Navy Nautical Flared Mini Dress Free Crochet Pattern

If you love that classic sailor stripe look, this navy nautical flared mini dress is going to make your day! It has a squared neckline, braided spaghetti straps, a nipped-in waist, and a skirt that flares out like a vintage 1950s sundress — and the whole dress is worked in single crochet only.

We will work it top-down in continuous rounds, so there are no seams to sew. The bodice uses simple two-round navy and white stripes, the waist shaping decreases and then increases back out to the hip, and the skirt keeps growing through regular increase rounds until it reaches 280 stitches at the hem. Cotton or a cotton blend is strongly recommended so the fitted bodice keeps its shape.

The pattern is written for size Small/Medium: 34 inch bust with 1 to 2 inches of negative ease, 28 inch waist, 38 inch hip at the skirt flare, and a total length of about 26 inches. Plan for roughly 25 to 40 hours, including the braided straps.

Materials

• 900 yards DK weight yarn in navy (Yarn A)
• 700 yards DK weight yarn in white (Yarn B)
• 3.5mm crochet hook (US E/4)
• At least 4 stitch markers
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
• Measuring tape and scissors
• Dress form or blocking mats (optional)

Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• sc2tog: single crochet two together
• inc: increase, 2 sc in the same stitch
• sl st: slip stitch
• st/sts: stitch / stitches
• RS: right side

Special Stitches

• Stripe Single Crochet: work single crochet in continuous rounds with the color changes carried up the inside. At the last yarn over of the final sc before a color change, pull through with the new color instead of the working color. Do not cut the yarn between colors; carry the unused yarn along the inside by crocheting over it loosely on every round it is not in use.
• Braided Straps: each strap is made from 3 individual crochet chains worked with both colors held together, then braided together into one strap.

Gauge & Size

• Finished size: Small/Medium; bust 34 inches (86cm), waist 28 inches (71cm), hip at skirt flare 38 inches (97cm), total length 26 inches (66cm)
• Gauge: 20 sc and 22 rows = 4 inches (10cm) in single crochet worked in continuous rounds, blocked
• Construction: top-down in continuous rounds with no joining or turning; bodice stripes are 2 rounds navy, 2 rounds white; skirt stripes are 3 rounds of each color
• Skill level: Intermediate

Bodice Pattern

Work in continuous rounds without joining or turning. Place a removable stitch marker at the beginning of each round and move it up as you work, and keep the right side facing outward. All stitch counts include the marker stitch.

Foundation: using navy (Yarn A) and the 3.5mm hook, ch 170. Without twisting, sl st to the first ch to join into a ring. This is the neckline edge.

Round 1: Sc in each ch around. Do not join. (170 sc)

Round 2 (navy): Sc in each st around. At the end of the round, change to white on the final yarn over of the last sc. (170 sc)

Rounds 3 and 4 (white): Sc in each st around. Change to navy at the end of Round 4. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 5 and 6 (navy): Sc in each st around. Change to white at the end of Round 6. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 7 and 8 (white): Sc in each st around. Change to navy at the end of Round 8. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 9 and 10 (navy): Sc in each st around. Change to white at the end of Round 10. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 11 and 12 (white): Sc in each st around. Change to navy at the end of Round 12. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 13 and 14 (navy): Sc in each st around. Change to white at the end of Round 14. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 15 and 16 (white): Sc in each st around. Change to navy at the end of Round 16. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 17 and 18 (navy): Sc in each st around. Change to white at the end of Round 18. (170 sc each round)

Rounds 19 and 20 (white): Sc in each st around. Change to navy at the end of Round 20. (170 sc each round)

After Round 20 the bodice tube should measure approximately 3.6 inches (9cm) tall, with 5 complete 2-round navy stripes and 5 complete 2-round white stripes.

Waist and Hip Shaping

Round 21 (navy, decrease): (Sc 16, sc2tog) 10 times. (160 sc)

Rounds 22 to 24: Sc in each st around, working Round 22 in navy and Rounds 23 and 24 in white. (160 sc each round)

Round 25 (navy, decrease): (Sc 14, sc2tog) 10 times. (150 sc)

Rounds 26 to 28: Sc in each st around, working Round 26 in navy and Rounds 27 and 28 in white. (150 sc each round)

Round 29 (navy, decrease): (Sc 13, sc2tog) 10 times. (140 sc)

Rounds 30 to 32: Sc in each st around, working Round 30 in navy and Rounds 31 and 32 in white. (140 sc each round)

After Round 30 the total piece height should be approximately 5.5 inches (14cm) and the circumference about 28 inches (71cm) — this is your waist.

Round 33 (navy, increase): (Sc 13, inc) 10 times. (150 sc)

Round 34 (navy): Sc in each st around. (150 sc)

Round 35 (white, increase): (Sc 14, inc) 10 times. (160 sc)

Round 36 (white): Sc in each st around. (160 sc)

Round 37 (navy, increase): (Sc 15, inc) 10 times. (170 sc)

Rounds 38 to 40: Sc in each st around, working Round 38 in navy and Rounds 39 and 40 in white. (170 sc each round)

After Round 40 the total piece height should be approximately 7.3 inches (18.5cm) and the hip circumference about 34 inches (86cm). You are now at the top of the skirt.

Skirt Pattern

The skirt stripe sequence changes to 3 rounds navy, 3 rounds white. Each increase block is one increase round followed by 5 plain rounds. Change colors at the end of every third round, following the same rhythm all the way to the hem.

Round 41 (navy, increase): (Sc 16, inc) 10 times. (180 sc)

Rounds 42 to 46: Sc in each st around. (180 sc each round)

Round 47 (navy, increase): (Sc 17, inc) 10 times. (190 sc)

Rounds 48 to 52: Sc in each st around. (190 sc each round)

Round 53 (navy, increase): (Sc 18, inc) 10 times. (200 sc)

Rounds 54 to 58: Sc in each st around. (200 sc each round)

Round 59 (navy, increase): (Sc 19, inc) 10 times. (210 sc)

Rounds 60 to 64: Sc in each st around. (210 sc each round)

Round 65 (navy, increase): (Sc 20, inc) 10 times. (220 sc)

Rounds 66 to 70: Sc in each st around. (220 sc each round)

Round 71 (navy, increase): (Sc 21, inc) 10 times. (230 sc)

Rounds 72 to 76: Sc in each st around. (230 sc each round)

Round 77 (navy, increase): (Sc 22, inc) 10 times. (240 sc)

Rounds 78 to 82: Sc in each st around. (240 sc each round)

Round 83 (navy, increase): (Sc 23, inc) 10 times. (250 sc)

Rounds 84 to 88: Sc in each st around. (250 sc each round)

Round 89 (navy, increase): (Sc 24, inc) 10 times. (260 sc)

Rounds 90 to 94: Sc in each st around. (260 sc each round)

Round 95 (navy, increase): (Sc 25, inc) 10 times. (270 sc)

Rounds 96 to 100: Sc in each st around. (270 sc each round)

Round 101 (navy, increase): (Sc 26, inc) 10 times. (280 sc)

Rounds 102 to 106: Sc in each st around. (280 sc each round)

After Round 106 the total piece height should be approximately 26 inches (66cm) from the neckline, and the hem circumference approximately 56 inches (142cm).

Hem, Neckline and Straps

Hem finish: at the end of Round 106, with navy, sl st in each st around the hem edge. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Neckline finish: with navy, join yarn at any point along the top neckline edge and sl st in each st around the neckline. Sl st to join, fasten off, and weave in the end.

Strap cords (make 6 total, 3 per strap): with navy and white held together as one, ch 90. Fasten off, leaving a 12-inch (30cm) tail at each end for attachment.

Group 3 cords together, tie a loose knot at one end to anchor them, and braid in a standard 3-strand braid. Each finished braided strap should measure approximately 12 inches (30cm).

Hold the bodice with the right side facing, find the front center, and measure 3.5 inches (9cm) to the left and right of center for the front attachment points. Thread the tail ends onto a tapestry needle and sew through the front neckline edge from outside to inside, passing through 2 to 3 stitches, then knot firmly on the inside and double-secure with another knot. Bring the straps over the shoulders, mark comfortable back attachment points, attach the same way, and trim any excess.

Finishing & Assembly

Weave in all ends throughout the dress — there will be many color-change ends along the inside of the bodice, so weave each one over at least 1 inch in multiple directions. For wet blocking, submerge the dress in cool water, press out the water without wringing, roll it in a clean towel, then lay it flat on blocking mats, shape the bodice to measurements, fan the skirt out evenly in a circular shape, and let it dry completely, about 24 to 48 hours.

Tips

Gauge is mandatory for this dress: even 1 stitch per 4 inches difference changes the bodice fit noticeably, so block your swatch before you measure it.

To size up, add stitches to the foundation chain in multiples of 10 — chain 180 adds about 2 inches of circumference — and adjust the waist decrease math proportionally. To size down to XS, chain 160.

To lengthen the skirt, add more 6-round increase blocks after Round 106; each block adds approximately 1.1 inches and 10 stitches.

Machine wash on gentle in cold water inside a mesh laundry bag, do not tumble dry or wring, and store the dress folded rather than hung for long periods.