Imitation Tweed Dress - Building the pattern I

Now what we have left to do is to transfer measurements into number of stitches and rows.

You need:

- the schematic with your measurements on it
- your gauge (for me 10 cm x 10 cm square: 20 stitches, 26 rows)

A note on the choice of yarn. Do not go any thicker than sports weight. This is not meant to be a bulky garment. On the other hand, don't go too thin either. It will take forever, the dress won't be as warm, and it may not hold its shape.

From the bottom up, we work each part indicated on the schematic in turn. If you go one by one, it's manageable. I work in centimeters, because that's what I grew up with and being a smaller unit, they allow more accuracy without having to resort to quarters and eights (yikes). To get inches, divide by 2.54.

Recall that for this dress, the right side is the reverse stockinette side. The purl rows are facing you when working the right side. Yet, I worked all increases and decreases on the knit rows, meaning on the wrong side.

We start with the back.

Step 1: Ribbing at the bottom hem
Translate H1 into a number of stitches. For me (5'1", 31-25-32):
H1 = 40 cm  --> 80 stitches

Cast on 80 stitches, work 6 rows in 2 x 2 ribbing. That's just enough ribbing to prevent curling at the 

bottom hem. We don't want any more ribbing than necessary.

Step 2: Increase for bottom
Translate H2 into a number of stitches. For me:
H2 = 42 cm --> 84 stitches
Translate V1 into a number of rows. For me:
V1 = 24 cm -->  62 rows

That is 4 stitches over 62 rows, or 2 stitches on each side over 62 rows. This translates to increasing 1 stitch on each side every 30 rows (a very subtle shaping).

Step 3: Decrease above bottom
Translate H3 into a number of stitches. For me:
H3 = 39 cm --> 78 stitches
Translate V2 into a number of rows. For me:
V2 = 16 cm --> 42 rows

We want to decrease 6 stitches (3 on each side) over 42 rows. This translates to decreasing 2 stitches (1 on each side) every 14 rows (42/3).

For this decrease, we define a region in the middle, between two markers, inside which we are going to work the decreases. I decided to start that region between the makers at a width of 20 cm. That is sort of arbitrary. If you are wider than I am, you want these further apart. As a guide, you know what to do: favorite pencil skirt, measure distance between back darts.

With my measurements and 20 cm between my "darts":
K21, place marker, K42, place marker, K21.
For each decrease row: Knit to past first marker, K1, SSK, K to 3 stitches before second marker, K2Tog, K to end of row.
Work one decrease row every 14 rows, for a total of 3 decrease rows. Start with a decrease row.

Sorry to show a picture of my behind, but this is to show what the result looks like. It's subtle shaping, but it makes all the difference in the world. 

Step 4: Decrease to waist
Translate H4 into a number of stitches. For me:
H4 = 32 --> 64 stitches
Translate V3 into a number of rows. For me:
V3 = 6 cm --> 16 rows

To go down from 78 stitches to 64 stitches (-14 stitches), we need 7 decrease rows (2 stitches knocked off per decrease row) over 16 rows.This means we need one decrease very other row. Decrease one stitch on each side every wrong side row (knit row), 7 times.

Next time: Waist styling (my special technique, to reproduce the ridges of the inspiration dress)