DOG SWEATER by Leila Simonsen

First the general idea in order to convert to a different size, different yarn, different patterning, or to hand knit. Scroll down for actual pattern by Leila...See more » First the general idea in order to convert to a different size, different yarn, different patterning, or to hand knit. Scroll down for actual pattern by Leila in Japanese standard machine, or Passap version. Draw out a rectangle on a paper. You can make it life size if you want! Then you can lay your knitting on it as you go to see how you are doing. Measure your dog from where you want the sweater to end near his tail, to the top of his neck. Leila has a doubled over turtle neck, if you want to work that extra length into it. That's the long end of the rectangle. Now put that measurement on your paper diagram. Measure around the dogs chest behind his legs. That's the short width of the rectangle. Write that measurement on your diagram. The middle of this rectangle is the top of the dog's back. The seam will be under his neck and belly. Note: I found that I didn't have to make the sweater shorter for my boy dog's pee area. I just didn't seam the belly on the last section before his pee area (I'm being so discrete, huh?) The 3X3 rib does draw in, but the 1X1 rib at the back edge keeps it flared out over the back of the dog just fine. Now make leg holes on your diagram. When you make the leg holes there will be slits closer to the sides of the rectangle than the middle. Just a short space between legs, but longer space over the dogs back. The leg opening ends up somewhere in the middle of this sweater when it's flat, if you have made it a turtle neck instead of a mock turtle. So, in the middle of the rectangle draw a vertical slit near each outer edge. I would guess if you drew a center dotted line down the length of the rectangle, then divided each half of the width you created into 3rds, then the slits should sit around the outer 1/3 area, and be about 2 inches long. The hole is actually long on my sweater, but any rib more than 1X1 will draw in a lot. This means if your hole is extra long, your "sleeve" will draw in, anyway. So, it won't be a problem if you are worried the hole is too big, because it draws in around the leg. A hole too small would be hard for the doggie to move. Now for the leg hole slits. Measure from back end of the sweater (where you want it to end) to a little behind his front legs. That's where you will want to put the outside stitches on a holder to split the knitting into 3 sections. Knitting the main section of the sweater, then pick up and knit each outside edges of the sweater, and make it as long up to the point where you want the leg holes to stop. Leila has in her pattern that the outside pieces are a "tad" longer to accommodate the deeper chest. You could get away without doing this if you really wanted to. Ok, now you should have all your measurements and placement (and length) of the leg opening slits on your diagram. With measurements written down. Or, life-size diagram if you like. The leg openings are about half way up the rectangle for the long fold over turtle neck, as in the pattern. The actual pattern: Liela uses a 1X1 rib for one inch at the back of the sweater, and a 3X3 rib in the body and neck of the sweater. So make a swatch and decide your gauge. Decide how many stitches and rows you need to make your width and length. If you make a swatch you can decide how much you want it to stretch around the dog, because the rib stretches a lot. My finished tube is only about 3 inches before I stretch it around the dog. It would stretch for a dog bigger than mine. Cast on enough stitches to make your width and make one inch of 1X1 rib, then change to 3X3 rib (I used 4X4 rib). Knit along until you get to the leg slits opening area. Put each outer edge stitches on holders (it was 15 stitches for each outer edge for Leila's pattern in 4 ply yarn on standard gauge machine). Knit the 3 sections you have divided into separately until they are as long as your leg slits should be. Then connect your knitting all across again, and knit up to the end of the neck. Sew the neck and belly with matrice stitch. Pick up around the leg opening slit with double pointed needles and work circular, inSee less »