Loom Knitting a Dog Sweater

It's important to remember that we are not the only one's feeling cold this winter...our furry friends need to stay warm, too! Knitting a dog sweater on a round loom is fairly easy and much cheaper & warmer than buying one at the store. I found the idea online and originally used Joann's pattern. I did slightly modify it when making a sweater for my dog.

Things you will need:

• 31 peg round loom
• Soft yarn (two skeins of skinnier yarn or one bulkier)
• Knitting hook
• Knitting needle
• Scissors

I start knitting on the loom like I do in all of my projects. I like using two different colored yarns at the same time to make the sweaters more colorful (and cheaper!). I knit about 15 or so rows, then pull the bottom loops up over the top, knitting those together. This part is the collar that will be around the dogs neck. Once this step is complete, knit only rows 1-9. Now you have to knit backwards. This part was tricky for me at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. Make sure the yarn is on the INSIDE of the pegs! If it's on the outside, it knots together and you can't continue on. Knit those rows back and forth for 9 rows. This is creating the front of the sweater and the leg holes. Once this is done, cut off 4-5" of yarn.

Cast on at the 10th peg and knit all pegs 10-31. This is creating the back of the sweater. Knit 9 rows back and forth like you did before.

Once you have your 9 rows completed, move the loop on the 31st peg to the 30th peg, and the 9th peg to the 8th peg. I do this to make bigger arm holes for the sweater. The yarn is stretchy, but I don't want my dog to be constrained.

I am still working on this sweater, but you can see in the picture below how it should look as you go through these steps. Knit all the way around the loom until you have the desired length of sweater. I cast off just as I would with headbands and leg warmers.

Here is a picture of a finished sweater that I have previously knitted.

And..my adorable dog Lulu posing for a front view of the sweater.

Back view.

My dog is about 12 pounds and the sweater fits well. I would say this size sweater would fit most 8-12 pound dogs.

Loom knitting different color hats

Now that you've mastered the basic loom knit hat, you'll be happy to know that it's easy to jazz them up into different patterns. To add stripes, simply cut your first color of yarn and double knot it onto a new skein of a different color yarn. Knit 3-5 rows, depending on how thick you want the stripes, and alternate until the hat is finished.

For the hat above, I didn't count consistently so the stripes came out uneven. I think it still looks good, but I wish I would have been more precise. 

Using two different colored yarns is also a cool way to make hats unique. For this one I used a bulky purple and then regular Red Heart white. Combining the two makes for a cool pattern. Just tie them together and use the two strands as one.

Using one color for the brim and another color for the top of the hat turns out nicely, too. The top right I used a camouflage yarn on the brim and hunters orange for the top. My dad is a hunter & absolutely loves it!  

This hat I made with the Detroit Lion's colors for a friend. Using multiple colors is a great way to show support for your favorite teams! Have fun and get creative with different colors and yarn types.