It's an understatement to say that I like knitting, or even that I love it. If I could knit all day every day, I would. When I was a lot younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I sewed clothes for my Barbies and filled a sketchbook with my drawings of clothing, but I eventually put that goal aside because I was afraid that I would run out of ideas some day. I never lost interest in my art, though, and I eventually displayed and sold some of my pieces while I was living in Japan. With my husband's encouragement, I now design and knit custom-made dog sweaters, combining two of my great interests.
This is how I do it; I visit a client's house to discuss what kind of sweater they'd like for their dog, I take the dog's measurements for a perfect fit, and I come up with a design. If necessary, I visit again for more fittings or to refine my design.
There are a lot of things to consider in a dog sweater design. Of course there are obvious features such as color or size, but I also think about cables, stripes, textures, edgings, harness or leash openings, sleeves or sleeveless, a short belly section for boys, longer torsos for long doggies, etc. It is also important to combine the right yarn with the design; a smooth yarn to show off a complex design, fuzzy mohair to enjoy a luxurious halo effect, heathered yarn for added depth, machine-washable yarn for easy care, or luxury yarn to pamper your special friend.
I am thoroughly enjoying designing sweaters for dogs. I love the creativity it gives me as well as the challenge of making an idea into a functional yet lovely knitted item.
