A sarafan is a comfortable and functional wardrobe item. You can create a variety of ensembles for everyday life and festive events with it, combine it with sweaters or light blouses. By knitting a sarafan for a girl with knitting needles, you can please a young fashionista with a unique handmade item. Such a wardrobe item will be in demand among preschool girls, eccentric teenagers and romantic high school girls. The main thing is to competently approach the selection of knitting needles, threads and style.
How to choose yarn and tools
Children's knitted sundresses can be elements of a summer wardrobe or be knitted for the cold season. Depending on the purpose of the item, you need to decide on the quality of the yarn and select the number of knitting needles. The main requirements for threads are:
- hypoallergenic;
- environmental friendliness;
- hygroscopicity;
- thermal conductivity;
- strength;
- easy care.
Warm items will cope well with their task if they are knitted from wool. To prevent the child from complaining that the sarafan is itchy, it is better to choose merino wool. It retains heat well and is hygroscopic. The second suitable option is mohair. This wool of Angora goats is soft, durable, has a beautiful shine. In addition, it is worth paying attention to cashmere - a pleasant yarn made from goat down. Natural wool with the addition of acrylic fibers is suitable for the off-season. This composition makes the threads practical and resistant to fading.
A fashionable summer openwork sarafan is knitted from natural cotton. It promotes air circulation, is pleasant to the body, and reliably preserves the pattern. Acrylic is a popular option today. Despite the fact that it is an artificial fiber, acrylic threads are great for children's clothes. They are soft, hypoallergenic, and wear-resistant. However, it is important to choose yarn only from trusted manufacturers who use safe dyes.
You can choose the size of knitting needles for a sarafan based on the selected pattern and the thickness of the yarn. Summer items are knitted with very thin yarn with a number of turns in 2.5 cm from 16 to 18. You should use knitting needles of size No. 2-3. Medium and semi-thick yarn - from 14 to 10 turns - you will need knitting needles No. 3-5.5. Thick and very thick – from 8 to 10 turns – knitting needles No. 6-8.
The type of the planned pattern also influences the choice of knitting needle size. The more voluminous and relief it should be, the larger the knitting needles you need to take.
How to take measurements from a child
Knitting a sarafan for a girl with knitting needles begins with taking measurements. Mandatory measurements include:
- chest circumference;
- waist circumference;
- hip circumference;
- length of the product.
Sundresses with straps have a free length of straps, and for one-piece models, you will need to measure the depth of the neckline and armholes. For small children, it is sometimes enough to measure the waist circumference, since the features of a child's figure are the identity of the parameters of the hips and belly line. In addition, it should be taken into account that a knitted sundress, stretching on a convex tummy, can lose the evenness of the pattern lines, so the front panel must be made slightly wider than the back. Straight straps will fall off the sloping shoulders of a child's figure - their length must take into account the back crossing.
A sarafan for girls may contain complex elements, such as dropped armholes, low shoulders, skirts that flare out at the bottom. In such cases, in places where flares are expected, cuts are made and the resulting parts are moved apart to the desired width. The same technique works for "barrel" styles. The pattern is narrowed at the bottom by making four to six cuts and moving the halves together, overlapping one another.
You can knit a sarafan for a girl the first time, if you calculate correctlynecessary number of loops. To do this, perform a trial knitting in accordance with the description: knit several rows of fabric 10 cm wide with the selected pattern, see how many loops fit in it, after which dmake the necessary calculations.
Step-by-step algorithm for knitting popular patterns
The idea of a knitted sundress for a girl with knitting needles can be implemented in stages. Models consisting of separate parts that are sewn together as they are ready are knitted starting with large parts. This is necessary so that at the end it is possible to adjust small parts to size and shape. One-piece products are usually knitted from the bottom, often starting with an elastic band and ending with it. Knitted sundresses with straps are easier to make, their technology is accessible to beginners.
Strapless for Beginners
A sarafan with knitting needles for a girl of 4-5 years old can be knitted with a simple combination of garter stitch patterns, stockinette stitch, 1 x 1 elastic and jacquard pattern. The knitting density should be as follows: a 10 x 10 cm patch contains 28 rows, each of which contains 20 loops.
The stages of work are as follows:
- Take 100 g of yarn of the main color (blue), 50 g of additional (white) and knitting needles No. 3.5. Knitting will be done with two threads, so a skein weighing 100 g should be at least 392 m.
- Cast on 50 stitches (the number may vary depending on the size).
- Knit 2 rows of ribbing with the main color to start the piece, alternating the front and back loops.
- Continue knitting the elastic band in two colors, 8 cm in total.
- Next is garter stitch: the front side is knitted only with front loops, and the back side is knitted only with back loops. The thread color is the main one. In every tenth row, one loop is added on both sides.
- When 13 cm from the top is knitted, you need to start knitting the jacquard pattern. Perform 3 rapports.
- Front stitch – 2 cm.
- Garter stitch – 3 cm.
- Close the loops.
- Knit the back in the same way.
- Knit the straps by casting on 10 stitches and knitting a strip of the required length with a 1 x 1 elastic band.
- Sew the product parts together.
On the yoke
Models for children can have a more complex design, for example, with a yoke. Diagrams and descriptions will help you complete the work faster. Before you start, you need to knit a test sample. With knitting needles No. 3, in 10 cm of knitting you should get 27 loops of the front surface. Stages of work:
- Take cotton yarn with the characteristics 180 m for 100 g and circular knitting needles No. 2.5 and 3.
- Cast on 192 stitches on circular needles or the number needed for a specific size, taking into account the calculation results.
- Knit one row of purl stitches in a circle.
- Knit with an openwork pattern,A diagram will help you stay on track.
- When the height reaches 26 cm (or more if the size increases), knit one row of knit stitches with decreases.
- Knit one purl row, one front row and one purl row again.
- Proceed to the front surface.
- At a height of 28 cm (or more), secure the marks, distributing 62 loops on the back and front, or proportionally.
- To close the armhole, knit 2 loops on both sides.
- Start knitting the back. Front surface in straight and back rows. The armhole is closed on both sides in every second row.
- At a height of 34 cm or proportionally in the middle, the loops for the neck are closed. The rounding is provided by closing from the inside through one row 2 times by one loop.
- Continue knitting the front. The armhole is designed similarly to the back. At the same time, at a height of 29.5 cm or according to the size, 2 middle loops are closed. For the neck on the right, decrease along the inside as follows: in the front row, knit one front and 2 crossed, then - according to the pattern.
- Decreases are carried out until the shoulder is 14 cm or according to size.
- When the pattern height reaches 36 cm or proportionally, transfer the extra loops to another knitting needle and set aside.
- Symmetrically knit the left half according to the presented pattern.
- Assemble the garment along the side and top seams. Knit the neckline with 2.5 mm knitting needles, skipping every fourth stitch.
This children's dress can be worn over a shirt or turtleneck, or on the bare body.
Decor options
Children's knitted sarafans can be decorated expressively and brightly in the following ways:
- thread silk ribbons around the perimeter of the neck, armholes and bottom, connecting them with bows;
- embroider the design with beads or sequins;
- sew buttons, including those made in the form of toys or cartoon characters, to the places where the parts are connected;
- When knitting some rows, use lurex thread, carefully weaving it into the beginning of the row.
Additional accents will add originality to the product, for example, a fashionable denim pocket in the middle or two on the sides.
Having a knitted sarafan in a girl’s wardrobe will allow her to dress beautifully at any time. In such clothes, every little girl will feel like a princess. In addition, a knitted sarafan is warm and comfortable, and the energy that fills the hand-made thing gives its owner self-confidence and a good mood.
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