Doll Dress Knitting Pattern – free pattern for ‘Damhsa’

This free doll dress knitting pattern – named Damhsa (Irish for “dancing”) – is designed for doll clothes that fit 30–36 cm (12–14 inch) dolls, such as WellieWishers, Ruby Red Fashion Friends, or Paula Reina dolls. The pattern creates a charming dress or peplum sweater with delicate lace detail and raglan sleeves, perfect for doll clothes making.
Knitted top-down in rows with a back button opening, the Damhsa pattern offers adjustable sleeve and skirt lengths. For a quicker project, simply work one repeat of the skirt section to create a stylish peplum sweater instead

Size for doll dress knitting pattern

This pattern creates a dress which fits most 12 – 15 inch dolls. These are dolls created on a 1:6 scale. (If you placed 6 of these dolls one standing on top of the next, six dolls would be about the height of one human child)
The dolls shown in the photos are WellyWishers, Ruby Red Fashion Friends, and Paula Reina. Each doll is a slightly different height and chest circumference, but the pattern will work for each with small length adjustments.

The pattern is availible for free here on my blog, if you prefer an add free PDF download, you can buy one on Ravelry

This pattern will not fit 18 inch dolls (1:4 scale) such as American Girl. It will also not fit smaller fashion dolls such as Barbie, or baby dolls. Drop a comment if you would like a similar pattern for a different size doll.

Each finished dress or sweater measures 15 cm / 6 inches across the chest when worked to gauge. They measure 6 cm / 2 ½ inches from neck to waist, and the skirt length is fully adjustable. The dress length shown is 10 cm from waist to hem. The peplum sweater shown is 4 cm from waist to hem.
Sleeves are 1 cm for short sleeves and the sleeve length is fully adjustable. If you are making long sleeves, I recomend trying it on the doll. Arm length is very variable across the different doll brands shown.

Yarn and materials:

Yarn required: any Double Knitting / light worsted, yarn weight 3 ‘light’ yarn. The correct yarn should recommend 4mm knitting needles and a tension of 22 stitches to 10 cm / 4 inches.

You will need one 50g ball, 95 meters, 104 yards to complete the full long sleeved dress with skirt length up to the recommended row count. Note that for a longer below knee length skirt, more yarn will be required.

Samples shown:
Green long sleeve peplum sweater: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo, 80% bamboo, 20% wool.

Purple long sleeve dress: Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK.

Red variegated short sleeve dress: A mystery merino from my stash. Apologies for lack of details, the ball band is long gone.

Needle size: 4 mm needles or as required to match tension.
3.25 mm needles, or smaller than main larger needles.

Needle type: circular needles recommended.
The bodice and skirt of the dress or sweater are worked back and forth in rows, and straight needles could be used. However, I recommend a circular needle with a cable of 80cm.
The sleeves are worked in the round, and require circular needles and magic loop, or your preferred method of small circumference knitting in the round.

Notions:

Stitch markers: 9 shaped markers for using beside yarn overs. Its worth noting that standard round stitch markers can slip under a yarn over and mark the wrong place. I recommend using hexagonal markers as shown, or square, triangular or love heart shaped ones. You should find that a wide range of different shaped stitch markers are available.

You will also need one distinctive marker, obviously different from the rest, to use as a panel placement marker (ppm) on the top.

Stitch holders: 2 required for holding sleeve stitches, or you can use scrap yarn.

3 small shirt buttons. note: tiny buttons will look best, for adult doll collectors. However, if you are creating a play item for a small child, consider replacing with a strip of velcro, which will make for easier independent play.

Darning needle: for weaving in ends

Doll Dress Construction:

You will knit the dress back and forth in rows, with raglan shaping. The waistband is worked in rib, with the centre stitches continuing the lace panel.
Stitches are then picked up for the sleeves, and a short or long sleeve is added, working in the round.

Tension/gauge:

Stitch gauge: 22 stitches in stocking stitch = 10 cm / 4 inches

Row gauge: 28 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches

Accessibility:

I have written this free pattern is written to be as accessible as possible. It has standard print and large print options for the PDF download.

Stitches used:

Stitches used and their standard abbreviations:

CO: cast on

K: Knit

K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together (right leaning decrease)

K2tog tbl: Knit 2 stitches together through back loops (left leaning decrease)

Pm: Place marker

Ppm: Panel placement marker

P: Purl

Rm: Remove marker

RS: Right side

Sl 1: Slip 1 stitch purlwise

WS: Wrong side

Yo: Yarn over

Repeated stitches in rows are shown between [ ] or * and **

Damhsa doll dress knitting pattern starts

Part 1.
Neck band:

Set up Row: Using smaller 3.25mm needles, cast on 26 stitches using a cable cast on, or your preferred method.

Rows 1 & 2: [k1 p1] to end. Stitch count: 26 sts

Row 3 (buttonhole row): k1, k2tog, yo, p1 [k1, p1] to end.

Row 4: as Row 1.

Part 2:

Raglan section

Note: on each right side row you are working the same repeat for the raglan shaping, and also working the lace panel on the front of the dress. The lace panel pattern stitches in each row are highlighted in bold print, to make it easier to spot what is different per row, and memorise the repeat.

Each right side row increases by 8 stitches.

Change to larger 4mm needles.

Row 1 (RS): k6, pm, k4, pm, k2, ppm, k6, pm, k4, pm, k4. Stitch count: 26 sts

Row 2 and all wrong side (even numbered) rows: sl 1, p to last 2 stitches (including any yo), slipping markers as encountered, k2.

Row 3: [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice k to ppm, sl ppm, yo, k2tog tbl, [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to end. Stitch count: 34 sts

Row 5: [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to ppm, sl ppm, k1, yo, k2tog tbl, [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to end. Stitch count: 42 sts

Row 7: [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to ppm, sl ppm, k2, yo, k2tog tbl, [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to end. Stitch count: 50 sts

Row 9: k2, yo, k2tog (buttonhole made) [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to ppm, sl ppm, yo, k2tog tbl, k1, yo, k2tog tbl, [k to st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo] twice, k to end. Stitch count: 58 sts

Lower Raglan

On the next right side row, increases are placed on the sleeve side only, with 4 increases made in row.

Row 11: *k to 3 sts before m, k2tog, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo, k to 1 st before m, yo, k1, sl m, k1, yo, k2tog**, k to ppm, sl ppm, k1, yo, k2tog tbl, k2, rep from * to **, k to end. Stitch count: 62 sts.

Rep Row 2.

Separate for sleeves and body

Part 4.

Waistband
(Switch to smaller needles if you wish a defined fit)
Work now switches from stocking stitch to rib for the waistband, excluding the 5 central stitches continuing the lace panel.

Part 5.

Sweater peplum or skirt knitted in rows
Stitch count will increase by 9 stitches each right side row.

Part 6.

Hem

Sleeves (both alike)

Finishing:

For skirt: (omit this step for peplum top) sew skirt closed to start of waistband. Leave waistband and top open.

Weave in all ends.

Sew buttons to correspond with button holes. Replace with alternative age appropriate fastenings if desired, if giving to a young child.

Blocking:

Depending on yarn type used, the lace panel may open up more with blocking. Place the dress on the doll, and adjust so it sits the way you want. Lightly spray with water, and leave to dry.

More doll knitting patterns

If you enjoy knitting for dolls, why not try the Babog doll sock pattern for 18 inch dolls

Thanks and acknowledgements:

This pattern was Tech Edited by Louise Plumridge, and formatted as a PDF by Dara Addams, my thanks as always. Any errors that remain are my own.

Copyright:

This pattern, including the wording and the pictures, are my work and copyright. Please do not distribute them in any way except by using the link to this blog post. You may not copy in any way, including by making your own videos, if they are directly based on my work. This blog is not intended for commercial use. You may sell finished items based on this pattern only if you have made them in your own home, with your own hands. However, selling your own makes from this pattern, especially for charity, is strongly encouraged