Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Baby & Kids 5 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Ruffled polka dot baby skirt crochet pattern
Baby skirt: flat waistband, 24+ rounds of double crochet ruffles, no increase math to track.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Rounds
- 5
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
5
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This skirt starts flat, as a plain strip worked back and forth in single crochet through the back loop only, then turns into a joined round once that strip measures 19.5 inches stretched and is folded and seamed into a waistband. From there the body takes over: a tall stack of double crochet rounds, the first worked even and every round after built on steady increases, flaring the fabric into the ruffled polka dot skirt shape. Have a tape measure on hand for the waistband length, and expect to work through at least 24 rounds before the hem is reached.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Working both loops instead of back loop only
- Check each stitch of the waistband rows for the single remaining front loop; working into both loops removes the ridge the seam relies on.
- Stretching the waistband unevenly when measuring
- Lay the strip flat and stretch it the same amount along its full length before measuring to 19.5 inches, rather than pulling hardest near the ruler.
- Losing the round start after the increase rounds begin
- Place a stitch marker at the first stitch of Row 2 and move it up each round; without it, doubled stitches are easy to miscount against the join.
The materials list
- Worsted weight yarn
- Crochet hook (size to suit your yarn)
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 10 short forms
Main Pattern
Round 1
No Increase Chain two. Do a double crochet in each stitch around the waistband, ensuring not to increase.Join with a slip stitch at the end.
Round 2
Increase Row Chain two. Do two double crochets in the very first stitch (the two chains count as one double crochet).Continue by doing two double crochets in every stitch around.Join with a slip stitch at the end.For Row 3 (No Increase): Chain two.Skip the very first stitch and make a single double crochet in every stitch around.Join with a slip stitch at the end.
Remaining Rows (No Increase): Chain two.
Skip the first stitch and make a single double crochet in every stitch.
Continue this pattern until you have a total of 20 rows from the beginning of the skirt part or until the skirt measures 10 inches in height.
Suspenders Start with a foundation chain.
Chain five.
Round 3
Increase Chain two, make a double crochet in the first stitch, then alternate between one double crochet in the next stitch and two double crochets (an increase) in the following stitch.
Round 4
Increase Chain two, make a double crochet in the first stitch, then do two double crochets without an increase, followed by an increase on the third stitch.Cut and secure the yarn.Repeat the ruffle process on the other side of the skirt.
Polka Dots (Optional Decoration)
Make a magic ring.
Chain two, then make 11 double crochets into the magic ring (total of 12 stitches including the chain two).
Tighten the magic ring and make a slip stitch. Row 2 (Increase):
Chain two, make a double crochet in the very first stitch, then do two double crochets in every stitch around (total of 24 stitches).
Put a slip stitch at the end.
Round 3
Increase Chain two, make a double crochet in the first stitch, then alternate between not increasing in the next stitch and increasing (two double crochets) in the following stitch.End with a slip stitch.Chain one, cut the yarn leaving a long tail, and secure it.Attach these polka dots to the skirt using a needle, ensuring the color of the yarn matches the polka dot for a seamless look.
Check these before you start
- Every row of the waistband strip is worked into the back loop only; skipping even one row of this changes the fold line and makes the seam uneven.
- The waistband is joined with slip stitches worked through the front loop on one side and the back loop on the other, not through both loops together — this is what lets the two edges sit flush rather than twisted.
- The first body round after joining has no increases; treat it as a stitch-count check before committing to the increase pattern that follows.
On one line
| Rounds | 5 |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Check yarn amounts against the full round count — this piece runs to at least 24 rounds of double crochet plus the waistband strip, so buy with that total in mind, not just the first few rounds.
- Read Row 1 and Row 2 of the Main Pattern side by side before starting, since the shift from even stitching to doubling every stitch is the hinge the whole shape depends on.
- Prepare a stitch marker for the start of each round once the waistband is joined — with increases building round over round, losing the round start makes the stitch count impossible to check.
- Work a short back-loop-only swatch first if this technique is new, since the ridged texture it leaves behind is what lets the waistband fold and seam cleanly later.
Finishing
- Weave in the starting and ending tails from the waistband strip before folding it, since they are far easier to bury flat than after the seam is closed.
- Join the waistband ends with slip stitches as directed, keeping the front-loop/back-loop split consistent along the whole seam so it does not pucker.
- Weave in the final tail at the end of the last round of the Main Pattern, then steam or lightly block the ruffled rounds flat so the polka dot fabric sits evenly before the skirt is worn.
Construction
The waistband is worked flat and only joined into a round afterward, which is what allows the back-loop-only ridge to form along one edge — that ridge becomes the visible seam line between waistband and ruffle.
Row 1 of the Main Pattern is worked with no increases directly on top of the joined waistband, giving the stitch count a stable baseline before Row 2 begins doubling every stitch to build the ruffle's flare.
Time per section
| Waistband strip | about 45-60 minutes because it is worked flat, row by row, until it reaches 19.5 inches stretched |
|---|---|
| Waistband join and Row 1 | about 15-20 minutes because the fold, seam, and single even round are quick but need care for a flush edge |
| Main Pattern increase rounds | about 3-4 hours because the pattern runs to at least 24 rounds, each one worked in double crochet with increases to track |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.