Knitting a Dog Sweater: An Easy Guide

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Stitch an adorable coat so your dog looks fetching while they fetch
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If your dog gets chilly on its daily walks, try knitting them a sweater! Not only will a pup-sized pullover provide your pooch with a stylish new fit to keep cozy during colder months, a DIY stitching project is also a great way to keep yourself creative. Keep reading and we’ll walk you through a step-by-step sweater pattern that any beginner can stitch together in no time. Your furry friend will be thankful when you’re finished.

Things You Should Know

  • Begin knitting your dog’s sweater by casting 25-43 stitches of yarn around a 9 mm needle.
  • Use a normal garter-stitching pattern for most of your dog’s sweater and decrease the number of stitches every 3-5 rows depending on the piece you’re knitting.
  • Stitch the back piece of your dog’s sweater first. Then the belly piece. Then, sew the pieces together, leaving room for leg holes.
  • Check the length of your dog’s chest and belly before stitching, so you knit a sweater that’ll fit them snugly.
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:

Measuring Your Dog & Checking Your Gauge

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  1. Before you start knitting, take your pooch’s measurements so you know how big their sweater should be. To measure your dog’s chest, wrap your measuring tape around the widest part of your dog's rib cage. To measure your dog's length, hold the end of the measuring tape at the neck near the collar and pull it to the base of the tail. Write down both measurements. [1]
    • To get your dog to stand still, give them a yummy treat.
  2. Determine the size of your pup’s pullover beforehand so you know how many stitches to cast for the back and under piece. Look at your dog's measurements and see which size matches your dog the closest. For a finished size guide: [2]
    • Small sweater: 18 in (46 cm) width and 12 in (30 cm) length
    • Medium sweater: 22 in (56 cm) width and 17 in (43 cm) length
    • Large sweater: 26 in (66 cm) width and 20 in (51 cm) length
    • Extra-large sweater: 30 in (76 cm) width and 24 in (61 cm) length
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  3. Look for super chunky or super bulky yarn in a color that you like. To make a small, medium, or large sweater, get 1 to 2 skeins that are about 6 ounces (170 g) each. If your dog is an extra large breed (like a Great Dane or Cane Corso), buy 2 to 3 skeins just in case. [3]
    • If you want to knit a multicolored sweater, purchase 2 or 3 different colored skeins that you think your dog will like cute in. Then, alternate these colors as you knit each row.
  4. Use a 9 mm (0.35 in) needle to ensure the gauges in your dog’s sweater fit nice and snugly. The material of your needle doesn’t matter; pick whatever needles feel the most comfortable to you (bamboo, metal, plastic, wooden). Use a large-eyed blunt needle for assembling the back and underpiece of your dog’s sweater. [4]
  5. Before you begin making the real piece your doggo will wear, create a small knit sample (called a swatch). Use this swatch to measure the sweater’s knit gauge (gauge refers to the number of stitches per inch) and confirm it’s the right size. Cast yarn on 8 stitches and knit 16 rows to make a square swatch. Use a ruler to measure this swatch. The gauge of your sweater should be about 4 inches (10 cm). [5]
    • Adjust the size of your needles if necessary. If your gauge is too big, use needles that are smaller. If your gauge is too small, use larger needles.
    • Discard your gauge once you've finished measuring it.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:

Knitting the Back Piece

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  1. Begin casting on the stitches for the sweater you're making. Start by making a slipknot and sliding it onto your 9 mm knitting needle. Then, hold the needle in your hand and wrap the yarn around the working yarn around your thumb. Finally, pull the needle through the loop in your thumb and tug both strands of yarn. Adjust the number of stitches you use based on the size of your sweater: [6]
    • Small sweater: 25 stitches
    • Medium sweater: 31 stitches
    • Large sweater: 37 stitches
    • Extra-large sweater: 43 stitches
    • If you want an easy-access hole to feed a leash through, cast on an additional 4 stitches to the back piece. [7]
  2. Once you've cast on your stitches, create the next few rows of your doggie’s sweater using the garter stitch method. Continue the garter stitch until you have a stretchy, flat back piece of fabric for your sweater that measures: [8]
    • Small: 7 inches (18 cm)
    • Medium: 12 inches (30 cm)
    • Large: 14 inches (36 cm)
    • Extra-large: 16 inches (41 cm)
  3. Once the back piece is the right size for your dog, decrease the stitches you use so your backpiece piece narrows and you have a space for your dog’s collar. Knit 1 stitch. Then, stitch together the next 2 stitches. This will combine them into a single stitch so the row decreases a little. Continue knitting like this until you have the following number of stitches remaining for each size: [9]
    • Small: 23 stitches left
    • Medium: 29 stitches left
    • Large: 35 stitches left
    • Extra-large: 41 stitches left
  4. Once you’ve created a decreased row and have 23/29/35/41 stitches remaining, resume garter stitching. Continue to knit every stitch for the next 3 rows before alternating once again. [10]
  5. To gradually make the back piece smaller again, knit a decrease every 4th row. Stitch the first stitch and then stitch together the next 2. Continue to knit until you reach the last 3 stitches on the needle. Combine 2 stitches to make 1 and then knit the final stitch on the needle. [11]
  6. Knit 3 more rows and then work another decreasing row. Repeat this 3 more times if you're making a small or medium sweater. If you're making a large sweater, you'll need to repeat this 4 times, and if you're knitting an extra-large sweater, repeat it 6 times. Once you've finished the decreasing rows, you should have this many stitches on your needles: [12]
    • Small: 15 stitches
    • Medium: 21 stitches
    • Large: 25 stitches
    • Extra-large: 27 stitches
  7. To cast off and remove the finished back piece from your needles, knit the first 2 stitches. Insert the tip of the left needle into the stitch that's closer to you on the right needle. Pull that stitch over so that it's in front of the second stitch. Drop it off the right needle. Keep knitting 1 stitch from the left needle onto the right and then lifting the stitch over the stitch in front of it until you have just 1 stitch left on the left needle. [13]
  8. Once you’ve bound off the back piece, use scissors to slice your yarn so you have a 5 in (13 cm) tail remaining. Loosen the last stitch on your needle to enlarge the hole. Loop the tail through the hole; then, remove the knitting needle. Finally, pull the yarn nice and tight to knot it. [14]
    • When you’re done, you’ll have a finished back piece that's fully off of the needles.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:

Knitting the Underpiece

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  1. To make the underpiece of your pupper’s sweater, use your needles to cast on the beginning stitches, just as you did for the back piece. Because the underpiece will cover your dog’s belly (which is smaller), it’ll require a little less material. Stitch the following amounts based on the size of your dog’s sweater: [15]
    • Small sweater: 11 stitches
    • Medium sweater: 13 stitches
    • Large sweater: 15 stitches
    • Extra-large sweater: 17 stitches
  2. After you’ve cast on your stitches for the belly piece, use a garter stitch for the next 4 rows or until the underpiece of your dog’s sweater measures: [16]
    • Small: 4.5 inches (11 cm)
    • Medium: 7.25 inches (18.4 cm)
    • Large: 10.25 inches (26.0 cm)
    • Extra-large: 10.75 inches (27.3 cm)
  3. Knit the first stitch. Then, knit the next 2 stitches together to make just 1 stitch. Keep knitting the rest of the stitches until there are only 3 stitches remaining on the left needle. Knit 2 of the stitches together to decrease a stitch and then knit the last stitch. [17]
  4. After you’ve successfully made your belly piece’s first decreasing row, continue knitting every stitch for the next 4 rows.
  5. To make the underpiece narrow near the collar, knit the first stitch and stitch together the next 2 to make 1 stitch. Keep knitting until you reach the last 3 stitches on the needle. Knit together 2 stitches to make 1 and then knit the last stitch on the needle. [18]
  6. Knit 5 more rows, working a decrease stitch into every 5th row. Repeat this 2-5 more times depending on the size of the sweater you’re making. (Small sweaters only require 2 more times, while pieces for extra-large dogs require 5.) [19]
  7. Remove the finished underpiece from your needles by knitting the first 2 stitches. Insert the tip of the left needle into the stitch that's closer to you on the right needle. Lift that stitch over so it's in front of the 2nd stitch. Drop the stitch off the right needle. [20]
  8. Continue to knit 1 stitch from the left needle onto the right. Then, lift each stitch over the stitch in front of it. Keep doing this until you have just 1 more stitch remaining on your left needle. [21]
  9. Cut the yarn to make a 5-inch (12-cm) tail. Pull the last stitch on the needle a little to make the hole bigger. Loop the yarn tail through the hole and slide out the knitting needle. Pull the yarn tight to knot it. [22]
    • You should now have a finished underpiece that's a little smaller and narrower than the back piece.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:

Assembling the Dog Sweater

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  1. Now it’s time to begin stitching the individual pieces of your dog’s sweater together. Gather about 18 inches (46 cm) of yarn and thread it through your large-eyed blunt needle. Use the same thread that you used to knit the pieces of the sweater. [23]
  2. Lay the sweater’s back piece directly on top of the belly piece so the right (front) sides are facing each other. Line up the edges evenly. [24]
  3. Insert the large-eyed blunt needle into the narrow side of your sweater that you cast off earlier. Sew both sides together in the front and back of the sweater. To ensure that you leave room for the dog's front legs, keep sewing the pieces together for: [25]
    • Small sweater: 2 inches (5.1 cm)
    • Medium sweater: 2.5 inches (6.4 cm)
    • Large sweater: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
    • Extra-large sweater: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)
  4. Stop sewing once you’ve meshed the front and back sides of the sweater. To ensure that your dog has enough room for each of their legs, leave the next several inches of yarn open. Depending on the size of your pup and sweater, leave: [26]
    • Small: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
    • Medium: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)
    • Large: 4 inches (10 cm)
    • Extra-large: 4.5 inches (11 cm)
  5. To seam the back and underpiece together, finish sewing the pieces until you reach the end. Tie off the last stitch and cut the thread. Turn the sweater inside out to hide the seams. Once you’re done, place your sweater on your dog and enjoy how cozy and adorable they look! [27]
  6. If you'd like to add buttons or stitch a collar onto this basic dog sweater, determine the look you're going for. Choose decorative buttons to stitch onto the side or underpiece of the sweater. You can also sew felt flowers, pom poms, or small bells onto the sweater. [28]
    • If you want to make a sweater that has a hood or uses functional buttons to open and close, look for a more challenging dog sweater pattern.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    When completing this dog jacket, it says to decrease each row by knitting 2 stitches together till you have 3 stitches, then it says to knit 3 rows and decrease. This is very confusing, which one do I do?
    Community Answer
    Yes, that does seem confusing! I can’t see the pattern, nor how many stitches you have, so, look at the shape you need and either, at the beginning of each row, Knit 2 tog, till you are left with 3 stitches, (which will give you a longer finished piece) then *knit 3 rows and cast off. Or, keep decreasing 2 stitches across the row, keep doing this on following rows, till you have 3 stitches left and then *
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    If I use worsted DK yarn, do I use size 4mm needles (UK 8's)?
    Beth W
    Community Answer
    Follow the recommended needle size for the yarn you are using. If your label band is missing, then use 3.75mm-4mm needles.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    How would I add a turtleneck to the medium size?
    Finn Kobler
    Community Answer
    To create a turtleneck for your dog's sweater, stitch a neck piece that fits snugly around your dog's neck. Then, attach this neck piece after you've sewn together the back and underpieces.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.mimiandtara.com/how-to-measure-your-dog-for-clothing/
      2. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      3. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      4. ↑ https://sarahmaker.com/knitting-needle-sizes/
      5. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      6. ↑ https://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/backward-loop-cast-on
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/sQI-Ew91oqE?t=587
      8. ↑ https://nimble-needles.com/stitches/how-to-knit-the-garter-stitch/
      9. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      1. ↑ https://unitedhope4animals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      2. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      3. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      4. ↑ https://nimble-needles.com/stitches/how-to-bind-off-knitting/
      5. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/fgO-t8YM2y8?t=70
      7. ↑ https://nimble-needles.com/stitches/how-to-knit-the-garter-stitch/
      8. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      9. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      10. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      11. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      12. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      13. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      14. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      15. ↑ https://unitedhopeforanimals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      16. ↑ https://unitedhope4animals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      17. ↑ https://creativetien.com/machine-knitted-dog-sweater-on-a-brother-260-with-a-ribber/
      18. ↑ https://unitedhope4animals.org/knitting-a-dog-sweater-the-easy-way/
      19. ↑ https://www.studioknitsf.com/category/accessories/embellishments/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To knit a sweater for a dog, start by measuring its chest and length to determine how big the sweater should be. Next, buy enough skeins of yarn for your project and a pair of size 13 US needles. Once you have your materials ready, cast on the initial stitches for the size sweater you’re making, and use a garter stitch for the next section. When you get to the dog’s collar, decrease your rows to narrow the pattern. Then, work the underpiece in much the same way, using a garter stitch followed by decreasing rows. Finally, assemble the back and underpiece together to finish the sweater. To learn how to add embellishments to your dog’s sweater, keep reading!

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      • Sharron Travis

        Oct 21, 2021

        "This knitting pattern includes many suggestions for making the dog sweater fit well. Since my dog is a mixed breed ..." more
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