Papagena dress
Materials
Two skeins of Kauni "Wool 8/2 Effektgarn"(1024m) (this yarn is listed as sports weight, but I think it's more like a light fingering weight) 20 stitch markers - two different to mark start and middle. Crochet hook 2,5mm Circular needles 4,5mm Needle to sew on sleeves Size: XS - approx. 67cm around waist. Dress is 85cm long. 65 cm long from waist down. Gauge: Each pattern repeat is 5cm broad and approx 12cm long when blocked. Sleeve squares are approx 29cm x 13cm each.
Notes
The body of the dress is knitted in the round. The start and middle stitchmarkers marks the sides of the dress. To make a bigger size, simply add an even number of extra lace pattern repeats (11sts/repeat). Since the lace pattern is quite stretchy, there is no shaping for the bust. If you need extra space for your bust, try increasing in each side in the last lace pattern repeat. I made a chart for increasing, but I have not tried it myself, so please have that in mind. The pattern also includes how to make the sleeves longer. u find the crocodile stitch hard to do, check out one of the many videos on youtube Pearl stitch: Round 1: \*k1, p1\* repeat to end. Round 2: \*p1, k1\* repeat to end.
Sleeves (make two):
Ch 66 (For bigger sizes add 6 chains for every extra scale/2.5cm). Row 1: Dc in 3rd chain from hook. \*Ch 2, skip 2 ch, dc 2 in next ch\* until end. Row 2: Ch 1, turn work 90 degrees. \*Dc 5 in first dc, ch 1, turn work 180 degrees, dc5 in second dc, skip next 2 dc (= one scale), turn work 180 degrees\* repeat to end (= 11 scales). Ch 2, turn. Row 3: \*dc 2 into center of last scale crocheted, ch 2, dc 2 in the two dc between scales, ch 2\* repeat to end. Repeat row 2-3 12 times (13 rows of scales). Note that there should be 11 scales on uneven rows and 12 scales on even rows. If you use variegated yarn, try to make the sleeves as even in color as possible. I was lucky that the yarn had almost the same amount of yarn between color repeats and that the amount of yarn used for a sleeve was almost equal to one repeat of color. I removed aprox. 10 m of yarn until I got to the same start color as the first sleeve. I later on used this yarn for swatching, but could also just be added to the rest of the yarn later on, when you get to the same color.
Body
Cast on 220 sts using this super stretchy cast on: Yo, insert needle into stitch on left needle and pick up a stitch, pass yo-stitch over, move stitch from right to left needle (repeat). Work 4 rows of pearl stitch. On the last round place stitch markers as follows: Place marker at beginning, \*work 11 sts, place marker\* 9 times, work 11 sts, place marker for middle, \*work 11 sts, place marker\* 9 times, work last 11 sts. Work \*k10, p 1\* for 5 rounds. Work lace pattern 1 for 1 repeat (28 rounds) Decrease 22 sts (11 in each side) as follows: Work lace pattern 2 for the repeat after the stitchmarker at start and middle, work lacepattern 1 for all other repeats. Continue in lace pattern 1 for 2 repeats (56 rounds). Decrease 44sts (22 in each side) as follows: Work lace pattern 2 for the repeat before and after the stitchmarker at start and middle, work lacepattern 1 for all other repeats. rn 1 for 2 repeats + 10 rows or to desired length. End with 4-5 rows of pearl stitch.
Finishing
Block body and sleeves. Give each scale on the sleeves a pull to make them spread out nicely. When blocking the body, you can pull the fabric into the right shape to accentuate the curves. Assembling the sleeves: Sew the sleeves together in two corresponding corner scales of each side. The best way to fit the sleeves is by simply putting on the dress and pinning the sleeves into the best place (you might need a helping hand). Carefully take off the dress with the sleeves pinned, and sew them On.
Lace pattern 1
Legend
k (knit) p(pur1) yo(yarnover) ssk (slip, slip knit) k2tog (knit two together)
Lace pattern 2
Legend
k (knit) p(pur1) Oyo (yarnover) ns (no stitch) ssk (slip, slip knit) k2tog (knit two together) p2tog (purl two together) Xp3tog (pur1 three together)
Suggestion to increasing
First p sts is from previous pattern repeat.
