Dog Hoodie

Vendage Pure Joy Camper aka ‘Camper Joy’

A New Beginning and Ending to the Dog Sweater Tutorial



Please read the pattern through completely before contacting me with questions. The instructions are in ALL of the content- pictures, notes, etc.

See PATTERN USAGE  for copyright info and to answer any questions you may have about selling items made from this pattern.

I have been promising the hoodie pattern for a while, and looks like I will get it in before the new month (as that was secretly my goal- to add one new dog sweater pattern a month). I’ve told all the great people on our FaceBook page that I will post it as soon as we reach 100 likes, so if it goes up before Feb 1st you have them to thank!

When it came down to making the sweater I was going to crochet in order to get the pics needed for the tutorial, the dog herself inspired me to add a little extra detail. Based on the color-block styling of popular jackets like North Face, I added even more detail to make an interesting transition between colors. I will include instructions for both. Note that some of the tute photos are a different sweater. I remade the hoodie in part and reshot some of the images because the dark brown hid a lot of the important details.

Like our Multi-Color Dog Sweater, this pattern will be an alternate collar option to turn our Dog Sweater Tutorial into a hoodie. You will need to refer to the original tutorial if you are not familiar with that one, but the basic sweater construction is the same. There will be links and reminders where to toggle back and forth between the two. As with all past and future alternate options to the tutorial, if you have never successfully made a well-fitted sweater before, I STRONGLY ADVISE that you start out with the original, basic sweater tutorial first. Besides, your dog can use more than one sweater. I know mine can!!!

Hoodie ready for a dog

Materials:
In addition to the supplies listed on our Dog Sweater Tutorial…

You will need:

• Color B yarn in the same weight as your color A.


• A second hook 1 size up from your original hook.

Note: Sc and chains do not stretch as much as hdc, so we will go up a hook size for those rounds to give the fabric more play, with exception of the edging, as it will not need to stretch.

****PLEASE SEE Original Dog Sweater Tutorial for stitch abbreviations and explanations of many of the things you will read in this pattern. ****

Happy Camper Dance!

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR DOG FOR A SWEATER
^You will always need to know this!

ALWAYS IMPORTANT: Never crochet ends in when making a pet item. They will not hold up to wash and wear. Leave them long enough to sew in securely. AND this sweater will have a lot of ends! Be prepared with your favorite tapestry needle!

That’s all! Easy peasy!

Since there is actually 2 alternate choices in this one blog post, I will color code them as to HOOD and COLOR BLOCK.That way you can skip over the one you may not want, or incorporate that feature by itself into another sweater. This alternate pattern option will be written in order from beginning to end.

COLLAR

Begin your sweater at the collar instructions, using a chain 6 to make the collar 5 stitches wide. DO NOT JOIN.

Begin  your regular increased, placing 2 HDC in the beginning and the end and 2HDC in every 7th or 8th stitch. (See original tutorial) Use your own discretion when you reach the end whether you will need MORE or LESS increased.

Example:  You are, say, 12 stitches from the end and just made an increase. Do you increase AGAIN and then  increase at the end, also, or skip that increase in between? There is no hard and fast rule here. Go by gut feeling and whether your dog’s neck and chest measurements are a small or great difference.

Increases at beginning and end and in between

Place your stitch markers

An easy way to know where to place the stitch markers

1. Fold it in half

2. Fold the ends back

3. Place stitch markers

Using clips to hold the collar in place to make joining in that first round less awkward

Fold the sweater with the collar opening centered to mark your increase places on the sides. Clip the sweater into place if needed.  

DO NOT TURN. Continue Crocheting AROUND. This will mean that after your ch2 to place the next stitch into the other side and continue exactly as in the original tutorial.

Ch2 on one side and hdc beginning on the other.

Join with that original ch2 when you get back around and proceed as in the original tutorial.

Note: I joined each round on this sweater because I knew there would be color changes soon. You will need to ch2 for the new row when you join rounds. Also, a good, solid method of joining for pet-items that are going to take a bit of roughness, is to sl st to close, then sl st over one before your ch2.

Refer to original Dog Sweater Tutorial for the next few rows of your sweater. Be sure to read ahead here before clicking over to know where to begin the Color Block!

FOR THE COLOR BLOCK:

Increase in the Color B round

Continue your rounds and increases as in the beginning of the sweater tutorial, stopping about two inches short of your F (forechest) measurement. FO color A.

ALT round 1- With color B and LARGER HOOK, attach with a slip stitch and chain 1. Sc in same place. (Ch1, skip1, sc) around. If you need to place increases on this row, simply (Ch1, sc) along your side markers without skipping.  Join with a sl st to beginning and FO. 

ALT round 2- With color A and SMALLER HOOK, join with a sl st in ch1 space. Ch2, HDC in ch1 space. (2hdc) in each ch1 space around. You can increase this round, too, by place 3HDC in that stitch at the marker. Join with a sl st to beginning ch2. FO.

Another increase in the next round, if needed

ALT round 3- Join color B with SMALLER HOOK. Complete one round, increasing at marker if needed. Join with a sl st. FO.

ALT round 4- With Color A and LARGER HOOK, repeat  ALT round 1, increasing at marker if needed. Join with a sl st. FO.

ALT round 5- With Color B and SMALLER HOOK, repeat ALT round 2, increasing at marker if needed. Join with a sl st. Proceed as in original tutorial, beginning the leg openings at the appropriate place.

Note: Don’t worry if you are half an inch or so too long here for your F (forechest) measurement. It’s not going to make enough difference to warrant taking all that out to redo PLUS we’ve made a narrow collar, so it will be rather forgiving once the hood is attached.

ALTERNATE BOTTOM EDGING

Corner Increases

Proceed just as in the original tutorial, ending BEFORE the sc edging.

ALT round 1- Joining color A, Repeat the (sc, skip 1, ch1) around the edge as in ALT round one of COLOR BLOCK change. You will be placing a sc in the side of each HDC. Place (sc, ch) twice in the corner stitches. Join with a sl st and FO once you have made your way around.

ALT round 2- With color B, place 2sc in each ch1 space and 3sc in the corners. Join with a sl st and FO.

ALTERNATE SLEEVES

Sleeve detail

Make sleeves as in original tutorial using color B, ending BEFORE sc edging. 

ALT round 1- Join color A, attach with a slip stitch and chain 1. Sc in same place. (Ch1, skip1, sc) around. Join with a sl st to beginning and FO.

ALT round 2- Join color B, place 2sc in each ch1 space. Join with a sl st and FO.

Repeat for second sleeve

HOOD

With LARGER HOOK, right side facing, attach color A at corner and sc across in the end of each row.

Row 2 and following rows- ch1 and turn. Sc in each stitch across.

Continue until hood, folded in half, is square.

Example: The original collar you made is 12 inches, so the hood, folded side to side, is twelve inches. You will continue to crochet rows on sc with the larger hook until the hood is 6 inches tall. You CAN make it taller. The hood is more for style than function. There is no guarantee this is going to fit your dog’s head.

To seam: With hood folded RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, sl st from edge to crown. FO and turn right side out.

Campfire Applique exclusive for Camper Joy

HOOD EDGING

Row 1- With larger hook and color B, attach with a slip stitch where the collar meets the hood. Ch1 and sc in same place. Working in the ends of the rows, (Ch1, skip1, sc) around, ending where the hood meets the collar on the other side. FO.

Row 2- Continuing with larger hook and color A, join with a sl st 2 stitches BEFORE row 1. Sc in next. Place 2sc in each ch1 space. Sc in stitch AFTER end of row 1. Sl st in next. FO.

Note: If you are attaching a hood to our original sweater, then 2 rows of sc edging will suffice. 

‘DRAWSTRINGS’

‘Drawstring’ placement

(Not really drawstrings as they don’t draw, but that is what they replicate. )

For each side, Cut 2 color A and 1 color B about 12-14 inches long. Pull them through at top of collar band and braid and knot.

Note: You do not want these to be more than 4 or 5 inches long as they will be a hanging hazard AND will attract the dog to chew on them. Definitely omit them if you feel this will be a problem.

I have also used I-cords, thick crochet chains, foundation single crochet, chain + 1 row of sc and monks cords for these. I chose the braided for this design as it echoed the dashes of pink in the trim of the hood. In the past I have also added large beads to these, but I’m not telling you to do that as I don’t want to be responsible for your dog choking.

SEW IN ENDS TIP
It is a good idea to turn items completely wrong side out to be sure you don’t miss ends. I prefer a steel tapestry hook, as these generally allow you to sew INTO the strand and not just between them like the plastic ones. You will want to try the sweater on your dog before you sew ends, if you haven’t been doing that along the way. It will be a lot easier to take it out and fix what doesn’t fit if the ends aren’t already hidden. For pet items, I sew each end back and forth or in different directions 3-4 times, so leave those beginning and ending tails about 8 inches long.

Thanks to Virginia of Vendage Rat Terriers for the awesome shots of Camper Joy in her new hoodie! She has a little bit of room to grow into it and hopefully it will last her the rest of the Winter!

See more pictures of Camper Joy!!!

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