American Girl Doll Warm-in-Brioche Set: Skirt and Vest

Free Doll Skirt and Vest Knitting Pat

I'm bringing brioche stitch to your American Girl Doll! The set consists of a skirt and a vest. 2-color brioche means that both items are reversible!

The skirt is worked from the top down: the waist is worked in stockinette stitch back and forth, the skirt itself is worked in two-color brioche in-the-round.

The vest is worked in two-color brioche back and forth.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Two-color brioche
-Knit & purl, slip stitch, cast on & bind off
-Working in the round

Size: fits 18-inch dolls

Materials: Kauni (affiliate link) 8/2 Effektgarn 100% Wool fingering weight yarn 440 yd (400 m)/100g, color grey – 0.5 skein or less (LC)
Kauni (affiliate link) Wool 8/2 Solids fingering weight yarn, 660 yards (604 meters) /150 gr, color burgundy – 0.5 skein or less (DC)

Notions: stitch markers, 2 stitch holders, 10 1/2" long piece of 1/4" wide elastic, sewing thread matching the color of the yarn, sewing needle, two ½” buttons.

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) 21” (52 cm) circular needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 18 sts x 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in brioche stitch
Please note that 1 row of brioche consists of 2 rows: 1 row of LC and 1 row of DC

Abbreviations:

Please note that I use Nancy Marchant's terminology for brioche stitch. I highly recommend her books Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch and Knitting Fresh Brioche: Creating Two-Color Twists & Turns, as well as her lessons on craftsy.com.

yf - yarn forward: bring the yarn to the front, between the tips of the needles.
yb - yarn back: take the yarn to the back, between the tips of the needles.
sl1yof - slip 1, yarn over, yarn to front: with working yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch, then bring yarn back around to the front, ready to purl the following stitch.
yfsl1yo - yarn forward, slip 1, yarn over: bring the working yarn between the tips of the needles to front of work, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch. Leave yarn in back, ready to knit the next stitch.
brk - brioche knit: knit the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brp - brioche purl: purl the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
LS – light side
DS – dark side
LC – light color
DC- dark color
pm – place marker
mm – move marker
k – knit
p – purl
RS - right side
WS- wrong side
m1 - Make 1 increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row purl as a regular stitch. See picture here.
as est. - as established, work as the pattern demands.


Pattern Notes:

Two-Color Brioche Stitch in rounds

Please note that one brioche round consists of 2 rounds, one worked in LC and the other in DC.

Set up round (LC): *k1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Set up round (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.
Round 1 (LC): yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Round 1 (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.
Repeat round 1 (LC and DC)


Two-Color Garter Stitch in rounds

Please note that since the garter stitches are worked alongside the brioche stripes, each round is worked in both LC and DC, similar to brioche rounds.
Round 1 (LC): purl.
Round 1 (DC): knit.


Two-Color Brioche Stitch in rows

Please note that one brioche row consists of 2 rows, one worked in LC and the other in DC. Both colors are worked in one direction, then the work is turned and both colors are worked in the other direction.

Odd number of stitches
Set-up row (LC): k1, *sl1yof, p1, rep from *, end with sl1yof, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Set-up row (DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from *, end with brk1, yb, sl last st. Turn.
Row 1 (LS, LC): k1, *yfsl1yo, brk1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, end with yfsl1yo, k1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS, DC): sl1, yf, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * to last 2 sts, end with brp1, yb, slip last st. Turn.
Row 2 (DS, LC): p1, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, end with sl1yof, p1. DO not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS, DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last 2 sts, end with brk1, yf, sl last st. Turn.


Two-Color Garter Stitch in rows

These are included as a guide to the technique, and as instructions for swatching.

Row 1 (LS LC): purl. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS DC): knit. Turn.

Row 2 (DS LC): knit. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS DC): purl. Turn.


Chain Selvedge

Worked at the beginning and the end of the row, consists of 1 st.

Row 1 (LS LC): Beginning of the row: bring LC under DC, sl 1; end of the row: p 1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS DC): Beginning of the row: sl 1, end of the row: p 1. Turn.

Row 2 (DS LC): of the row: bring LC under DC, sl 1; end of the row: p 1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS DC): Beginning of the row: sl 1, end of the row: p 1. Turn.



Skirt

The skirt is worked from the top down. The belt is worked in tockinette stitch back and forth, then the skirt is worked in two-color brioche stitch in the round. The skirt is finished with the two-color garter stitch

With LC cast on 50 sts. The 1st and the last stitch are selvedge/edge stitches.

Row 1 (WS): sl 1, p49. =50 sts.
Row 2 (RS ) : sl 1, k 48, p1.
Repeat rows 1-2 two more times.

Row 7 (WS): sl 1, k 48, p1.

Row 8 (RS): sl 1, k 48, p1.
Row 9 (WS): sl 1, p49
Repeat rows 8-9 two more times.

Row 14 (RS): sl1, *m1, k1, from * repeat to the last stitch, m1, k1, m1, join to the beginning of the row and continue to work in rounds. = 100 sts.

Set up round (LC): *k1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Set up round (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.

Round 1 (LC): yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Round 1 (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.

Repeat round 1 (LC and DC) 20 more times or to desired length.

Round 22 (LC): purl
Round 22 (DC): knit.

Repeat round 22 (LC and DC) two more times.

Bind off.



Vest

The vest is worked in two-color brioche. The vest is worked from the bottom up, back and forth, as one piece up to the armholes. At the armholes, the piece is divided into 3 parts: 2 fronts and a back, which are worked separately to the shoulder line. After that, all parts are connected and the vest's collar is worked as one piece. The bottom and the top of the vest are worked in two-color garter stitch. The button bands are worked in two-color garter stitch after the body is done.

With LC cast on 47 sts. The 1st and the last sts are selvedge/edge sts.

Work 6 rows of two-color garter stitch:

Row 1 (LS LC): Beginning of the row: bring LC under DC, sl 1; k45, p 1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS DC): Beginning of the row: sl 1, k45, p 1. Turn.

Row 2 (DS LC): Beginning of the row: bring LC under DC, sl 1; k45, p 1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS DC): Beginning of the row: sl 1, k45, p 1. Turn.

Repeat rows 1-2 two more times

Row 7 (LS, LC): sl1, k1, *yfsl1yo, k1, repeat from * to last st, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 7 (LS, DC): sl1, sl1yof, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * to last st, p1. Turn.

Row 8 (DS, LC): sl1, brp1, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to last st, p1. DO not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 8 (DS, DC): sl1, yfsl1yo, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last st, p1. Turn.

Row 9 (LS, LC): sl1, brk1, *yfsl1yo, brk1, repeat from * to last st, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 9 (LS, DC): sl1, sl1yof, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * to last st, p1. Turn.

Row 10: repeat row 8.

Repeat rows 9-10 three more times.

Continue to work two-color brioche stitch.

Row 17 (LS, LC): sl1, brk1, *yfsl1yo, brk1, repeat from * to last st, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 17 (LS, DC): sl1, sl1yof, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * three more times, p2tog, pm, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * ten more times, p2tog, pm, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * four more times, p1. Turn.

We divided our work for the fronts and the back. Continue to work each part separately: first, work the left front, then work the back and, finally, the right front.

Left Front

Rows 18-28: work two-color brioche st as est. over 11 sts. Transfer sts to an additional needle / stitch holder.

Back

Rows 18-28: work two-color brioche st as est. over 23 sts. Transfer sts to an additional needle / stitch holder

Right Front

Rows 18-28: work two-color brioche st as est. over 11 sts.

Row 29 (LS LC): sl1, work right front sts as est, m1, work back sts as est, m1, work left front sts as est to the end of the row. = 47 sts

Rows 29-42: work as est.

Rows 43-48: work two-color garter st.
Bind off.

Button Bands

Pu&k 33 sts along the center of the left front and work 6 rows of 2-color garter sts. Bind off.

Pu&k 33 sts along the center of the right front and work 6 rows of 2-color garter sts. In row 3, to make a button hole: sl1, p6, p2tog, yo, purl to the end of the row.
Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in yarn ends. Block.

Skirt: fold the belt along the purl row and sew its edge along the last row of the stockinette stitch, leaving 1” open. Insert the elastic, sew its ends together, sew the belt opening close.

Vest: sew a button on both sides of the vest to make it reversible.


Have fun!