Pinafore for Puppy

What wee puppy wouldn't want a pink, pearl and paws pinafore?

Some basic knitting and crochet techniques, some hand-sewing and several hours and you can make one of these for the Very Special Wee Puppy in your life.

You'll need:

• 2oz of 4 ply yarn for the pinafore, a few yards of the contrasting color for the lace trim. I prefer(and used) Sugar 'n Cream cotton.
• size US 7 knitting needles, and similar size for crochet hook.
• yarn needle, reg needle and thread
• notions such as mini paws, pearl beads and large snaps
• Puppy

Step 1: Knit the Bodice, and Strap

1. Cast on 16 stitches. Knit one row, then purl the next.

2. Continue until piece is about 16" unstretched.

3. Strap: Cast on four stitches. Knit each and every row, continuing for about 18".

Step 2: Skirt

1. Cast on five stitches. Knit into back of loop. At the beginning of each row, cast on five stitches. Knit entire row, always into the back of the loop.

2. Knitted piece after several rows.

3. Continue above process until width of skirt is about 24"

4. Rather than casting off, feed double strand of yarn, using a yarn needle through all of the loops.

5. All loops transferred to double strand of yarn. So much easier than casting off! Plus this will allow for gathering of the skirt.

Step 3: Sew Pinafore Pieces Together.

1. Lay bodice piece flat. Lay skirt piece along that and gather until same width. Set strap down in a v, with point at center of bodice strap.

1a. Sew all pieces together with matching yarn and yarn needle.

2. Awww. Look at the Sleeping Lucy

Step 4: Create Lace Trim

I looked online to find pattern examples of crochet lace trim... and couldn't find any!

So I created my own.

1. Create 10-loop chain

2. Push crochet hook through 7th loop, creating 7 chain circle and 3 chain tail.

3. Yarn over

4. Pull middle loop over that yarn over loop.

5. The last loop over that one... now you have your first circle.

6. Continue that process of 10 chain loop, 7 chain circle, 3 chain tail.

7. Three loops created! Very cute.. I like this.

Step 5: Trim and Finishing Details

1. Sew on crochet lace trim using matching yarn and yarn needle.

2. Figure patch placement on bodice. You can sew on at this point, I chose to wait.

3. Sew together front of bodice with matching yarn, then sew snaps onto ends of straps.

4. Sew on mini paws

Step 6: Fitting and Adjustments

1. Gather up your puppy

2. Put on dress to figure out where the front strap snaps should go and any other adjustments. A sleepy puppy isn't the time. : D

3. See how it functions when she walks and moves about.

4. The straps in the back needed to be joined on the sides so that the shoulder straps separated at a higher point. Kind of like overalls.

5. I sewed on another paw at the center back where they joined - much better, and cuter!

Step 7: Photo Shoot!

1. All her brothers were so jealous so we went into the bedroom for some alone time to take some pictures.

2. Fits really well now!

3. Very cute nursing picture.

4. "Why is she so special that she gets clothes made for her...? "

: )

"Follow me, Lucy, on Instagram!"