Beating Winter Boredom By Knitting a Doggie Sweater

For the past two weeks or more it has been bitter cold here in Wisconsin.  Fortunately today we reached temperatures near 30 degrees with even warmer temperatures predicted for the next few days.  We haven't had much snow because it's too cold to snow.  I don't know if that is a proven weather fact, but it seems to be true. 

The days tend to get long for me in the winter because it is dark in the morning when I get up, and it  gets dark early in the evening. However, the days seem to be getting a little longer.  It is 4:36 pm and it is still light out.  My husband rather enjoys getting comfortable and cozy in his recliner.  He reads, plays computer games, researches whatever he has on his mind and watches TV.  He gets up occasionally to stoke the fire or to go outside for more firewood.  I am not so content.  I'm not a snuggler, and I get antsy pretty easy.  I may not accomplish that much but I need to move a lot more than him.  I also tend to snack more than he does.  That is not a good thing.

I decided that I needed a project.  Nobody in my family needs any more knitted or crocheted items.  We have more hats, scarves and mittens than we need.  I have been knitting for charity, but I needed a break from that.  I told you I get bored easily.  I thought that I would make sweaters for our granddogs, Piper and Bandit.  I found a pattern in Free-KnitPatterns.com.  It was in the side bar on my facebook page.  It's a little creepy that they knew I was looking for something to knit.

This is the final sweater.  Bandit is a small dog, but I thought I would start with a medium size.  I figured it would fit one of the dogs.  If it was too big for Bandit, then it would fit Piper.   As it turned out, the medium fit Bandit perfectly.  I used yarn that I have in my stash so it didn't cost anything.  I also made it a little shorter than it called for.  I didn't want him peeing on his new sweater.  I think he is adorable, and he didn't chew it off so maybe he likes it too.

Now I have to make another one for Piper.  It was fun to make something a little different from a pattern I had never used before.  I will post a picture of her when I get it finished.  Winter will be over soon enough and then I can complain about being too hot.  There is no pleasing some people, namely me.