This is a very nice pattern but I would caution a beginner as it assumes some knowledge. I made two small variations - I only worked the collar to about 3/4” rather than 1-1/8”. Also, on the neckband, I worked 9 rows after the picot row instead of 7, in order to make the facing a bit longer so it could cover the seam when sewing it down. One big suggestion for this pattern stitch: never consider or count the YO in the faux cable as a stitch when counting. It is present two rows out of four and will mess with your mind if you forget and count it! The knitting of the 31.5” skirt is fairly monumental. The cast on is 480 stitches. One round early on took me 30 minutes to knit, and there are close to 12 rounds per inch! After memorizing the pattern, I got that down to 25 minutes per round - but needless to say, it was a marathon knit.
Update! 12-23-2007 - baby wore the gown today at his christening - he looked beautiful! Note: The cap fit him today, but was almost too small for his 3-month old head.