JoJo Krits:
Romeo 's Srowball Sweater The 'Snowball' was knit in Plymouth Yarn's Galway worsted weight yarn. The sweater is made up of two pieces: a back panel and a tummy panel. When the panels are sewn together, openings are left for the front legs. Romeo, a 3 pound long haired Chihuahua, is modeling the sweater in size extra-small. Instructions are for size extra small with S, M, and L sizes in parenthesis.
Materials
Main Color (MC) 1 skein Plymouth Yarn Galway in color #44 (red) Contrasting Color (CC) 1 skein Plymouth Yarn Galway in color #8 (white) Size 6 (4mm) needles or size needed to obtain gauge Yarn needle for finishing
Sizing
Extra Small fits 13 inch chest, Small/16, Medium/20, Large/24 inch chests Gauge: 22 stitches in 4 inches over stocking stitch Note: Loosely carry yarn up the side of your work when changing from MC to CC and back again.
Glossary:
Ssk: (slip, slip, knit) slip next two stitches, one at a time, knitwise, to the right needle, insert the left needle into the front legs of those sts and knit them together. K2tog (knit 2 stitches together)
Back Panel
With MC cast on 29 (39, 49, 67) sts Work neck ribbing: (WS) begin with p1, then (k1, p1) across row. Next row (Rs) knit the stitches as presented (knit the knit sts and purl the purl sts). Repeat last 2 rows for 1 (1, 1.5, 1.5) inches ending with a WS row. Next row (Rs), increase 8 (10, 12, 14) sts evenly across row for a total of 37 (49, 61, 81) sts Next row (ws) purl. Begin snowball stitch: Row Yarn Repeat 1 CC Knit 2 CC purl 3 CC knit 4 CC purl 5 MC k2 \*drop next stitch off the left hand needle and unravel 4 rows down. Insert right hand needle into MC stitch and under the 4 loose stands of CC color and knit all together, k3\* repeat between \* across row 6 MC purl 7 CC knit 8 CC purl 9 CC knit 10 CC purl 11 MC k4 \*drop next stitch off the left hand needle and proceed as for row 5, k3\* repeat between \* across row 12 MC purl
Unraveling looks like this
Completed stitch captures the four loose strands of CC Repeat rows 1 through 12, 4 (5, 6, 8) more times
Next Row (RS) knit
Work bottom ribbing: (WS) begin with p1 then (k1, p1) across row. Next Row (RS) knit the stitches as presented. Repeat last two rows for 1(1, 1.5, 1.5) inches. Bind off all stitches in rib. With CC and right side of the back panel facing you, pick up and knit 45 (54, 63, 90) sts down the side, knit one row and then bind off all stitches. Repeat for other side.
Tummy Panel
With MC cast on 19 (25, 31, 39) sts. Begin ribbing (WS) p1, (k1, p1). Next row knit stitches as presented. Repeat last two rows for 1 (1, 1.5, 1.5) inches ending with a wS row. Next Row (Rs) (k1, p1) 2 (2, 4, 4) times, knit to last 4 (4, 4, 8, 8) sts (p1, k1) 2 (2, 4, 4) times. Knit stitches as presented on the WS rows. Continue until panel measures 2 (2.5, 3.5, 4.5) inches from cast on row ending on a ws row. Next Row (RS) decrease: (k1, p1) 2 (2, 4, 4) times, ssk, knit to last 4 (4, 8, 8) sts, k2tog, (p1, k1) 2 (2, 4, 4) times. Repeat decrease row every 4th row 2 (3, 4, 5) more times. Continue in pattern until panel measures 5 (5.5, 7.5, 9.5) inches from cast row ending with a RS row. Work neck ribbing (WS): begin with pland (k1, p1) across row. Next row, knit stitches as presented. Repeat the last two rows until ribbing measures 1 (1, 1.5, 1.5) inches and bind off.
Finishing
Begin by sewing the sides of the neck ribbing on the tummy panel to the sides of the neck ribbing on the back panel. Break yarn. Leave generous openings for each of the front legs -- about 3 (4, 5, 6.5) inches. Attach the sides of the rest of the tummy panel to the sides of the back panel. Weave in ends.
