Malina Dress in Viking Of Norway - UK-2324-7 - Downloadable PDF

Malina Dress in Viking Garn Bamboo – Children's Knitting Pattern (UK-2324-7)

The Malina Dress is a beautifully designed children's knitted dress from Viking of Norway, created by designer Turid Stapnes. This downloadable PDF pattern, reference UK-2324-7, produces a classic, elegant dress with sleeves, worked in a clean and timeless style that is perfectly suited to everyday wear or special occasions. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and construction techniques and are ready to take on a more structured garment.

Sizes and Finished Measurements

The Malina Dress is available in three children's sizes, covering a broad age range and allowing knitters to choose the best fit for the child they are making it for:

• Size 2/4 years: Circumference 55 cm (21¾ in), whole length 50 cm (19¾ in), sleeve length 15 cm (6 in)
• Size 6/8 years: Circumference 65 cm (25½ in), whole length 57 cm (22½ in), sleeve length 16 cm (6¼ in)
• Size 10/12 years: Circumference 76 cm (30 in), whole length 64 cm (25¼ in), sleeve length 17 cm (6¾ in)

These measurements reflect a well-proportioned garment with comfortable ease, designed to grow with the child through each size bracket.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Viking of Norway Bamboo, a luxuriously soft yarn made from a blend of 50% bamboo and 50% cotton, available in 50 g skeins. This fibre combination gives the finished dress a beautiful drape and a subtle sheen that is characteristic of bamboo yarns, while the cotton content adds breathability and structure — qualities that make this yarn particularly well suited to a children's dress intended for warmer seasons or layering. The yarn is classified as a 6-ply weight.

The colourway featured in the pattern is Natural White no. 602, giving the dress a fresh, clean appearance that photographs beautifully and pairs easily with a wide range of children's clothing. Knitters may of course choose alternative shades from the Viking Bamboo range to personalise the finished garment.

The pattern specifies a 2½ mm needle for the neckband ribbing, indicating that fine, precise needlework is part of the construction. Knitters should refer to the full pattern PDF for complete needle size recommendations for the main body and sleeves.

Construction and Techniques

The Malina Dress is constructed using a traditional separate-piece method, with the back piece, front piece, and sleeves worked individually before being joined during finishing. This approach gives the knitter full control over each section and allows for easy adjustments to length or shaping as needed.

Shoulder Flaps

A distinctive design feature of the Malina Dress is its shoulder flaps, which are worked in stocking stitch until they reach approximately 6–8–10 cm depending on the size being knitted. Edge stitches are cast off on the final row of each shoulder flap, creating a neat, structured finish. The shoulder flaps from the back piece are then seamed to the cast-off stitches on each shoulder, forming a clean and secure join that gives the neckline its characteristic shape.

Sleeves

The sleeves are worked separately and sewn into place on each side of the dress once the main body and shoulder construction are complete. Both sleeves are worked identically, ensuring a symmetrical result. The sleeve length increases with each size, ranging from 15 cm to 17 cm, keeping the proportions appropriate for each age group.

Neckband

The neckband is one of the more technically engaging sections of this pattern and is where the 2½ mm needle comes into play. Stitches from the back piece that were set aside earlier are picked up and worked onto the needle, with even decreases applied to reduce the stitch count to 30–30–34 stitches depending on size. Stitches are then picked up from the left shoulder flap, the front piece (again with matching decreases), and the