Start by following the pattern for Clea dress. When you have finished the belly and skirt and reach the bust section a few changes will be made.
I used 8 cotton yarn balls (50 g = 160 m) for my size M/L and I used a 3 mm hook. I am 168 cm tall.
Skirt:
I wanted a side slit so for the last 10 rows I stopped connecting the row and instead left the side open, still crocheting inc but just crocheting back and forth, turning over with 2 chains (they don’t count as a stitch) at the end of each row. Doing this will give even more flare to the dress, as if you’d made more increases and it softens the drape even more.
Bust:
- Skip the triangle in the middle – instead measure and mark the first and last stitch where the triangle would be (this will instead be the cut-out section).
- Crochet a few rows where you start at the first mark, then crochet back to the other mark. You make dc with 1 dc inc in the beginning of each row. I made 9 rows.
- Now try it on, you can continue making rows until you are at the middle of your bust or until you reach your armpit. Stop the inc, And now you only crochet on the front of the dress.
- Here you crochet one breast at a time so you get a long strap that can be connected to the back of the dress. Again try on until you have enough rows to go over your shoulder – don’t worry if it’s loose, as you’ll add elastic to the edge in the end. I had 42 rows on my strap.
- End the strap by crocheting it with slip stitches onto the back (place it so the strap starts at the armpit), break off.
- Do the same thing with the other strap. Break off.
- Now comes the knot on the front. Here you’ll crochet on the side of the row in between the breasts (starting at the 4th or 5th row (or however big you want the cut-out to be) and approx. 10 rows up.
- Make 2 dc per row (20 stitches spread out on 10 rows)
- Crochet back and forth with no dec for 3-4 rows, then make 1 dec at the beginning of each row until you have 4 ish stitches left on the row orf until you have about 20 rows.
- Break off and repeat on the other side.
- Now you can tie it.
- Make a single crochet edge on both edges – from the knot to the back, and from armpit to armpit.
- Now take a piece of elastic thread, sew on end into the back of the stitches, close to your starting sc-stitch, then sew it under the sc stitches, all the way to the end of the edge, pull it to tighten it if needed, then sew the other end in place on the back of the stitches. Continue with the rest of the edges.
Bra cups inside:
If you want to make the top less see-through make 2 bra cups (free pattern here) preferably using thick yarn and bigger hook (like sport or worsted and a 4 or 4,5 mm hook). You don’t need to make them regular size, but just enough to cover your breast. And then sew them on each bust for coverage and to create a padded-like feel.