Today is National Dog Day, the annual holiday of sorts that honors all those good dogs in our life. It’s the day to give your dog extra treats, go on a longer walk than normal, make a special trip to the dog park, or, if you’re like me, plan a weaving project just for them!
“Ho-now, Christina!” I hear some of you say, “Weaving for my dog? Isn’t that a bit of a waste of time and yarn?” Let me tell you here and now it doesn’t have to be. Weaving for your dog doesn’t have to be complicated and it’s the perfect excuse to try out a new technique because even if the project doesn’t turn out quite right your dog will not care one bit.
Dog Leash
For example, have you ever wanted to give card, inkle, or band-loom weaving a try? Weaving up a leash for your pup is the perfect project! You can match the project to your dog’s personality, match the leash to the dog’s collar, and save yourself some money in the process. Chances are you’ve got the right size yarn in your stash, all you’ll need is to buy is the hardware. If you want ideas on weaving leashes for your pup, check out this Tablet-Woven Leash by Linda Hendrickson. Even if they aren’t the right projects for you—or your pup—you can get an idea on types of yarn, length of warp, etc. and use it to design your own project.
This tablet woven leash would make the perfect present for a special pooch in your life.
Food Bowl Mat aka. Placemat
Is your dog a messy eater? Next time you put on a warp to weave some placemats add on an extra one for your poochy pal. The mat will save you from having to scrub your floor after a particularly messy meal and it will coordinate with your own place settings. You could even up your game and try out some basic embroidery techniques on the piece—maybe some simple dog bones around the edge.
Dog Blanket
Weaving up a baby blanket or throw? Put on some extra warp and make a dog blanket. Use the blanket to protect your couch from dog hair or put it on your car seat when you drive to the dog park. Your dog will love it and you can pop it in the wash easier than you can scrape the fur off of your furniture. Everyone wins!
Linus and Penelope
While some still might argue that weaving for dogs is ridiculous, I say it’s the perfect time to experiment. Try new techniques, color combinations, and weave structures when you’re weaving for your pup. At best you might end up weaving something you’d like to keep for yourself at worst you still have something perfectly suitable for your dog. Part of the beauty of dogs is they don’t judge, they love you as you are, and when it comes to your weaving, well, they think you’re just great!
Happy Weaving!
Christina (And Linus and Penelope)