"Pernilla Dress" - Dress Knitting Pattern For Girls in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

Pernilla Dress – Girls' Knitting Pattern by MillaMia

The Pernilla Dress is a charming knitted dress pattern designed for girls, published by MillaMia and worked in their signature Naturally Soft Merino yarn. Rated as a Beginner to Improving skill level, this pattern is an excellent project for knitters who are building confidence beyond the very basics and want to create a polished, wearable garment for a child. The finished dress features a classic silhouette with a ribbon detail at the waist, making it a versatile and elegant piece suitable for everyday wear or special occasions.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted dress for girls, available in four sizes to fit ages 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, and 4–5 years. The actual chest measurements range from 58 cm to 73 cm (23 in to 28¾ in), and the length to shoulder ranges from 45 cm to 64 cm (17¾ in to 25¼ in). A key design feature is a grosgrain ribbon threaded through ribbon loops on the dress, creating a decorative waist or yoke detail. MillaMia recommends a navy and white grosgrain ribbon approximately 30 mm (1¼ in) wide and 135 cm (53 in) long, though a matching or contrasting satin ribbon can also be used to vary the look of the finished garment.

Construction Techniques

The Pernilla Dress is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, and seamed approach. This means the knitting begins at the lower edge of the dress and progresses upward toward the shoulders, with the fabric knitted back and forth in rows on straight needles rather than in the round. Once all pieces are complete, they are joined together using seaming techniques. This traditional construction method is well suited to beginner and improving knitters, as working flat on straight needles is generally more approachable than circular knitting, and seaming the finished pieces together allows each section to be completed and checked independently.

Ribbon Loop Detail

A notable finishing technique in this pattern involves the placement of ribbon loops through which the grosgrain ribbon is threaded. The pattern advises taking care to position these loops evenly and neatly, as precise placement significantly affects the finished appearance of the dress. For grosgrain ribbon, MillaMia recommends folding the ends over twice before sewing them down to prevent fraying.

Stitches Used

The pattern makes use of several fundamental knitting stitches and techniques appropriate for a beginner-to-improving level:

• Stocking stitch (Stockinette stitch) – the primary fabric stitch, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, flat surface ideal for a clean dress fabric.
• Garter stitch – formed by knitting every row, often used for borders, hems, or decorative bands to add texture and prevent curling at edges.
• Moss stitch (Seed stitch) – an alternating knit-and-purl pattern that creates a textured, non-curling fabric, sometimes used for decorative trims or yoke sections.
• k2tog (knit two stitches together) – a standard right-leaning decrease used for shaping.
• m1 (make one) – an increase worked by picking up the loop lying before the next stitch and knitting into the back of it, used to add stitches during shaping.
• m1p (make one purlwise) – a similar increase worked purlwise, used where the increase falls on a purl row or section.

Materials

Yarn

The pattern calls for MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino, a sport weight yarn sold in 50 g / 1¾ oz balls. The quantity required is 5 (6:6:7) balls depending on the size being knitted. The sample shown in the pattern is worked in Grass (shade 141), a fresh green colourway. MillaMia also suggests the following alternative colourways: Fuchsia (143), Peacock (144), Plum (162), Midnight (101), and