Happy Tails Dog Sweater

Knitted jumper for dog in DROPS Fiesta. Piece is worked from the neck to the tail with rib.

DROPS 260-42
DROPS design: Pattern fs-041
Yarn group B
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SIZE:
XS - S – M
MEASUREMENTS:
Back length: approx. 21-28-37 cm, measured along the back (without neck edge).
Fits chest measurements approx. 28/32 - 40/44 - 48/52 cm.
Example of dog breeds: XS = Chihuahua,
S = Bichon Frisé, M = Cocker Spaniel

YARN:
DROPS FIESTA from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
100-150-200 g colour 27, Winter Carnival

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3.5 mm: Length: 40 cm.
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 3.5 mm.

KNITTING TENSION:
22 stitches in width and 30 rows vertically in stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.
REMEMBER: Needle size is only a suggestion! If you have too many stitches on 10 cm switch to larger sized needles or if you get too few stitches on 10 cm switch to smaller sized needles.

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EXPLANATION FOR THE PATTERN:

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KNITTING TIP:
To avoid holes in the transitions where piece was turned work as follows: Pick up yarn between right and left needle, slip yarn twisted on left needle. Knit/purl yarn and next stitch together to continue rib with knit 2/purl 3 as before.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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JUMPER FOR DOG - SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
Piece is knitted from the neck towards the tail. Work neck edge and yoke in the round on double pointed needles/circular needle. Divide the yoke to make holes for front legs. Work belly and back back and forth separately, put the parts together and work body in the round. At the end of body work short rows back and forth so that the back is longer than the belly, then work the edge at the bottom of body in the round. Finish with an edge around the opening for front legs in the round on double pointed needles.

NECK EDGE:
Cast on 64-84-104 stitches on double pointed needles/circular needle size 3.5 mm with DROPS Fiesta. Work in the round in rib (= knit 2/purl 2). Work rib for 4-5-6 cm. Insert 1 marker to measure from, measure yoke from here.

YOKE:
Work rib (= knit 2/purl 2).
Now increase stitches for rib as follows:
* Knit 2, purl 1, make 1 yarn over, purl 1 *, work from *-* rest of round. On next round purl yarn overs twisted = 80-105-130 stitches. Continue the established rib (= knit 2/purl 3).
Work until yoke measures 4-6-8 cm from marker.

Now divide the piece for front legs at the beginning of round as follows:
Cast off 2 knit stitches for front leg, work rib as before over the next 13-18-23 stitches (belly), cast off 2 knit stitches for front leg. Slip the 13-18-23 stitches for belly on a thread/stitch holder and work the rest of round as before.

BACK:
= 63-83-103 stitches. Continue back and forth in rib as before. Work until piece measures 5-7-9 cm from division, and last row was worked from right side. Cut the yarn and slip stitches on a thread/stitch holder. Piece measures 9-13-17 cm from marker.

BELLY:
Slip the 13-18-23 stitches from thread/stitch holder on circular needle/double pointed needles size 3.5 mm. Work back and forth in rib as before until piece measures approx. 5½-7½-9½ cm from division - adjust so that next row is from right side (work piece a little longer on belly than on back to give the jumper a better shape around the chest).
ROW 1 (= right side): Work rib as before and cast on 2 new stitches at the end of row. Turn piece.
ROW 2 (= wrong side): Work rib as before and cast on 2 new stitches at the end of row= 17-22-27 stitches. Belly measures approx. 6-8-10 cm from division.

BODY:
Now work piece in the round, slip the 63-83-103 stitches from back back on circular needle/double pointed needles together with the 17-22-27 stitches from belly = 80-105-130 stitches. Begin round before the 17-22-27 stitches (belly) - i.e. begin round on the same place as before division for front legs. Work rib as before, knit the new stitches cast on between belly and back.
Work in the round until piece measures 5-7-11 cm from where piece were put together (approx. 3 cm remain until finished measurements under belly). Insert 1 marker in the middle of the back, measure piece from here.
Now work back and forth with short rows so that the jumper is 4-5-6 cm longer on the back than on the belly.
Slip the first 17-22-27 stitches (mid under belly) on a thread.
Turn piece, work first row in rib as before from wrong side.
ROW 1 (= wrong side): Work as before the entire row, turn piece and tighten yarn.
ROW 2 (= right side): Work as before until 3 stitches remain on row, turn piece and tighten yarn.
ROW 3 (= wrong side): Work as before until 3 stitches remain on row, turn piece and tighten yarn.
ROW 4 (= right side): Work as before until 2 stitches remain before previous turn, turn piece and tighten yarn.
ROW 5 (= wrong side): Work as before until 2 stitches remain before previous turn, turn piece and tighten yarn.
Continue as before and turn when alternately 3 and 2 stitches remain before previous turn. When 6-7-9 turns have been in total in each side there are 33-47-57 stitches with no turns mid on top of back and last row was worked from wrong side. Turn piece and work from right side as follows:
Work rib over all stitches as before - read KNITTING TIP in explanation above, when you have worked until the 17-22-27 stitches on the thread, slip these stitches back on needle. Round begins here (before belly). Work 1 more round - remember KNITTING TIP.
Piece measures approx. 4-5-6 cm from marker on the back. Move the marker here, measure edge from here.

EDGE:
Work rib as before (= knit 2/purl 3) over all stitches until edge measures 3 cm from marker. Cast off stitches with knit over knit and purl over purl. Jumper measures approx. 25-33-43 cm from cast-on edge to cast-off edge measured along the back.

FRONT LEGS:
Use double pointed needles size 3.5 mm and DROPS Fiesta. Pick up approx. 32 to 56 stitches around one opening for front leg (number of stitches must be divisible by with 4). Work rib = knit 2/purl 2 for 3-4-5 cm. Cast off somewhat loosely with knit over knit and purl over purl.

Diagram explanations

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