Materials:
I/5.5mm or whatever size you need for gauge.
Gauge: 9 DC ch 1 sets or 18 dcs = 4 inches. 8 rows of Bodice Row 2 and 3 repeat= 4 inches.
Worsted weight/4 yarn
Buttons
Tulle
Ribbon or lacing to tie the back
Terms you need to know:
Ch: Chain
Sl st: Slip Stitch
DC: Double Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
SC: Single Crochet
FPHDC: Front Post Half Double Crochet. Just like a HDC except instead of inserting your hook through the previous row’s stitch’s top loop when you yarn over to do the HDC, move your hook to the front of the row facing you, insert it behind the post of the stitch in the previous row, yarn over, pull the loop up, yarn over and pull loop through all loops on hook.
BPHDC: Back Post Half Double Crochet: Just like FPHDC except you move your hook tothe back of the row facing you.
HDC2TOG: A decrease stitch. This is done across two stitches and for this is used as a way to extra attach the straps to the bodice. Yarn over, insert hook through 1st st, yarn over and pull up loop, yarn over and pull through 1st two loops on hook but not the 3rd. Yarn over, insert hook into 2nd st, yarn over and pull up loop, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.
Pattern:
Skirt:
Worked from the bottom to the top.
Row 1: Ch 96 (or however many you need to achieve the size you want
adding or subtracting chains in counts of 2).
Row 2: DC in back/bottom loop of 4th ch from hook (1st 4 chs count as 1st DC, Ch 1). *Skip next ch, DC in back/bottom loop of next ch, ch 1* Repeat from * to * across. (Your last st should be a DC not a chain and you should have 48 DCs including the first 4 chs, or half of your ch count if you chained more or less than 96) Turn.
Row 3: Ch 2. *HDC in ch 1 space, Ch 1. Skip next st.* Repeat from * to * across until last ch 1 space. HDC in ch 1 space, then HDC in 3rd ch from the start of the last row. Turn.
Row 4: Ch 3 (counts as 1st HDC, Ch 1). *Skip next st, HDC in ch 1 space. Ch 1.* Repeat from * to * across until last ch 1 space. HDC in ch 1 space and HDC in top of ch 2 from previous row (row 3). Turn.
Row 5: Ch 2. *HDC in ch 1 space, Ch 1. Skip next st.* Repeat from * to * across until last ch 1 space. HDC in ch 1 space, then HDC in ch 2 from previous row (row 4). Turn.
Repeat rows 4 and 5 until you get the length of the skirt you want ending on a repeat of Row 5.
Last Row of Skirt: Ch 2 (counts as SC, ch 1) *SSC in ch 1 space, Ch 1. Skip next st.* Repeat from * to * across until last ch 1 space, then sc in 3rd ch from start of last row. Turn do not cut and tie off unless switching colors. Continue on to Bodice Pattern.
Bodice:
Worked from Bottom to the top from the last row of the skirt.
Row 1: Ch 2. Skip st directly below ch 2. HDC in every st and ch 1 space across. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 2. Skip st directly below ch 2. HDC in next 45 st (First ch 2 counts as first HDC so including that you should have 46 HDCs or half of what your original chain count was). FPHDC on next 2 sts. HDC across the rest of the row and HDC into top of ch 2. Turn.
Row 3: Ch 2. Skip st directly below ch 2. HDC across until you reach the 2 FPHDCs. BPHDC once on each. HDC the rest of the way across and HDC into top of ch 2. Turn.
4-12: Repeat rows 2 and 3. (If you think the bodice is long enough before you reach row 12, move on to the straps but make sure you end on a row with an BPHDC).
Straps:
Using stitch markers (or a piece of different color yarn) and with the right side of the dress facing you (the FPHDC facing you), from the right FPHDC, but not including it, count 11 stitches over and place a stitch marker. From the Left FPHDC, count 10 stitches over and place a stitch marker.
Row 1: Ch 2. Skip st directly below ch 2. HDC in next 3 sts. *Ch 1, Skip next st, HDC in next st* Repeat from * to * 5 times so you have 5 button holes for the straps. (If you want more button holes repeat from * to * a few more times.) HDC in next st and every following st until you reach your st markers (20 sts unless you’ve made the pattern bigger or smaller or made more button holes). HDC into the st where your st marker is. **Ch 39 (or however many you need to reach the other side comfortably plus 2). HDC in back/bottom loop of 3rd ch from hook. HDC in back/bottom loop of each ch all the way down to the 1st ch you made. HDC2TOG in st your stitch marker is (or was if you removed it) and the next st.** HDC in each st across until other st marker. Repeat from ** to **. HDC in next 20 sts (or however many you did earlier from the button holes to the 1st strap). Repeat the * to * pattern 5 times. HDC the rest of the way across. Cut and tie off.
Sew button onto end of strap.
Add buttons to back of dress or use ribbon, laces, or some sort of string as lacing to tie up the back how you like.
Add tulle to skirt mesh. Bottom most row will take 2 pieces of tulle per DC post.
