Pep's New Threads

Title: Colorful Fair Isle, Another Dog's Life
Author: Patons
Yarn: Patons Decor, 1 ball each of Rich Grey Heather, Grape, White, Maize, Sublime, and Claret (some colours discontinued)
Fibre Content: 75% acrylic, 25% wool
Gauge: 20 st/4 inches (worsted)

Notes

Last weekend my grandparents celebrated their 60th anniversary, and Shawn and I drove down to Windsor with my family to participate in the festivities, which included an open house reception at their church hall, complete with banjo band. (Shawn put up some great photos at flickr.) My sisters, dad, and I also provided some musical entertainment. (Yeah, I play recorder ...)

I knew immediately what gift I would make for the occasion: a sweater for my grandparents' mini dachshund, Pepe. Never was a dog so doted upon. Based on measurements I took last summer (Pepe is a barrel-chested 18" around, and 14" long), I knit up this sweet fair isle design, and lo and behold, it fit! And Pepe didn't seem to mind wearing it. Wouldn't you say he's grinning in the picture? Grandma and Grandpa were quite tickled too.

Successes

• Fit: I did a gauge swatch and came out with a larger gauge than called for (18.5 sts to 4 inches), but that was good, because the medium size was for a 16" chest, and Pepe is 18". So the fit was near perfect. The only issue might be that his feet come out of the leg holes when he's moving around, but that could be solved by putting a harness-type leash overtop of the sweater, to hold it in place.
• Fair Isle Pattern: The colours and the pattern they create are quite striking, and handsome, I think.

Revisions

• Sweater Pattern: The multitudinous yarn ends! The purling in two-stranded fair isle! The three leg sections worked separately! This pattern is definitely finicky, only slightly mitigated by the fact that the piece is small and finished quickly.