Juniper Moon Farm Dancing Queen V-Neck Tunic Dress - The Pondicherry Collection

Juniper Moon Farm Dancing Queen V-Neck Tunic Dress

What Is Being Made

The Dancing Queen V-Neck Tunic Dress is a seamless, bottom-up knitted tunic designed as part of The Pondicherry Collection by designer Karen Boykin. This garment is a woven diagonal patterned dress featuring a contrasting intarsia v-neck and sleeves, offering both visual interest and sophisticated construction. The tunic silhouette provides generous length, with two finished length options: above the knee or below the knee measurements, making it versatile for various styling preferences and occasions.

Techniques Used

This dress showcases several advanced knitting techniques that create its distinctive aesthetic and construction:

• Seamless construction: The garment is worked in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric from bottom to top.
• Bottom-up construction: The dress is knitted from the hem upward, allowing for easy adjustments and try-ons during the knitting process.
• Intarsia technique: Contrasting color work is incorporated into the v-neck and sleeves using the intarsia method, which involves working with separate yarn lengths for different color sections to create clean, defined color blocks without the bulk of traditional stranding.
• Woven diagonal stitch pattern: The main body features a sophisticated woven diagonal stitch that creates a textured, visually dynamic surface through strategic yarn overs and slip stitches.

Stitches Used

The Dancing Queen dress employs a combination of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Stockinette stitch: The foundational stitch used for sections of the garment, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric.
• Woven diagonal stitch: A multi-round repeat pattern (worked over 12 rounds) that alternates knit stitches with slip stitches worked with yarn in front (wyif). The pattern shifts progressively across rounds to create the characteristic diagonal woven appearance, with the repeat unit based on a 6-stitch multiple.
• Increases (m1): Make-one increases are used for shaping, created by inserting the needle under the strand between stitches and knitting into the back loop.
• Decreases (ssk): Slip, slip, knit decreases are employed for fitted shaping, particularly in the v-neck and sleeve areas.
• Bind-off: Used to secure stitches at the completion of the garment.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Dancing Queen dress is designed to be worked in Juniper Moon Farm FindLey dAppLed yarn, a premium fiber choice that enhances the visual impact of both the woven diagonal stitch and intarsia colorwork.

Yarn requirements: The pattern calls for main color (MC) yarn in color #117 pink/purple, with quantities varying by size from 3 to 6 balls depending on the finished length chosen. Contrasting color (CC) yarn in color #38 deep pink requires 2 balls across all sizes, used for the intarsia v-neck and sleeve details.

Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needles in either 24-inch or 32-inch lengths are used for the main construction, with the choice depending on the size being knitted and personal preference for working in the round. US 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles are included as an optional accessory for knitting an optional belt.

Gauge: The pattern specifies two different gauges depending on the stitch being worked: 27 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette stitch, and 32 stitches and 38 rows over 4 inches in the Woven diagonal stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit across the seven available sizes, ranging from XS through 3X.

Size Range and Finished Measurements

The Dancing Queen dress is available in seven sizes: XS, S, M, L, 1X, 2X, and 3X. Finished chest measurements range from 28½ inches in XS to 49½ inches in 3X. The tunic length accommodates two options: above-the-knee lengths ranging from 38 inches to 41 inches, and below-the-knee lengths ranging from 42 inches to 45 inches, providing flexibility for different preferences and body proportions.