Crochet 'Little Bo Peep' Dress Pattern - How to Crochet a Child's Dress

Crochet a ‘Little Bo Peep’ dress with this free crochet dress pattern that was originally published in “Crochet Creations for Baby.”

Follow the easy step-by-step instructions of this vintage crochet pattern to make this classic girl’s dress. There is absolutely no charge for personal use of this crochet pattern for a child’s dress.

Free Crochet Pattern for a Dress:
How to Crochet a Girl’s Dress

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Bucilla Crochelle or Fleisher’s Glo-Twist, 11 balls
Bucilla Four-Strand Embroidery Floss, 5 skeins each Colors A and B
Bucilla or Fleisher’s Steel Crochet Hook, Size 7

NOTE(s)

This ‘Little Bo Peep’ Dress is for a 2 Year Old.

Measurements – Chest 22 inches. Width between shoulders 9 1/2 inches. Length from lower edge to underarm 11 3/4 inches.

Gauge: Yoke – 10 sts = 1 inch; 2 sc and 6 dc rows = 1 1/2 inches
Skirt – 2 shells = 1 inch; 5 rows = l inch

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Yoke

Ch 111 for front; 1 sc in 2nd and in each remaining st of ch; 110 sc.

Row 2 – right side – Ch 3, turn, 1 dc in 2nd and in each remaining st; 110 dc (ch 3 counts as 1 dc).

Repeat last row twice.

Row 5 – Ch 1, turn, 1 sc in each st; 110 sc.

Repeat last 4 rows for pat. Work until 12 rows from beginning.

Armholes

Turn, slip st over first 5 sts for underarm, eh 1, 1 sc in each st to within 5 sts of end.

Dec. row – Ch 3, skip first sc, yo, draw up a loop through next st, yo, through 2 loops, yo, draw up a loop through next st, yo, through 2 loops, yo, through all loops on hook (a dee.); work dc to within 2 sts of end, dec. 1 st as before.

Repeat last row twice; 94 dc.

Work pat. even until 17 rows above underarm, end on wrong side with sc row.

Neck Shaping

Ch 3, turn, 1 dc in 2nd and each of next 29 sts, work a dec. over next 2 sts. Ch 3, turn, dec. 1 st, work dc to end; 31 sts.

Work pat. even for 7 rows, end at neck edge.

Inc. row – Ch 3, turn, 1 dc in first dc (an inc.), finish row.

Inc. 1 dc at end of next row by working 2 dc in top of turning ch, ch 15 for back neck edge.

Turn, 14 sc on ch, finish row; 47 se.

Work even for 12 rows, end at armhole edge.

Inc. 1 st at armhole edge every row 3 times; 50 dc.

Work 1 row sc, ch 7 for underarm.

Turn, work 1 dc in 4th ch, 1 de in each of next 3 ch, finish row; 55 dc.

Work pat. even until same length as front below underarm. Fasten off.

Right Shoulder

With loop on hook, working from right side, skip 28 sts on front neck edge, work dec. over next 2 sts, finish row.

Dec. 1 dc at neck edge in next row; 31 dc.

Work 7 rows even.

Inc. 1 dc at neck edge in each of next 2 rows.

Work 1 row sc, end at neck edge.

With separate strand, ch 14, join in st in which last sc was worked; fasten off; continuing sc row, work 14 sc on ch for back neck edge.

Finish to correspond to left side.

Join 2 halves with slip st at center of back; 110 sts. Fasten off.

Skirt Pattern

Back

Working from wrong side, on lower edge of yoke, 1 sc in first st, skip 1 st, * 1 shell of 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc all in next st, skip 1 st, 1 sc in next st; repeat from * to end; 36 shells.

Row 2 – Ch 4, turn, 1 dc in first sc, * 1 sc in center dc of next shell, 1 shell in back loop of next sc; repeat from *, end 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in last sc.

Row 3 – Ch 1, turn, 1 sc in first dc, * 1 shell in back loop of next sc, 1 sc in center of next shell; repeat from *, end last repeat 1 sc in 3rd st of turning ch.

Repeat last 2 rows until 9 1/2 ins. from yoke or desired length, end on wrong side. Fasten off.

Front

Same as back. Sew seams.

Cap Sleeves

Mark center dc row of shoulder. Working from right side, with loop on hook, 1 sc in end st of 6th row from marker (sc row), * 1 shell in end st of next row, 1 sc in end st of next row; repeat from * 5 times. Fasten off.

Row 2 – Turn, with loop on hook, 1 sc in end of 3rd free row from last se, 1 shell in next row, 1 sc in next row, 1 shell in back loop of next sc, work pat., end 1 shell in last sc, 1 sc in next row, 1 shell in next row, 1 sc in next row; 9 shells. Fasten off.

Repeat last row 4 times, having 3 more shells in each successive row.

Work 4 rows even.

Row 11 – Ch 1, turn, slip st to center clc of 2nd shell, 1 shell in back thread of next sc, continue pat. to within 2 shells of end, 1 slip st in center dc of 2nd shell from end. Repeat last row 5 times; 3 shells remain. Fasten off.

Collar

Ch 50 for neck edge of Vs of collar.

Row 1 – wrong side – 1 sc in 2nd st from hook, * skip 1 st, 1 shell in next st, skip 1 st, 1 sc in next st; repeat from * to end; 12 shells.

Work pat. for 3 more rows. Fasten off.

Beginning at neck edge, working from wrong side, 1 sc in end st of first row, 1 shell in next row, 1 sc in next row, 1 shell in next row, 1 sc, 1 shell and 1 sc in corner st, work pat. across last row; finish other side to correspond. Fasten off.

Make 2.

Finishing

Beginning at neck edge, working from right side, work 1 row sc around back opening and neck edge, keeping edges flat.

Row 2 – 1 sc in each st to center back for underlap, work 1 sc in each of first 8 sc of left back, eh 4 for buttonloop, skip 3 sts, finish row making 3 more buttonloops evenly spaced, having last buttonloop at neck edge. Fasten off.

Sew on halves of collar. Steam lightly.

Embroidery

Wide Stripe – With A, embroider in Herring-Bone stitch, working under 2 dc of first dc row above skirt, skip 2nd dc row, work under next 2 dc on 3rd row, see illustration below.

Narrow Stripes – With B, embroider same st, working in the sc row only.