Free Pattern - Vintage 1938 Afternoon Chic Dress #973 - Knit

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Vintage 1938 Afternoon Chic Dress #973

Be up to your neck in style in this one-piece knit dress.  Dress is just as charming worn in the reverse with the buttons down the front.  Smart for the afternoon & chic for even semi-formal evening wear with diamond clips added to the high neck & accenting the waistline belt, you are sure to be stunning!

SIZE:  16

MATERIALS:
Bernat’s Boucle de Laine, 18 balls
#3 Circular steel needles
#3 Straight needles
#6 Steel crochet hook
#8 Steel crochet hook
8 Small button, crocheted or ornamental
1 Buckle

GAUGE:
8 sts = 1”
12 rows = 1”

NOTE:  No measurements were given with original vintage pattern other than stitch gauge/tension.

SKIRT:  Cast on 420 sts on circular needle.  Join work, be careful not to twist sts.

Work 1 rnd plain, then start patt.  Skirt has 30 patts.

PATTERN:  * K 10, p 4, rep from * for 1”, be careful to keep patt stripes in straight line..

P all sts for 1 rnd for hem-line ridge.

Start patt again to corres with prev work.

Work even in patt for 7” from hem-line ridge.

Work 1 ½” bet each of foll dec rnds:  Mark 1^st p panel, when starting to count for decs.

1^ST DEC:  Dec 1 st in center of every 3^rd p panel.

2^ND DEC:  Dec 1 st in center of every 2^nd p panel, then in every 3^rd.

3^RD DEC:  Dec in center of each of 10 p panels still having 4 sts.

Cont dec in alternate p panels same as before, taking 3 more dec rnds [2 sts now in each of 30 p panels].

Cont dec in p panels same as before, working 3 more dec rnds, 1 p st rem in each panel.

Shirt should meas 19” from hem-line ridge, & there should be 330 sts on needle.

Work even in patt for 2” before dec again as follows:  Then work ¾” bet dec rnds.

Work 9 dec rnds, dec in center of k panels to corres with decs in p panels [every 3^rd].

After last dec rnd, patt should be k 7, p 1, all around needle [240 sts on needle after last dec rnd – 27”].

Cont working even in patt for 1 ½”, or until skirt meas 28 ½” from hem-line ridge.  Bind off.

Work ¾” sc around top of skirt, then work ch st rickrack beading for elastic on wrong side of band.

Turn back 1^st inch on hem-line ridge, sew hem in place with easy tension.

BLOUSE:  Cast on 128 sts.  P back, then start patt.

1^ST ROW:  * K 7, p 1, rep from * 6 times, k center 16 sts.  * P 1, k 7, rep from * 6 times.

2^ND ROW:  * P 7, k 1, rep from * 6 times, p center 16 sts.  * K 1, p 7, rep from * 6 times.

Work these 2 rows even for 1 ½”.

Inc 1 st on each side in 3^rd st from each edge, rep side incs in this way every ½” 3 more times.

At the same times, when front meas 2 ½” from beg, inc 2 sts in each of 14 p stripes.  [K in front, then in back, & then in front of st.]  There will now be 3 sts in every p stripe instead of 1.

Keep p stripes in straight line [164 sts on needle].

Work even in patt until front meas 9” from beg.

SHAPE ARMHOLES:  Bind off 8 sts on each side, at same time dec 1 st in 1^st & last p stripe.

Dec 1 st on beg & end of each of next 10 k rows, dec 1 st again in 1^st & last p stripe on 1^st dec row [124 sts on needle].

Cont working even in patt until armholes meas 3” in straight line from bound-off sts.

Next k row, dec 1 st in every p stripe, not dec in before, then on next k row dec 1 st in these same stripes, making 1 p st again in each stripe, same as beg of work [100 sts on needle].

SHAPE NECK EDGE:  When armholes meas 5” in straight line from bound-off sts, work across 1^st 41 sts, bind off center 18 sts, work across to armhole edge. 

Turn to work bound-off sts, always in patt, tie in strand of yarn from new ball in 1^st st on next side, bind off 2 sts, work to armhole edge, turn work back to bound off sts, bind off 2 sts on next neck edge.

Cont working both shoulder sections in this way.

Cont shaping neck edge by binding off 2 sts on beg of each of next 3 neck edge rows each section – 33 sts rem for each shoulder.

Dec 1 st on beg each neck edge row – 32 sts each shoulder.

SLANTING SHOULDERS:  When armholes meas 6 ½” in straight line from bound-off sts, bind off 8 sts on beg of each of next 4 armhole edge rows each section.

RIGHT BACK:  BUTTONHOLES:  Make 1^st when work meas 1” from beg.

Work to within 6 sts of end of row, cast off 4, k 1 [2 sts on needle after cast off sts].

Next row, cast on 4 sts over those bound off.

Work 7 more buttonholes in same way 2” apart.

Cast on 64 sts, p back then, start patt.

1^ST ROW:  * K 1, p 1, rep from * 6 times, k 8.

2^ND ROW:  P 8 * k 1, p 7, rep from * 6 times.

Keep 8 sts for center of back even.  When work meas 1” from beg, inc 1 st in 3^rd st from underarm edge, rep side inc every ½” 7 more times.

Work even in patt as directed until back meas 8” from beg.

SHAPE ARMHOLE:  Bind off 8 sts on beg of underarm edge row.

Then dec 1 st on beg of each on next 12 armhole edge rows.

When armhole meas 6 12” in straight line from bound-off sts, slant shoulders by binding off 8 sts on beg of each of next 4 armhole edge rows.

Bind off rem 30 sts.

Work left back to corres, omit buttonholes.

SLEEVE:  Plain stockinette st.  Cast on 52 sts.

Work even for 1”.

Inc 1 st on each side in 3^rd st from each edge.

Rep side incs in this way every ¾” until 6 incs have been worked on each side [64 sts].

Then work even for ½”.

Inc 1 st on each side, rep side inc every ½” until 30 sts have been inc altogether on each side [112 sts].

Work even until sleeve meas 18” from beg.

SLEEVE CAP:  Bind off 3 sts on each side, dec 1 st on beg & end of every k row, until there are 56 sts on needle.

Work even until sleeve cap meas 6” in straight line from bound off sts.  Bind off.

COLLAR:  Cast on 108 sts.  Work even in stockinette st for 3”.

K 32, bind off center 44 sts, k to edge.

Turn, p back to bound off sts, tie in yarn from another ball of yarn in 1^st st after bound off sts on next side, bind off 8 sts.  P to edge.

Cont working both sides of collar at same time, same as for shaping neck of front of blouse, binding off 8 sts from center front of collar until all sts are bound off on each side.

FINISHING:  Use #8 crochet hk, sl st seams tog.

After blocking, put sleeves into armholes, folding top of sleeves to give square effect.

Sc around buttonholes.

Sc 2 rows on each edge of back.

Sc around neck edge easing in to fit.

Sc 2 rows around lower edge of blouse.

With k side of collar facing you, sc 1 row around 3 straight edges.

Turn, with p side of collar facing you, add 1 strand of yarn; using #6 crochet hook work 1 row of sc on same edges.

Finish sleeves at cuff edge to corres with collar.

Sl st collar in place.

Shaped edge sew to neck.

BELT:  Using #6 crochet hk & 2 strand of yarn, ch 12, turn, dc in 3^rd ch from end, then dc across rest of ch. 

*  Ch 3, work 9 dc working bet sts of prev row, rep from * until belt is desired length.

ENJOY!