Paw Parade

If you are attending the Paw Parade runway dog fashion show at the San Francisco Design Center next February, you'll have two chances to get your hands on some Wee Dog goods!  I have donated one hand-knit dog sweater as well as one gift certificate for your own custom-knit dog sweater designed by yours truly, for the auction to be held the night of the Paw Parade.  The auction benefits Canine Companions, a worthy organization.  http://www.cci.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cdKGIRNqEmG&b=4134045&ct=5464169

Button it.

I imagine dressing a dog is something like dressing a baby, especially when it comes to putting a garment over their heads.  I thought it would be nice to have a dog sweater that buttoned up the back, for those dogs that don't like pullovers.   I put two small symmetrical cables parallel to the ribbed button band to add a little detail to the stockinette body, with ribbing also at the hem and neck.

I don't have the buttons I need yet, so I'll post photos as soon as I locate the perfect buttons and a furry little model.

Argyle

I belong to a few different knitting groups, one of which is dedicated to knitting socks.  We vote on a pattern and we all knit it in our own way.  Recently the theme was argyle, and we chose a pattern designed by one of our members.

Knitting the argyle pattern was really fun and interesting, as I hadn't had much experience with intarsia knitting.   It hit me that an argyle sweater for a dog would be pretty cute.  I designed this one to have a simple argyle pattern on the back, a stretchy garter stitch belly panel, with a ribbed hem and neckline.  I chose colors that are pretty classic in argyle-- burgundy, dark blue, and a heathered gray.  I chose very smooth 100% wool yarn for maximum stitch definition and clarity in the design.

When we did our argyle sock knitalong, some friends used colors that aren't normally seen in argyle socks-- really fun, bright combinations.  Seeing such a conservative pattern in wacky colors is so unexpected and eye-catching.  I might try something like that in the future.  

It's a wrap.

I like the ease of a wrap-style dog sweater.  Just a few rectangles and buttons, with plenty of room to explore different design options.  For this one I decided on simple stripes in two different colors, with an attached i-cord edging.

Go back and do it again.

      

This girly sweater is not exactly finished.  It's an example of an idea in my head that didn't end up looking as I imagined once knitted up.  I let it languish for a while, but now I have an idea of what to do with it, so  hopefully I'll get to it soon and have some lovely new photos to share.  

I had imagined a more ruffly ruffle, but it ended up a bit blah.  I have a good idea of how to change it....

I think I will also shorten it to make it more cutesy and flirty.

                                     

I do like the colors, though, a soft pink and heathered purple.  It's a cute sweater/dress, but it just doesn't have that certain je ne sais quoi to make it really special.

February Dog Sweater

I really love my February Lady Sweater, designed by Flintknits (http://www.flintknits.com/blog/).

I thought the gull lace pattern would look pretty cool in a dog sweater, so I chose some smooth, subtle blue yarn and came up with a doggie version.

I did the edges in garter stitch, and knitted a garter stitch belly panel as well.

One doesn't usually see lace in a dog sweater, so I thought it would be an interesting idea to try.  I like how it turned out, and am excited to try other ideas with lace!

Super awesome cable

One of my most beloved knitting books is a stitch dictionary.  It has photos and instructions for 450 different knitting patterns-- knit and purl, rib, cables, and edgings.  Every time I flip through its pages I get inspired with a dozen new ideas for sweater designs.

I used to think of cables as just two simple lines twisting over each other, but my stitch dictionary opened my eyes to an enormous world of possibilities.  I immediately fell in love with the cable in this burgundy sweater and was excited to use it in a sweater.

This sweater is the first one I made using this book as inspiration, and it's still one of my favorites.  I used a smooth, simple yarn in burgundy so none of the detail of this amazing cable would be lost.  

It's a long turtleneck with a ribbed neck and waist.  The twisting cable is over a background of reverse stockinette, which really makes the cables pop, with a garter stitch belly for extra stretch.  

 

I love this sweater on my Chiweenie model, but I think it would look great on a longer dog as well, like a small dachshund.