Classic Elite Yarns Ariel Dress Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Ariel: Knitted A-Line Dress with Raglan Sleeves and Cable Details

What Is Being Made

Ariel is an A-line dress or tunic designed for children in sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The garment features a fitted bodice that transitions into a flared skirt, complemented by raglan sleeves and a distinctive cabled pouch pocket. Originally published in Fall 2012 in the Liberty Wool Kids collection, this intermediate-level design combines classic silhouette shaping with decorative cable work for a polished, timeless children's garment.

Techniques Used

Ariel employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the dress is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming to join the pieces together. The design incorporates sophisticated shaping techniques including strategic decreases to create the A-line silhouette of the skirt and raglan armhole decreases that taper smoothly from the underarm to the neckline. Neck shaping is worked using paired decreases on each side of a center opening, allowing for simultaneous raglan and neckline decreases during the upper bodice construction.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (Gtr st): Used for the initial ¾-inch border at the lower edge of the back piece, creating a textured, reversible fabric that prevents rolling
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the dress body, providing a smooth, classic knit fabric
• XO Cable (panel of 8 stitches): A 16-row repeat cable pattern featuring alternating cable crosses. Rows 4 and 16 work C4F (cable 4 front) and C4B (cable 4 back) in one sequence, while rows 8 and 12 reverse this order, creating a distinctive crossed or X-shaped visual effect. All wrong-side rows are purled. This cable panel is incorporated into the design, most notably in the cabled pouch pocket detail
• Decreases: The pattern uses ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit 2 together) for raglan shaping and skirt tapering, creating paired decreases that maintain clean edges

Skirt Shaping and Construction

The A-line silhouette is achieved through a series of strategically spaced decreases worked on the right side. The back piece begins with a cast-on of 78 to 100 stitches depending on size. After the garter stitch border and two stockinette rows, decrease rows are worked at varying intervals—every 8th, 10th, or 12th row depending on the size—to gradually reduce the stitch count and create the fitted waistline. This tiered decrease schedule ensures proper proportions across all five sizes. The skirt then continues even in stockinette stitch until reaching the desired length to the underarm, typically 13 to 18 inches from the cast-on edge.

Raglan Armhole and Neckline Shaping

Once the skirt reaches the underarm measurement, raglan shaping begins with a bind-off of 5 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. The raglan decreases are then worked every right-side row using a structured decrease row that maintains a 1-stitch purl column on each side of the armhole for a finished appearance. This creates a smooth, tapered line from the underarm to the shoulder. The front piece mirrors the back construction through the initial raglan decreases, but then introduces neck shaping by placing markers around a center panel of 8 to 14 stitches. The neckline is opened by binding off the center stitches and working each shoulder separately, with paired decreases worked at the neck edge every right-side row while continuing the raglan decreases simultaneously. This dual-decrease technique requires careful attention and the use of separate balls of yarn for each shoulder section.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern is designed for use with Liberty Wool Kids yarn from Classic Elite Yarns, as indicated by the original publication source. The garment is worked on larger needles for the main fabric, with specific needle sizes and yardage requirements detailed in the complete pattern. The yarn choice and needle size work together to create the appropriate gauge and drape for a children's dress, with the wool fiber providing warmth and durability suitable for a garment intended for regular wear.

Finishing Details

The pattern includes a cabled pouch pocket featuring the X