Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches [Paperback]

Sally Muir (Author), Joanna Osborne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2011

The perfect gift for dog-lovers who knit!  From a spotted Dalmatian to a wrinkly Bulldog, the step-by-step patterns in Knit Your Own Dog let you knit the dog you've always wanted.

The knitted dog is indeed the ideal companion: There's no feeding, barking, shedding, or vet's bills, and he'll live forever! Knit Your Own Dog is the irresistible guide to knitting the perfect pup. With patterns for 25 different pedigree pooches, Knit Your Own Dog lets you choose the dog you want, whether it's a pretty Poodle or a loyal Labrador. Or knit them all for a pack of canine fun!

The patterns are easy-to-follow for both new and veteran knitters. It should take only a few evenings to create a covetable companion for life. And yet each pattern is extremely detailed and includes all of the distinguishing features of each breed, from the startling blue eyes of the Siberian Husky and the long, woolly curls of the Old English Sheepdog to the lolling tongue of the German Shepherd.

Accompanying the patterns are a brief description of each breed, as well as expert tips on choosing yarns, stuffing and sewing the dogs, and adding personality to your creation. Beautiful color photographs of the finished dogs, as well as detail shots, both inspire and instruct. Knit Your Own Dog is the perfect book for knitters and devoted dog lovers.

Breeds include: Afghan Hound, Basset Hound, Border Collie, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Dachshund, Dalmatian, English Bulldog, English Bull Terrier, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Labrador, Miniature Schnauzer, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Pug, Red Setter, Rough Collie, Scottish Terrier, Siberian Husky, West Highland Terrier, Whippet, Wire-haired Fox Terrier.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne run their own knitwear business, Muir and Osborne (www.muirandosborne.co.uk).  They have a shop in London and export their knitwear to stores in the U.S., Japan, and Europe including Barneys, Saks, Liberty, and The Cross. They won the UK Fashion Export Small Business Award in 2002 and several pieces of their knitwear are in the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  Their previous book, Pet Projects, was featured on The Martha Stewart Show.


Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne run their own knitwear business, Muir and Osborne (www.muirandosborne.co.uk).  They have a shop in London and export their knitwear to stores in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, including Barneys, Saks, Liberty, and The Cross.  They won the UK Fashion Export Small Business Award in 2002 and several pieces of their knitwear are in the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  Their previous book, Pet Projects, was featured on The Martha Stewart Show.   

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (February 23, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579128742
• ISBN-13: 978-1579128746
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Toys & Models > Stuffed Animals
  • #84 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts > Knitting

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

127 of 131 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For Dog Lovers Only February 18, 2011

By Lynne E. TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dog lovers may want to knit these 25 charming "pedigree pooches" as a display set, although it will be a lot of work! Each little dog--they range from 6.75" high x 8" long (Afghan) to 3.5" x 6.25" (Corgi)--has a lot of parts, which need to be joined or sewn together, stuffed, and embroidered with noses and eyes. For example, the cover dog (Wire-haired Fox Terrier) requires knitting two back legs, two front legs, a right side and tail, a left side and tail, a body, a neck and head, a tummy, two ears, and a collar.

The designers have done a fine job in capturing the essentials of each breed. My favorites are the Poodle (knit in boucle yarn) and the wrinkly English Bulldog; my least favorites are the Labrador and Dalmatian, which are still quite identifiable by their breeds. Breeds included are: Afghan Hound, Whippet, Dachshund, Basset Hound, Wire-haired Fox Terrier, Jack Russell, Scottish Terrier, West Highland Terrier, English Bull Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Red Setter, Labrador, Portuguese Water Dog, Dalmatian, Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pug, Rough Collie, Border Collie, German Shepherd, Old English Sheepdog, Corgi, and Siberian Husky. Experienced, creative knitters can no doubt adapt the patterns for other breeds.

The patterns call for small amounts of various Rowan yarns (Pure Wool, Kidsilk Haze, Cashsoft, Felted Tweed, etc.), but the authors include a brief note on substituting yarns. If I were knitting these, I would use something other than Kidsilk Haze for the Schnauzer's long muzzle hair and the Rough Collie's thick "mane", as the thin mohair isn't quite convincing as a dog's silky coat.

I haven't knit-tested the patterns, but the instructions seem very clear. Stitch counts are included at the end of increase/decrease rows, and close-up photos illustrate head details and leg angles (for sewing to bodies). I was briefly confused by the instructions "k3wa" and "k2cr", but these merely refer to yarn colors ("wa" for "walnut" and "cr" for "cream"). Special stitches, such as loopy stitches, are explained at the end of the book, and there are hints on stuffing, and on adding pipecleaners as needed to strengthen legs.

This is a book for experienced knitters, as the patterns call for a lot of shaping, saving stitches on holders, and some special techniques. However, any moderately experienced but adventurous knitter should be able to knit the dogs from the pattern instructions. If you're a real dog lover, this is a 5-star book, because it's fun to look through even if you don't want to knit the dogs. If you're mainly interested in patterns for knitted toys, then better choices might be Debbie Bliss' Toy Knits: More Than 30 Irresistible and Easy-to-Knit Patterns, Kath Dalmeny's World of Knitted Toys, Zoe Mellor's Knitted Toys: 25 Fresh and Fabulous Designs, or Sarah Keen's Knitted Wild Animals: 15 Adorable, Easy-to-Knit Toys.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's almost a 1/6 scale kennel! March 5, 2011

By K. Reed

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Some times it literally is the little things missing in the lives of the 1/6 scale collector that make all the difference. At first I was hoping for life sized dogs but as I looked at the patterns and saw they called for size 2 needles I thought about my dolls. Why not spoil your dolls, or your child's, with a dog? A quick look through the patterns at the finished size and body type and changing the yarn will result in most any dog in the world. I say use any yarn type, color, and needle size you want. This is one of the most charming books I've seen in a long time. Surprise someone with a pocket sized copy of their dog they can carry anywhere!

I made a test dog with left over yarn and larger than recommended needles and can happily say it looked like a dog. Four legs, two sides to each body and head, two ears, a tail. A practiced knitter could turn one of these out while sitting back and watching a movie or two. If you can do increases, knit together, knit, and purl you can make one.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Unclear Finishing Instructions April 14, 2011

By LMS

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was really excited about this book and was really looking forward to knitting and completing a number of the dogs in the book. My first project was the English Bull Terrier. I easily knitted the legs, body, neck and head, but when I came to the Tummy that was where the trouble started.

In the description it mentions "Work 50 rows st st (measure against dog, it should reach bottom of dog's chest, adjust rows if necessary)". This made me think that perhaps 50 st might not work and that I needed to do less or more, so I pinned the tummy to the body and tried to gauge where the dog's chest might be. I made a judgment on the number of rows and continued on in the pattern. I found when I got near the dog's head, the tummy seemed really short. So I unpicked and tried again, adding more rows. Again, it seemed to come up short. The third time, I knitted a little more to where I believed was still the dog's chest and this allowed the tummy part to reach the dog. I then followed the finishing instructions on seaming the tummy to the dog. This was again, where I had trouble.

The instructions say, "sew cast on row of tummy to bottom of dog, and sew bound off row to nose. Ease and sew tummy to fit body". I did this and found to my bewilderment that the dog's head was way up in the air and it looked utterly ridiculous.

I then realized that the reason that the dog's tummy does not match up with the body is because the tummy pulls the head down when it is sewn to the body. So, why on earth, did the authors not mention this? Why imply that you can add more than the 50 stitches, when if you do your dog's tummy does not match the body and head correctly? The instructions for putting together the dog is so vague. There should be a mention in the book about the tummy to body proportions (shorter tummy to pull dog's head down, etc) and placement when seaming. There is mention on knitting the body and head, stuffing the dog and sewing and stuffing the legs, but no mention at all on the very important aspect of piecing together the tummy to the dog.

Because of this, I had to abandon the dog. I just could not face redoing the head and body. I was really disappointed and feel that this book is really lacking in instruction. I've made toys before, especially from Susan B Anderson and her patterns and assembly instructions are excellent. In fact, its much easier to knit on double-pointed needles than to spend endless hours seaming which these dogs require. Very disappointing.