Snuggle Up!

It's safe to say that I now spend a majority of my free time scouring Ravelry for new knitting and crochet patterns. Mostly for my dog.  I've pretty much abandoned my September Knit-a-long in favor of making him a new sweater, which will probably be complete in a day or two.  Here's what it looks like so far:

I know it looks wierd, but being a dachshund, Moose has and oddly shaped body.  He's gotta have a turtleneck (this one will fold down some) or he walks right out of the front of his sweater and ends up wearing the thing as a tube top.  Not such a handsome look for a pup.  This pattern was specifically designed for dachshunds.  I've tried it on him a couple of times while knitting it to make sure I had some measurements right and it fits him like a dream! (Here's a tip for trying on pet clothes...wait until the pup is napping before attempting it.  They're a lot less wiggly when they're half asleep, and you can usually get the measurements and have them out of the sweater before they realize what you're doing.  Ask me how I know!)

After I'm done spoiling my pup with his new duds, I plan on spoiling some other fabulous fur-balls from our local animal shelter.  When I was searching for my dachshund-friendly pattern I found a listing from the Snuggles Project. (Click the link to check out the project in more depth.)  Basically, you crochet or knit small blankets for the animals to help them feel more comfortable while they're waiting to find their "forever" home.  It gives them a soft place to snuggle within their shelter cages, which often have metal or concrete flooring. (Hence the name, Snuggles Project.)

I bought 4 skeins of yarn from work this week, which was on sale.  I'll probably be able to make twice as many snuggles from that.  So for about $10, I can help around 8 puppies or kittens, which might even help them get adopted. I get warm fuzzies just thinking about it!  Another great thing about making the snuggles is that they don't have to be perfect, which makes them excellent for someone who is just learning to knit or crochet.  You can get lots of practice with as many types of stitches as you want, and it's going to a good cause when you're finished.  I can't wait to start them.