Birthday Cake Dress Pattern #5022

Size 2-3

MATERIALS:
Choose one of the following threads in size 30:
Clark's O.N.T. Mercerized Crochet, 15 balls of White or Ecru, or 18 balls of any color.
J. & P. Coats Mercerized Crochet, 12 balls of White or Ecru, or 15 balls of any color.
J. & P. Coats Big Ball Best Six Cord Mercerized Crochet, 6 balls of White or Ecru, or 8 balls of any color.
Milward's steel crochet hook No. 9 or 10.
4 small buttons.
3½ yds. of narrow velvet ribbon.

Gauge of yoke: 7 sps to 2 inches; 5 rows to 1 inch.

Yoke … Starting at bottom, ch 257 to measure 23 inches. 1st row: Sl st in 4th ch from hook (a p made), ch 1, d c in 8th ch from hook, counting back from p; * ch 1, ch-4 p, ch 1, skip 2 ch, d c in next ch. Repeat from * across (83 sps). Ch 4, turn. 2nd row: Ch-4 p, ch 1, * d c in next d c, ch 1, ch-4 p, ch 1. Repeat from *, ending with skip 2 ch, d c in next ch. Ch 4, turn.

Left Back … 3rd row: Work as for 2nd row until 18 loops are made. Ch 3, turn. Make d c in 1st d c (thus decreasing 1 sp for armhole). Work over remaining 17 loops as for 2nd row until piece measures 4 inches in all (20 rows). On next row, starting at armhole edge, work in pattern across next 8 sps. Ch 4, turn. Work over these 8 sps for 2 more rows. To shape shoulder, starting at armhole edge, sl st in each st across 1st 4 sps, ch 3 and continue in pattern over remaining 4 sps. Fasten off. This completes Left Back.

Front … Skip 6 sps, attach thread to next d c and work in pattern across next 35 sps. Ch 3, turn. Next row: D c in next d c (1 sp decreased); continue in pattern across, ending with d c in 3rd st of turning ch (another sp decreased). Ch 3, turn. Repeat the last row once more. Work over remaining 31 sps until piece measures 3¼ inches (17 rows). On next row, work in pattern across 1st 8 sps, turn and work over these 8 sps for 6 more rows. Then shape shoulder as for Left Back. Fasten off. Skip 15 sps of Front, attach thread to next d c and work over remaining 8 sps to correspond with opposite side. This completes Front.

Right Back … Skip 6 sps, attach thread to next d c and work to correspond with Left Back.

Skirt … Attach thread to turning ch of 1st sp of Right Back, ch 6, tr in next d c, * ch 2, tr in next d c. Repeat from * across to corresponding position on Left Back. Ch 5, turn. 2nd row: Skip 1 sp, * in next sp make: d c, ch-4 p, d c, ch 3, d c, p and d c (shell); ch 2, 2 d c in next sp, ch 2. Repeat from * across, ending with ch 2, d c in 3rd st of turning ch. Ch 5, turn. 3rd to 8th rows incl: * In ch-3 sp (between d-c groups) make: d c, p, d c, ch 3, d c, p and d c; ch 2, d c in each of next 2 d c, ch 2. Repeat from * across, ending with ch 2, d c in 3rd st of turning ch. Ch 5, turn. Omit the ch-5 at end of 8th row and do not turn, but sl st in 3rd st of turning ch-5 at beginning of row. Hereafter work is done in rnds instead of rows:

1st rnd: Ch 5, * in ch-3 sp (between d c-groups) make: d c, p, d c, ch 3, d c, p and d c; ch 2, 2 d c in next d c (increase); d c in next d c, ch 2. Repeat from * around, ending with d c in each of 2 d c. Join with sl st to 3rd st of ch-5 first made. Continue in pattern as for 1st rnd, increasing 1 d c in center of each d c-group on every 4th rnd until there are 10 d c in each group. Work without increasing until skirt measures 10½" in all. Next rnd: Ch 5, * in next ch-3 sp (between d-c groups) make: 4 d c, p and 4 d c; ch 2, d c in each of next 10 d c, ch 2. Repeat from * around. Fasten off.

Sleeves … Starting at bottom, ch 90 to measure 8½ inches. 1st row: Tr in 9th ch from hook, * ch 2, skip 2 ch, tr in next ch. Repeat from * across (28 sps). Ch 5, turn. 2nd row: * In next sp make: d c, p, d c, ch 3, d c, p, and d c; ch 2, 2 d c in next sp, ch 2. Repeat from * across, ending with 1 d c. Ch 5, turn. 3rd and 4th rows: Work in pattern across. Ch 5, turn. 5th row: Work in pattern across, increasing 1 d c in each d c-group. 6th row: Same as 3rd row. 7th row: Sl st in each st across to 3 d c incl. (1 shell and 1 d c-group decreased), ch 3 and continue in pattern, increasing 1 d c in each d c-group, to within last d c-group, d c in center of d c-group (a shell and a d c-group decreased). Ch 3, turn. Continue in pattern, decreasing 1 d c-group or 1 shell, as the case may be, at both ends of every other row, at the same time increasing 1 d c in each d c-group every other row until there are 7 d c in each group. Continuing with decreases until 6 shells remain, dec. 1 d c in each d c-group on each row until 1 d c remains in each group. Ch 3, turn. Work over remaining 6 shells as follows: * 3 d c in next shell, ch 2, d c in next d c, ch 2. Repeat from * across. Fasten off.

Sew up shoulder seams. Sew up sleeve seams and sew sleeves in. Attach thread to bottom of sleeve and work 2 rnds in pattern all around lower edge. Fasten off. Attach thread to 3rd st of turning ch at neck edge of Left Back, ch 5, p, ch 1, * tr in next tr, ch 1, p, ch 1. Repeat from * all around neck edge. Then ch 5 for buttonloop, skip 1 sp and work a row of s c closely together along edge of Right Back, making 3 more ch-5 loops at equal distances apart. Work a row of s c along edge of Left Back. Fasten off.

Run ribbon through tr-row of sleeves, and tie ends at center. Run ribbon through top row at neck edge and sew ends in place on wrong side. Cut remaining ribbon in half; sew one end on wrong side of center back and run remaining length to center front. Finish other side in same way; tie ends at center front. Sew on buttons.