Crocheting this dress had been a marvelous journey for me. I completed the dress way before the beginning of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in my country due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The MCO gave me the time to spend learning how to edit and assemble the videos recorded of the dress during its making. And that was how I was able to come up with the YouTube video links on how to crochet this exquisite, elegant and fun dress. You can see the tutorial links below.
- Part 1: https://youtu.be/ctyGH3PEv6s
- Part 2: https://youtu.be/Somt0jza–g
If you prefer the text instructions, please continue to read …
Note: Whenever you encounter “see here” links, they will lead you to the YouTube video which shows a particular step.
Yarns and Hook Size
The yarns that I used in this project are certainly made and designed by ICE Yarns. I combined 2 types of yarns and they are:
- ICE Yarns Cakes Baby Fine (fnt2-61152)
- ICE Yarns Tena (fnt2-33049)
I decided to combine these 2 due to their beautiful colorways and I especially love the Cakes Baby Fine in white, pink and lilac shades. The color change is so sweet and while crocheting the dress, my daughter told me that the dress reminded her of sweet candy wrappers, hence the name!
I used 5 sizes of hook which are changed accordingly to body section. Since the dress is crocheted from bottom to top, the hooks and yarns used are as the following:
- Bottom to before hip:
- Yarn: Cakes Baby Fine
- Hook Size: 4.5 mm
- Hip
- Yarn: Cakes Baby Fine yarn)
- Hook Size: 5 mm
- Waist:
- Yarn: Cakes Baby Fine
- Hook Size: 4 mm
- Waist:
- Yarn: Tena
- Hook Size: 3 mm
- Topmost:
- Yarn: Tena
- Hook Size: 3.5 mm
Gauge:
Using Cakes Baby Fine and hook size 4.5 mm,
- 1 Chevron pattern of 19 stitches = 9 cm
- 8 rows of Chevron pattern = 10 cm
Using Tena and hook size 3.5 mm,
- 1 Chevron pattern of 19 stitches = 8 cm
- 8 rows of Chevron pattern= 9 cm
IMPORTANT: Please note that this Chevron pattern is stretchy and the dress requires even number of Chevron pattern.
How to determine the number of Chevron pattern required for this dress?
Method 1 Measure your hip = A cm No. of Chevron pattern = (A - 20) cm /10 cm (round up or down to an even number)
Example 1: Hip measurement is 133 cm, then No of Chevron pattern = (133 - 20)/10 = 11.3 (round the number up to 12). Example 2: Hip measurement is 143 cm, then No of Chevron pattern = (143 - 20) / 10 = 12.3 (round the number down to 12).
Method 2 Make 4 Chevron patterns, and use this to determine the number of Chevron pattern required for your size. See here.
Stitches Required (US Terms)
- Foundation chain
- Slip stitch (sl st)
- Skip stitch (skip)
- Treble (TR)
- Front-post Single Crochet (FpSC) (see here)
- Single Crochet (SC)
- Treble 2 Together (TR2tog)
Let’s Crochet!
Foundation Chain (see here)
Using Cakes Baby Fine and hook size 4.5 mm, start foundation chains of 19 x number of Chevron pattern. Always remember that this dress requires even number of Chevron patterns. See examples below:
- 4 Chevron patterns = 19 x 4 = 76 chains
- 6 Chevron patterns = 19 x 6 = 114 chains
- 8 Chevron patterns = 19 x 8 = 152 chains
- 10 Chevron patterns = 19 x 10 = 190 chains
- 12 Chevron patterns = 19 x 12 = 228 chains
- 14 Chevron patterns = 19 x 14 = 266 chains
- 16 Chevron patterns = 19 x 16 = 304 chains
- 18 Chevron patterns = 19 x 18 = 342 chains
- 20 Chevron patterns = 19 x 20 = 380 chains
Tip: Use markers to mark every 19th stitch to make it easier to follow the Chevron pattern, especially at the beginning rounds.
Once you have crocheted the required number of chains, slip stitch between the last chain and the first chain to make a round.
Tip: Before slip stitch, put foundation chain around both your knees to avoid twisting your foundation chains.
Row 1 (see here)
Note: 1 Chevron pattern is made of (5 TR in a cluster) + 9 individual TR + (5 TR in a cluster) = 19 stitches.
Beginning pattern: Chain 4 (Ch4) at the beginning (this represents a TR), 4 TR in the same stitch as Ch4, TR in the next stitch, (skip 1, TR in the next st) repeat 8 times, 5 TR in the next stitch. Pattern repeat: 5TR in the next st, TR in the next st, (skip 1, TR in the next st) repeat 8 times, 5 TR in the next st. End the row with a slip stitch to the 4th chain at the beginning.
Row 2 (see here)
Turn your work. Ch1, FpSC for each TR stitch only. End Row 1 with a slip stitch to the first FpSC. Note: 1. At the end of Row 2, you should have the number of stitches the same as your foundation chains. 2. The front-post single crochets (FpSCs) make the ridge-look to the pattern.
Turn your work. Beginning pattern: Ch4 (this represents a TR), 4 TR in the same FpSC above the 4 TR of Row 1 (see here), TR in the next st, (skip 1, TR in the next st) repeat 8 times, 5 TR in the next st. Pattern repeat: 5TR in the next st, TR in the next st, (skip 1, TR in the next st) repeat 8 times, 5 TR in the next st. End the row with a slip stitch to the 4th chain at the beginning.
Bottom to Before Hip
Repeat Row 2. Then repeat the set of (Row 3 and Row 2 = 1 row set) until you have between 22 to 24 sets of rows, or the length you desire to just before hip.
Hip
Change hook size to 5 mm and repeat row sets until you have 28 row sets.
Waist
Change hook size to 4 mm and complete until you have 30 row sets. Slip stitch and cut off the Cakes Baby Fine yarn. Change hook size to 3 mm and join Tena yarn to complete row sets 31 and 32.
Dress Top
For Row Set 33 to 42, change to hook size 3.5 mm and continue with Tena yarn.
Making Armholes (see here)
At Row Set 43, put 2 markers in the middle between - first and last Chevron patterns - (no. of Chevron patterns / 2) th pattern and next pattern These markers mark the front panel and back panel of your dress top. For example, if you have made 8 Chevron patterns, then insert the markers in the middle between - first and last Chevron patterns; and - 4th and 5th patterns. We will continue in Chevron pattern as individual panels, aka not in a round. We are still using hook size 3.5 mm and Tena yarn. Front Panel: Row Set 43 to 50 Chain 4 and continue Row 3 of the Chevron pattern until the last 5 TR and before the marker. Turn your work and continue Row 2 of the Chevron pattern. Continue with these row sets until your shoulder. Cut off the yarn. Back Panel: Row Set 43 to 50 Join yarn and continue just like Front Panel.
Joining Seam at Shoulder (see here)
Join yarn at the leftmost. We join both the Front and Back panels at the shoulder by making 10 SCs from the leftmost of the shoulder (see here) and another 10 SCs from rightmost of the other shoulder.
Making Sleeves (see here)
Begin at the marker.
Round 1: Make SCs all around. Each Row Set will have 4 SCs: - 1 SC at the stitch with 5 TRs in a cluster (see here) - 3 SCs at the chain of 4 (see here) At mid way, where the Front Panel and Back Panel meet, make 1 SC. Continue the SCs until the marker again. Slip stitch. Note: You can stop here if you wish to make the dress sleeveless. Round 2: In this round, you will make decreases of 4 multiples according to your size. For example, for the 8 Chevron pattern repeat, I have made a total of 16 decreases, where 8 decreases done at the beginning of the round and another 8 decreases at the end of the round before the marker. Hence, all decreases are done at the underarm of the sleeves. You may proceed to make 20 decreases or 24, 28 and so on. The decrease is done by using TR2tog (see here). Begin with Ch4. (TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR, TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR) repeat of 4 multiples decreases, (TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR, TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR) - 4 decreases Then TR all the way to the shoulder and down until... ... before the last (16 + 6) stitches. Then, (TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR, TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR) - 4 decreases (TR2tog, TR2tog, TR, TR, TR2tog, TR2tog) - 4 decreases and slip stitch to the 4th chain. Round 3: Begin with Ch4 and TR for each stitch. End with a slip stitch. Round 4: In this round, you will make another decreases of 4 multiples. If you have made 16 or 20 decreases in Round 2, then in this round you will make 4 decreases only. If you have made 24 or 28 decreases in Round 2, then in this round you will make 8 decreases. Use the same concept as Round 2 where the decreases (TR2tog) are made at the beginning round and the end of the round. Hence decreases are done at the underarm of the sleeves. For example, for the 8 Chevron pattern repeat, I have made a total of 16 decreases in Round 2. Now, I will make 4 decreases: Ch4, TR2tog, TR2tog, TR all the way until the last 4 stitches, TR2tog, TR2tog, end with a slip stitch. Round 5: Ch1, SCs all around. End with a slip stitch and cut off the yarn.
Finishing Up (see here)
Join Cakes Baby Fine yarn at the bottom of the dress where you have the foundation chains and use hook size 4.5 mm. Ch1 and make SC into each chain. End with a slip stitch and cut off the yarn. Weave in all loose ends and enjoy the dress!
What I Think
- I would recommend to make the sleeves longer. But alas, I used up 1 pack of 4 skeins of Tena. And having to buy another pack of 4 just to add some extra bit of length is just not economical for me 😛
- You can do the project using all of the Tena yarn if you want!
- If you want to make a bridal dress with this project, I would certainly recommend the Cream or White Tena.
- Make the project shorter and turn it into a blouse!
- Other recommended yarns by ICE Yarns for this project: Summer, Rockabilly, Cottonac Glitz
Thank you for spending time to read this post. If you like this project, please subscribe to my YouTube channel: Beautiful Yarn and get updates of future projects.
Happy Crocheting!
By: Beautiful Yarn
