How do you try on a work in progress?

cmdixon · 08-22-2012, 01:07 PM

This seems like something that might be easy, but I can't figure it out. I'm knitting a sweater for my dog. This is actually my third attempt.

The first two were either too big or I just didn't like them. On my third try, I actually did a guage, so hopefully the size will be correct. There are 2-3 spots in the pattern where it mentions trying it on the dog to be certain of fit. How in the world do I do that without losing my stitches? It's knit in the round.

Thanks for your help!

Colleen

suzeeq · 08-22-2012, 06:19 PM

Put the stitches on some scrap yarn, much longer than the stitches you have so none of them fall off.

fatoldladyinpjs · 08-23-2012, 05:48 PM

And it helps if you don't try it on the dog too often. They hate it. When I finally got my dog sweater done, I had to coax him out from under the bed with a treat. He saw the sweater and ran and hid.

suzeeq · 08-23-2012, 06:43 PM

he must have thought... 'oh no, not that thing again!!!'

fatoldladyinpjs · 08-24-2012, 02:35 PM

He still runs and hides every time the boys bring it out. Corgis have a long, hot dog body so the sweater's as long as a bus. The boys always laugh and point at him when he wears the sweater, which doesn't endear him to it.

<<<---

fatoldladyinpjs · 08-24-2012, 02:40 PM

One of these days I want to knit him a sweater that looks like this.

suzeeq · 08-24-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

The boys always laugh and point at him when he wears the sweater, which doesn't endear him to it.

Poor baby!

fatoldladyinpjs · 08-25-2012, 02:05 AM

On the serious side. CMDixon, if you're having a lot of problems with the dog coat pattern, here's a suggestion. This is one of the crochet instructors I subscribe to on Youtube. Granted, you're knitting. But her concept for a dog sweater is ingenious. She uses any size hook/needle and any yarn. You simply measure around the dog's neck and chain or cast on the number of stitches needed to reach this measurement. It's crocheted in a rectangle. You stitch up about an inch or two to go around the neck. You can leave the rest just go over the top of the dog's back or you can chain ties or buttons/loop buttonhole closure on it. I think this could easily be adapted for knitting. I wish I had this pattern last year when I was struggling with all the dog measurements. There are a lot of dog sweater patterns for toy and teacup lap sitters, but none for medium and large dogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khVnUsDx6Mw&feature=plcp