Pixie Sundress, by Marjorie Brigham
This is a sweater recycling project that becomes a child's knitted sundress. It starts with a woman's medium (large) long-sleeve pullover sweater. You remove the sleeves and unraveled the shoulders. Last, you re-knit the top to make a gathered skirt with sleeveless tank-style bodice. Stitch and Bitch Nation (Debbie Stoller, Workman Publishing 2004) has a good description of how to take apart and unravel a sweater to reuse the yarn. Websites with excellent tutorials for recycling sweaters include: http://www.az.com/\~andrade/knit/thrifty.html, http://www.neauveau.com/recycledyarn.html Difficulty level Intermediate Size Child's 4 (6)
Finished Measurements
Chest: 23" (26) Length: skirt portion measures 15.5" (16)
Materials
This example is a blend of cotton and raimie with small flecks of wool. This store bought, machine knit sweater has a gauge of about 8 sts per inch in stockinette stitch. You can use a handknit or machine knit sweater as long as it is made from a continuous strand (see links for unraveling sweaters). size Us 3 / 3.25mm circular needle, 29" / 74cm long size Us 6 / 4mm circular needle, 16" / 40cm long size US 6 / 4mm straight needles 4 small stitch holders 1 large stitch holder 1 crochet hook, size F or G (5mm or 6mm) optional: size 6/0 seed beads
Gauge
14 sts $=4^{\prime\prime}\,/\,\,10\mathsf{c m}$ in ribbing on larger needles with yarn held double $12\ {\sf s t s}\,=\,4"\ /\ 10{\sf c m}$ in stockinette on larger needles with yarn held double
Pattern Stitch
Bodice Ribbing: In the round: $\ast\mathsf{K}2$ : p1; rep from \* around. From underarms to shoulders, ribbing is worked back and forth: RS: $\ast\mathsf{K}2$ p1 across.ws: $\looparrow p_{2}$ ,K1 across.
Pattern
Skirt
Remove and unravel the sleeves. Wash and dry the yarn. Wind the yarn in two balls and hold the two strands together when doubled yarn is called for. Next unravel the neck binding and open the shoulder seams. Unravel the shoulders and bodice down to the beginning of the armhole shaping. Prepare this unraveled yarn as you did for the sleeves. Transfer all the live stitches (front and back) to the size 3 / 3.25mm needle. Place (different color) markers at right-hand and left-hand side seams. Gathering the skirt: Count the number of stitches. Attach a double strand of yarn at the right hand marker and decrease to 88 (120)sts by working k2tog as many times as necessary, evenly spaced around. Make sure you have 44 (60) sts between markers, for front and back.
Bodice, waist to underarm
Change to the size 6 / 4mm circular needle. Continue working with the yarn doubled for the entire top of the dress. Work waist ribbing pattern across 44 (60) stitches of the front, slip marker and continue this pattern across another 44 (60) stitches to the second marker. Continue in ribbing until bodice measures 3.5 (4) inches.
Bodice Front
Change to size 6 / 4mm straight needles. Knit 44 (60) stitches across the front of bodice. Remove marker and place the remaining 44 (60) stitches on a holder. Shape armholes: Row 1 (WS): K1, P2 across. Row 2 (RS): sSK, work K2, P1 rib across to last 3 sts, k2tog--42 (58) sts rem. Row 3: K1, P2 across Row 4: SSK, work rib pattern to last 3 sts, k2tog--40 (56) sts rem. Work even in estab. Rib pattern until piece measures $5^{\prime\prime}$ $(6^{\prime\prime})$ from beginning of waist, ending with a ws row. Shape neck: Row 1 (RS): Work rib patt. First 17 (22) sts, B0 center 10 (12) sts. Attach a second ball of doubled yarn and work rib pattern across the last 16 (2i) stitches. Working both sides at the same time: Row 2 and all wS rows: K1, P2 rib pattern. Row 3: K2, P1 rib pattern to last 2 sts, ssk for first shoulder; k2tog, rib pattern to end for second shoulder--16 (21) sts rem each side. Rep row 3 on every RS row 3 times more--13 (18) sts rem each side. Work even in rib pattern until work measures $6^{\prime\prime}\left(9^{\prime\prime}\right)$ from underarm. Place shoulder stitches on small holders.
Bodice Back
Transfer 44 (60) stitches from holder to straight needles. Join double strand of yarn. Shape armholes as for front. Work even in rib pattern until back measures $6.5^{\prime\prime}$ $7\ ^{3}\!/4\,^{\prime\prime})$ from beginning of waist, ending with a wS row. Shape neck: Row 1: (RS) Work rib pattern for 17 (22) sts, B0 center 10 (12) sts. Attach a second ball of doubled yarn and work rib pattern across the last 16 (21)sts. Row 2: K1, P2 rib across. Row3: Work rib pattern to last 2 sts, ssk for first shoulder; k2tog, work rib pattern to end for second shoulder--13 (18) sts each side. Work even in rib pattern until armhole measures same as front. Place shoulder stitches on small holders.
Finishing
Join front and back shoulders with kitchener stitch or three needle bind-off technique. Work crochet picot stitch around neck and armholes. Weave in ends. Crochet or sew on beads around hem.
Picot Stitch
[1. Work as indicated in pattern, ch (usually 3).
2. Insert hook into the first ch made.
3. Wrap yarn around hook and make a sl st. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the next picot.
