Love Is In The Air

Love Is In The Air Dog Sweater by Sandy Mills

What Is Being Made

Love Is In The Air is an adorable knitted dog sweater designed for small dogs, featuring charming heart motifs throughout the garment. This fashionable pet clothing piece combines functionality with style, keeping your small canine companion warm while displaying decorative colorwork patterns. The pattern is available in multiple sizes to fit different dog chest measurements, ranging from 10 inches to 18 inches (25cm to 46cm), making it suitable for various small dog breeds. The design is shown in pink for female dogs, though knitters can easily substitute blue yarn for a masculine aesthetic.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs Fair Isle and Stranded Colorwork techniques as the primary construction method. Fair Isle knitting involves working with multiple yarn colors in the same row, creating intricate patterned designs by carrying unused colors across the back of the work. This technique allows the heart designs to stand out beautifully against the main color background while maintaining structural integrity and even fabric density. The stranded colorwork approach ensures the finished sweater remains flexible and comfortable for your pet to wear.

Stitches and Construction

The sweater is constructed using fundamental knitting stitches worked at a gauge of 5 stitches per 1 inch in stockinette stitch. The pattern utilizes the following abbreviations and stitches:

• K (Knit): The primary stitch creating the smooth stockinette fabric
• P (Purl): Used in combination with knit stitches for ribbed sections
• INC (Increase): Shaping increases to accommodate the dog's body contours

The ribbed sections, typically found at cuffs and waistbands, are worked on smaller needles to create elastic, fitted edges that hold the sweater securely on your pet.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

This intermediate-level pattern calls for Worsted weight yarn (also compatible with Aran weight), providing excellent stitch definition for the Fair Isle colorwork. For a medium-sized sweater (13-inch chest), you will need approximately 20 grams of the main color yarn (Color A), with smaller quantities of additional colors (Colors B, C, and D) for the heart designs and accents. The specific yarn yardage allows for efficient use of yarn while creating a durable, warm garment.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires the following needle sizes:

• US 8 (5mm) straight or circular needles: For working the main body and colorwork sections at the correct gauge
• US 6 (4mm) circular needles: For ribbed sections, creating a tighter, more elastic fabric
• 4mm double-pointed needles: For working small circumferences and finishing details

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. The Fair Isle and stranded colorwork techniques require familiarity with managing multiple yarn colors simultaneously and maintaining consistent tension across color changes. Knitters should be comfortable reading pattern charts and have experience with basic shaping techniques including increases and ribbed sections before attempting this project.

Pattern Information

This New Age Knitting pattern (#912) is provided as a downloadable PDF for personal use only. The pattern explicitly prohibits the selling of either the pattern itself or finished products made from this design, ensuring it remains an original creation by designer Sandy Mills for individual crafters to enjoy.