Dog Sweaters

If you don’t like photos of dogs, you might want to run away quickly! I’ve been making sweaters like a madwoman for poor, shivery Pippa. Despite her looks, she’s not the furriest dog you’ll ever see. She’s mainly got what I’d call “wisps” for fur. Thankfully, I love to knit and she’s pretty freaking cute in her sweaters, if I do say so, myself.

Aw, look at her, getting fur all over the couch.

 

The yarn for these is my own handspun.

Pink: Cosmos Merino that I dyed for the shop once upon a time
Green: Verdant Merino/Mohair, which was the fiber club’s January 2008 offering
Autumnal: This handspun Polwarth yarn in Kakadu colorway (wool from Come In Spinner), which David graciously brought when he stayed with me in the Fall. Invite him to your house. He brings good presents.

The pale pink was the first to be knit, then the green, then the autumnal tones. Each sweater used around 200+ yards of worsted weight yarn. They’re seamless sweaters, knit in the round, started at the neck and knit down, with paired double increases from neck to leg holes. The sweater is then split and knit back and forth between the legs, then back and forth across the back, until leg holes are large enough, then rejoined and knit in the round again. The waist is nipped in with a double decrease down the center tummy, then stitches are held aside and decreases are done to create a “tail”. Openings are edged in either ribbing or garter stitch with extremely loose bind-offs.

Each sweater is better than the last, but I’m not completely satisfied yet. The last sweater has a too-long neck, the green sweater had too-big leg holes, and the pink was a tad too tight. Once I get this perfected, I’ll get a couple of testers and release this pattern for free, probably as a calculator, so dogs of every shape and size can have sweaters. (I’m afraid it’ll have to be a manual calculator, with pen and paper, unless a superhero online calculator person rescues me.)

The sweaters have been seeing lots of use because ho, is it ever cold out. Wow! I mean, seriously. This weather is bananacakes! Which brings us to our next subject-

Watching TV and Movies:

My blog must be a bit dry (all knitting and spinning, all the time!), because the minute I talk about TV or a movie, I get all kinds of emails. :) I swear I’m not dry in real life- anything but. Anyhoo, it’s lovely to know there are a bunch more people out there who also think Omar is the tits.

The big news around the house is we got this magical device called a Roku Netflix Player a couple of weeks ago and are having a blast with it. As long as you subscribe to Netflix on an unlimited plan (I think that’s anything but the $5 plan), you can watch as much as you want on the Roku. We might be a bit late to the game with this device, but boy, is it ever entertaining us well on these frigid evenings, when doing anything other than huddling on the couch with a puppy, a blanket, and a cup of tea seems out of the question.

Lately, we’ve watched Wanted (eh), Hellboy 2 (eh), In the Valley of Elah (good), lots of Curb Your Enthusiasm (yay!), Burn After Reading (surprisingly eh), and old 30 Rocks (yipee!) Any recommendations are welcome.

Fiber Club:
Whoah, that waiting list. I’m not going to even look at it unless I’m emailing people to get in. It’s big. Big enough that I can’t imagine ever getting to the end of it. I’m going to definitely let more people in this time than last, but haven’t decided how many. I bought more dye pans. Lots more!

Stay warm, people. Send Saint Bernards if you don’t hear from me.

49 Responses to “Dog Sweaters”

  1. mai

    don’t like photos of dogs!?!? i don’t understand…who doesn’t enjoy photos of dogs?

    pippa is the cutest and all of her sweaters are awesome. i can’t wait to see the pattern and would love to test knit once that time comes. duncan and billie are cold :)

  2. Marilyn

    Your dog is too freakin’ cute. We really need to get a Roku, because watching instant movies on my laptop is getting old.

  3. merete

    this is my kind of dog. i have come to like dogs. but i don’t think i know any dogs who dress up. in the posh parts of copenhagen a lady is said to take the dog’s burberry dog coat off when the dog plays. she doesn’t want it to be dirty. that is so hilarious. i also saw loads of dogs in all kinds of clothes in new york some years ago. i always thought i’d be a dog babysitter in central park if i didn’t live and teach here. i love seamless knits going doggy and the yarns are just too lovely and so is pippa..

  4. marri

    not sure if it’s available streaming via netflix, but we just started watching the wire via snail mail netflix, and it. is. awesome.

  5. Jen!

    Pippa in those sweaters! I love it, she’s so cute!!

    (And we use the Xbox to watch Netflix, it’s great!)

  6. Kirsten

    This post is almost enough to convince me to get a dog – just so I can knit handspun sweaters for her!

    Pippa is the cutest thing around!

  7. Jennifer

    I’m making a Corgi sweater, whether he needs one or not. His “father” swears up and down that a Welsh dog is immune to cold. Let’s see…I’ll need to make it golden retriver long and chihuahua tall. :) Adorable as always!

  8. Michelle

    She IS quite cute in her sweaters. I need to knit Nimitz a new one since the one I made last year doesn’t fit quite well.

  9. robin

    Those are super cute! I look forward to seeing the pattern – we have two dogs here that could so use a nice sweater. (one large and one smaller) — Love the pics too – she is darling. :)
    Thanks,
    Robin

  10. knithoundbrooklyn

    How many dogs are lucky enough to have not one, not two, but THREE hand knit sweaters made from hand dyed, hand spun yarn?! Pippa is THE cutest thing ever and your photos of her are wonderful.

  11. Claire

    Wow, I love the dog sweaters! I’d like to make some like that for my baby goats, because it will still be so cold here when they are born (sometime in the next couple of weeks). I’m a new knitter though, so maybe it would be too difficult…

  12. Monika

    Those are lovely pictures of your dog. I that you use handspun yarn for your puppy! I have two White German Shepherds, I would need a lot of handspun to knit something for them, but thank god they don’t need it. :o)

  13. Aud

    WoW-Wow, I both love the dog-photo’s and your dog-sweather! I have two Whippet’s myself and as cold as it is here in Norway I have to knit some “underwear” for the all-weather-coats I have bought for them… Though, Whippets have an quite extreme shape so I find no suitable patterns, guess I have to construct something myself ;).
    TIPS: When they vere puppies I felted a Benetton-sweather, cut off the arms, made holes in them for the fore-legs and they used one arm each as a sweather until they vere about 3 months old :)It looked great, the hand-cuffs fitted perfect round their neck!

  14. Wendolene

    Keep the knit/spin/puppy content coming–with all these awesome photos, I’ll never get bored : )

  15. Steph

    The sweaters are adorable! I wish my dog would wear one without immediately rolling in the grass and dirt.
    And I can’t WAIT until David stocks his store again, I’m in love with Polwarth.

  16. Karen

    Cute cute puppy! I’d be happy to test knit if you need some volunteers. I’m not working right now so have waaaaaay too much time on my hands for knitting and Netflix. Have you tried Oz? I was a little afraid of it because I heard it was violent but it’s no more violent than the Sopranos and really theatrically done. And there are some great actors in it! I wonder if there’s an “I heart Omar” group on Ravelry.

  17. Sonya

    This should see you through til spring (oh and Pippa is so cute in handspun, handknit dog sweaters, I can hardly stand it)

    Televison –
    Weeds
    The Office
    Dr. Who
    Little Britain

    Movies –
    The World’s Fastest Indian
    Mars Attacks!
    Dancing at Lughnasa
    Happenstance
    The Town is Quiet
    Vanity Fair
    In the Realms of the Unreal
    The Motorcycle Diaries
    Born Into Brothels
    Hilary and Jackie Bright Young Things
    The Beat That My Heart Skipped
    Rivers and Tides
    Helvetica
    Ghostbusters
    The Mission: Special Edition
    84 Charing Cross Road
    Malcolm X
    Jesus Camp
    The Story of the Weeping Camel
    Ma Vie En Rose
    The Young Visiters
    The Seven Year Itch
    Pan’s Labyrinth
    The Man with Two Brains
    Being There
    Groundhog Day
    Mrs. Brown
    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
    L.A. Confidential
    Life Is Beautiful
    Dan in Real Life
    Chocolat
    Dirty Dancing
    Stealing Beauty
    Four Weddings and a Funeral
    Breaking Away
    Ratatouille
    Ali G Indahouse
    Earth Girls Are Easy
    Welcome to the Dollhouse
    Storytelling
    Love and Other Disasters
    War, Inc.
    Inventing the Abbotts
    Scarface
    sex, lies, and videotape
    Planet B-Boy
    Keeping Mum
    Midnight Run
    Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
    Broken Flowers
    The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
    The Ice Storm
    The Killing Fields
    Moonstruck
    Reign Over Me
    Avalon
    Across the Universe
    The Jane Austen Book Club
    Superbad
    Whale Rider
    GoodFellas: Special Edition
    Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
    Back to the Future
    Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
    Sling Blade
    Once Upon a Time in America
    The Other Boleyn Girl
    Eagle vs. Shark
    Persepolis
    The Age of Innocence
    A Passage to India
    Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
    East Is East
    Elf
    Mermaids
    Angels and Insects

  18. Melissa

    Love little Pippa! That roving spun up so pretty and knit it’s even more beautiful! Great eye for color.

    We watched Get Smart last night and loved it! If you haven’t seen it, you might want to throw it on your list. One movie that is on instant view is Dan in Real Life. I also liked that one. Enjoy!

    P.S. You’re not dry. I love your blog!

  19. Holly

    The green sweater is especially lovely, I think.

    And I’ll have to (enthusiastically) second the Doctor Who recommendation. Also, the films Sneakers (which isn’t new at all, but is brilliant) and The Sting (even less new, and equally brilliant).

    You might try the Hellboy animated features (Blood & Iron and Sword of Storms)–I think they’re a good bit better than the live action films, and still deliver the excellent voice-work and snarky Hellboy goodness.

  20. jess

    i know an extremely chilly boston terrier and french bulldog who barely needs another layer over her fat rolls, but nonetheless deserves a sweater. we’d be happy to test this for you, once you’re ready!

  21. Christina

    Pippa is adorable, but I miss Shambles!

    How about The Fall? The plot is a little… what’s the word… eh, but the visuals are great. Plus, the little girl who plays Alexandria is just as cute as Pippa.

  22. mydogpetey

    Those are the most beautiful sweaters!! That is one lucky dog!

  23. gleek

    aw, sweet pippa in her sweaters! i love them :) someday i’m going to have to get a roku. maybe for christmas next year? we’ll see! in the meantime, i use netflix pretty much exclusively for movies and TV on DVD.

  24. Paula

    Adorable patterns…ditto on where did you get them or when are you going to post directions? I’m not so smart as to make up my own dog sweater pattern without major frustration!
    Paula

  25. Jennifer

    Love the dog sweater and Pippa is too cute for words. I am looking forward to the pattern so I can spin/knit up a couple for my two Cavaliers.

  26. britt

    don’t get us wrong. we love knitting. we love yarn. but knitting and yarn just equals lots of movie watching! i recommend: Deadwood (if you can bear the cursing)
    Tudors (if you can bear the nudity)
    kung fu panda (my boys suggestion)
    apaloosa
    women(i found i hilarious)
    highlander the series (tv or movie series)

  27. Jess

    You could create an excel spreadsheet to do the calculations based on starting measurements. Would be really easy to do. I’m happy to create something for you.

  28. Toni

    Beautiful handspun sweaters! Pippa wears them well…she’s a cutie! =)

  29. Debbie

    So cute! I would love to have this pattern. I have two Goldens, and I live in Maine. It’s below zero this morning! Hurry!

  30. Linda

    Pippa is adorable! You have a knack for choosing the most incredibly cute dogs. And she seems to like modeling her sweaters–awwww, I heart Pippa! I have been wanting to knit my little dog a sweater, so would very much like to have your pattern when it’s finished (I’d be happy to test it too!). Thanks

  31. Alicia

    Love the sweaters, especially the autumnal one. Pics are adorable! Pippa is so cute!

  32. Carol

    Will wait patiently for dog sweater pattern. I have two male dachshunds (well they used to be males), and because they are low to the ground, they often have to get their undercarriage washed when we come in for a walk. Probably would be smarter to make a sweater out of polar fleece, but not nearly as much fun. Lovely, lovely work.

  33. Jennie

    Wow! My little puppy would HATE me if I took pictures of her in her little sweater -which is not hand knitted. Looking for the perfect pattern. I hope you will share it with us soon. Love it!

  34. Ivy

    I got a three month old miniature schnauzer and I said to my husband that putting clothes on our pets is ridiculous…I WAS WRONG! after this pictures I’m determined to make this sweaters my next knitting project for Drake!

  35. Kim

    VERY cute dog. My dog needs sweaters too and I can’t WAIT ’till you get the pattern written up! Even in the desert, we’re COLD in the mornings and she sleeps under blankets. She has sweaters but needs me to MAKE some for her. Just like yours….can’t wait……hurry. She’s cold :::ggg:::

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