This Little White Dress is elegant and lightweight, with plenty of feminine style. Raglan construction allows for customization of the yoke, and simple open lace skirt can be easily extended for additional length. Adding a lining to the skirt will give this dress a professional finish.

Time: 55-60 hrs

Skill Level: Intermediate

Sizes: 32 (35, 38, 41) (42, 45, 48)” finished garment chest circumference, intended

with 0-1” of negative ease.

Gauge: 34 sts x 18 rows = 4 x 4” in double crochet, with US 8 (1.50 mm) hook; 5.5 Patt Rep of Lace Yoke = 4”

Materials

Yarn: South Maid crochet thread #10, (100% Mercerized Cotton, 400 yards [366 meters] / 1 ball): White 001, 5 (5, 5, 6) (6, 7, 7) balls.

Hooks: US 8 (1.50 mm) hook.

Notions: tapestry needle, tape measure, scissors, small button, ½ yard of polyester lining fabric and sewing tools (optional).

Stitch Pattern

Yoke Lace Patt working flat (multiple of 6 + 1 sts):

Row 1: Ch 3, dc in next st and each st across, turn. When repeated, each ch-sp from Row 4 counts as a st.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first dc and each dc across, turn.

Row 3: Ch 4, dc in same sc, *ch 2, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc, ch 2, sk 2 sc, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next sc; rep from * across, turn.

Row 4: Ch 3, (dc2tog, ch 1, dc3tog) in first ch-2 sp, *ch 1, sk next 2 ch-2 sps, (dc3tog, ch 1, dc3tog, ch 1, dc3tog) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across to last ch-2 sp, (dc3tog, ch 1, dc3tog) in last ch-2 sp, turn.

Rep Rows 1-4 for Patt.

Pattern Notes

Dress is worked top-down, using raglan shaping for the yoke. After working flat to create Back Neck opening, the yoke is joined to be worked in the round. After splitting for Sleeves, the body continues to be worked seamlessly, transitioning into an Open Lace skirt pattern. Sleeve stitches picked up around armholes and worked seamlessly. Optional lining is added to the dress skirt.

Ch 3 counts as dc at the beg of Rows.

Pattern

Yoke

Ch 123 (123, 135, 135) (147, 147, 147), turn, dc in 4th ch from hook, and each ch across. (121 (121, 133, 133) (145, 145, 145) dc)

Begin working in Lace Yoke Patt, starting from Row 2. After Row 3 place removable markers for Raglan Inc as follows:

Place M in 10 (10, 11, 11) (12, 12, 12)th ch-2 sp; 22 (22, 22, 22) (24, 24, 24)th ch-2 sp; 40 (40, 44, 44) (48, 48, 48)th ch-2 sp, 52 (52, 55, 55) (60, 60, 60)th ch-2 sp.

Began working a Raglan Inc on Row 4 as follows:

Raglan Row 1 (Patt Row 4): Ch 3, *work in Patt to M, remove M, (dc3tog, ch 1, dc3tog, ch 3, dc3tog, ch 1, dc3tog) in ch-2 sp, place M in ch-3 sp; rep from * another 3 times, work in Patt across, turn.

Raglan Row 2 (Patt Row 1): Ch 3, *work in Patt to M, remove M, (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in ch-3 sp, place M in ch-3 sp; rep from * another 3 times, work in Patt across, turn.

Raglan Row 3 (Patt Row 2): Ch 1, *work in Patt to M, remove M, 3 sc in ch-3 sp, place M in center sc; rep from * another 3 times, work in Patt across, turn.

Raglan Row 4 (Patt Row 3): Ch 4, *work in Patt to M, remove M, ch 2, (dc, ch 2, dc) in center sc, ch 2, sc in next sc, place M in center ch-2 sp; rep from * another 3 times, work in Patt across, turn.

Rep Raglan Rows 1-4 another 4 times.

Join to work in the Rnd

At the end of last row, do not turn, sl st to top of ch-3. Begin working yoke in the round, turning work at the end of each Rnd, alternating between RS and WS of work. Sl st at the end of each Rnd to top of first st.

Cont to work Raglan Rows 1-4, now working them as joining rounds, for a total of 8 (9, 9, 10) (10, 11, 12) times, ending with Rnd 1. (384 (432, 432, 480) (480, 528, 576) sts increased for a total of 504 (552, 564, 612) (624, 672, 720) total sts made of 132 (144, 144, 156) (162, 174, 186) each Front/Back sts; 120 (132, 138, 150) (150, 162, 174) Sleeve sts for each sleeve)

Divide for Body and Sleeves

Setup Rnd (Patt Rnd 2): Ch 1, *work in Patt to M, remove M, sc in ch-3 sp, ch 6 (6, 12, 12) (12, 12, 12), sk to next M, remove M, sc in ch-3 sp; rep from * once more, work to end of Rnd, sl st to first sc. (276 (300, 312, 336) (348, 372, 396) Body sts)

Resume working in Yoke Lace Patt, for another 8 (8, 9, 9) (10, 10, 10) repeats, ending with Rnd 2 of Patt Rep.

Skirt

Setup Rnd: Ch 1, sc in first sc, *ch 5, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc; rep from * around to last 2 sc, ch 5, sk 2 sc, sl st to top of first sc.

Begin working skirt in Shell Lace Patt as follows:

Rnd 1: Sl st 2 to first ch-5 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch-5 sp, *ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp, 8 dc in next ch-5 sp, sc in next ch-5 sp, ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp; rep from * around, sl st to top of first sc.

Rnd 2: Sl st 2 to first ch-5 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch-5 sp, *(dc in next dc, ch 1) 7 times, dc in last dc, sc in next ch-5 sp, ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp; rep from * around, sl st to top of first sc.

Rnd 3: Sl st 4 to 2nd ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch-1 sp, *(ch 5, sk 1 ch-1 sp, sc in next ch-1 sp) twice, ch 5, sk next ch-1 sp, sc in next ch-5 sp, ch 5, sk next ch-1 sp, sc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * around, sl st to top of first sc.

Rnd 4: Sl st 2 to next ch-5 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch-5 sp, *ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp; rep from * around, sl st to top of first sc.

Rep Rnds 1-4 another 14 times, and Rnds 1-2 once more.

Edging

Rnd 1: Ch 3, *dc in next 15 sts, sc in next ch-5 sp; rep from * around, sl st to first dc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in first dc, *(sc, ch 3, sl st to first ch) in next dc, sc in next 3 dc; rep from * around, sl st to top of first sc.

Fasten off.

Sleeves

With RS facing, join yarn at the middle of underarm.

Setup Rnd: Ch 1, sc in same st, *ch 5, sk 2 sts, sc in next st; rep from * around to last 2 sts, ch 5, sk 2 sts, sl st to top of first sc.

Cont. to work in Shell Lace Patt as for Skirt, working Rnds 1-4 twice, and Rnds 1-2 once more. Work edging as for Skirt edging.

Back Neck Edging & Buttonhole

With RS facing, join yarn at top Right corner of Back Neck edge, ch 1, sc around Back Neck split to top Left corner, 5 sc around ch-3 from Row 1 to form a buttonhole.

Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in the ends. Sew button at top of Right Back Neck edge, opposite of buttonhole.

To make lining for the skirt, cut a piece ½” less than the length of the dress skirt, by the width of the fabric. Fold widthwise in half and sew the raw edges together to make a tube. Hem the bottom to create a finished bottom edge. Zigzag the top raw edge. Insert lining inside the dress, with a zigzag edge aligning with the bottom row of the bodice. Create pleats, evenly spaced, to fit the top of the lining into the bodice. Hand or machine sew the lining along the bottom row of the bodice.