Lana Grossa Dress Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Dress in Linea Pura Mare

What is Being Made

The Lana Grossa Dress in Linea Pura Mare is a knitted dress design available in two sizes: 36/38 and 40/42. This garment features a sophisticated lace pattern throughout and is constructed using a bottom-up seamed approach, combining both flat knitting and circular knitting techniques to create a refined, wearable piece.

Techniques Used

This dress employs several advanced knitting techniques to achieve its elegant appearance and structure:

• Bottom-up construction: The dress is knitted from the hem upward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and a logical progression through the garment pieces.
• Worked flat and in the round: The main body pieces (back and front) are worked flat on straight needles, while the neckband is worked in the round using a circular needle for a seamless finish.
• Lace patterning: An openwork lace pattern is incorporated throughout the dress, created using chart-based instructions that include yarn overs and decreases to form the decorative motif.
• Full-fashion shaping: Decreases are worked using full-fashion techniques (skp and k2tog) positioned strategically within the pattern to maintain visual continuity and create clean, professional-looking armhole and neck shaping.
• Seamed construction: Shoulder and side seams are sewn together after blocking, creating a structured garment with defined edges.

Stitches Used

The Lana Grossa Dress in Linea Pura Mare utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace techniques:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The foundation stitch worked as knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side, providing a smooth, classic fabric base.
• Ribbed pattern (K1, P1): A one-by-one rib pattern is used for the neckband, creating an elastic, fitted finish that frames the neckline.
• Lace pattern: The main dress features a charted lace pattern (Chart B) worked over 8 rows, incorporating yarn overs and decreases to create an openwork design. The pattern is repeated throughout the body of the dress.
• Slip stitch edge: Selvage stitches are slipped knitwise at the beginning of every row and knitted at the end of every row to create neat, finished edges on the side seams.

Materials

The Lana Grossa Dress in Linea Pura Mare is designed to be worked with specific, high-quality materials that contribute to the garment's drape and comfort:

• Yarn: Lana Grossa Mare, a premium blend composed of 46% linen, 33% silk, and 21% cotton. This luxurious fiber combination provides breathability, subtle sheen, and excellent drape. The yarn is available in eight sophisticated colorways: Mint, Rust, Chestnut, Blue, Turquoise, Green, and Pistachio. Yardage required is 330 meters per 100 grams, with 300 grams (approximately 990 meters) needed for sizes 36/38 and 400 grams (approximately 1,320 meters) for sizes 40/42.
• Needles: Size 3.5 mm straight needles are used for working the back and front pieces flat. A 50-centimeter size 3.5 mm circular needle is used for the neckband and picking up stitches around the neck edge.

Construction Details

The dress is constructed in distinct pieces that are later assembled. The back and front are worked separately from the bottom up, with the lace pattern repeated throughout. Armhole shaping begins after a specific row count and is achieved through full-fashion decreases that maintain the integrity of the lace pattern. The front features neck shaping that occurs after the armhole measures 11.5 to 12.5 centimeters, depending on size, with decreases worked at the neck edge on right-side rows. After all pieces are completed, they are pinned to measurements and blocked to set the lace pattern and ensure proper dimensions. Shoulder and side seams are then sewn together. Finally, stitches are picked up around the neck edge and worked in ribbed pattern for 4 centimeters before being loosely bound off and folded to the wrong side for a professional finish.