"Cascade Bloom" Girl's Fancy Sundress

A romantic top-down sundress featuring a lace-eyelet raglan bodice, a fitted empire waist, and a dramatic four-tier ruffled skirt that blooms toward the hem. Finished with a delicate picot edging, this advanced project is worked seamlessly in the round in soft sport-weight yarn.

Sizes

Sized to fit a child age 8 (chest 26–27 in / 66–68.5 cm).

• Finished chest: 27 in (68.5 cm) — includes 0.5 in positive ease at the bodice
• Finished length (shoulder to hem): approximately 29 in (73.5 cm)

Materials

• Yarn: Sport weight (CYC #2), approximately 1,150 yds (1,050 m). The ruffled skirt consumes significant yardage — buy an extra skein.
  • Suggested: cotton or cotton-blend sport yarn for drape and warm-weather wear.
• Needles:
  • US 2 (2.75 mm) circular needle, 24 in (60 cm) — main body
  • US 2 (2.75 mm) circular needle, 40 in (100 cm) — for the wide ruffle tiers (648 sts)
  • US 2 (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles — for sleeve edging
• Notions: 4 stitch markers (raglan), 1 unique marker (BOR), waste yarn/stitch holders, tapestry needle, 2 small buttons (optional, for back neck)

Gauge

24 sts and 32 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette, worked in the round, blocked. (6 sts per inch, 8 rows per inch.) Gauge is critical for fit — please make a swatch.

Abbreviations (US)

• k – knit
• p – purl
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• yo – yarn over
• k2tog – knit 2 together (right-leaning decrease)
• ssk – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
• M1L / M1R – make one left / right (raised increase)
• kfb – knit into front and back of stitch (1 st increased)
• pm / sm – place marker / slip marker
• BOR – beginning of round
• rep – repeat
• rnd(s) – round(s)

Pattern Notes

• The dress is worked top-down, seamlessly in the round.
• Construction order: neckband → raglan yoke → underarm join → empire bodice → four-tier ruffled skirt → picot hem → sleeve edging.
• Each ruffle tier increases stitch count so the fabric gathers into a wave; expect the piece to become bulky on the needle. Switch to the longer circular when needed.
• Reading the ruffle increases: the ×1.5 tiers work "k2, kfb" repeats (every 2 sts becomes 3); the final ×4/3 tier works "k3, kfb" repeats (every 3 sts becomes 4).

INSTRUCTIONS

Neckband

With the 24 in US 2 circular, cast on 120 sts. Place BOR marker and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

• Work k1, p1 ribbing for 1 in (8 rounds).

Set Up Raglan Yoke

Distribute the 120 sts and place raglan markers on the next round:

• Knit 34 (back), pm, k26 (left sleeve), pm, k34 (front), pm, k26 (right sleeve) — BOR marker completes the round.
  • Check: 34 + 26 + 34 + 26 = 120 sts ✓

Raglan Increases

Increase Round: *K to 1 st before marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L; rep from * around. (8 sts increased) Even Round: Knit all sts.

Work the Increase Round and Even Round alternately a total of 14 times (14 increase rounds).

• Stitches added: 14 × 8 = 112.
• Total: 120 + 112 = 232 sts ✓

After 14 increase rounds, sections measure:

• Back: 34 + 14 = 48 sts
• Front: 34 + 14 = 48 sts
• Each sleeve: 26 + 14 = 40 sts
  • Check: 48 + 40 + 48 + 40 = 232 sts ✓

Yoke depth should measure about 6.5 in (16.5 cm). If a deeper armhole is desired, work additional paired increase/even rounds (each pair adds 8 sts) and adjust later counts accordingly.

Bodice Eyelet Detail (worked over yoke)

For the "fancy" bodice, work the following eyelet band once, immediately after the raglan increases are complete, keeping stitch count unchanged:

• Round 1: *K2tog, yo; rep from * around. (232 sts — yo replaces each decrease, count unchanged ✓)
• Round 2: Knit.
• Round 3: Knit.

Divide for Body and Sleeves

On the next round, separate the sleeves:

1. Knit the 48 back sts.
2. Place the next 40 (left sleeve) sts on waste yarn.
3. Using backward-loop cast-on, cast on 4 underarm sts, pm to mark new side.
4. Knit the 48 front sts.
5. Place the next 40 (right sleeve) sts on waste yarn.
6. Cast on 4 underarm sts. Return to BOR marker.

Body stitch count: 48 (back) + 4 + 48 (front) + 4 = 104 sts.

Empire Bodice

Work even in stockinette (knit every round) on 104 sts until the body measures 2 in (5 cm) from the underarm.

Empire Waist Increase Round: Establish a smooth fitted waistline and prepare a stitch count divisible for the ruffles.

• *K13, kfb; rep from * around.
  • 104 ÷ 13 = 8 repeats; 8 sts increased.
  • Total: 104 + 8 = 112 sts. ✓
• Work even for 1 in (8 rounds).

Second Increase Round (transition to skirt):

• *K7, kfb; rep from * around.
  • 112 ÷ 8 = 14 repeats; 14 sts increased.
  • Total: 112 + 14 = 126 sts. ✓
• Work even for 0.5 in (4 rounds).

Skirt Set-Up Increase Round:

• *K7, kfb; rep from * around.
  • 126 ÷ 9 = 14 repeats; ... adjust: work k6, kfb; rep from around.
  • 126 ÷ 7 = 18 repeats; 18 sts increased.
  • Total: 126 + 18 = 144 sts. ✓

You now have 144 sts, ready for the four-tier ruffled skirt.

THE FOUR-TIER RUFFLED SKIRT

The skirt is built in four vertical tiers. Each tier begins with a "ruffle increase round" that expands the fabric, followed by a run of plain stockinette that forms the visible flounce. Switch to the 40 in circular when the stitch count becomes crowded (around Tier 3).

Tier 1 (Top Ruffle)

Ruffle Increase Round 1: *K2, kfb; rep from * around.

• 144 ÷ 3 = 48 repeats; 48 sts increased.
• Total: 144 + 48 = 216 sts. (144 × 1.5 = 216 ✓)

Work even in stockinette for 3 in (24 rounds).

Tier 2

Ruffle Increase Round 2: *K2, kfb; rep from * around.

• 216 ÷ 3 = 72 repeats; 72 sts increased.
• Total: 216 + 72 = 324 sts. (216 × 1.5 = 324 ✓)

Work even in stockinette for 3.5 in (28 rounds).

Tier 3

Ruffle Increase Round 3: *K2, kfb; rep from * around.

• 324 ÷ 3 = 108 repeats; 108 sts increased.
• Total: 324 + 108 = 486 sts. (324 × 1.5 = 486 ✓)

(Switch to the 40 in / 100 cm circular now.) Work even in stockinette for 4 in (32 rounds).

Tier 4 (Bottom Ruffle)

Ruffle Increase Round 4: *K3, kfb; rep from * around.

• 486 ÷ 3 = 162 repeats; 162 sts increased.
• Total: 486 + 162 = 648 sts. (486 × 4/3 = 648 ✓)

Work even in stockinette for 4.5 in (36 rounds).

Total skirt depth: 3 + 3.5 + 4 + 4.5 = 15 in of ruffle, plus picot hem below.

Picot Hem (Bottom Ruffle Edge)

On 648 sts:

• Round 1: Knit.
• Picot Round: *K2tog, yo; rep from * around. (648 sts — each yo replaces a decrease, count unchanged ✓)
• Rounds 3–5: Knit 3 rounds (forms the fold facing).
• Bind off loosely.
• Fold the facing to the wrong side along the picot round and sew the bound-off edge invisibly to the inside for a scalloped picot hem.

SLEEVE EDGINGS

Each sleeve is a simple picot cap edge (this is a sleeveless-style sundress with finished armhole edges; the "sleeve" sts are decorative cap trims).

For each armhole:

1. Transfer the 40 held sleeve sts to US 2 dpns.
2. With RS facing, pick up and knit 4 sts across the underarm cast-on.
   • Total: 40 + 4 = 44 sts.
3. Join to work in the round; pm for BOR.
4. Work k1, p1 ribbing for 0.5 in (4 rounds).
   • 44 is even, so k1/p1 rib closes cleanly ✓.
5. Picot bind-off: bind off 2 sts, slip the remaining st back to left needle, cast on 2 sts, bind off 4 sts; rep from around, adjusting at the end so all sts are bound off. Fasten off.

Repeat for the second armhole.

FINISHING

1. Weave in all ends securely, especially at the underarm joins and each ruffle increase round.
2. Back neck closure (optional): If a closer neckline is desired, sew a 1 in vertical opening at center back and add two small button loops with buttons.
3. Blocking (essential): Soak the dress in cool water with wool wash. Gently squeeze out water. Lay flat and shape the bodice to measurement. Pin out each ruffle tier separately, encouraging the flounces to fall in defined waves. Allow to dry completely — blocking sets the ruffle definition that makes this dress special.

Finished Measurements Recap

• Neck circumference: 120 sts ÷ 6 = 20 in (relaxes with rib)
• Chest at underarm: 104 sts ÷ 6 = 17.3 in flat (34.6 in circumference... note: bodice sits on empire line above natural waist)
• Empire/skirt start: 144 sts ÷ 6 = 24 in circumference
• Hem circumference: 648 sts ÷ 6 = 108 in of gathered ruffle fullness
• Total length: yoke 6.5 in + bodice ~3.5 in + skirt 15 in + hem facing ~0.5 in ≈ 25.5–29 in depending on blocking

Enjoy knitting your Cascade Bloom sundress!