How fun is this “Sunny Day Pleated Skirt”?! With its vibrant yellow, cool gray, and crisp white stripes, and that lovely pleated texture, it’s perfect for adding a pop of cheer to any little one’s outfit. The comfy ribbed waistband and cute drawstring ties make it practical and adorable!
This pattern is designed for intermediate beginners or intermediate crocheters. While it involves some shaping for the pleats, the stitches themselves are straightforward, making it a rewarding project.
Let’s get started on creating this delightful skirt!
Skill Level: Easy-Intermediate Yarn Weight: DK (light worsted) yarn in three colors: Yellow (Main Color A), Grey (Color B), and White (Color C). Hook Size: 4.0mm (G/6) crochet hook (or size needed to obtain gauge) Other Materials:
- Yarn needle for weaving in ends
- Stitch markers (helpful for marking the start of rounds and pleat sections)
Gauge: 5 hdc and 3 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in half double crochet (for the waistband). It’s important to check your gauge to ensure the skirt will be the correct size. Adjust your hook size if necessary.
Finished Size (approximate): Toddler (2-3T) – with notes for adjustments. For larger or smaller sizes, you’ll need to adjust your starting chain for the waistband and the number of stitches/rows for each section.
Stitches Used:
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- fpdc: front post double crochet
- bpdc: back post double crochet
- V-stitch (V-st): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch/space (for the drawstring)
- Shell Stitch (Shell): (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the same stitch/space (for the bottom border)
Pattern Notes:
- The skirt is worked from the top down, in the round.
- Ch 2 at the beginning of a dc round counts as a dc. Ch 1 does NOT count as a stitch unless specified.
- Always join rounds with a sl st to the first stitch of the round.
- The pleats are created using a combination of front post and back post stitches, or by skipping stitches to create tucks. The image suggests a variation of a “mock cable” or “basket weave” look for the pleated effect, often achieved with post stitches or a specific stitch repeat. We’ll use a variation of front/back post dc to achieve the textured “pleats.”
Let’s Begin! The Waistband (Color B: Grey)
We’ll start by creating the ribbed waistband where the drawstring will go.
Starting Chain: Ch 70 (Adjust as needed for desired waist circumference. This measurement should be snug but comfortable around the waist, as there is no elastic). Join with a sl st to the first ch, being careful not to twist the chain.
Round 1: Ch 1, hdc in each ch around. Join with a sl st to the first hdc. (70 hdc)
Round 2: Ch 1, hdc in the back loop only of the next hdc. Repeat from * to * around. Join with a sl st. Working in the back loop only creates a subtle ribbed effect.
Repeat Round 2 for a total of 3-4 rounds, or until your waistband is approximately 1 inch wide.
Creating the Drawstring Channel (Color B: Grey)
Now we’ll make the row where the drawstring will be threaded through.
Next Round: Ch 2 (counts as dc), dc in the next hdc. Ch 1, skip 1 hdc, dc in the next hdc. Repeat from * to * around, ending with ch 1, skip 1 hdc. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-2. You’ve created small gaps for your drawstring.
The Skirt Body – Upper Yellow Section (Main Color A: Yellow)
Now for the main body of the skirt.
Attach Main Color A (Yellow): Join Yellow yarn to the last stitch of the drawstring channel.
Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as dc), dc in each stitch/space around (work 1 dc into each dc and 1 dc into each ch-1 space). Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-2. (Approximately 70 dc, or whatever your initial chain count was).
Round 2: Ch 2, dc in each dc around. Join with a sl st.
Repeat Round 2 for approximately 4-5 more rounds, or until this plain yellow section is about 2.5-3 inches tall.
The Pleated Stripe Sections
This is where the magic happens! We’ll alternate colors to create the striped, pleated look. The “pleats” are achieved by creating vertical texture with front post and back post stitches. The pattern in the image looks like it’s done in groups of 4 stitches or similar, where two stitches might be worked as front post double crochet (fpdc) and two as back post double crochet (bpdc), shifted each round to create a zig-zag.
Stitch Multiple for Pleats: This pattern works best with a stitch count divisible by 4 (or 2 if you modify). Our 70 stitches is not divisible by 4. You may need to slightly increase or decrease stitches to make it divisible by 4 (e.g., 68 or 72). Let’s aim for 72 stitches for ease.
Increase Round (if needed): If you have 70 stitches, gently increase 2 dc evenly spaced in the next Round 1 of the pleated section to reach 72 stitches.
Pleat Section – Grey Stripe (Color B: Grey) Attach Color B (Grey): Join Grey yarn.
Round 1 (Pleat Set Up): Ch 2, fpdc around the next dc, bpdc around the next dc, fpdc around the next dc, bpdc around the next dc. Repeat from * to * around. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-2. (72 stitches) Alternatively, you can simplify the “pleat” to be simply dc into the back loop only for some stitches and dc into both loops for others to create ridges, or a V-stitch pattern if the image implies a more open lace. The image shows a tighter, more textured stitch. So, post stitches or specific sc/hdc placement are likely. Let’s use a common textured stitch for similar effect. Let’s use a simple staggered V-stitch or shell variant to emulate the “pleated” textured look.
Alternative Pleat Stitch (closer to visual): “Modified V-Stitch” or “Puff/Bobble Stitch” for texture The image actually looks like it uses some form of shell or V-stitch pattern where the “pleats” are the raised texture. Let’s adapt that!
Attach Color B (Grey): Join Grey yarn. Round 1 (Textured Stripe): Ch 2 (counts as dc). Dc in same stitch. Skip 1 stitch, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next stitch. Skip 2 stitches, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next stitch. Repeat from * to * around. Skip 1 stitch, 2 dc in last stitch. Join with sl st to top of beg ch-2. Adjust your spacing to get an even number of repeats. You want these V-sts to create the texture. Ensure an even number of stitches in your working round. For 70 stitches, this might mean (V-st, skip 2) 23 times and (V-st, skip 1) once, or adjust starting chain. Let’s assume a multiple of 3+1 stitches for this pattern if using a simpler shell (dc, ch1, dc).
Let’s try a different approach that yields the “pleated” look more directly as rows of textured stitches. Stitch multiple: Ensure your Yellow section ends with a multiple of 4 + 2 stitches (e.g., 70 stitches works for this if you start with 70).
Pleat Section 1 – Grey Stripe (Color B: Grey) Attach Color B (Grey): Join Grey yarn to the last stitch of the Yellow section. Round 1 (Grey Pleat Row): Ch 2 (counts as dc). Dc in next dc. Fpdc around next 2 dc, bpdc around next 2 dc. Repeat from * to * around to the last 2 dc. Dc in last 2 dc. Join with a sl st to top of beginning ch-2. (70 dc if that’s your previous count). Round 2 (Grey Pleat Row): Ch 2 (counts as dc). Dc in next dc. Bpdc around next 2 fpdc, fpdc around next 2 bpdc. Repeat from * to * around to the last 2 dc. Dc in last 2 dc. Join with a sl st to top of beginning ch-2. Repeat Round 2 for one more round. (Total 3 rounds of grey).
Pleat Section 2 – White Stripe (Color C: White) Attach Color C (White): Join White yarn. Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of the Pleat Section (Grey Stripe) for 3 rounds. Remember to swap fpdc and bpdc relative to the previous row’s post stitches to continue the pattern (e.g., if you did fpdc-bpdc, now you do bpdc-fpdc over those). The zig-zag comes from continuing the texture from the previous stripe.
Pleat Section 3 – Grey Stripe (Color B: Grey) Attach Color B (Grey): Join Grey yarn. Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of the Pleat Section (Grey Stripe) for 3 rounds.
Bottom Yellow Section (Main Color A: Yellow)
Attach Main Color A (Yellow): Join Yellow yarn. Round 1: Ch 2, dc in each dc around. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-2. Repeat Round 1 for approximately 2-3 more rounds, or until the skirt is the desired length before the final border.
Bottom Border (Contrasting Color: White)
Attach Color C (White): Join White yarn to the last stitch of the skirt.
Round 1 (White Shells): Ch 1, sc in the first st. Skip 2 sts, Shell Stitch (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the next st, skip 2 sts, sc in the next st. Repeat from * to * around. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Round 2 (White Shell Edging): Sl st into the first dc of the first shell. Ch 1, sc in the ch-1 space of the first shell. Ch 3, sc in the ch-1 space of the next shell. Repeat from * to * around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
The Drawstring (Color B: Grey)
Make a long chain: Ch enough to be about double the circumference of the skirt’s waist (e.g., if waist is 20 inches, chain about 40 inches long). For a thicker cord, you can make a slip stitch cord, or work a row of sc into your chain.
Add the little “beads” (optional, as seen in image):
- At each end of the drawstring, ch 3. Sl st into the 3rd ch from hook to form a tiny ring.
- Work 4-5 dc into the ring. Sl st to the first dc. Fasten off.
Thread the drawstring: Use your yarn needle to carefully weave the drawstring through the “ch 1, skip 1 dc” spaces in the drawstring channel you created earlier. Start from the center front and weave all the way around. Tie a knot at the ends of the drawstring, or secure your little “beads.”
Video tutorial
Finishing
- Weave in all remaining loose ends securely.
And there you have it – a vibrant and stylish Sunny Day Pleated Skirt, ready for twirls and fun! Don’t forget to share your finished skirts with me on social media – I love to see your beautiful creations!
Happy crocheting!
