Calisee

Calisee Baby Dress by Taiga Hilliard Designs

What is Being Made

The Calisee is a top-down knitted baby dress designed to grow with your child. This garment transitions from a dress to a tunic as the wearer grows, featuring a rich lace yoke and a full ball gown princess skirt. The design includes a nice wide head opening at the neck and is available in four sizes ranging from 0-3 months through 2-3 years, with corresponding chest measurements of 14", 19", 21", and 23". The dress is secured with three ½" buttons positioned on the yoke.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to create its distinctive silhouette and decorative elements. The garment is constructed using a top-down design, which allows for easy fitting adjustments and the ability to try on the dress as you work. The pattern incorporates lace knitting on both the yoke and skirt sections, with both charted and written-out instructions provided for these detailed areas. A long tail cast on is used to begin the project, creating a sturdy foundation for the ribbed neckline. The pattern includes buttonhole shaping worked into the ribbed band, allowing for functional closures. The wide neckline is achieved through strategic shaping during the yoke construction.

Stitches Used

The Calisee pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace techniques. The neckline begins with ribbing, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a 1x1 pattern on both wrong-side and right-side rows. Buttonholes are formed using yarn overs (YO) combined with knit two together (K2tog) decreases, a classic method for creating functional openings. The lace pattern sections on the yoke and skirt employ yarn overs for creating the openwork design characteristic of lace knitting. The pattern instructions indicate both knit and purl stitches worked across rows, with specific stitch counts maintained throughout the construction.

Materials

The Calisee pattern calls for Anzula Nebula yarn in either Fingering or Sock weight, which is a 4-ply yarn appropriate for creating delicate, detailed garments. Yardage requirements vary by size: 400 yards for the smallest size (0-3 months), increasing to 500 yards (6-12 months), 600 yards (18-24 months), and 700-850 yards for the largest size (2-3 years). Knitters should use US 4 (3.50 mm) needles or adjust needle size as needed to achieve the specified gauge of 24 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. The pattern requires three ½" buttons for closure.