Lola Skirt

Lola Skirt by Taiga Hilliard Designs

What is Being Made

The Lola Skirt is a charming A-line children's skirt designed by independent designer Taiga Hilliard Designs. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a versatile garment suitable for newborns through children aged 9-10 years, with waist measurements ranging from 14" to 25". The skirt features an adjustable length, making it easy to customize for individual preferences and growth. The design is equally suited for warm-weather cotton versions or cozy winter wool iterations, offering year-round styling flexibility.

Techniques Used

The Lola Skirt is knit entirely in the round, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless, professional finish. This in-the-round construction method simplifies assembly and ensures a comfortable fit against delicate skin. The pattern features a simple knitted waist that requires no sewing, making it an accessible option for knitters seeking to avoid finishing work. The A-line shaping is achieved through strategic increases distributed throughout the pattern, allowing the skirt to flare gently from the fitted waist. The adjustable length feature enables knitters to work the skirt to their desired finished measurements before binding off.

Stitches Used

The Lola Skirt pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for an advanced-level project. Core stitches include:

• Knit (K) – the primary stitch forming the fabric base
• Purl (P) – used for textural variation and stitch definition
• Yarn Over (YO) – creates decorative eyelets and increases
• Knit Two Together (K2tog) – a right-leaning decrease
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK) – a left-leaning decrease for balanced shaping

These stitches work together to create the A-line silhouette while maintaining structural integrity and visual interest throughout the garment.

Materials and Specifications

The Lola Skirt pattern accommodates DK or worsted weight yarn, offering flexibility in fiber choice. The designer recommends Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash as a tested yarn option, though other yarns of appropriate weight will work when gauge is matched. Yardage requirements vary by size: the newborn size requires 100 yards of main color and 50 yards of contrast color, scaling up to 700 yards of main color and 100 yards of contrast color for the largest 9-10 years size.

The pattern calls for US size 7 (4.50 mm) needles, or the size necessary to achieve proper gauge. The required gauge is 18.0 stitches and 26 rows per 4 inches, making accurate gauge swatching essential for proper fit. Circular needles suitable for small circumference knitting in the round are implied by the in-the-round construction method. Optional elastic (16" to 28" depending on size) may be added to the waist for additional security and comfort.

Pattern Sizing and Customization

The Lola Skirt pattern provides ten size options spanning from newborn through 9-10 years of age. Cast-on stitches range from 64 for the newborn size to 256 for the largest size, accommodating waist measurements from 14" to 25". Suggested finished lengths begin at 5" for newborns and extend to longer proportions for older children, though the adjustable length feature allows knitters to customize finished measurements according to individual preference and desired styling.