Valley Yarns Ivy Day Dress Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Ivy Day Dress

What Is Being Made

The Ivy Day Dress is a knitted garment designed by Elisabeth Parker, available in four sizes ranging from Small/Medium to Large/Extra Large. The finished measurements span 34" to 48" in width, making this a versatile piece suitable for various body types. This is a wearable dress construction that combines both flat and circular knitting techniques to create a cohesive garment with front and back panels.

Construction and Techniques

The Ivy Day Dress employs both worked flat and worked in the round techniques, offering knitters a balanced approach to garment construction. The pattern begins with circular knitting using a 24" circular needle, then transitions to flat knitting for specific sections including the back and front panels. This hybrid approach allows for efficient stitch management and seamless integration of different pattern elements.

The garment is constructed by dividing stitches for front and back sections. The back is worked in established stitch patterns across multiple rows, with strategic bind-offs creating armhole shaping. The pattern includes separate left and right back sections, each worked with decreases to create a fitted silhouette. The front section is held on a stitch holder during back construction, allowing for organized, sequential assembly.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Ivy Day Dress features a sophisticated lace pattern throughout, utilizing several fundamental knitting stitches combined to create visual interest:

• Yarn overs (yo) create the openwork characteristic of lace
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) and knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases balance the yarn overs and shape the garment
• Stockinette stitch forms the base fabric, worked in knit stitches on right-side rows and purl stitches on wrong-side rows
• Purl stitches on all wrong-side rows create smooth, even texture on the reverse

The lace pattern repeats across the dress with variations in stitch placement. Rows alternate between pattern rows and purl rows, creating a rhythmic structure. The pattern includes multiple repeats—approximately 4 to 5 full pattern repeats across the back section—ensuring consistent visual texture throughout the garment.

Materials and Tools

The Ivy Day Dress is crafted using Valley Yarns 10/2 Bamboo, a 100% bamboo yarn available in Dark Teal colorway. This yarn provides approximately 4200 yards per pound, with the pattern requiring approximately ¼ pound for smaller sizes and ½ pound for larger sizes. Bamboo yarn offers a smooth, lustrous finish ideal for showcasing lace patterns.

Knitting needles required include US size 4 (3.5 mm) 24" circular needles or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. A Size B-1 (2.25 mm) crochet hook is also included in the materials list, likely for finishing details such as edging or securing bound-off edges.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 24 stitches and 28 rows equals 4 inches in stockinette stitch, measured on US size 4 needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The dress is available in four distinct sizes with corresponding stitch counts that range from 97 to 121 stitches for the front and back sections.

Difficulty Level

Classified as advanced beginner, the Ivy Day Dress is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle more complex projects. The combination of lace pattern work, stitch decreases, and garment shaping requires attention to detail and pattern reading ability, while remaining accessible to those with intermediate knitting experience.