Inaara: Crochet Baby Dress

Crochet, the popular needlecraft, is well known for the delight brought through the beautiful products created and its stress-relieving effect in the making of it. I have been very passionate about this craft and has been practising it as a hobby for a very long time. Recently, I made a baby dress for my niece, Inaara, which I am sharing through this instructable. It will teach you how to create a beautiful baby dress for a 6-month to 1-year old. The dress designed is of length 15 inches and chest width 18 inches.

If you wish to change the measurements for a different aged baby, you can refer to the crochet sign charts I have attached along with each step for the calculations!!!

1.Yarn

• Material: 4ply Cotton
• Colour: Maroon
• Approximate Quantity: 750m (300gm)
• You can see the yarn details here!!!

2.Crochet Hook

• Size: 3mm

3.Scissor

4.Button

• Quantity: 1

5. Sewing Thread

6. Sewing Needle

The crochet stitches which I have used to make this dress are:

• Chain Stitch (ch)
• Slip Stitch (sl st)
• Double Crochet (dc)
• 2 Double Crochet Shell (2 dc shell)
• 5 Double Crochet Shell (5 dc shell)

• 7 Double Crochet Shell (7 dc shell)

If you are an absolute beginner, please refer to the following links for video tutorial available on youtube.

For Chain Stitch and Slip Stitch

For Double Crochet

For 5 dc shell stitch

The making of this beautiful baby dress begins from the neck...

Row 1: 60xch. [total number of stitches: 60]

(If you are making the dress of a different size, please make sure the total number of chain stitches in Row 1 to be a multiple of 6. For the calculations for the coming rows, refer to the sign chart.)

Row 2: 2xch, 59xdc. [total number of stitches: 60]

Row 3: 2xch, (2 dc shell, dc, dc)x19, 2 dc shell, dc. [total number of stitches: 80]

Row 4: 2xch, dc, dc, (2 dc shell, dc, dc, dc)x19, 2 dc shell, sl st. [total number of stitches: 100]

Row 5: 2xch, dc, dc, dc, (2 dc shell, dc, dc, dc, dc)x19, 2 dc shell, sl st. [total number of stitches: 120]

Row 6: 2xch, 17xdc, 3xch, skip 24 stitches from row 5 and move to the 25th, 36xdc, 3xch, skip 24 stitches from row 5 and move to the 25th stitch, 18xdc, sl st. [total number of stitches: 72]

(Please note: The ratio of the total number of double crochet in row 6 to the total number of the skipped stitches from row 5 should be in the ratio of 3:2)

Row 7: 2xch, 77xdc, sl st. [total number of stitches: 78]

(Please note: Make sure the total number of stitches in Row 7 is a multiple of 3.)

Row 8- Dot Border(optional): sl stx3, (dot stitch, sl stx6)x12, dot stitch, sl stx3. [total number of stitches: 78]

Please refer to the video to see the tutorial for dot stitch!!!

From the next rows, the beautiful flare of the dress starts to develop!!!

Row 9: 2x ch, (5 dc shell, dc, dc)x25, 5 dc shell, dc, sl st. [total number of stitches: 182]

Row 10: 2x sl st, 2xch, dc, (5 dc shell, dc, dc)x25, 5 dc shell, sl st. [total number of stitches: 182]

Row 11: 2xch, 6 dc shell, dc, dc, (7 dc shell, dc, dc)x25, sl st. [total number of stitches: 234]

Row 12: 2x sl st, 2xch, dc, (7 dc shell, dc, dc)x25, 7 dc shell, sl st. [total number of stitches: 234]

Row 13: repeat Row 11

Row 14: repeat Row 12

Repeat Row 11 and Row 12 till you reach Row 30. (No. of rows can be increased or decreased according to the desired length for the dress)

Row 31- Dot Border(optional): sl stx4, (dot stitch, sl stx9)x25, dot stitch, sl stx5. [total number of stitches: 234]

Please refer to the video to see the tutorial for dot stitch!!!

Row 32: 2xch, 233xdc, sl st. [total number of stitches: 234]

Row 33: repeat Row 32

Row 34: repeat Row 32

Row 35: repeat Row 32

Start from Stitch 1 of Row 1

Row 1.1: 2xch, (5 dc shell, dc, dc)x19, 5 dc shell, dc.

Row 1.2: 2xch and 1 dc to the same stitch, dc, dc, (5 dc shell, dc, dc)x19, 2 dc shell.

Row 1.3: repeat Row 1.1

Row 1.4: repeat Row 1.2

As the final step of the project, attach a button of the same colour to the back of the dress with the help of a sewing thread and needle. Once you finish that, your beautiful crochet baby dress is ready to be gifted!!!

If you are an absolute beginner and have any doubts about the changing of colours, finishing off and hiding loose ends, you can refer to the link!!!

Thank you so much for taking time to go through my project. Please do share if any of you tried to receate it !!!