Pattern, Size and Yarn before you start a project

Now that my Lace Scarf is done Life happened and put the next project right in front of me. I did not even have to wait a day.

A new Girl was born on April 12. and there is only one thing I could think of:

Knitting a dress for miss PERFECT.
After looking just a few days on-line I found the pattern I wanted to use.
LEA by drops
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/pattern.php?id=5414&lang=en

I have decided to use a 100% silk yarn, Mulberry by Luisa Harding

It feels cool on the skin and it's texture is very luxurious.
My idea was to make this pink dress out of multiple colors. And I must say it really worked out.
The ruffled edge starts with a row of very dark red (color number 028), then the lavender ruffles (color number 06). The pink main body (color number 04) leads into a pink and beige (color number 02) waistline. The upper part has a seed stitch pattern und after the next pink and beige breakline the upper portion of the dress is solid beige, continuing the seed stitch pattern.
It is really fun to knitt this.

Here, I need to share what I have learned over time:

You can use any similar yarn you like,

you are not bound by the pattern to use the exact yarn as the pattern calls for.

To do that is actually simple.

Knit a test 10 x 10 cm ( 4" by 4") piece, or a little larger, as I do most of the time.

For example: the dress pattern called for a yarn that leads to

24 sts x 32 rows in stockinette st = 10 x 10 cm ( 4" by 4")

The yarn I chose to use provided a test pattern

22 sts x 30 rows in stockinette st = 10 x 10 cm ( 4" by 4")

This is very close, don't you agree?

the difference in stitches (2) = less then 10% of 24 (2.4) but more than 5% (1.2)

the difference in rows (2) also = less then 10% of 32 (3.2) but more 5% (1.6)

What I looked at next was the given pattern per size:

What is the stitch difference per size?

Cast on recommendation for size 1 to 3 months and size 6 to 9 months is 366 and 394

the difference in stitches (28) = less then 10% of 366 (36.6) but mor then 5% (18.3)

VOALA, hier is was my answer:

Use the instructions for the 1 to 3 months and  I will end up with a dress that is somewhere between 5 % to 10% bigger than what the pattern describes.

That would make this dress fit a 3 to 6 months old girl, which is just fine with me.

I do measure while I am knitting to confirm that I am not knitting to loose or to tight and still have time to adjust the garment if the calculation was misleading.

So far though, 50 years into doing this, this appraximating of the sizing has never been wrong.

If you are reading this and struggling with sizing your trial knit with the pattern, e-mail me at oberpfalzerin@gmail.com I will help.

I am already looking forward to tonight knitting the arms. Finishing will happen during the week.

Most likely I will also make a little beanie to go with it. I thought it should be like the dress, but the color combination in reverse.

I can't wait to see little miss Allison next Sunday, if all goes well!