Crochet Breezy Beach Dress

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Crochet Breezy Beach Dress

The perfect cover-up for a relaxed day at the beach or pool, here is the Crochet Breezy Beach Dress! Made with easy stitch work and fun color playing, this relaxed beach dress is just the summer project you need! The result is a functional and easy-going cover-up. Just the beach dress you’ve been dreaming of. 😉

Inspiration

Have you ever passed a yarn store and saw a yarn that you just had to buy, even if you didn’t know what to do with it just yet? Well, that happens to me all the time! And it happened on one of my trips to Barcelona, back in the spring. I saw these cakes of Katia Yarn Spring Rainbow with a really nice degradé, going from dark blue to white and I just thought that whatever came out of those would be beautiful.

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The yarn is made of cotton and acrylic and it feels soft to the touch and light, just the perfect match for a summer project. With this in mind, I started thinking of summer projects for my wonderful new yarn.

Yarn Update

Apparently, I must have snagged the last cakes of this yarn, because it is not available on the brand’s site. There are vendors that still sell it, however, don’t despair if you can’t find any. You can still make the Crochet Breezy Beach Dress using Lion Brand Ombré Life, for example, which is one of YarnSub’s recommendations for this yarn. Just be extra mindful about getting the gauge right! 🙂

The Project

If you see other projects, you’ll see I’m really into shawls and wraps, but this time I wanted to do something different. For instance, something to wear the beach with my Granny Square Raffia Bag. Which in turn, led me to think of a beach cover-up! 🙂

So there I was, looking at my yarn when it hit me! A crochet beach dress! The base idea was to make a functional, flattering, light and airy cover-up with a fun color degradé. With that, the Crochet Breezy Beach Dress got more and more clear in my mind.

As for the stitches, I really wanted something simple that you can just work without thinking too much. So I went back to basics and decided on a combination of chains and double crochets. This way you’ll have a breezy dress, without being too open. I’ll admit that I’m favorable to a cover-up that actually covers my swimwear, just because it makes me feel more comfortable walking around.

One thing I loved about this project was playing with the colors of the yarn. Deciding how to use the color change was really interesting. I opted for white at the top to make my face look a bit more tan (not sure if that helped), but you can always go for a different combination! 🙂

Nevertheless, it is still a feminine wearable so of course, you need to have an opening on the sides! 😉 And the perfect amount of cleavage with this v neck shape! What else can a girl want?

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So go grab your yarn and hook and let’s make the Crochet Breezy Beach Dress together!

Pattern

• You can buy the ad-free, printable PDF pattern HERE!
• PIN this pattern for later HERE! 
• Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue HERE!

Description

The Crochet Breezy Beach Dress is the comfortable and relaxed beach cover-up you’ve been dreaming of. With easy stitch work, fun color-playing and made with cotton yarn, it is just the summer project you need for relaxed days at the beach or by the pool.

Skill level

• Easy

Have in Hand

• 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins Katia Spring Rainbow (656 yd/600 m) in Color 50
• US E-4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook
• Stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors

Gauge

• 23 sts x 12 rows = 4”/10 cm

Finished Measures

• Written for sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X):

	XS	S	M	L	XL	2X	3X
Fits Bust or Hips size	32’’ 81.5 cm	35’’ 89 cm	37’’ 94 cm	41’’ 104 cm	45’’ 114.5 cm	51’’ 129.5 cm	53’’ 134.5 cm
Panel Width	16’’ 41 cm	17.5’’ 44.5 cm	18.5’’ 47 cm	20.5’’ 52 cm	22.5’’ 57.5 cm	25.5’’ 65 cm	26.5’’ 67.7 cm
Panel Length	24.5’’ 62 cm	25’’ 63.5 cm	25.25’’ 64 cm	26.5’’ 67 cm	26.75’’ 68 cm	27’’ 68.5 cm	27’’ 68.5 cm
Shoulder to Shoulder	10.5’’ 26 cm	11’’ 28 cm	11.5’’ 29 cm	13’’ 31 cm	13.5’’ 33 cm	15’’ 36 cm	16.6’’ 39 cm

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch: chain
• dc: double crochet
• dc2tog: double crochet 2 stitches together
• rs: right side
• sk: skip
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• t: turn
• ws: wrong side
• yo: yarn over

Special Stitches

fdc: foundation double crochet

• ch 2, yo and insert hook in 2^ndch from hook, yo and pull up loop, yo and pull through 1 loop on hook (​1^stch made​), [yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (1^stf​dc made​).
• * Yo and insert hook into ch of previous foundation stitch, yo and pull up loop, yo and pull through 1 loop on hook (​ch made​), [yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (​fdc made)​. Repeat from * until number of fdc have been made. 

Notes

• The dress is made by making 2 panels, top-bottom and seaming the sides. Then you will add to the back panel and add the straps.
• Because the dress has no shaping, when choosing which size to make, consider the measure of the bust and hips of the wearer and choose the highest as reference.
• For reference, the model is 5’3’’ tall with a 34’’ bust and 36’’ hips and wearing the Breezy Beach Dress in size S.
• The pattern is written in sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X). Highlight the numbers/ st count relevant to the size you’ll be making so it’ll be easier to follow.
• Stitch count remains the same for the main panels.
• Pattern considers rs of the dress the side where the dc’s are facing out.
• To make sure that dc’s are facing out on both straps, the right strap is made by adding increasing rows that start from the back panel. The left strap is made by adding decreasing rows that start from the front panel.
• When doing the first row of the left strap, you will actually work a row that belongs to the right strap. This will give the straps a more even look after seaming.

Yarn notes

• The Katia yarn used consists of 4 loosely twined threads, that change progressively. It goes from 4 blue threads (not used), to 3 blue threads + 1 cream thread (color H), to 2 blue + 2 cream (color G), 1 blue + 3 creams (color F), 4 cream (color E), 3 cream + 1 white (color D), 2 cream + 2 white (color C), 1 cream + 3 white (color B) to 4 white threads (color A).

• To work the pattern with Katia Yarn, unwind the cake and make a smaller yank out of each color. You can see where the colors finish and start because they are knotted together. Untie the knots or cut them.
  • I don’t know how the gradient for Lion Brand’s Ombré Life is, so, unfortunately, I cannot give you details. I’ll be more than happy if you can let me know! 🙂

Crochet Breezy Beach Dress

Main Panel (make 2)

Start with color B.

Fdc 93 (101, 107, 119, 131, 147, 153).

Row 1: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), t, sk 1 st, dc in next st (corresponds to 3^rd fdc), * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * to end of row <93 (101, 107, 119, 131, 147, 153)>.

Row 2: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), t, dc across <93 (101, 107, 119, 131, 147, 153)>.

Sizes XS – M:

Rows 3-10: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Row 10 will be a repeat of Row 2.

Change to color C.

Row 11-21: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 consecutively. Row 21 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color D.

Row 22-32: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 32 will be a repeat of Row 2.

Change to color E.

Row 33-43: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 consecutively. Row 43 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color F.

Row 44-54: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 54 will be a repeat of Row 2.

Change to color G.

Row 55-65: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 consecutively. Row 65 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color H.

Row 66-76: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 76 will be a repeat of Row 2. Sl st, fasten off and weave in ends.

Sizes L – 3X:

Rows 3-11: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Row 11 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color C.

Row 12-23: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 23 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color D.

Row 24-35: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 35 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color E.

Row 36-47: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 47 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color F.

Row 48-59: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 59 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color G.

Row 60-71: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 71 will be a repeat of Row 1.

Change to color H.

Row 72-83: Repeat Rows 2 and 1 consecutively. Row 83 will be a repeat of Row 1. Sl st, fasten off and weave in ends.

Assembly

Lay panels on top of each other with the ws facing out, making sure that the colors are aligned. Use the thread of the same color of the section you are in. Seam panels together, so that when you turn your piece, the stitches are side by side and the stitch count remains the same: 93 (101, 107, 119, 131, 147, 153) sts on each panel. Seam rows that correspond to colors B to F, leaving G and H open.

Back Panel

Use stitch markers to mark where to start and end the added part of the panel. Place markers on sts 11 & 83 (13 & 89, 14 & 94, 14 & 106, 18 & 114, 18 & 130, 19 & 135).

Using color A.

With back panel of the dress on the ws, going from right to left, start working in the st after the marker.

Row 1: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), sk 1 st, dc in next st, * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * until you reach the marker. Don’t work the st with the marker <69 (75, 79, 89, 97,111, 115)>.

Row 2: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), t, dc across. <69 (75, 79, 89, 97,111, 115)>

Sizes XS – M:

Rows 3-11: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Row 11 will be a repeat of Row 1. Sl st, fasten off and weave in ends.

Sizes L – 3X:

Rows 3-12: Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Row 12 will be a repeat of Row 2. Sl st, fasten off and weave in ends.

Straps

Use stitch markers to know where to start and end your straps, as well as the middle of the panel, where the v will be. On your front panel place markers on sts 11, 47 & 83 (13, 51 & 89; 14, 54 & 94; 14, 60 & 106; 18, 66 & 114; 18, 74 & 130; 19, 77 & 135).

Left Strap

When doing the first row of this strap, you will actually continue and do one more row that will add to the right strap.

Using color A.

With front panel of the dress on the ws, going from right to left, start working in the st after the marker.

Row 1: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), sk 1 st, dc in next st, * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * until you reach the middle marker. You should have 35 (37, 39, 45, 47, 55, 57) sts. Take out the marker and make a sl st (counts as a st). Ch 3 (counts as a st), sk 1, dc in next st, ** ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from ** until you reach the next marker. Don’t work on the st with the marker <71 (75, 79, 91, 95, 111, 115)>.

Row 2: ch 3 (counts as dc), dc across until last 2 sts before reaching the middle (the dc and the ch 3), dc2tog <34 (36, 38, 44, 46, 54, 56)>.

Row 3: ch 3 (counts as a st), sk 1, dc in next st, * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * until you reach end of row <33 (35, 37, 43, 45, 53, 55)>.

Sizes XS – M:

Row 4-20 (22, 24): Repeat Rows 2 and 3, consecutively. Last row will be a repeat of Row 2 and st count is <16 (16, 16)>. Sl st, fasten off but don’t cut the end. Use it to seam the last row to the added back panel. Make sure to keep your stitches aligned and your strap untwisted.

Sizes L – 3X:

Row 4-25 (29, 33, 35): Repeat Rows 2 and 3, consecutively. Last row will be a repeat of Row 3 and st count is <21 (19, 23, 23)>. Sl st, fasten off but don’t cut the end. Use it to seam the last row to the added back panel. Make sure to keep your stitches aligned and your strap untwisted.

Right Strap

Using color A.

Sizes XS – M:

With the dress on the rs, start crocheting from the 1^stst of the added back panel (on the ch 3 that counts as a dc).

Row 1: ch 3 (counts as dc), dc across until last st, 2 dc in last st <16 (16, 16)>.

Row 2: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), t, dc in next st (the 2^nd dc from the row below), * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * until end of row <17 (17, 17)>.

Row 3-19 (21, 23): Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Last row will be a repeat of Row 1 and st count is <34 (36, 38)>. Sl st, fasten off but don’t cut the end. Use it to seam this last row with the part of Row 1 from the right strap that was left unworked. Make sure to keep your stitches aligned and your strap untwisted.

Sizes L – 3X:

With the dress on the ws, count from left to right to find where to start the strap. Start crocheting (from right to left as usual) on st 20 (18, 22, 24) of the added back panel. 

Row 1: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), dc in next st, * ch 1, sk 1, dc. Repeat from * until you reach end of row <21 (19, 23, 25)>.

Row 2: ch 3 (counts as dc), dc across until last st, 2 dc in last st <22 (20, 24, 26)>.

Row 3 – 24 (28, 32, 34): Repeat Rows 1 and 2, consecutively. Last row will be a repeat of Row 2 and st count is <44 (46, 54, 56)>. Sl st, fasten off but don’t cut the end. Use it to seam this last row with the part of Row 1 from the right strap that was left unworked. Make sure to keep your stitches aligned and your strap untwisted.

I hope that you enjoy making the Crochet Breezy Beach Dress and that you enjoy wearing it even more! 😉

If you haven’t got the time to make it now, no problem! Save it for later! 🙂