Peach Deco Steps Knit Dog Sweater Free Pattern
Introduction
This Peach Deco Steps dog sweater is a warm, snuggly tube of bulky chenille that slips easily over your dog's head and keeps the chest and back cozy on chilly walks. It's designed for beginner knitters who have mastered knit and purl and want to try their first cable panel, because the body is simple stockinette in the round with no shaping at all. Down the center runs a stepped cable motif inspired by Moroccan zellige tiles, where 8-stitch cables cross front and then back to create a gentle offset stair pattern. The apricot 1x1 ribbing at the neck and belly edges gives a clean, tidy finish, and the soft chenille makes the whole piece feel plush and light against the coat.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Bulky weight chenille yarn (approx. 1000 yds/500 g total): 300 yds peach (MC) and 100 yds apricot (CC).
- Needles: 6.5 mm (US 10.5) circular needle, 60 cm cable, plus a set of 4 double-pointed needles in the same size for the small neck and belly ribbing rounds.
- Notions: Stitch marker, cable needle, tapestry needle, tape measure, scissors.
- Finished size: Neck circumference 30 cm, chest circumference 50 cm, back length 30 cm (fits a medium dog).
Abbreviations
- k – knit
- p – purl
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side (the outside of the sweater)
- WS – wrong side (the inside of the sweater)
- MC – main color (peach)
- CC – contrast color (apricot)
- rnd(s) – round(s), worked in the round
- inc – increase (not used here, but listed for clarity of reading patterns)
- C8F – cable 8 front: slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold at front, k4, then k4 from cable needle
- C8B – cable 8 back: slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold at back, k4, then k4 from cable needle
- bind off – cast off stitches
Gauge
14 sts and 18 rows = 10 cm in stockinette stitch on 6.5 mm needles. Knit a small swatch in the round (or flat and measure the knit side), then measure a 10 cm section to confirm your stitch and row counts match before starting.
Tips Before You Start
- Chenille yarn can shed and slip, so keep your tension relaxed and avoid tugging the cable crosses too tight; smooth, even cables show best in this fiber.
- Count your cable panel stitches every few rows. The panel is always 24 sts wide, so if you drift, you'll spot it quickly.
- When you join to work in the round after casting on, check that the cast-on edge isn't twisted before knitting the first stitch.
- Try the tube on your dog (or measure against the finished size) before binding off the belly edge, since chenille has little stretch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cable Panel (worked flat over 24 sts)
Row 1 (RS): k2, p2, k16, p2, k2 (24 sts).
Row 2: p2, k2, p16, k2, p2 (24 sts).
Row 3: k2, p2, C8F, k8, p2, k2 (24 sts).
Row 4: p2, k2, p16, k2, p2 (24 sts).
Rows 5-8: repeat Rows 1-2 twice (24 sts).
Row 9: k2, p2, k8, C8B, p2, k2 (24 sts).
Row 10: p2, k2, p16, k2, p2 (24 sts).
Rows 11-14: repeat Rows 1-2 twice (24 sts).
Repeat Rows 1-14 for the cable pattern.
Body (worked in the round)
With CC, cast on 42 sts. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker for the beginning of the round.
Rnds 1-5: [k1, p1] ribbing (42 sts).
Change to MC.
Next rnd: k5, then work the cable panel over the next 24 sts as k2, p2, k16, p2, k2, then k13 (42 sts).
Continue in pattern: work the cable panel over the center 24 sts and stockinette over the remaining 18 sts (9 sts on each side of the panel).
Work even until the piece measures 20 cm from the cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Leg Openings
Next rnd: k5, bind off 6 sts, k5, work the cable panel over the next 24 sts, k5, bind off 6 sts, k5 (30 sts remain).
Next rnd: cast on 6 sts over each bound-off section (42 sts).
Continue even until the piece measures 30 cm from the cast-on edge.
Belly Ribbing
Change to CC.
Rnds 1-5: [k1, p1] ribbing (42 sts).
Bind off all sts in ribbing.
Neck Ribbing
With CC, pick up and knit 42 sts evenly around the neck opening.
Rnds 1-5: [k1, p1] ribbing (42 sts).
Bind off all sts in ribbing.
Assembly and Finishing
There is no seaming to do, since the body is knitted in one tube. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, running each tail through a few stitches to secure it. Block lightly to the finished measurements (neck 30 cm, chest 50 cm, back length 30 cm) by misting with water, patting into shape, and laying flat to dry, keeping the cable panel flat and unstretched.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the apricot ribbing for a deeper contrast color, such as teal or mustard, to make the peach cable panel pop.
- Add a second cable repeat down the back for a more ornate zellige look, keeping the same 24-stitch panel width.
- For a smaller dog, cast on fewer stitches in multiples that keep the 24-stitch panel centered, and shorten the body before the leg openings.
