Paintbox Yarns Del Mar Beach Dress Crochet Pattern

Paintbox Yarns Del Mar Beach Dress

What is Being Made

The Del Mar Beach Dress is a crocheted summer dress designed in an intermediate skill level. This garment is available in six sizes to fit bust measurements from 81cm to 107cm (32 to 42 inches), with finished lengths ranging from 80cm to 84cm (31½ to 33 inches). The dress is worked as a flat piece construction and then seamed together, making it an ideal project for crocheters looking to expand their garment-making skills.

Techniques Used

This design employs several key crochet techniques that define its construction and visual appeal. The dress is worked flat, meaning pieces are crocheted in rows rather than in the round, which simplifies shaping and allows for easier adjustments during the building process. Seaming is used to join the flat pieces together into the finished garment. The dress features striped colorwork, incorporating multiple yarn colors in a coordinated pattern throughout the design. These techniques combine to create a structured, wearable garment with visual interest and professional finishing.

Stitches Used

The Del Mar Beach Dress utilizes fundamental crochet stitches appropriate for an intermediate-level project. The primary stitches include:

• Extended Half Treble (ehtr), also known as extended half double crochet (ehdc) in US terminology, which creates a taller stitch than standard half trebles while maintaining a relatively open fabric
• Extended Half Treble 2 Together (ehtr2tog), the decrease version of the extended half treble, used for shaping the garment
• Chain stitches (ch), used for foundation rows and turning chains throughout the construction
• Double Crochet (dc), referred to as single crochet (sc) in US terminology, providing structure and density where needed

The pattern notes that turning chains do not count as stitches, which is important for accurate stitch counting and proper garment fit.

Materials and Tools

The Del Mar Beach Dress is designed to be made with Paintbox Cotton DK yarn, a lightweight cotton blend ideal for summer garments. Yarn quantities vary by size: the smallest size requires 3 balls each of Champagne White (A) and Mustard Yellow (B), plus 2 balls of Light Caramel (C), while larger sizes require up to 4 balls of the white and yellow colors and 3 balls of the caramel. The pattern also incorporates Paintbox Yarns Metallics DK for added shimmer and visual interest, requiring 3 to 4 balls of Pina Colada (D) depending on size.

Construction requires a 4mm crochet hook, listed as UK size 8 or US size G6. The pattern specifies working to a tension (gauge) of 18 stitches and 10 rows over 10cm (4 inches) when using Extended Half Treble stitch, or 18 stitches and 11 rows over 10cm (4 inches) when using Linked Half Treble, depending on which stitch variation is employed. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper fit across all six available sizes.

Pattern Format and Sizing

This is a downloadable PDF pattern provided free of charge. Instructions are written using UK crochet terminology with US equivalents provided in italics within parentheses. The pattern accommodates six sizes simultaneously, with the smallest size instructions given as the base text, and size variations indicated in square brackets [ ] for larger sizes. Where only one figure appears without brackets, that instruction applies to all sizes. The pattern includes a "Good to Know" section emphasizing that Paintbox Yarns recommends using only the specified yarn for best results, and notes that yarn quantities are approximate based on average requirements.