If you previously purchased Audrey Totter through The Sanguine Gryphon and would like a copy of this pattern for your Ravelry library, please send a Ravelry message to Jejune and let me know.

I am addicted to murder. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve never killed, but I love a good murder mystery, and I love a good noir film. I have a certain sympathy with the dames, broads, dolls, and molls of the noir genre. They may be bad, but in the words of Jessica Rabbit, they’re drawn that way. Every femme fatale needs a tight fitting dress that makes her look like a million dangerous bucks, and that’s what Audrey Totter, the Bad Girl is.

Knit simply in mostly stockinette fit, the design uses dart shaping and negative ease to cling to every curve. The lace sash is knit separately and joined to the dress afterward for a retro look that is to die for.

Sizes

Woman’s XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X)
Bust size 28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52)”/71 (81, 91.5, 101.5, 112, 122, 132) cm

Finished Measurements

Bust: 26 (30, 34, 38, 42, 45.5, 49)”/66.75 (76, 86.5, 97, 107, 115.5, 125) cm
Waist: 20.5 (24.25, 28.5, 32.5, 36.5, 40.5, 44)”/52.5 (62, 72, 82.5, 92.5, 103, 112.5) cm
Hips: 28.5 (33, 36, 40.5, 44, 47.5, 51.5)”/72 (83.5, 91, 102.5, 111.5, 121, 130.5) cm
Finished Length: 36.5 (38.25, 40, 41, 42.5, 43.75, 45.25)”/94.5 (97.5, 101.5, 104.5, 108, 111, 114.5) cm

Yarn

The Sanguine Gryphon ‘Bugga!’, 4 oz/412 yds, 70% superwash merino/20% cashmere/10% nylon, 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6) skeins, shown in Longhorned Beetle(Standard colourway)

The Sanguine Gryphon ‘Gaia Lace’, 2 oz/400 yds, 40% Mongolian cashmere/60% silk, 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2) skeins, shown in Cobblestone Mazes (Fall 2011 colourway)

Needles

US 4/3.5 mm 24” or 32” cm circular or size needed to obtain gauge
US 5/3.75 mm needles or size needed to obtain gauge
Size E/3.5 mm crochet hook

Gauge

22.5 sts and 32 rows = 4”/10 cm in St st in Bugga!
12.5 sts and rows = 4”/10 cm in Vine Lace in Gaia Lace

Notions

Stitch Holders (3), or waste yarn
Stitch Markers (5, 1 distinct)
Tapestry Needle

Construction Notes

The dress is knit in the round from the bottom to the underarms. Dart shaping is used to create a very fitted silhouette. Two horizontal slits are worked at the waist. At the underarms, the back and front are divided and worked flat. The dress is divided further at the neckline and worked to a three needle bind off at the shoulders. Simple single crochet is used to stabilize the waist slits, straps and neckline.

The long sash is worked separately in Gaia Lace and joined to the neckline after bind-off. The lace pattern is worked from the bottom up in a four row repeat. After it is joined to the body of the dress, the sash is pushed through the waist slits to create an exaggerated hourglass shape that accentuates the figure and drapes beautifully.