I decided to design the sweater to basically mimic the shape of the dog, with some help from text767’s Niko’s New Friend Poklon project on where to place the hole for the legs.

Ravelry makes pictures fairly small, so the chart is not really readable in the format that I can upload here. I have an Excel version and a high-resolution JPG, both downloadable so that you can print or view (for free), on this page.

To fit my dacshund, the length of sweater back should be 8”. Length of neck should be about 1”.

FOLLOW CHART FROM BOTTOM UP AS YOU WORK THE FOLLOWING:

FLAT PART OF BACK OF SWEATER

• Cast on 27 sts.
• Work 4 rows of K1P1 rib, flat, not in the round.
• Stockinette st 12 rows, not in the round, doing seed stitch on edges and doing increases as shown in chart.
• Rows 7, 8, 15, and 16 are gray.
• Rows 11 and 12 are white.
• All other rows in this section are crimson.

ROUND PART OF SWEATER

• On row 17, 53 sts, join to knit in the round. Place marker. Beginning of row is center of belly.
• Follow the increases on the chart through row 52, 63 sts.

LETTERING

• On rows 43-59 follow the chart for the lettering.

LEG HOLES

• K rows 53 and 54, binding off 7 sts at beginning of each row for the leg hole, 49 sts.
• Stockinette st 3 rows, knitting flat, not in the round.
• Cast on 4 sts at beginning of next two rows. 57 sts.
• Rejoin for continuing in the round, placing marker.

NECK

• Follow chart for decreases and color changes.

• K1P1 rib for the last 4 rows. 45 sts.

• ?? Will the neck be the right length??

• Cast off.