The Dog Sweater

ears ears ears

The poor dog was looooong overdue for a new sweater by the time this winter rolled around. Fortunately it's been a mild year, because it took until February for me to finish it up. I used the Darling Darby sweater as a jumping-off point. It's the same pattern I used when I knit her last sweater, 5 years ago(?!). It's as perfect as I remembered it, endlessly customizable; ideal for an odd-shaped pup like ours. The yarn is Malabrigo Rios, held double and knit at a dense gauge. I'm sure it'll be prone to pilling in this application, but what the hell. Asia just turned twelve and is adjusting to life with not one but two small boys; I figure she deserves a little something nice. Also it was stash yarn in an awesome - but not necessarily flattering to pasty white people (that's us during sweater season) - color.

So I whipped through this thing in just a couple of days... and then realized that I'd forgotten to leave a hole for her harness/leash. A dog sweater has pretty limited usefulness if the dog in question can't leave the yard wearing it. Here's how I executed the afterthought buttonhole thingy:

1. Mark leash-hole placement

2. Snip center stitch (as measured from leg holes)

3. Carefully unpick stitches to desired width in each direction

4. Place stitches on old-school holder; wander off to feed children; fail to document remaining steps

Not pictured: move lower row of held stitches to needles and knit; pick up and knit two stitches at side of buttonhole; move upper row of held stitches to needles and knit; pick up and knit two stitches at other side of buttonhole. Knit one round; bind off all stitches. Weave in ends, paying special attention to securing snipped ends. I used a single strand of yarn and pretty small needles (5s?) to make a small, firm opening: