Gauge: Not important

Size: Will fit any child or adult. Overall size is determined by waist measurement.

Yarn: Any Sport (5 PLY) or DK (8 PLY) weight yarn with good drape

Hook: 2.5mm for the waistband, 4.00mm for the skirt or whatever hook works for you to get a tight stitch for the waistband and a nice sitting body of the skirt.

Stitches Used

US TERMS USED THROUGHOUT

US ABBREV	US TERM	UK ABBREV	UK TERM
FPdc	front post double crochet	FPtr	front post treble
dc	double crochet	tr	treble
tr	treble crochet	double tr	double treble
sc	single crochet	dc	double crochet
sl st	slip stitch	sl st	slip stitch

For a summary of these stitches go to http://www.vogueknitting.com/node/243 To see the FPdc go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5hN9hNHG_U

WAISTBAND

Measure your child’s waist and subtract 4 cm (1.5″) for negative ease. If you are making for an adult/ larger size I recommend you subtract 5-8 cm (2″- 3″) for negative ease, depending on how curvy you are in the hip area. Use a small hook as the waistband needs to be tight and firm. Working in the back loop only gives a rib effect.

Row 1: Chain 11 (or any length to give desired with of waistband), sc in 2^nd chain from hook, sc to end turn

Row 2: In back loop only, 10 sc (or your own number of sc as per row 1).

Row 3 on: Repeat Row 2 until the waistband measures your desired waist measurement (un-stretched).

[NOTE: If you want the pattern to be exactly even as you work down the skirt make sure that the number of ridge rows can be divided evenly by 6. I didn’t do this so a couple of my panels ended up a slightly different width, but no one can tell except me. It’s up to you if you can be bothered counting all your rows]

Join waistband together by sc in bottom loop of first row of sc, chain 1. Turn work so that side edge of waistband becomes the top edge – this now becomes the base of your first row for the skirt.

Foundation Row for Skirt

3 sc in every second row of ridge pattern (you will find that there is a slightly bigger hole and your hook will naturally find the right spot). Join with a ss back into first sc. You will not turn work as you are working in the round.

Body of Skirt

Row 1: Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in top of each sc. Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain.

Row 2: Establish your panel ridging – you are working in sets of three – 2 dc and 1 FPdc repeated the whole way around. Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in next 1 dc, 1 fpdc around post of dc, *1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 1 fpdc around post of dc *, repeat until completed round. Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain.

Row 3 – 8: Work even for next 6 rows: Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in next 1 dc , fpdc, *1 dc in top of next dc, 1 dc in top of next dc, 1 fpdc, * repeat from * until completed round.

Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain.

Row 9: You now add an increase to every second set of three, so the pattern becomes 3 dc, 1 FPdc, 2 dc, 1 FPdc repeated the whole way round. (If you don’t have an even number of “groups of 3” you may not get a full repeat at the end] Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in next 1 dc , fpdc around post of fpdc, *2 dc in top of next dc, 1 dc in top of next dc, 1 fpdc, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 FPdc* repeat from * until completed round. Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain.

Row 10: Work even for 1 row.

Row 11: You now change every second FPdc to a plain dc to widen the panels of the skirt. Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in next 1 dc , fpdc around post of fpdc, *1 dc in top of next dc, 1 dc in top of next dc, 1 dc in top of FPdc below, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 1 fpdc around post of fpdc *, repeat until completed round. Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain.

Row 12 – 20 (or until you get desired length): Chain 3 (this is your first dc) 1 dc in top of each dc and a fpdc around post of fpdc, repeat until completed round. Finish with a ss into top of 3 chain. Work even until skirt measures roughly 2 cm short of desired length.

Skirt Edging

Row 1: When skirt is desired length, work a round of sc in top of each stitch.

Row 2: Work a 9 treble¹ shell into the stitch that is directly below the ridge, which is usually sc, skip 3, 9 treble into sc, skip 3, sc. Repeat shell edging around the skirt, as illustrated. You may sometimes need to adjust the number of skipped sc slightly to space the shell evenly around the skirt.

¹ Treble Stitch – Yarn round hook 2 twice. UK and AUS crocheters call this a Double Treble

Finishing

Block as per yarn instructions.

Run a thin ribbon or strip of elastic in and out of the small holes created by the 3 sc in each valley stitch at waistband.

Another more secure option that works well for larger sizes is to cut a length of elastic to your waist measurement, sew together and then pin to skirt, evenly distributing the skirt ease to the elastic and then machine sew to the back of the waistband, top and bottom using a zig-zag stitch.

You can also cut a casing out of bias tape, making sure you have enough length to fit over your hips, stitch to inside of the waistband (stretching it out as you sew) with a straight stitch, leaving a small gap to thread elastic through, then insert elastic, this is my preferred method as it feels nicer against the skin and allows you to adjust the elastic tighter or looser as either your child grows or elastic gets looser over time.