Butterfly Dress

Butterfly Dress has become one of my ‘design classics’! It was first designed for a Rowan magazine in 2005 and I was delighted when it was featured on the cover (my first design for them!). It was then included in my first book Beads, Buttons and Lace (Rowan 2006) which is sadly now out of print. However, I have been selling the single pattern and have been delighted that it has become so popular. It has even been knitted as a wedding dress! (see link below to Ravelry page. You have to be a member to view all the projects)

The dress is knitted in a simple lace pattern with small beads added to the yarn before starting and scattered over the dress. The double lace frill at the hem is knitted first, then stitches are picked up to make the body.

Yarn: The dress is knitted using Rowan Kidsilk Haze , their very popular fine mohair (70%) and silk (30%) lace weight yarn (210m/230yds per 25g ball)

Sizes & yarn quantities: The pattern gives instructions for sizes 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 ins/81, 86, 91, 97, 102 cms bust. The dress uses 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 balls of yarn in the main colour and 1 ball of yarn in contrast yarn for the second frill.

Tension: 17sts and 24 rows to 4ins (10cms) over lace pattern using 5mm (US 8) needles.

Needles etc: pair each of 3.25mm (US 3), 4.5mm (US 7) & 5mm (US 8) knitting needles. Approx 1000 x 3mm glass seed beads

For more information and to purchase the pattern as a PDF download follow this link to the Ravelry page (membership of Ravelry not required)