my daughters measurements
high bust:21 1/2 ins(back 11.5 front 9.5) around just under arms
waist:21 1/2 around the narrowest part of torso and over the belly button
butt: 23 1/2 around largest part of butt
high to hip: 9" length from underarms to however long you want the top to go. I measured to hip bone (let dangle)
hip to knee: 8" from the end of high to hip to how ever long you want the skirt to be
needles: 4.5mm 16" for top and 29" for skirt (though 24 would work) having both sizes helps with the BO
gague with sport 5 sts 1 inch 6 rows 1 inch - make a large swatch pull it as far as you can sideways and measure again for the gague for the top.
waist sts 5*21.50=107
butt: atleast 117
double waist = 214
232 (note: my gague swatch was wrong and i had to adjust mid-project I decreased 18 sts in row 27 but this is not nessisary if you only cast on double waist sts
work cables up front between 0-1 and 5-6 inches make the cables 5 inches apart centered on front and 4
inches apart on the back(keep in mind the gague change!!!)
cast on 232 (this is what I did but if you only cast on double waist knit 48 rounds)(if you don't plan to put crochet on the edges add a border on the bottom of the skirt like garter st to make it lay flat knit for 26 rows dec 18 sts evenly around.
k5 (k2tog k11)>8x k2tog k10, (k2tog, k11)>8x k2tog k5 (this is my evenly spaced dec round for -18 sts
(214sts)
knit 22 rows
k2tog around(107 sts)
front:knit 4 sts p1,k8,p1, k24, p1,k8,p1 k4 (52 front)
(stst portion with cables near it will change gague. (using markers between front and back will help you keep track of where you are also I used an extra marker to mark the previous cable row so I got 5 rows between each cable)
mine went up to 5.5 sts/inch and 7rows/inch unstreched. stretched it was 3sts/" and 12rows/inch. tried it on her at 10 cable rep's and it fit very well the cables should be spaced closer the fabric stretches alot! atleast working with the yarn I'm using)
back:k8, p1,k8,p1, k19 p1,k8,p1 k8.(55 back)
CALBE rows (every 6th row):
front: k4, p1, c8b, p1, k24, p1, c8f, p1, k4
back: k8, p1, c8b, p1, k19 p1, c8f, p1, k8.
rows:
60 rounds for top cable every 6th row 10x(ending with a cable) 9cables shorten the fabric an inch when stretched sideways)
BO
k2 sl first over second st k1 sl over k1 sl p1 sl knitted st over purl. k8 p1 k2 sl etc. after bo all sts but the cables. cut and weave in ends.
straps:
6" (stretched 3" in body is 2 reps the straps aren't as stretchy) on front 2 cables + 6 rows do not cable last row. on back 2 cables + 5 rows
pick up cables one at a time and make long enough for half desired length when all 4 halves are completed use 3 needle bo techinque inside out so seam is on inside.
re attatch yarn to front left strap(left for the dress not you) leave very long tail. p1 (by putting the loop in your yarn when both ends are held together over your needle and working the st normally. Hold both ends together) K8, (drop tail) p1(this was row 2 of the cable reps)(
work A and B to row 5 (A,B,A) then do a cable row. the same as you did in the body of the dress for front left (the thrid strap will be the same) C8B
A: k1,p8,k1
B: p1,k8,p1
work rows A and B for 5 rows C8B work A and B for 6 rows DO NOT cable here. (there should be 2 cables on the strap Leave a long tail for all straps and move to scrap yarn)
do the same for other front strap but C8F
do the same on back straps but go only to 5 reps after last cable. for strap 1 on back C8B (dresses right and your right.) and C8F for last one.
when last strap is finished pick up sts on front left(first one) make sure the tail you left is closest to the point of your needle. turn straps so outsides are facing each other(or turn the dress inside out) make sure they won't be twisted when they are connected. use 3 needle bo techinque. holding both the long tail and working yarn together.
pick up sts for other 2 straps use 3 needle BO holding both tails together.
weave in loose ends the tails that were knitted into the fabric where it was re attatched can just be cut)
I plan on putting a crochet edge on the dress to make it lay flat on the edges
size 5mm hook sc around bottom
sc holding 2 colors together
ch2 dc1 ch2 *dc in next st. ch2* rep to end
for around top edges attatch color 2 in corner near strap on front, work around in sc. once row is finished sl st up 3 sts on strap turn work ch2 sc into 3rd st down *ch2 sc* rep to end of front ch 2 sl into 3rd st
connect color #2 in back corner of arm holes work sc around
I also added 2 chains on the back one 2(knitting) rows above the first cable connected on both sides. and a second one one st in(knitting) on both sides of the stockingette panel. but looped over the first chain so it will pull it down and keep the straps from falling off the shoulders.
the first was long enough to span back while worn the second was short to pull it tight.
weave in ends dress is done
Fill in the blanks:
high bust:
waist:
butt:
high to hip:
hip to knee:
gague:
sts/inch:
row/inch:
T: waist * sts/inch = ____ this is number of sts around for after skirt (round up if it's not a whole number)
T * 2 = ____ CO this amount of sts
if bust is significantly different:
i: bust * sts/inch = ____ round up to an even number place increases evenly in space between cables on the sides by making m1r or m1l depending on if it is front or back half respectively)
H: measure from under bust to hip(where you want the skirt to start) - "high to hip" = ____ this is how long bust will be
measure from high over your shoulder to the top of your underarm ____ this will be the length of the strap. (round to the nearest inch (try to make it divisible by 6 to go with the spacing of the cables. it's better for it to be a shorter length than longer. but don't make it too short keep it within 3/4ths an inch of original measurement.) if one strap must be longer than the other make sure it's the front.
use 3 needle bo at top of the straps
