Debbie Bliss Picnic Pooch Knitting Pattern

Debbie Bliss Picnic Pooch: Stranded Knit Dog Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Picnic Pooch is a knitted dog sweater designed to fit small-medium and medium-large size dogs. This pet clothing project features a fitted garment measured along the back at 34(39)cm or 13¼(15¼) inches, with a chest width of 24(31)cm or 9½(12¼) inches excluding straps. The sweater includes a neck collar with hook and loop fastener closures for secure, adjustable fit on your dog.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs stranded colorwork as its primary technique, allowing knitters to work with multiple yarn colors in the same row to create decorative patterned sections. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, meaning pieces are knitted as flat panels and then finished with seaming and additional finishing details. The pattern includes standard finishing techniques such as picking up stitches around the neck edge to create the collar, and sewing on hook and loop fasteners for functional closures.

Stitches Used

The Picnic Pooch pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for an intermediate maker. Knit stitch and purl stitch form the foundation of the main pattern work. Garter stitch (knitting every row) is worked for 5 rows as part of the construction. Stocking stitch (alternating knit and purl rows) creates the base fabric. The pattern also incorporates decreasing techniques, including k2tog (knit two stitches together) and skpo (slip one stitch, knit one stitch, pass slipped stitch over) to shape the garment. Picking up stitches is used to create the neck collar from existing edges.

Materials and Tools

This project requires Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran yarn in three coordinating colors: 2(3) balls of Rose 16 (A), 1 ball of Ecru 02 (B), and 1 ball of Ruby 15 (C). Each ball weighs 50g or 1¾oz. Knitters will need two pairs of needles—4mm (US 6) needles for ribbing and finishing work, and 5mm (US 8) needles for the main pattern sections. The gauge is 22 stitches and 22 rows to a 10cm or 4-inch square over the main pattern using the 5mm needles. Additional materials include two pieces of white sew 'n' sew loop and hook fastener, each approximately 10cm or 4 inches long, plus sewing thread and a needle for attaching the fasteners and finishing seams.

Pattern Structure

The main garment piece begins with casting on 52(68) stitches using 4mm needles and yarn A, followed by 5 rows of garter stitch. The knitter then changes to 5mm needles and works the main pattern, which features alternating stranded colorwork rows. The pattern includes decreasing rows worked with 4mm needles to shape the garment. The neck collar is created by picking up stitches around the neck edge and casting on additional stitches to create the collar band. Hook and loop fasteners are sewn to both ends of the neck collar on alternating sides to allow adjustable closure around the dog's neck.