Knit a cute crop top and mini skirt for Barbie with this free pattern, perfect for using up leftover yarn scraps.
Knit back and forth in rows of easy stockinette, these clothes should fit all 11.5 inch fashion dolls.
Hate seaming? Check out the circular version of this pattern instead, knit in the round with a circular needle or DPNs.
What you Need
- 3.25mm (size 3 US) knitting needles
- Sport or 4 ply yarn:
- Crop top: 12m, 13 yds or 3 grams approx
- Mini skirt: 18m, 20 yds or 5 grams approx
I used Drops Baby Merino wool in shade 2 of white and shade 10 light turquoise.
- Tapestry needle for seaming & weaving in ends.
Finished measurements:
Top: 4.5cm (1.75 in) long and 6cm (2.5 in) wide
Skirt: 6cm (2.5 in) long and 9cm (3.5 in ) wide across bottom
Since doll’s clothes are so small, the easiest way to judge size is by actually knitting the 15 row crop top! 😀
But for reference, the tension/gauge is 26 stitches and 39 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) approx.
These dolls clothes are knit back and forth in rows from the top down and seamed down the back. There are a lot of increases & decreases for shaping, but if you miss the odd one or put it in the wrong place, it’s no big deal. Barbie won’t mind! 😊
Abbreviations
- Rx – row number x
- kx – knit x stitches
- px – purl x stitches
- k2tog – knit 2 stitches together to decrease by 1 stitch
- m1 – make 1 stitch (increase a stitch) using your preferred increase method
I used m1L: Put your left needle under the bar between the previous & next stitch from front to back, lift it up and place it on the left needle. Then knit into the back of it to make a new stitch. - m1r (skirt) – right slanted increase
make 1 stitch by putting your left needle under the bar between the previous & next stitch from back to front, lift it up and place it on the left needle. Then knit into the front of this to make a new stitch. - st – stitches
- st st – stockinette stitch: knit the odd (right side) rows and purl the even (wrong side) rows
Crop Top Pattern
Note: Row 1-12 are the same as for the barbie dress pattern
Neckline
Option 1: For a tighter firm neckline, use the cable cast on method (video demo), where you put your needle between the previous 2 stitches when casting on each stitch. This is the neckline in all the pattern pictures (white top).
Option 2: For a looser, stretchy neckline that can be worn off the shoulder, use the knitted cast on (video) instead, where you put your needle into the previous stitch when casting on each stitch. This also makes the top easier for small children to get on & off. The pink top picture below shows the loose neckline option.
Cast on 26 stitches.
R1: knit all stitches
R2 and all even rows unless stated: purl all stitches
Increase at sides and front for shoulders:
R3: k6, m1, k2, m1, k2, m1, k6, m1, k2, m1, k2, m1, k6 [32 st]
R5: k6, m1, k4, m1, k2, m1, k8, m1, k2, m1, k4, m1, k6 [38 st]
Armholes
R7: k6. Cast off the next 6 stitches. Start by knitting stitches 7 & 8 and pass stitch 7 over 8 to cast it off.
Knit 13 more stitches, so that you have 6 stitches, the cast off gap and 14 more stitches.
Now cast off the next 6 stitches. Again, start by knitting the next 2 stitches, and passing the 1st over the 2nd.
Finally knit the last 5 stitches.
So you have 6 stitches, a cast off gap, 14 stitches, a cast off gap & 6 stitches [26 st]
R8: p6, cast on 2 stitches using the backwards loop method with your thumb (video), p14, cast on another 2 stitches, p6 [30 st]
Rest of Top
Front increases for bust:
R9: k10, m1, k10, m1, k10 [32 st]
R11: k10, m1, k12, m1, k10 [34 st]
Ribbing:
R13: k7, k2tog, k16, k2tog, k7 [32 st]
R14-15: (k1,p1) and repeat this pattern to end to knit 1×1 rib stitch
Cast off in rib. Start by knitting the 1st stitch, purling the 2nd, and passing the 1st stitch over the 2nd. Then knit the 3rd stitch & pass the previous stitch over it, purl the 4th stitch etc.
Mini Skirt Pattern
Cast on 26 stitches using the cable cast on (video demo) or your preferred method.
Waist ribbing:
R1-3: (k1, p1) and repeat this pattern to the end to knit 1×1 rib stitch [26 sts]
R4: purl
Skirt increases:
Do 4 sets of increases, increasing evenly by 6 stitches each time in the 1st row and then knitting 3 even rows of stockinette.
I’ve used a few right slanted increases (m1r) here as well as the standard left slanted increases (m1) for a neater look. But feel free to just use m1 throughout for simplicity (or your fave increase method).
R5: k3, m1r, k4, m1, k4, m1, k4, m1r, k4, m1, k4, m1, k3 [32 sts]
R6-8: 3 rows st st [purl, knit, purl]
R9: k4, m1r, k5, m1, k5, m1, k5, m1r, k5, m1, k5, m1, k3 [38 sts]
R10-12: 3 rows st st [purl, knit, purl]
R13: k4, m1r, k6, m1, k6, m1, k6, m1r, k6, m1, k6, m1, k4 [44 sts]
R14-16: 3 rows st st [purl, knit, purl]
R17: k5, m1r, k7, m1, k7, m1, k7, m1r, k7, m1, k7, m1, k4 [50 sts]
R18-19: 2 rows st st [purl, knit]
Add more rows of st st (an even number, multiple of 2) for a longer skirt.
Skirt border:
R20-22: purl
This adds 1 row of purl on the right side of the skirt (R21) to stop it from curling up.
Cast off in k1,p1 rib or your preferred method.
To cast off in rib, start by knitting the 1st stitch, purling the 2nd, and passing the 1st stitch over the 2nd. Then knit the 3rd stitch & pass the previous stitch over it, purl the 4th stitch etc.
Seaming & Finishing
Seam the back of the clothes using mattress stitch for a neat finish, working 1 stitch in on each side. See my mattress stitch guide & video tutorial here.
Reinforce Armholes (optional)
The underside of the armholes is a bit delicate and sharp doll fingers can get caught there.
You can make the armholes more robust by threading your tapestry needle with a length of yarn and adding a few vertical stitches over the bottom side of the armhole (overstitching).
I’ve shown this overstitching in a contrast pink colour on the left below so you can see the stitches made. When you use matching yarn (right) you won’t see it at all:
Washing & Blocking
The crop top is OK straight off the needles but it’s nice to block the skirt so Barbie looks her best:
- Step 1: Soak it in a bowl of cool water for about half an hour (add a drop of wool wash if you like)
- Step 2: Gently squeeze out the excess water (pressing it inside a towel helps)
- Step 3: Lay out neatly on a baking rack or similar and when you’re happy with the shape, leave to dry
I hope you enjoy knitting this summer outfit for a special doll and find the pattern easy to follow.
Got any questions or feedback? Please leave a comment below.
This 11.5 inch doll’s dress pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only. It may not be copied, sold, translated or distributed in any way, nor any finished items made using it sold, without permission. While it’s also designed to fit Barbie dolls, it’s not associated with Mattel in any way – I’m just a big Barbie fan. 😊
