1:12th scale Ladies skirt and jumper c.1945

1:12th Scale Ladies Skirt and Jumper c.1945 by Frances Powell

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern creates a historically inspired ladies skirt and jumper set designed to fit a 5½-inch (14 cm) tall dolls house doll at 1:12th scale. The pattern captures the aesthetic of summer 1945 fashion and is intended for intermediate-level miniature knitters with prior experience in small-scale knitting projects.

What is Being Made

The pattern includes two coordinating garments:

• Ladies Jumper: A fitted knitted top piece suitable for 1:12th scale dolls
• Ladies Skirt: A matching skirt component to complete the 1945-inspired ensemble

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate project employs several essential knitting techniques appropriate for miniature garment construction:

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch): The primary fabric structure, created by alternating knit rows and purl rows to produce the classic smooth, V-patterned surface
• Increases: Worked by knitting two stitches into a single stitch to add width where needed in the garment shaping
• Decreases: Multiple decrease methods including slip-stitch-slip-over (sl 1, k 1, psso), knit two together (k2tog), and purl two together (p2tog) for fitted shaping
• Slip stitches: Both standard slip stitches and purlwise slip stitches (sl 1p) used for seamless transitions and edge finishing
• Stitch holders: Used to hold stitches temporarily during construction, particularly useful when working separate sections of the jumper

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and stitch terminology:

• st/sts: Stitch or stitches, the fundamental unit of knitted fabric
• k: Knit stitch
• p: Purl stitch
• sst: Stocking stitch, alternating knit and purl rows
• inc: Increase by working two stitches into one
• sl 1: Slip next stitch without working it
• sl 1p: Slip next stitch purlwise
• sl 1, k 1, psso: Slip-knit-pass slipped stitch over for left-leaning decreases
• k2tog: Knit two stitches together for right-leaning decreases
• p2tog: Purl two stitches together

Materials and Tools

This miniature knitting project requires specialized materials suited to 1:12th scale work:

• Needles: Size 19 (1.00 mm/US size 5/0) needles—extremely fine needles essential for creating appropriately scaled stitches on a doll-sized garment
• Yarn: 1-ply cotton yarn in cobweb weight, the finest yarn category available. The pattern requires approximately 50 metres (55 yards) for the jumper and 50 metres (55 yards) for the skirt, totaling 100 metres of yarn for the complete set. Cotton fiber provides a period-appropriate, crisp finish suitable for 1945-era styling
• Notions: Three stitch holders for managing stitches during jumper construction

Skill Level and Suitability

Designated as an intermediate project, this pattern explicitly states it is not suitable as a first project in miniature knitting. Knitters should have foundational experience with miniature-scale techniques, comfort working with extremely fine needles and yarn, and familiarity with basic shaping methods before attempting this garment set.