Valley Yarns Fleurette Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Fleurette Knit Dress

What is Being Made

The Fleurette is a knitted dress designed for infants and children, available in seven sizes ranging from 6-12 months through 10-12 years. This garment features a fitted bodice with a decorative yoke and a fuller skirt, making it an elegant option for special occasions or everyday wear. The dress is designed by Julie Turjoman and showcases a feminine aesthetic with refined finishing details.

Construction Method and Overall Approach

The Fleurette is constructed using a bottom-up, worked-in-the-round technique, which creates a seamless garment with minimal finishing required. The skirt portion is knitted circularly from the hem upward until the yoke shaping begins. This construction method is particularly efficient for creating smooth, continuous fabric and is ideal for beginners seeking to learn circular knitting fundamentals.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The dress features a stunning scalloped lace pattern that creates visual interest while remaining accessible to knitters new to lace work. The pattern incorporates Stockinette stitch as the primary fabric base, which provides a smooth, classic appearance. The yoke transitions to Garter stitch, a reversible texture created by alternating knit and purl rounds, which adds structural definition and a distinct visual break between the skirt and upper bodice.

Finishing details include picot-edged cap sleeves and neck, which are decorative elements that create a delicate, scalloped border. These picot edges are a hallmark of refined knitwear construction and add a sophisticated touch appropriate for a dress intended to please. The pattern uses standard abbreviations including yarn overs (YO) for lace creation, decreases for shaping, and various stitch manipulations.

Yarn and Fiber Content

The Fleurette is designed to be knitted with Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK, a practical choice for children's garments. This yarn is composed of 100% Extrafine Merino Superwash, offering both luxury and functionality. The superwash treatment makes the finished dress easy to care for—an essential consideration for children's clothing. The DK (double knitting) weight provides a balanced fabric that is neither too heavy nor too delicate.

Yarn quantities vary by size: the smallest size (6-12MO) requires 4 skeins, while the largest size (10-12YR) requires 8 skeins. Each skein contains 50 grams and yields 137 yards, allowing knitters to calculate yardage requirements based on their chosen size. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in color 19 (Misty Lilac), a soft, muted hue that complements the delicate lace and picot details.

Needles and Tools

The Fleurette requires multiple circular needles in two sizes to accommodate different sections of the garment. US size 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles are used for the main fabric, including a 40-inch needle for the initial cast-on and larger circumference sections, and a 24-32 inch needle for areas with fewer stitches. US size 4 (3.5 mm) circular needles in 16-inch, 24-32 inch, and 40-inch lengths are used for the ribbed or more tightly-worked sections, such as the yoke and neckline finishing.

US size 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns) are also required, likely for the final cap sleeve and neckline shaping where circumference becomes too small for circular needles. Additional materials include stitch markers (with at least 2 locking stitch markers to denote pattern repeats and construction landmarks) and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and any seaming if necessary.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches on US size 6 needles in Stockinette stitch. Achieving this gauge is critical for proper fit, as the dress is sized with specific chest measurements in mind. Sizes range from 16¼ inches (finished chest for the 6-12MO size) to 26¾ inches (finished chest for the 10-12YR size), with 0 to ½ inch of positive ease built in for comfortable wear.

Difficulty Level

The Fleurette is classified as a beginner-friendly pattern, despite the presence of a