I designed this sweater because there weren’t any well fitting large dog sweaters on the market. Tried different patterns and was always disappointed with the outcome so decided to design one myself. Felting makes the sweater warmer and more durable. Also makes it less likely to snag. Keeps my Dobermans toasty and warm.
Easy pattern to follow. Great for “TV knitting”. Sweater knits up fairly quickly since it is knitted on big needles. And the final step FELTING makes this pattern a little bit exciting!
A 100% Wool yarn is needed to make the sweater. I recommend Cascade 220. You will need 3 skeins. I used a lace weight mohair blend yarn together with the Cascade 220 for the collar, leg holes and edging, but the sweater can also be made without the lace weight yarn added.
Gauge before felting was 13 sts x 19 rows = 4” x 4” square and after felting the gauge was 15 sts x 24 rows for a 4” square. Cascade 220 Quatro also worked nicely for this sweater but felted a little narrower and longer. What ever 100% wool yarn you choose for this project do a test swatch and felt it in your washing machine, taking notes of how long it takes to felt to get close to the gauge. This will help with the final steps of making the sweater.
The more you felt it the smaller it will get so monitor the sweater as it is felting so it doesn’t get too small.

If your dog has a narrow chest or the front legs are not so far apart, the st count can be reduced by 4 sts through the chest and between the front legs.