Free Pattern - Vintage 1938 Sophisticate One-Piece Dress #974

Here is your free pattern...happy crafting!

Please share my blog with friends & family to assist in the animal rescue effort.

You can follow me on Facebook at Miss Julia's Vintage Patterns.

Vintage 1938 Sophisticate One-Piece Dress #974

This is a very good example of how effective a dressy handknit can be.  The soft fullness will flatter any woman.

SIZE:  16

MATERIALS:
Bernat’s Snowflake, #764, 16 balls
#2 Steel circular needle
Pair #2 Straight steel needles

GAUGE:
8 sts = 1”
12 rows = 1”

NOTE:  The original vintage pattern does not include measurements, with exception of stitch tension/gauge.

SKIRT:  

Cast on 416 sts. 

Join, be careful not to twist, & k 1 rnd, p 1 rnd for 3”.

[If you dislike to p on circular needle, piece may be knitted in garter st – k every row—without joining, & sewn tog neatly when finished.]

Work 1” even in stockinette st.

Dec 8 sts in next rnd by k tog 51^st & 52^nd sts 8 times. 

Rep this dec of 8 sts in 1 rnd, with 1 st less bet decs each time every inch 13 times more [skirt meas 17” – 304 sts on needle]; 6 times more [skirt meas 23” – 256 sts], then every ½” 5 times [skirt meas 25 ½” – 216 sts].

Work ½”, or until skirt meas 26”, or work even until skirt meas within 2” of desired length, & place marker on needle.

[Marker is bit of colored yarn tied on needle & slipped as sl st every rnd.]

K 100 sts from marker & place 2^nd marker; p next 116 sts for front, * k 1 rnd even, k 100, p 116 *, rep bet stars for 4” [garter st in front & stockinette in back].

Now on next rnd, which is knitted entirely, place 2 more markers for back incs in stockinette section 25 sts from each underarm marker [50 sts bet].

Starting at 1^st underarm marker, k 24, inc in next st, sl marker, inc in next st, k 48, inc in next st, sl marker, inc in next st, k 24, sl underarm marker, k 3, p 110, k 3.

K next rnd even.

On next rnd, work 3 more sts in stockinette each side of front, & cont to do this until you are purling only 56 sts in center front.

In meantime, cont to inc 1 st each side of each back marker, every ½”, 8 times more, regardless of following directions [36 sts added to back].

On row after purling center 56 sts, k around to within 8 sts of center front & cast on 16 sts.  

[You will have 66 sts after underarm marker.]  Turn & p back.

From now on, you will use circular needle as pair & cont in stockinette st.

On next k row, k 20, inc in each of next 14 sts.  Work around to within 34 sts of opposite front, inc in each of next 14 sts, & complete row.

P back, & on next k row [do not forget to cont back incs in meantime] k 20, inc, in in next, then every other st 9 times [10 incs], work to within 39 sts of end of row & inc in next, then every other st 9 times, k to end of row.

P back &, on next row, k 20, in in each of next 10 sts, work to within 30 sts of end of row, inc in each of next 10, k last 20.

P back &, on next row, k 20, inc in next, then every 3^rd st 9 times [10 incs], work to within 48 sts of end of row, inc in next, then every 3^rd st 9 times, k 20.

P back, & on next row, k 20, inc in next, then every 7^th st 8 times [9 incs], k to within 77 sts of end of row, & inc in next, then every 7^th st 8 times, k 20.

P back &, on next row, k 20, inc in next, then every 11^th st 6 times [7 incs], k to within 87 sts of end of row, inc in next, then every 11^th st 6 times, k 20.

You should now have 126 sts on each front.

Work in stockinette st until piece meas approx 10” from beg of garter st, & divide work.

BACK:  

136 sts.  Cast off 4 sts at beg of next 4 rows, then 1 st at beg of next 16 rows [104 sts left].

Work even until back meas 7”, meas straight, from 1^st cast off of 4 sts, & slant shoulders by casting off 8 sts at beg of next 8 rows.  Cast off balance.

FRONT:  

Pick up 126 sts of left front & work underarm & front shapings at same time as follows:  At underarm, cast off 4 sts at beg of next 2 underarm rows, then 1 st every other row 10 times.

At neck edge, k 2 sts tog 1 st from edge every 4^th row 5 times.

Then k tog 12^th & 13^th sts from front edge every 4^th row, for neck decs, until further instructed.

In the meantime,  when armhole meas 2 ½”, meas straight [101 sts on needle], k 3, * k 2 tog, k 2 *, rep bet stars 17 times more, k balance.

P 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row [approx 82 sts].

Next row, k 5, * k 2 tog, k 4 *, rep bet stars 9 times more, k balance.

P 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row [approx 71 sts, because you are still cont neck dec 11 sts from front edge].

Next row, k 2, * k 2 tog, k 7 *, rep bet stars 5 times more, k balance.

P 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row [approx 64 sts].

Next row, * k 8, k 2 tog, * rep bet stars 4 times more, k balance.

P 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row [approx 58 sts].

Next row, * k 7, k 2 tog *, rep bet stars 4 times more, k balance.

P 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row [approx 52 sts].

Next row, * k 10, k 2 tog *, rep bet stars twice, k balance.

Cont in stockinette st, still working neck decs.

When armhole meas 5”, meas straight, from 1^st cast off, change to garter st on all but 11 neck edge sts &, still cont neck decs until there are 43 sts on needle, work in this manner until armhole meas as back.

Slant shoulder by casting off 8 sts at a time from armhole side 4 times.

Work even on 11 sts for 2 ½”, & hold on st holder.

Work other half of front to correspond, reverse shaping, & Kitchener st 11 sts tog at back of neck, or cast off, & seam neatly.

BACK OF NECK FACING:  

Cast on 11 sts & work even in stockinette st for sufficient length to reach from shoulder seam to shoulder seam, across back of neck.

Baste this in place &, with face of work toward you, starting at bottom front opening, work 1 row of sc up front, around neck & down opposite front, crocheting facing in place.

Work 2 more rows of sc on this edge, working each row in opposite direction.

SLEEVES:  

Cast on 84 sts.

K even in garter st for 14 ridges [28 rows], then work stockinette st over last 6 sts, each side, by purling 1^st & last 6 sts of next row.

K 1 row & p 1^st & last 9 sts of next row.

Disc garter st on 3 sts more, each side, 6 times more [22 sts in garter st in center of sleeve].

On next k row, k 31, inc in each of next 22 sts, k 31.  P back.

Next row, k 31, inc in every other st 22 times, k 31.  P back.

K 31, inc in every 6^th st 11 times, work balance.  P back [139 sts].

Work even in stockinette st until sleeve meas 5” to underarm.

Cast off 4 sts at beg of next 4 rows, then dec 1 st each side every 4^th row 10 times.

Then change to garter st & dec 1 st each side every row 10 times.

On next row, still cont side decs every row, dec 12 sts evenly spaced across row, still dec 1 st each side every row for 8 rows, then rep dec of 12 sts across 1 row.

Then dec 1 st each side every other row until cast off of rem sts on 16^th ridge of garter st.

Make 2^nd sleeve to correspond.

FINISHING:  

Assemble sleeves & shoulders.

Sew sleeves in armholes.

ENJOY!