Free Fall Knitting Project

My great shame as a craft editor is that I don’t know how to knit. Shocker. I try to hide the fact when I attend big craft fairs and tradeshows. (It’s hard when you can never remember if skein is pronounced skine or skane.) So, today I wanted to atone for my sin by giving the knitting community a freebie project from one of our new fall books. Good non-knitter karma…Enjoy!

This one’s from Picture Perfect Knits, which is full of intarsia projects - perfect for cozy fall projects with personality. You could easily adapt the hearts and bones in this dog sweater to make a super cute Halloween costume.

Hearts and Bones Dog Sweater
Project by Catherine Head
Photo by Sheri Giblin

As if your canine buddy isn’t cute enough already, here comes the ultimate in swoon-inducing dog sweaters. With a ribbed turtleneck, intarsia hearts-and-bones repeating motif, and front-leg sleeves, this sweater will turn your best friend into the best-dressed pup at the park.

SIZE
One size; fits medium-sized dogs

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
22.5 inches long; 22-inch circumference

MATERIALS

· Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Superwash Worsted (100% washable wool; 100g = 200 yds)

· Main Color (MC): cactus, 2 skeins

· Contrasting Color 1 (CC1): alabaster, 1 skein

· Contrasting Color 2 (CC2): rose quartz, 1 skein

· Size 8 (5mm) 24-inch circular needles (or size needed to match gauge)

· Size 8 (5mm) double-pointed needles (for sleeves)

· Tapestry needle

· 2 stitch markers

GAUGE
18 sts and 20 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch

PATTERN

COLLAR

· The collar is worked in 2×2 ribbing, increasing 1 on each side every fourth row as follows:

· With MC, CO 64 sts. Do not join. The sweater is worked flat and then seamed up the belly.

· Row 1: (K2, P2) to end.

· Rows 2–3: Repeat row 1.

· Row 4: K1, m1, K1, (P2, K2) to last 2 sts, P1, m1, P1.

· Row 5: P1, (K2, P2) to last st, K1.

· Rows 6–7: Repeat row 5.

· Row 8: P1, m1 (K2, P2) to last st, m1, K1.

· Rows 9–11: (P2, K2) across.

· Row 12: P1, m1, P1, (K2, P2) to last 2 sts, K1, m1, K1.

· Rows 13–15: K1 (P2, K2) to last st, P1.

· Row 16: K1, m1 (P2, K2) to last st, m1, P1.

· Rows 17–24: Repeat rows 1–8. (76 sts on needle)

· The body is worked in stockinette stitch.

BODY

· Row 25 (WS): Purl, increasing 1 stitch at center of row. (77 sts)

· Begin shaping the body:

· Row 26 (RS): K1, m1, K to last 2 sts, m1, K1. (79 sts)

· Row 27: P7, place marker, P to last 7 sts, place marker, P to end. There are 65 sts between markers.

· Row 28: K1, m1, K to marker, work intarsia pattern between markers, K to last st, m1, K1. (81 sts)

· Row 29: P across.

· Rows 30–33: Repeat rows 28–29 twice. (85 sts)

· Row 34: Repeat row 28. (87 sts)

· Row 35–36: Repeat rows 25–26. (89 sts)

· Make the armholes as follows:

· Row 37: P12, join new yarn, BO 3 sts, P59, join new yarn, BO 3 sts, P12. You will work each of the three sections separately for 12 rows. (83 sts)

· Row 38: K1, m1, K to end of section, (13 sts); K59; K to last st, m1, k1. (13 sts)

· Row 39: P across.

· Rows 40–49: Repeat Rows 38–39 5 more times. (18 sts on each side and 59 sts in center section)

· Finish armholes and rejoin sections into a single piece, continuing with one strand of yarn only.

· Row 50: K18, CO 3 sts, K59, CO 3 sts, K18. (101 sts)

· Rows 51–63: Work even in stockinette stitch.

· Shape lower back:

· Rows 64–65: BO 6 sts, work to end of row. (89 sts)

· Rows 66–67: BO 4 sts, work to end of row. (81 sts)

· Row 68–69: BO 3 sts, work to end of row. (75 sts)

· Row 70: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, k2tog, K1. (73 sts)

· Row 71: P1, p2tog, P to last 3 sts, p2tog, P1. (71 sts)

· Rows 72–73: Repeat rows 70–71. (67 sts)

· Row 74: Repeat row 70. (65 sts)

· Rows 75–80: Begin working intarsia chart while repeating rows 72-73 three times. (53 sts)

· Rows 81–83: Work even in stockinette stitch and finish intarsia chart.

· Row 84: Repeat row 70. (51 sts)

· Rows 85–92: *Work 3 rows even, then repeat Row 70, repeat from * twice more. (45 sts)

· Rows 93–110: Work even in stockinette stitch.

· BO all sts.

STRAPS (MAKE 2)

· Pick up 4 stitches on right rear edge of sweater body.

· K 40 rows (garter stitch).

· BO all sts.

· Sew loose end to the right side where the body decreases began.

· Repeat to make a second strap and sew onto left side.

SLEEVES (MAKE 2)

· With DPNs, pick up 32 sts around right armhole.

· Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 11 rounds. BO loosely.

· Repeat for left sleeve.

FINISHING

· Sew in all loose ends.

· Sew body together from the CO edge to where the body decreases began.

For these color intarsia charts that go along with this project, and more than 75 others, pick up a copy of Picture Perfect Knits.

Check out more Handbound posts.

Kate Prouty
Craft Editor

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