December Romance – Crochet Pattern for an 80’s Inspired Holiday Dress with Fold-Over Collar (from my book: Modern Crochet Sweaters)

Hi all!

This post includes everything you need to know about the December Romance Dress, a size-inclusive crochet pattern for a fitted, 80’s-inspired dress with a billowy, fold-over ribbed collar and optional waist-shaping, worked seamlessly from the top-down. Not into dresses? Stop crocheting once you hit the hips for more of a classic sweater fit.

The December Romance Dress is from my book Modern Crochet Sweaters: 20 Chic Designs for Everyday Wear. This book includes 20 size-inclusive sweater patterns using a variety of techniques and construction methods to ensure there is something of value for every skill level. Each pattern is written in 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and each size has been thoroughly tested! We had over 500+ crochet pattern testers for this book to make sure that each size fits its intended wearer in a way that makes them feel beautiful. You can buy this book with confidence, knowing that each pattern was written for you and your unique body measurements.

Before we begin, here are some quick links for you:

Find the PDF version on Ravelry here, on Etsy here, and on my website here.
Add your finished project and view other completed projects on Ravelry here.
Use the pattern hashtag #DecemberRomance on Instagram to show off your makes! Be sure to check out the book hashtag, #ModernCrochetSweaters, too!
Shop the recommended yarn, Lion Brand Jeans, here! (Be sure to scroll down to see other great yarn substitutes!)
Shop my book on Amazon (US) here.
Shop my book on Amazon (CA) here.
Shop my book on other platforms outside of North America here.
Read about my experience getting a book deal here!
For any questions about this pattern, please email knitsnknotswpg@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you asap!

Shop my book – Modern Crochet Sweaters: 20 Chic Designs for Everyday Wear – here!

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About December Romance

Introducing my favorite piece in the entire collection and the quintessential holiday dress: December Romance. This versatile dress is sophisticated enough for all of your holiday festivities but subtle and understated enough to wear any day of the year. We skipped the obvious holiday themes—no red, green or sparkles on this one!—and what remains is a sexy, tasteful sweater dress suitable to rock year-round.

This striking design artfully accentuates the feminine figure with optional waist shaping. Enjoy the romantic, billowy collar and off-the-shoulder fit, perfectly juxtaposed against the figure-hugging silhouette of this body. The oversized collar and relaxed sleeves make this sweater dress more suitable for everyday wear. Whether you’re celebrating the new year as the clock strikes midnight or in need of an outfit for date night, this dress is sure to make you feel beautiful, no matter your personal style.

Getting Started: the December Romance Dress

Yarn: Worsted—Lion Brand Jeans in Stovepipe

100% acrylic
246 yds [225 m] per 3.5-oz [100-g] skein
Find this yarn on lionbrand.com or visit yarnsub.com to find comparable substitutes.

Substitute Lion Brand Jeans with any similar worsted weight, category #4 yarn that matches gauge. Any fiber should work out fine. Choose something soft (key: not itchy) that you would want to wear against your skin for long periods of time. I chose Jeans specifically for this fitted dress because this yarn has a softness that is hard to find in acrylics within this price range.

Yardage*: 8 (9, 10, 11, 11) (13, 14, 14, 15) skeins of Jeans, or

1950 (2025, 2225, 2500, 2650) (3000, 3225, 3425, 3600) yds

[1784 (1852, 2035, 2286, 2424) (2744, 2949, 3132, 3292) m]

*Yardage is calculated based off the length provided in the chart on Page 5 of the PDF pattern. If you would like a longer dress than written for your size, additional yardage will be required.

Yarn Note: This design is comprised of single crochet stitches throughout, encouraging you to get creative with your yarn choices. Simple stitches like this are great opportunities to use any special, unique yarns you may have on hand that you want to show off without getting lost in a distracting stitch pattern. Speckled, variegated, self-striping, and hand-dyed yarns pair best with a blank canvas of simple stitches to really let the yarn shine.

Hooks

Main gauge hook: Size U.S. G/7 (4.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
Hook for fold-over collar only: Size U.S. I/9 (5.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge for collar

Notions: Tapestry needle, five locking stitch markers

Gauge: 5 x 5″ [13 x 13 cm] = 22 sts and 24 rows in single crochet worked in the round with main gauge (smaller) hook

Collar gauge: 4 x 4″ [10 x 10 cm] = 14.5 sts and 12 rows in single crochet worked in the back loops only, measured unstretched. These 12 rows should be able to stretch to 7″ [18 cm]. The collar is crocheted loosely; you may need to go use a hook larger than 5.5 mm if you are typically a tight crocheter. It is better to err on the looser side than the tighter side for this collar because it needs to stretch over your shoulders. Additional information regarding the collar can be found in the Collar section of the pattern (this is page 9-10 of the PDF pattern).

Getting Started: Knowing Your Measurements

This book uses the Craft Yarn Council (CYC) to determine sizing. The CYC is the industry standard when it comes to knit and crochet sizing. While you will be able to produce a beautiful sweater by following the written patterns, I also like to include customization tips throughout each pattern so that you can adjust based on your unique body measurements; for example, shortening or lengthening a sleeve, or adjusting for a larger upper arm than written for your size. This way, you can modify the pattern with confidence, if needed. When making garments for myself, I usually need to shorten tops or sweaters because I have a short torso. My hips also fall under a different size than my bust. Not everyone fits perfectly into these sizing standards; they are simply averages, not set-in-stone numbers.

Understanding how your body deviates from the CYC standard measurements gives you the ability to tailor a sweater to perfectly fit you, rather than feel disappointed that your body doesn’t fit into the sizing standards. I recommend that you measure the largest part of your bust and then refer to the CYC website (click here) to find out which size you would fall under. Then, look at the other measurements that are included for your size, and see which of these measurements deviate from your actual body measurements. Knowledge is power, and once you understand how your body deviates from the CYC standards, you will be able to anticipate this deviation and assume it translates through most patterns. For example, if your upper arm circumference is slightly larger than the CYC sizing chart reads, then you can expect you may have to ignore a few decrease rows when working the sleeves of your next sweater, or even follow the sleeve instructions for the next size up, if possible.

Customization Ideas + Tips When Crocheting This Dress

Tips

Sizing: This sweater is written in nine sizes as follows: XS (S, M, L, XL) (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X). Make sure to follow the numbers for your size only.
Stitch Counts: Stitch counts are listed after each row/rnd. If no stitch count is given, there has been no change since the previous row/rnd. If only one number is provided, it applies to all sizes.
Right Side: The “right side” is the side of your work that faces you as you work the yoke, body, and sleeves.
Sweater Version: To make a sweater that lands at the hips, work the pattern as written and simply stop at your desired length. You may choose to omit the waist and hip shaping for a more relaxed fit.
Construction: This sweater has a circular yoke construction, worked seamlessly from the top down. After completing the yoke increases, the yoke is then separated to create space for the body and the arm holes. The body is worked next with some optional waist shaping and then the sleeves. Last, the billowy, ribbed collar is added.

Customization Ideas

For a classic sweater-length: Simply follow the pattern as it’s written, without working the waist-shaping (unless you want it to be fitted, then by all means you can work the waist-shaping), and continue crocheting in rounds until reaching your desired length. Add ribbing if desired by following the instructions as outlined in the Sleeve Cuff section of the pattern.
To add length: To add length to this dress, simply work the waist/hip shaping as instructed, then continue crocheting in rounds until you are satisfied with the length.
To adjust the placement of the waist-shaping: The pattern is written for you to add the waist shaping whenever you need it. For this dress, you will work the body until it reaches the bottom (or the bottom half) of your bust, where your bust circumference begins to decrease as you have worked past the fullest part of your bust. Try on your sweater dress as you make it so you can be sure of the placement. Then work the Waist Shaping as written in the pattern.
To omit the waist-shaping: To omit the waist shaping, simply work into each stitch around until reaching your desired length.
If you need to increase for the stomach area: Increase as instructed at the end of the Waist-Shaping instructions, where you are instructed to begin increasing for the hips. You can work these increases whenever you need them.
If your hips are smaller or wider than the measurement in the sizing chart: You can work fewer or additional increase rounds until reaching your desired circumference.
Add ribbing to the bottom of the sweater-dress: To add ribbing, follow the instructions from the Sleeve Cuff. Chain however many stitches you would like – this initial chain determines the width of your ribbing. However long you want your ribbing to be, keep this in mind when working the body of your dress; stop crocheting the body when you are this distance away from your desired length to accommodate the length of the ribbing.
For a short sleeve dress: Work the first round of the sleeve as instructed. If this is your desired sleeve circumference, you can work the sleeve cuff ribbing as instructed. If you would like your sleeve to be a little more fitted, you can work a few decreases evenly around your sleeve (work these as sc2tog) until reaching your desired circumference. Then, proceed to the Cuff instructions. Rep for second side.
- You can also work the sleeve cuff ribbing in a smaller hook than written in the pattern to help keep it taught on your arm.
To adjust the width of your ribbing:
- For taller ribbing, work a longer beginning chain when starting your ribbing.
- For shorter ribbing, work a shorter beginning chain when starting your ribbing.
For a colour-blocked sweater: Simply change colours whenever you would like the colour changes to appear.
- When changing colours, work the very last yarn-over of the old colour with the new colour. Then, you can snip the old colour and continue crocheting with the new colour.
For a dress that flares out at the bottom: Work the Increase rounds (from the waist-shaping section) once you hit the thigh. Work as many increase rounds as desired, with a few rounds in between each one of straight single crocheting into every stitch. This will create a mermaid-style skirt.

Yarn Substitutions

The yarn used in my sample is a 100% acrylic because I wanted the yarn for this dress to be inexpensive and easily accessible, especially to beginner crocheters. However, you are free to use any fiber content that you like for your own version! The important thing to keep in mind when choosing your yarn for this dress is to pick something that you would like to wear against your skin for long periods of time. Also remember that this will be against your entire body, so you will probably want to choose something breathable. (Breathable fibers include cotton, linen, and animal fibers – ie. wool, alpaca, silk, etc.) Always swatch before beginning so you can be sure your chosen yarn creates a fabric you love! Listed below you will see a variety of yarns that will work just fine in place of Lion Brand Jeans so long as you match gauge!

Substitute Lion Brand Jeans with any similar worsted weight, category #4 yarn that matches gauge. You could also try matching gauge with a DK weight (category #3 yarn) for a lighter dress with more drape. Any fiber should work out fine. Choose something soft (key: not itchy) that you would want to wear against your skin for long periods of time. I chose Jeans specifically for this fitted dress because this yarn has a softness and drape that is hard to find in acrylics within this price range.

Jeans is one of my favorite budget-friendly yarns because it has a softness that can be hard to find in acrylics within this price range.

Since Jeans is not easily accessible in every country, visit www.yarnsub.com and type “Lion Brand Jeans” in the search box to find a suitable alternative. You will find hundreds of yarns with similar properties and you are bound to find a brand that is accessible to you. The YarnSub website is an incredible resource that I use regularly to find appropriate yarn substitutes.

The following yarns can be used in this pattern and will produce a lovely finished garment:

Lion Brand Yarns:

Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling
Lion Brand LB Collection Chainette
Lion Brand Cobblestone (discontinued)
Lion Brand Cotton Ease
Lion Brand Jeans (Colors)
Lion Brand Heartland
Lion Brand Pound of Love
Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca
Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Click here to browse other Lion Brand yarns that would work in this pattern.

LoveCrafts Yarns:

Knit Picks/WeCrochet Yarns:

Hobbii Yarns:

Hobby Lobby Brands:

Other Yarns:

Valley Yarns Peru
Patons Canadiana
Loops & Threads Impeccable (Michaels Brand)
Big Twist Soft (JoAnn Brand)
Deramores Studio DK
Drops Cotton Merino
Gazzal RocknRoll (DK)
KnitCrate Bloom Audine Wools

Tester Photos

There were 500+ pattern testers for this book because I wanted to ensure all sizes are satisfied with the pattern and fit! Below you can see photos from the testing process to see how the sweater looks on different bodies with different modifications made using a variety of yarns.