Side Button Dog Sweater

I decided to add another dog sweater to my repertoire.

It's such a pain in the butt to get a pullover sweater on my twitchy jumpy little chihuahua... I figured a side button sweater would be ideal. It's not too terribly cold in AZ in the winter so I also figured a "medium coverage" sweater would be good too.

Soooo... drumroll please......



Here it is. My Side Button Dog Sweater.

 

*I haven't tested this pattern for the larger sizes yet, so please let me know if you find errors!*
 

This pattern was written for my 4lb chihuahua (medium sized small dog, medium large small dog).

CO 25 (35/45)


*k1,p1* rib for 1 (2,2) inches


RS- k1,p1, k across to last two stitches, p1,k1


WS- p1,k1, p across to last two stiches, k1,p1


Repeat for 2 (3,4) inches


RS- k1,p1, k across to last two stitches, p1,k1, cast on 35 (45,55) stitches at end of row for side panel..



WS- p1,k1 across side panel stitches and p across body stitches to last two stitches, k1,p1.


RS- k1,p1, k across body to last two stitches, p1, k1,   *k1, p1* rib across side panel.

WS- *p1,k1* rib across side panel stitches, p1,k1,  p across body stitches to last two stitches, k1,p1.


RS- k1,p1, k across (body and side panel) to last four stitches. Bind off 2 stitches (or use preferred buttonhole method), p1, k1

WS- p1,k1, cast on 2 stitches, p across to last two stitches, k1,p1.

RS- k1,p1, k across, p1,k1

WS- p1,k1, p across, k1, p1

repeat for 2.5/3.5/4.5 inches.

RS- k1,p1, k across (body and side panel) to last four stitches. Bind off 2 stitches (or use preferred buttonhole method), p1, k1

WS- p1,k1, cast on 2 stitches, p across to last two stitches, k1,p1.

RS - k1, p1, k across body, *p1, k1* across side panel

WS- *p1, k1* across side panel, k across body until last 2 stitches, k1, p1


RS - k1, p1, k across body, *p1, k1* across side panel

WS- bind off side panel (follow rib pattern with bind off), p1, k1, p across body to last 2 stitches, k1, p1

RS- k1,p1, k across to last 2 stitches, p1,k1

WS- p1,k1, p across to last 2 stitches, k1, p1

RS- *k1 p1* across, cast on 15, 25, 35

WS- *p1, k1* across

Continue with *k1 p1* rib for 1 (2, 2) inches

RS- k1, p1 across to last four stitches, bind off 2, k1, p1

WS- P1, k1, cast on 2, *p1, k1* across

Continue for 2 (2, 4) inches and bind off.

Sew buttons on right side edge to match with button holes

The end!

And just in case you have a miniature camel in your house...this sweater works for those too! (my daughter the future zookeeper decided that the stuffed camel needed this sweater more than our chihuahua did...who can argue with that face?)

Merry Giftmas

Ok only 5 more days left until Giftmas...so ya'll better get your gift knitting done! I waited til the last minute (of course) and didn't even really start mine until YESTERDAY. *headdesk* sooooo... I'll be knitting up a storm this week.

In other news, my Giftmas shopping is done, all I gotta do now is put up the fake tree and wrap the presents for the rugrats.

OH! AND  my favorite holiday candy was on sale at CVS yesterday...so I even bought myself a little present.

yum. Chocolate covered Cherries.

Chihuahua Hoodie

Ok...here it is. My "pattern" for the Chihuahua Hoodie.

Keep in mind that these are more like general instructions, not a row by row pattern.

Measure your dog (or cat) around the stomach, from groin area (you don't want the sweater to cover that area or you will have a messy puppy/kitty) to front legs, between front legs, around neck and length of neck.

CO 48 (or # of stitches needed for your size in an even number)

k2p2 rib ( in the round) for about 1-1.5 inches keeping a marker at the beginning of the round.

Knit (in the round) for about 5 inches (or number of inches from groin to front legs).

Using the beginning of round marker as the center, place two markers on either side of the center to mark how far apart the front leg holes should be. (For my dog his legs are two inches apart, so I placed a marker an inch from center on each side).

Knit to first marker, and then as you knit the next 10 (or 15 for larger dogs) place the stitches on stitch holder or scrap yarn. Continue knitting around to 1o (or 15) stitches before second marker and repeat. Remove the two extra markers. (Leave the beginning of round marker).

Continue knitting around for about 1.5 inches.

k2p2 rib for 1-1.5 inches

Using beginning of round marker as center, count out a third of the stitches on each side of the center and place a marker.



The "top" third of the stitches will be your hood.

K2P2 to first marker.

Knit across the hood stitches placing a marker in the center, turn work and purl back. Turn and knit, turn and purl back. Move marker up each row.


On the next row Knit first stitch and then kfb in the second stitch. knit across to stitch before center, kfb increase, knit center stitch, and then kfb. Knit across to next to last stitch, kfb, knit last stitch.

Repeat increase row every right side row for about two inches.

Skip 2nd and next to last increases and continue center increases until hood is half as tall as necessary.

Knit knits and purl purls until hood is at the right height.

pick up stitches along sides of hood and k2p2 around hood and neck until neck is long enough. Bind off stitches around neck, and continue k2p2 rib around hood stitches until hood is as deep as necessary. Bind off.

I sewed bottom edges of the hood rib to the neck area to give it a good shape when folded back, but you could add a drawstring around instead by weaving a cord through the ribs.



***This "pattern" is untested so please let me know if I didn't write it clearly enough, or if you find a mistake!***

aannnnnnd.... I'm back!

Had a small hiatus from the regular internetz (btw Cox Communications sucks) buuuut... I'm back!

I received the super fun Mukluks from the great folks at CSN... the review and a giveaway will be coming in a couple days...

Nothing else too terribly exciting has transpired the last few days.

I did however, have a small psychotic break over my inability to knit the other day. All I wanted to do was make something small and easy for myself. Apparently the universe didn't appreciate my selfish goal. I was thwarted in EVERY attempt to make myself a pair of freaking Yoga Socks...so I called it quits...and decided that if I couldn't make something for myself...then I was going to knit the next best thing.... something for my dog.

So after a little patttern browsing on Ravelry for inspiration... I decided to knit a hooded sweater (my first hoodie project) without a pattern!

The hood didn't come out perfectly...but it was pretty good for a first try. Next time I need to make it a little wider and taller so that it can be cinched over his ears to stay on.

I kept notes as I worked, so I'm going to post later today with the basic pattern that I used.

That's all I've got for now folks...so stay tuned!

Knitting myself a Pity party...take 2

Welll.... once again I was foiled in my attempt to knit myself something.

I started the Yoga Socks...only to realize that the pattern wasn't written for someone with 17 inch calves. *headdesk*

So I frogged it. And started over with a larger CO. Then I realized that I the larger CO made the foot part too large.*headdesk* So I frogged it.

Sooo.... I started with a p1k1 rib in the foot with two stitches more CO, and I plan on increasing every third row instead of every 8th row once I get past the ankle area....and hopefully I manage to make this work. *sigh*

Pity Party Knitting...

I haven't knit or crocheted something for myself in....well... I actually can't remember when the last time I made something for myself.

So today I feel crummy. I'm surrounded by this dreadful "holiday" crap and I feel like knitting myself a pity party.

So I turned to my LSG hoars (you'd have to be a an LSG hoar to know what an LSG hoar is) and asked for help picking a pity party project...and I've narrowed it down to a few patterns.

Yoga Socks

Mary Jane slippers 

Capitan Hat     

















I think I'm just going to put all three patterns in a cup and choose one...because I think I love them all equally.

Pics tomorrow of my Pity Party knitting....

Sick. Blech. Yuck.

I hate getting sick.

I hate the feeling you get when you know you are starting to get sick, and you want to fight it, stop it, do SOMETHING to keep it from happening.

But you can't. You just have to suffer and wait for the inevitable to happen. Yesterday it was a headache that I woke up with. By the afternoon my neck was sore and my stomach was queasy. By last night it was a fever, with pressure in my ears and jaw.

Great. Juuuust great. I wake up this morning, and yup, headache...check. Neckache...check. Sinus pressure and ear pain... check.

Damnit. I'm sick.

aaaaannnnnd.... because being sick doesn't SUCK enough, I'm still out of coffee creamer and stuck in the house.