A Neck Cowl for a Whippet

This neck cowl was knitted for my auntie's whippet puppy (Janie) and is simply a seamless knitted tube. It is a simple progression from the Neck Gaiter, in which most of the techniques required were explained. However, in order to make this neck cowl you will also need to learn to purl, as the ribbing is formed from a combination of knit and purl stitches. You will also need to use the magic loop technique, which is a method of knitting a seamless tube using circular needles much longer than the circumference of the tube you are knitting. This technique is well worth learning! It can be used for small diameter tubes, instead of double pointed needles (which many people dread) and is useful for knitting socks and the tops of hats and for making sleeves of baby garments seamlessly (amongst other things).

Using King Cole Magnum Chunky Multi, cast on 40 stitches onto 6.5mm 80cm circular needles, using the Double Cast On Method (also known as the Long Tail Cast On). This method of casting on will ensure a nice stretchy edge. 

Join in the round, then knit in ribbing using the magic loop technique. I used 4x4 ribbing (Knit 4, Purl 4 repeated continuously), but I wonder if Knit 1, Purl 1 may look even nicer, or even Knit 2, Purl 2... It's up to you! 

The ribbing makes the width of the cowl very forgiving. This size is great for Janie at 3-4 months of age but seems to allow plenty of room for growth. Feel free to adjust the number of stitches you cast on to fit your dog though. It's not only whippets that get cold!

Janie wears a harness, but if your dog wears a collar your may like to create a buttonhole in the cowl for the ring of the collar to poke through. To do this simply continue to work in your ribbing pattern until you reach an appropriate point for the collar and at the end of that round turn your work. You will work the next few rows flat. Repeat the following 2 rows until you have a hole of a suitable size for the ring of the collar to poke through then simply join in the round again and continue working in your original ribbing pattern:

Row 1: Knit 4, Purl 4. Repeat until the end of the round.

Row 2: Purl 4, Knit 4. Repeat until the end of the round. (Obviously, you should adjust these 2 rows to suit the ribbing pattern you have chosen to use).

Continue until the piece measures about 7 inches, but again feel free to adjust this length accordingly. This was knitted to allow Janie growing room before the winter but it looks good on her at the moment too, a little bunched up :-)

Cast off, weave in the ends and pray for some cold weather so that your dog will appreciate your efforts!





 

Neck Gaiter Knitting Pattern for Complete (Total and Utter!) Beginners

I decided that my loved ones would all receive a hand-made Christmas present last year (along with some regular pressies of course!) as a special and personal touch. And so began my first attempt at knitting and a new challenge...

From never having knitted before, I created my first neck gaiter in 2 evenings - great looking and warm for my family, and extremely satisfying for me! And since the pressies were received with smiles all round, I feel I can pass my recipe for success onto you with some confidence!

First of all, you will need a ball of either King Cole Magnum Chunky Multi or Wendy Viva and 8mm 50cm circular needles.

The next mission is to cast on. When using King Cole Magnum Chunky Multi I casted on 65 stitches and when using Wendy Viva I casted on 62 stitches. I used the Double Cast On Method (also known as the Long Tail Cast On) since this method is an entirely different technique to knitting and allows you to master casting on without first having to be able to knit.

Once you have created the required number of stitches, you will need to join to knit in the round. To do this, distribute your stitches evenly around the needle. Hold the needle with the first stitch you cast on in your left hand and the needle with the last stitch you cast on in you right hand. Your working yarn (the yarn connected to the ball) should be attached to the stitch on your right needle. Ensure the cast on edges of all stitches are facing in the same direction. This prevents the stitches from "twisting". Next, slip the first stitch on the right needle to the left needle. Then slip the second stitch on the left needle up and over the first stitch and onto the right needle. Now place a stitch marker on the right needle to indicate the beginning of a new round.

You will now start knitting into the first stitch on the left needle. Once you have mastered this, you just need to keep going! Continuing to knit every round in this way creates stockinette stitch. (On straight needles you would need to knit and purl alternate rows to create stockinette stitch. This difference is because when you are working in the round you will always be knitting on the right side of the fabric).

Continue knitting until the neck gaiter is about 12 inches long. I simply used the entire ball of wool (remembering to leave enough wool to cast off of course).

When it comes to casting off, following these instructions will give you an acceptable result. There will be a gap between the first and large stitches bound off, but since the neck gaiter will roll at the top and bottom (something which naturally occurs with stockinette stitch) this matters very little. However, I'm a perfectionist and for a jogless join I used "Method 2" from the TECHknitting blog. 

All you have to do now is weave in the ends. And... ta-da! You're done! :-)

Since Christmas I have become rather addicted to knitting and you can find me on Ravelry, a social network for knitters.

To neuter or not to neuter...

This is a decision that most dog owners will have to make and I have found a super article entitled the "Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs" which helped me to make an informed decision and is summarised below:

"An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a complex situation with respect to the long-term health risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter in dogs. The evidence shows that spay/neuter correlates with both positive AND adverse health effects in dogs.

Male Dogs
On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The number of health problems associated with neutering may exceed the associated health benefits in most cases.

On the positive side, neutering male dogs:
• eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer
• reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
• may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)

On the negative side, neutering male dogs:
• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
• increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism
• increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
• triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
• quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations

Female Dogs
For female dogs, the situation is more complex. The number of health benefits associated with spaying may exceed the associated health problems in some (not all) cases. On balance, whether spaying improves the odds of overall good health or degrades them probably depends on the age of the female dog and the relative risk of various diseases in the different breeds.

On the positive side, spaying female dogs:
• if done before 2.5 years of age, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumors in female dogs
• nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
• removes the very small risk (≤0.5%) from uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumors

On the negative side, spaying female dogs:
• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis
• increases the risk of splenic hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism
• increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
• causes urinary “spay incontinence” in 4-20% of female dogs
• increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4
• increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis, especially for female dogs spayed before puberty
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract tumors
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders 
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations"