For Elegance Irish Crochet Dress (1969): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Medium (CYC #4) worsted-weight yarn — the original was knitting worsted: 9 skeins White. Assumption: the skein weight is not printed; if it is a 4 oz (113 g) skein of worsted-weight yarn it holds about 200–230 yd (183–210 m) — check your label.
• Crochet hook (original: plastic crochet hook size J)
• Optional lining fabric (the original suggests lining the dress or wearing it over a sheath dress)
• Hook: Start with 6 mm (US J-10) and change size to match the gauge

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

sl st

slip stitch

sk

skip

st

stitch

sts

stitches

rep

repeat

yo

yarn over

Notes before you start

• Source: "For Elegance—Irish Crochet — White Crochet Dress", Fashion Parade: Knit and Crochet for Him and Her (Star Book No. 189), American Thread Company, 1969. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “DAWN” KNITTING WORSTED; 9 skeins White; Plastic Crochet Hook Size J OR ANY SIZE HOOK WHICH WILL RESULT IN STITCH GAUGE BELOW. Gauge: GAUGE: 1 flower motif = 2½ inches in diameter.
• Modernisation note: Original is written in US crochet terms; kept as US terms (sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet).
• Modernisation note: Spaced abbreviations (s c, d c, sl st, y o) written as sc, dc, sl st, yo; "1st" written as "first"; "st of ch" written as "ch" where the stitch is a chain.
• Modernisation note: "Cut yarn" written as "fasten off"; "attach" (yarn) written as "join".
• Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs split into one row, round or step per line; stitch order unchanged.
• Modernisation note: Vintage sizing and ease differ from today's — compare the printed measurements with your own before choosing a size.
• Modernisation note: The first strip's unnumbered steps labelled "Petal group", "Chain of groups", "Second side of motifs" and "Close the strip"; the printed "2nd ROUND" labelled Round 2.
• Modernisation note: "3 petal group" written as "3-petal group"; "ch 5 loop" and "ch 7 loop" written as "ch-5 loop" and "ch-7 loop"; "popcorn st" written as "popcorn".
• Modernisation note: Second strip joining: "popcorn st in center st of ch 7 loop" written as "popcorn in center ch of ch-7 loop".
• Modernisation note: Neck: the printed "NEXT ROW" after the first neckline round written as Round 2, and "NEXT 2 ROUNDS" as Rounds 3 and 4.
• Modernisation note: "Heavy turkish towel" written as "heavy terry towel".
• Modernisation note: Check: the petal is printed "ch 3, 1 d c, ch 3, sl st in loop" without saying where the dc goes; it is presumably worked into the ring/loop. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: in Round 2 the popcorn is worked "in center st of loop between petals"; the joining and bodice instructions place it in the center (4th) ch of the ch-7 loop between motifs, which is probably the same place. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: when joining the second strip, the second join is printed "sl st in center st between next 2 petals of 1st strip"; the first strip has a ch-5 loop there. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: "Repeat 2nd strip 11 times" gives 13 skirt strips in all (1 first strip plus 12). Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: sleeves are worked in "3 strips of 8 motifs same as dress"; it is not stated whether the sleeve strips are closed into rings like the skirt strips. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: the back bodice has 3 strips and the front bodice 2 strips plus the shoulder strips; left as printed.
• Modernisation note: The skirt circumference is our rough calculation (18 motifs × 2½ in) and ignores the ch-7 joins; no finished measurements are printed.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions added.