Caring for your beloved dog is quite a delicate matter. Vaccinations, vitamins, specialized food, leashes, collars are the most necessary things for her. And also daily walks with your pet. And it’s good if summer is outside. What to do if the weather is frosty? Here and help out a sweater for a dog. Created with your own hands, it will not only warm your pet in the cold, but also make it unique among others on a walk.
What it is?
Short-haired or small-sized dogs on a walk in the cold season often freeze. That is why they begin to beg in their arms to their master and drag him home. In this situation, warm clothes for the animal come in handy. Of course, in pet stores they offer a lot of options for clothing for animals, only a hand-made thing looks much better, and there can also be absolutely any color and shape.
If you are not good at sewing but love to knit, upgrade your pet’s wardrobe with stylish knit sweaters. In addition, the items you create will exactly match the size of the dog, without clanking or squeezing too much.
Take measurements
In order to knit a dog sweater with knitting needles or crochet, you must first measure the animal. This must be done. According to them, a sweater scheme for the dog is further drawn up. Place your pet in front of you and measure your back length. Usually it is measured from the collar to the waist (it is measured in front of the hind legs). This line depends on the sex of the animal: in males, the waist line is shorter than in bitches.
The next measurement is chest circumference. Measurements are made under the front legs of the animal. Be sure to take off your neck circumference. In addition, it will be necessary to measure the distance between the paws to leave holes there.
That's how measurements are made in dogs. Then you can start knitting the product. But before you build loops, decide on the material. The best option for yarn for knitting sweaters for dogs is 100% natural wool. Although other options are possible if the dog does not have allergic reactions. The density of the material should depend on the breed of the dog and on the weather conditions for which the clothes are oriented.
Knitting sweater for dogs
Knowing the exact size of your pet, it’s easy to tie a warm sweater to your dog. It is also necessary to determine the pattern that will be used, after which - knit a sample to calculate the density.
Based on this sample, you can dial the required number of loops and start knitting. The simplest option is face knitting and elastic knitting. If you already have experience knitting various things, you can use the pattern more difficult.
Begin to knit a dog sweater with knitting needles from the collar. Most often, the gates are knitted with a standard 2 x 2 elastic band. Having knitted the required number of rows, the number of loops for the back and tummy is gradually increased so that they completely encompass the pet's chest.
So that the product does not stretch when worn and washed, do not completely knit it with an elastic band - you can use the front surface.
Having increased the number of loops and knit several rows, it's time to remember the holes for the paws. They knit very simply - part of the loops closes, and in the next row air ones are gathered, and the pattern continues.
Next, the product must be knitted to the waist. It is advisable to end the sweater with an elastic band too, so that the clothes fit snugly to the body of the dog.
We sew the edges of the sweater, the seam is obtained on the tummy. In some models, instead of a seam, a zipper is sewn in, or buttons are sewn. The main thing is to remember that accessories must be well sewn, because dogs love to chew on everything.
For particularly small breeds or dogs without wool, sleeves are additionally knitted to such a sweater, which are then sewn to the base of the product.
If you know the technique of knitting on several knitting needles, you can make a sweater for a pet without seams.
Crochet Dog Sweater
This product is a little easier to knit than knitting. The fact is that you can knit it both on patterns and without them, knowing only the basic dimensions of the dog. In addition, the direction of knitting can also be different - from the waist line to the collar or from the neck to the tail.
The first and most important rule that experienced knitters talk about is to remember that the foundation of any sweater for an animal is a pipe. If you take this into account, the implementation of the product will become much easier.
The simplest pattern when crocheting a sweater is the execution of ordinary single crochet columns. This knitting is fast, the web is enlarged by a set of air loops.
First, the neck fits to the required height. After which it is stitched, and from the resulting pipe the product further expands to the slots for the paws. After making slots, the product fits in the same width (tapers slightly closer to the tail).
An excellent solution would be the choice of melange yarn. A sweater for a dog in this case will look very attractive and bright.
Conclusion
As you can see, dressing your pet in a hand-knitted sweater is a pretty simple, fascinating affair. In addition, in a sweater made of natural materials to your pet, no weather will prevent you from enjoying your walks.