Double Cable Chi Sweater
For those few of you following my blog, thank you. You’re probably here because you have a special little Chihuahua in your life in dire need of a sweater also and you, too, have the ability to knit. I present to you dear readers, Darby’s latest sweater. If you can’t do cables, just follow the instructions without actually doing the cables or purls, and you’ll have a straight forward sweater. If you want to add sleeves, the instructions are written in the previous sweater pattern, I just ran out of the main color (started with a ball of the main color about the size of a tennis ball).
This week’s sweater is made with lion brand wool-ease. I used 2 colors, 1 brown and 1 red (who keeps the labels of yarn leftovers? Not me, I prefer losing them immediately and wondering what kind of yarn it is I have)
Please note, I can’t explain how to do cables, so I’ll describe them to you. The sweater has two cables that go in opposite directions. Each cable is made of 4 sts, with 2 crossing over the other two. From here on out, I’m just going to put cable where one will be done.
Recipe
Main color
Contrasting color
Notions:
Size 8 dpns
Cable needle
Needle for sewing in loose ends
Neck
Cast on 28 stitches in contrasting color
Distribute over 3 needles as follows: 9, 10, 9
Join and knit in 2×2 rib for 2”
Switch to main color and straight stitch and increase as follows:
Please note the center needle will always have k4, p2, k4 for your cables
Begin Increase shaping for the legs
1) k2, kfb, k4, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k4, kfb, k2 (30 stitches total)
2) k2, kfb, k5, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k5, kfb, k2 (32 stitches total)
3) k2, kfb, k6, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, P2, k6, kfb, k2 (34)
4) k2, kfb, k7, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k7, kfb, k2 (36)
5) k2, kfb, k8, p2, /Cable left with 1st 4 sts, p2, cable right with 2nd 4 sts/, p2, k8, kfb, k2 (38 stitches)
6)k2, kfb, k9, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k9, kfb, k2 (40)
7) k2, kfb, k10, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k10, kfb, k2 (42)
8 ) k2, kfb, k11, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k11, kfb, k2 (44)
9) k2, kfb, bind off 8 sts, k4, p2/ k4, p2, k4/, p2, k4, bind off 8 sts, kfb, k2 (46)
10) k2, kfb, k1, cast on 8, p2, /cable, p2, cable/, p2, cast on 8, k1, kfb, k2 (48 )
11) k2, kfb, k14, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k17, kfb, k2 (50)
12) k2, kfb, k15, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k15, kfb, k2 (52)
13) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
14) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
15) k19, p2,/cable, p2, cable/, p2, k19 (52)
16) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
17) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
18 ) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
19)k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
20) k19, p2,/cable, p2, cable/, p2, k19 (52)
21) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
22) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
23) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
24) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
25) k19, p2,/cable, p2, cable/, p2, k19 (52)
26) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
27) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
28 ) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
29) k19, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k19 (52)
Begin decrease shaping for the narrowest part of the body, past the ribs
30) k2, k2tog, k15, p2,/cable, p2, cable/, p2, k15, sl1, k1, psso, k2 (50)
31) k18, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k18 (50)
32) k2, k2tog, k14, p2, /k4, p2, k4/. P2, k14, sl1, k1, psso, k2 (48 )
33) k17, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k17 (48 )*
34) k2, k2tog, k13, p2 /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k13, sl1, k1, psso, k2 (46)
35) k16, p2, /cable, p2, cable/, p2, k16 (46)
36) k2, k2tog, k12, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k12, sl1, k1, psso, k2 (44)
37) k15, p2, /k4, p2, k4/, p2, k15 (44)
38 ) with Contrasting color begin 2×2 rib for 2 inches
*Please note, I stopped decreasing here for Darby’s sweater, but added some more shaping and an additional cable because it is a little shorter than I would like. If you wanted, you could continue with the cable without the decreasing by repeating #33 until you get to #35, doing a cable, and then doing #33 2 more times. Your choice. My Darby has a nice healthy lean shape, so the additional shaping wouldn’t be an issue, but if your little Chihuahua is more “robust” you may want to follow the steps as written in asterisks.
She is tired of all the cameras.
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Laurie said,
November 13, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I made this sweater with sleeves, and so far it’s my favourite one yet.
Anita said,
November 14, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Many thanks for a great blog! Love the sweater, will make for my three little chi’s.
Terry said,
November 19, 2007 at 12:36 am
Thank you for putting “knit in the round” dog sweater patterns on your blog! I have been hunting and hunting for a long time for patterns such as these!! Your dog is so cute in them!!! I am still new to knitting though. What is the meaning of the pattern lines that have the 1)<! etc. in front of the k2,kfb,???
autumnblossomknits said,
November 19, 2007 at 5:07 am
That’s me numbering each row. I used to write down the number of each row and cross it off after I did that row. I do that if I don’t have a printout of it (before I figured out to use a post-it to keep track of the rows).
Katie Sampson said,
July 5, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Very nice job on the sweater! I wish I could make my Chihuahuas their own clothes.
jej said,
July 19, 2008 at 5:58 am
All of your patterns are really nice. I enjoyed seeing the doggie sweaters/dresses, as my late sister had a wee chi many years ago. I think she’d have loved to put your garments on her little Lucy. As for me, I am really looking for a sweater pattern in Junior sizes for a young lady. I’ll just have to keep looking…
Carol said,
October 8, 2008 at 4:22 pm
What do you mean by “b/o” and c/o”?
Thank you
Diana said,
October 11, 2008 at 2:56 pm
BO = Bind Off
CO = Cast On
These are adorable patterns. I’m waiting for my wee chi to arrive to me next week and have pulled out all my knitting paraphenelia that has been put up for a couple of years. Time to use up some of my stash of odds and ends to make some cute, warm things. Vaguely considering a felted sweater as well, maybe a hooded sweater. Hmmm… A warm chi is a happy chi.
Diana said,
October 11, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I think I spotted an error at line 5. You say “…5) k2, kfb, k8, p2 …. Cable…. p2, k7, kfb, k2 (38 stitches)” I’m pretty sure that k7, should be a k8. It’s the only way to make the stitch count equal 38.
Mary said,
November 11, 2008 at 6:41 am
Hello Im new here and trying to finish my double cable dog sweater. Ive re done it about 9 times……. LOL. Anyway then I found this site and somewhere thought I stumbled on an update of the pattern starting with CO 30 st. etc..
Is there a copy of that one????? I love the sweater………so far…… I have a new Maltese and he needs to stay warm here in Iowa…………. Thnks ! Mary
Mary said,
November 11, 2008 at 6:49 am
P.S.
Sorry, did get back to the CO 30 which was another pattern. Sorry. So Im taking it that the only correction in this pattern is the line 5 correct? Thks….
Mary
maddie said,
November 26, 2008 at 6:32 pm
hi do you have a easy knit patern for a dog that ways 5lbs koby is his name he is a chihuhua thak you so much maddie
Di said,
February 2, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Dear little champagne-colored Nemo (friend of a friend) will enjoy this nice body warmer – thanks! In 55+ years of knitting I never before came across the abbreviation “kfb”, so just in case I am not alone, I Googled and found: kfb = knit 1 stitch in the front, then in the back. I had guessed “make 1″ or “increase in next stitch” – because the stitch count increases after a row with kfbs in it [duh]. I’m also intertpreting “straight stitch” as “stocking” or “stockinette” stitch, i.e. one row knit, one row purl. As to the cables – yes indeed, cable stitches have the same rights as the rest of us and can veer left or right depending on their beliefs and also on whether the stitches on the cable needle are held behind the work (right cable) or in front (left cable). I can’t resist passing on a recommendation to try Jawolle’s amazing self-patterning sock yarn; just by knitting this yarn, no patterning or changes involved, you get what looks like a tricky Fairisle pattern in many gorgeous colorways. I’m going to try it on Nemo’s chihuahua sweater …