This pattern is almost exactly the same as the Diaper Shirt pattern - just with ruffles on the sleeves and a little skirt.
Start a diaper shirt using the pattern above. We won't make any changes until row 9.
I switched colors so you could see where the changes will happen. You can either do Row 9A which will be like the normal diaper shirt - or you can do 9 B. Don't do both! Pick one! If you do 9A you can skip down a ways to find Row 10.
Row 9A (Normal): sc 10 - skip 16 - sc across till the next turn - skip 16 - sc 10 - chain 1 - turn
Row 9 B(Ruffles): sc 10 - in the next stitch *sc 1 - ch 1 - double crochet (dc) 3 - ch 1 - sc 1. All of those stitches should be in one stitch. Skip the next stitch.*
Repeat from * to * until you have gone the length of the sleeve. With 16 stitches across for the sleeve you should get 8 little ruffles.
Then you'll need to close up your sleeve. You'll basically be doing a sc but going through two stitches - one on the front of the shirt and one on the back. The cream stitch is on on Row 8 and the pink stitch is Row 9. You need to do a stitch through them both. It will make a kind of weird stitch but it will work and no one will see it under there. It should look like this:
This is what it should look like from the inside after you put on row 10
sc across what will be the front of the dress. Usually about 20 stitches. When you get to your sh stitches that's where you'll start on the next sleeve. In the next stitch *sc 1 - ch 1 - double crochet (dc) 3 - ch 1 - sc 1. All of those stitches should be in one stitch. Skip the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * until you have gone the length of the sleeve. With 16 stitches across for the sleeve you should get 8 little ruffles. Then you'll need to close up your sleeve. You'll basically be doing a sc but going through two stitches - one on the front of the shirt and one on the back. This one may look a little different than the one you did on the other sleeve - but it should be ok. SC the rest of the way across the back side of the dress. It should look like this:
I switched colors again here - mostly so it was easy to see.
Row 10: sc in each stitch across - ch 1 - turn. This is the row were you can make your strange stitch under the arm in row 9 look perfect. Just crochet over the top of it as if it were a regular stitch. It might feel weird - especially with the ruffle added - but the trick is to make this row look good even if the last row wasn't good. This row will set the rest of your rows.
Row 11 - THIS ROW ONLY - sc in each stitch around but only go through the back part of the stitch. It should look like this:
Notice the funny little stitches (front stitches) on the front of the outfit when this row is done?
the inside will look almost exactly the same as the other rows. You just need those little stitches to attach the skirt.
Now finish the outfit with the normal pattern. These skirts have tiny holes you can see through so for the babies privacy we add the diaper anyway even though most of it will be covered up.
Once you have sc around the edge (making sure to leave button holes) then you get to start working on the skirt. You can start on either side but I usually start on the right hand side when the outfit is upside down.
Start on the first of your little front stitches.
Skirt Row 1: sc 1 - ch 1 - dc 2 in the first stitch (the single crochet and a chain will look almost like a double when you're done).
Skip one stitch
sc 1 in the next stitch
skip one stitch
dc 3 (like a dc shell) in the next stitch.
Go all the way across with this pattern: dc shell (3 stitches) - skip one - sc 1 - skip one
The end may be a little off but that's ok because we do still want to be able to get to the buttons later. And this will be the back of the dress so if the dress doesn't come to a complete close on the back side it will be ok. The shirt under it will. You should end up on a sc. Ch 1 - turn.
Skirt Row 2: dc sh in the last sc on the row before. It should look like this:
then do sc 1 in the middle stitch of the dc sh on the row before. Like this:
Go all the way across the dress doing a dc sh in each sc and a sc in the center of each sh. When you get to the end you should end up on a sc in the center of your first dc shell. Ch 1 - turn.
Now you just keep following that pattern until the skirt is as long as you want. You don't need to make a full length skirt for these outfits. They take a LONG time and they're really not necessary. I did 10 rows for this skirt to make it so it ended about the same place the diaper folds.
When you get to the end I do a slip stitch and tie it off.
Then I tuck the end of the yarn in through the back side of the design. With designs it's sometimes harder to hide your yarn tail - so try to just hide it on the back like this:
Here's what the outfit should look like finished:
Here's the back - see how it looks like the dress doesn't close all the way?
But if you put the sides of the shirt together like they would be with buttons (or if you have buttons to add now is a good time to do those)
Here's a close up of what the pattern should look like upside down - the way you crochet it.
I know the skirt directions are a little hard to see in the pictures - but the pattern works really well and it makes a lot more sense when you try it. If you get stuck let me know and I'll try to walk you through it. And send me some pictures when you have an outfit that's done - I'd love to see how this turns out for you!
For more angel baby patterns and info click HERE
