My 5-year-old is an incredibly reluctant model. It took a lot of coaxing to get photos of her new skirt, but there is one thing I don't have to convince her of: a deep love for school. The thought of school starting next week has Sadie in a constant state of glee, and when I asked her what we should name her new skirt the answer was immediate. Meet the Back to School Skirt.
This is a simple pattern and it makes for a very wearable wool skirt (note the dancing shot above). Noro is such a unique yarn, and this skirt allows the inherent striping to really show off. It is so fun to watch the colours appear and reappear in different widths - something you just couldn't plan with individual yarns. As for garment details - the waist is folded inside to create a casing for elastic and there is a true hem to help weight the skirt properly. Blocking would make the hem behave, but Sadie started wearing the skirt before I had a chance to whisk it away. I figure it's a small price to pay for knitting something Sadie loves. Of course, the skirt is small potatoes compared to starting Grade One next Tuesday.
You will need:
3 balls Noro Kureyon
5mm 16”-20” circular needle
1 stitch marker
Gauge 18.5 stitches over 26 rows = 4” square
Size is roughly for a 4-6 year old. Sadie’s waist is 20”, so using negative ease I ended up with a finished waist that is roughly 18” (smaller once the elastic is in). From waist to hem the length is 13”. Overall the pattern is basic enough to adjust to other sizes – simply increase or decrease the number of CO stitches to an amount divisible by 4.
CO 76, join in the round. Place marker to mark the beginning of the round.
Knit for 7 rows.
Purl 1 row (this makes an edge which folds over neatly).
Knit for 11 rows.
INCREASE ROW 1: [K19, M1] 4 times. (80 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 2: [K20, M1] 4 times. (84 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 3: [K21, M1] 4 times. (88 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 4: [K22, M1] 4 times. (92 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
GATHERED ROW: [K1, KFB] to end of row.
Continue knitting until desired skirt length is reached.
Purl 1 row (again, this makes an edge which folds over neatly to create the skirt hem.
Knit for 7 rows and bind off.
To finish, using lengths of Noro yarn (or other, stronger yarn) sew the hem in place using a whip stitch. Do the same for the waist until you have 2-3” left open. Cut a piece of elastic and feed through the waist casing. Join the elastic and finish stitching the waist closed. Weave in ends and block if desired.
(Pattern is for personal use only. Please do not use for commercial purposes.)
that is so cute.
ReplyDeleteThough hope she didn't have to wear it in yesterday's heat wave.
I love this!
ReplyDeleteMy dd is a little older, but a skinny thing, so I think I could make this work with added length.
Thank you!
That's a lovely skirt. The pattern does show off the yarn colors very nicely.
ReplyDeleteA new skirt is a good reason to dance.
It's adorable! Gonna' make one. Thank you for the pattern.
ReplyDeleteThat skirt is gorgeous! I wonder if I could knit one up before the weather warms up here. Gorgeous blog too. happy Sunday.
ReplyDeletethis is adorable. I must make one :)
ReplyDeleteThis pattern was selected as today's Free Knitting Pattern of the Day on Nov 3rd over at The Daily Knitter. It's also posted in our Free Knitting Patterns listings under Skirts. A really unique pattern -- love it with the tights and boots. Happy Knitting!
ReplyDeleteThis and all your knittings are very lovely.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try and make this for my daughter. Thank you for the free pattern!
I'm presently making this thanks to your pattern and nice pictures. Thank you, it's just lovely!
ReplyDeleteThis is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me which shade of yarn you used? I'm looking for a variagated yarn with pink tones in to go with a pink knitted waistacoat I'm currently working on. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHeel erg leuk! ♥
ReplyDeleteWhat does Gathered Row mean?
ReplyDeleteHello! I love your pattern and just finished knitting the skirt (my first non-hat project!). I'm hoping for a bit of help on the hems - I followed the pattern on both hems by adding the purl row. But, this is my first time hemming, so I'm a little uncertain what to do next. Do I fold the work *at* the purl row and then secure using a whip stitch? Or, do I fold in half *to* the purl row and secure? Also, do you fold the work to the inside or outside for the hem? Lastly, the link to the whip stitch in the pattern doesn't seem accurate, but I found a sample on YouTube. Thank you in advance for your help!
ReplyDelete