A new beginner crochet dress pattern, the easy Namib Dress, is now available in my Etsy and Ravelry stores. Read all about the inspiration, yarn and beginner construction below.
No time right now? Pin this easy dress crochet pattern for later!
*This post contains affiliate links (only for products I love, use and spend my own money on obviously). This means I earn some yarn money if you make a purchase through one of these links (of course at no extra cost for you!), which I promise to use to create more awesome patterns like this one. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here.
Inspired by travels and refreshing time away, the Namib Dress is an easy crochet pattern that will make you feel like you just returned from an inspiring trip relaxed and ready for whatever this day has to throw at you. No airfare required.
This crochet dress pattern is available in sizes XS-5XL and is beginner-friendly (not even a single increase or decrease required!).
Grab your hook because this dress was made for all and is ready to be brought to life.
Gauge Magic for a Super Beginner-Friendly Construction
The Namib Dress crochet pattern is worked in 2 simple T-shaped panels sewed together. Although it has a flattering waist shaping, no increases or decreases are necessary!
How is that possible? Well, a bit of math (I took care of that for you!) and gauge magic is all you need. The shaping is entirely achieved thanks to the difference in gauge between the stitches used for the top and skirt section.
So changing stitch is all you need for the skirt section to widen out while keeping the same stitch count. Pretty cool, right?
The Yarn
The Namib Dress crochet pattern is designed with Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4 yarn. It’s a classic 100% cotton yarn.
I love working and wearing cotton in the summer, it has a great stitch definition, gorgeous colors and is very affordable.
Downloadable PDF Namib Dress Crochet Pattern
Grab the printable PDF of the Namib Dress crochet pattern now in my Etsy shop or on Ravelry.
What you’ll Need to Crochet the Namib Dress Crochet Pattern
- 4 mm / US G – 6 hook.
- Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4 (super fine (1), 50 g / 1.75 oz, 100% cotton, 170 m / 186 yd) in:
- Jeans Blue (029) (MC): 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) skeins
- Old Rose (046) (A): 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins
- Pastel Mint (025) (B): 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins
- Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.
Crochet Dress Sizes
The crochet dress pattern is available in following sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL size. Sizes are written as XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL) throughout the pattern. Pictures illustrate the Medium size.
The dress is designed with a very close fit, 2” to 4”/ 5 – 10 cm negative ease at the bust.
Below are the final dress measurements for the different sizes.
- XS: bust 64 cm / 25”, hip 90 cm / 35.5”
- S: bust 74 cm / 29”, hip 103 cm / 40.5”
- M: bust 84 cm / 33”, hip 117 cm / 46”
- L: bust 94 cm / 37”, hip 130 cm / 51”
- XL: bust 104 cm / 41”, hip 146 cm / 57.5”
- 2XL: bust 114 cm / 45”, hip 159 cm / 62.5”
- 3XL: bust 124 cm / 49”, hip 172 cm / 67.5”
- 4XL: bust 134 cm / 53”, hip 186 cm / 73”
- 5XL: bust 144 cm / 56.5”, hip 201 cm / 79”
Sleeves are 15 cm / 6” long.
The total dress length is 94 cm / 37”. You can easily adjust the length by adding or removing rows (refer to the tips and tricks to try on your dress while you’re making it).
Pattern Gauge
The gauge for this pattern:
- In linen stitch is 25 st by 26 rows for a 10 cm by 10 cm / 4” by 4” square.
- In dc is 18 st by 12 rows for a 10 cm by 10 cm / 4” by 4” square.
Note: it’s important you meet gauge for both stitch patterns as the dress shaping is achieved thanks to the difference in gauge. Especially the number of stitches per 10 cm / 4” is important for a good fit. The number of rows is less important because lengths are always given in measurements.
If necessary, use a different hook size for the different sections.
Beginner-Friendly Construction
The dress is worked in 2 simple T shaped panels sewed together. The shaping for the skirt section is achieved only thanks to the difference in gauge between both sections; no increases or decreases are necessary.
The top section is worked in linen stitch alternating 3 colors of yarn while the skirt part is simply made of dc stitches.
Special Stitches
Linen stitch (worked over an uneven number of stitches):
- Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, [skip 1, sc] across, turn.
- Row 2: Ch 1, [ch 1, skip sc, sc in ch-1 space below] until last st, sc, turn.
- Repeat Row 2
Tips and Tricks
- Because you’re working the linen stitch for the top section with an uneven number of colors (3), you can easily carry the colors up the side, avoiding too many ends to weave in. You can then hide the float lines in the seams and sleeve border.
- To check the fit of the dress while you’re working on it (it would be a pity to crochet the entire project only to realize you don’t like the fit), you can work on both panels in parallel. Sew the sleeves and shoulder seams when the first part of both panels is completed to try the dress on as you go.
