The Avonlea Skirt

The Avonlea Skirt

My social media is full of photos of adorable children who are excited for their first day of school! Everyone is dressed to impress!  The little ones are wearing their new shoes and outfits. All are accessorized with big hair bows and even bigger smiles!

The Avonlea Skirt was directly inspired by the excitement of this season and my love for all things vintage!  I, of course, had to have something extra special for my own little student!  I wanted her to have a great first day of school too!

This pattern is designed to have a bit of a vintage feel.  The DK weight yarn is light weight and knits up quickly!  I hope you enjoy knitting it for your little girl.  Please share the finished results here or on Ravelry!  I would love to see this skirt in action!

MATERIALS:
US 6/4.00 mm 16" circs
US 8/5.00 mm 16" circs
US 8/5.00 mm straight needles
Yarn Needles (for sewing)
2 buttons
323 yrds of DK/Light Worsted Yarn  (I used Stylecraft Special DK in Midnight Blue)
Stitch Marker

ABBREVIATIONS:
K- knit
P-purl
pm- place marker
M1- make one
sl1- slip one purlwise

PATTERN TECHNIQUES/SPECIAL INFO:
Knit Top Down
Knit in The Round
Knit Folded Edge for Skirt Waist Band
Stockinette Stitch
Basic Sewing/Construction Skills
Sewing on Buttons
Garter Stitch
Long Tailed Cast On
Bind Off in Ribbing

GUAGE: 10 stitches and 12 rows = 2" in stockinette

SIZE: 4/5t

SKIRT:
Cast On 91 stitches onto US 6 circular needles. Cast on using the Long Tailed Method. Join to knit in round being careful not to twist stitches.
Row 1-14: knit (creating the stockinette pattern for waist belt) Waist belt should mesaure 2" from top to bottom.
Row 15: Fold waist belt in half and seam by knitting. (Check out the link for extra help in knitting a folded edge)
Row 16: Switch to US 8 circular needles and K7,M1 to end of row (you should have 104 stitches)
Row 17-30: PM to mark the start of each round and knit all rows.
Row 31: PM to mark the start of a round. K8, M1 to end of row (you should have 117 stitches)
Row 32-45: PM to mark the start of each round. Knit all rows.
Row 46:  PM to mark the start of a round. K9, M1 to end of row (you should have 130 stitches)
Row 47-60: PM to mark the start of each round. Knit all rows.
Row 61: PM to mark the start of a round. k10, M1 to end of row (you should have 143 stitches)
Row 62-75: PM to mark the start of each round. Knit all rows.
Row 76: PM to mark the strart of a round. K1, P1 (this row of ribbing will help to keep the bottom of skirt to not roll as much)
Bind off in ribbing.
Finished Skirt Measurements:
Waist Belt: 1"x 9" (for 18" hips)
Top of Waist Belt to Bottom Hem: 11.5"
Width of Skirt at the lowest part of the hem is 34" or 17" folded in half

SUSPENDERS:

Cast On 8 stitches onto US 8 straights.
Row1: sl1, knit to end of row
Repeat Row 1 til your piece measures 36" in length (or adjust it to your child's height).  Folded in half, it should measure 17.5-18"

 CONSTRUCTION:

Fold the strap/suspender in half. Sew that folded edge to the inside seam of your skirt. This will keep it hidden. Bring both halves to the front and sew them to the front (outside seam) of your skirt. Add decorative buttons to the straps.



This skirt is super cute paired with a vintage top.  I always add a pair of cartwheel shorts under because my little girl is active!  And it is the best way to keep some form of modesty while wearing a skirt at this age.

Note: Acrylic yarns do not really need to be blocked. However, if you would like to pin it to keep the hem from curling you can. What I do is hang the skirt upside down for a little while and let the hem get udjusted. Adding more of the 1x1 ribbing to the bottom will make your skirt longer as well as take away from the curled hem.

Also, I buy all of my Stylecraft Special Dk from Good Fiber Yarns on ETSY. I have been a client of hers for a long time and she always ships sooo fast! Well priced too!
ETSY: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodFiberYarns
FB: https://www.facebook.com/goodfiber/

Helpful Links:

Folded Edge for Skirt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncZA1ljxRmk&t=116s
Long Tail Cast On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXA3gBNiSiM&t=7s
Binding Off In Ribbing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObMG_EVAnas