside neck edge by knitting two together twice every other row five times. There should be 20 stitches remaining on each side of the neck. Then work even for three inches. Bind off top edge of each side.

Assemble:
Join shoulder seams. If you wish a sleevless top, join side seams by stitching sides together until armhole suits you. Go down to trim section to complete neck and sleeve edges.

Sleeve:
If you want a sleeved top, join shoulder seams. Measure 9 inches from the bottom edge. Pick up stitches from this point along side edge past shoulder seam down another 9 inches. Work even in stocking stitch until arm measures five inches. Then work Pattern Number 1, Pattern Number 2, and finally Pattern Number 1 again. Work five rows in stocking stitch. Bind off.

Assemble:
Join side seams and under arm on both sides.

Trim:
Trim neck, sleeve, and bottom edges in picot or lace trim stitches. The sample uses simple Pattern Number 3, but you could use any that suits your fancy.

You can make it cropped by shortening the piece. You can make it VERY lacey by repeating the three patterns for the length of the work.