Using more left-over yarn from previous projects, Wednesday night I decided to crochet a nice comfortable resting mat for my next guide dog (to use when we're at my job or whenever a thick mat would be nice over a hard surface).
To make this project, I used a double strand of various colors (one strand of white combined with one strand of either green, black, orange, gold, blue, brown, purple, or red) 4-ply yarn and my big size M (9.00mm) hook. I chose a width for the project that I thought a dog would fit on well, without it being excessively large for when I have to carry/move it - based on my own gauge, I chose 62 stitches, but any number of stitches would work fine. Then I constructed the mat using solid rows of half-double crochets, since they make nice thicker/fatter stitches. After I made the mat as long as I wanted it (well, basically when I was out of unique colors of yarn to pair with the white), I put an edging around it with a row of single crochets followed by a row of slip stitches for finishing (in a double strand of black and white).
It's a very simple pattern, but I think it will work well for a dog. I completed the project this afternoon, and my retired guide dog, Willow, was happy to try it out for blog photos. I think she approves and I hope my next dog will enjoy it too. :-)
To make this project, I used a double strand of various colors (one strand of white combined with one strand of either green, black, orange, gold, blue, brown, purple, or red) 4-ply yarn and my big size M (9.00mm) hook. I chose a width for the project that I thought a dog would fit on well, without it being excessively large for when I have to carry/move it - based on my own gauge, I chose 62 stitches, but any number of stitches would work fine. Then I constructed the mat using solid rows of half-double crochets, since they make nice thicker/fatter stitches. After I made the mat as long as I wanted it (well, basically when I was out of unique colors of yarn to pair with the white), I put an edging around it with a row of single crochets followed by a row of slip stitches for finishing (in a double strand of black and white).
It's a very simple pattern, but I think it will work well for a dog. I completed the project this afternoon, and my retired guide dog, Willow, was happy to try it out for blog photos. I think she approves and I hope my next dog will enjoy it too. :-)
You must have an eye for color. If I tried to use scrap yarns in a project like this, it'd end up ugly, but yours is beautiful. I'm sure Willow & your next guide will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to make this since Jayden is going to be stuck on a gym floor soon, so I found your post about it. My question is, how many chains did you use for the turning chain? Since it's a half double, did you chain two? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRo,
ReplyDeleteYes, you chain 2 for a half double crochet. :-)
Cool, thanks! I wanted to get started so I Googled it haha! Man, I don't know how L^2 finished that in a day. Maybe because she has that big hook. I'm doing it with the biggest hook I have but it's not huge. I also started with too many so it's gonna come out very rectangular hehe!
ReplyDeleteShe crochets very fast, that's how! Good luck with your mat.
ReplyDeleteSorry, didn't see these comments until now. Good luck with Jayden's mat, Ro! And yeah, I guess I crochet kinda fast. Plus, I don't think I did anything else that day. LOL
ReplyDeleteI crochet fast too and it's starting to pick up speed now that I'm used to it haha. I also chained way too many to start. I didn't count, just went with how wide I thought I wanted it haha!
ReplyDeleteHaha... Well it can really be any size. I think the mat I made for Kimberly's dog Abby is slightly bigger than the first one I made and posted about here. I'll have to add more around the edge of it if my new dog ends up being larger than I expected.
ReplyDeleteI will make one for guide dog Bart my guide dog who goes everywhere with me in the community. For when he is in the radio studio or out with me selling raffle tickets
ReplyDeleteGreat! Hope he enjoys it. My guide dog loves his mat, and the 3 or 4 others I've made for friends and family's dogs are all well loved too. :)
ReplyDelete