Dog Coaster – Free Pattern
This pattern is free…such a silly dog pattern. Â 😉
I was sort of making it like my all time favorite dog a blue healer. Â I’ll update the photos later, when I tie-in the ends and block it.
Dog Coaster – progress pictures
I’ve read some comments from sites and it seems that double knitting is perceived as a tad difficult.  The stitches are actually very easy and anyone who has knitted a bit past beginner will find this pretty easy.  The body is all knit 1, purl 1.
I find double knitting a great way to make thicker knit items that have 2 colors and both sides can look great. Â Also, changing colors for most designs requires lots of yarn changes and tie-ins, this just carries the same 2 colors all the way through.
I’ve created some coaster patterns which are a quick way to do a little trial run on double knitting (rather than just making a test swatch). Â Plus it uses just little yarn (scraps left from a potholder or dishcloth) and may be less scary than undertaking a potholder. Â I am using cotton since I like it and have tons of it now, plus it absorbs cold glass condensation drips, offers heat protection and are washable.
There are 2 small downsides to double knitting.  One is the pattern is different each row, which needs to be read and counted each row.  Two, the work on the needle and the rows close to the needle look distorted and maybe be discouraging when only a few rows are on the needle.  They will settle in and look fine, but this can be a bit unnerving at first go.
The only knitting skills needed are: – k: knit (pull both yarns between the needles to the back, but use just 1 yarn –  the color on the chart)) – p: purl (pull both yarns between the needles to the front, but use just 1 yarn – the opposite color on the chart)) – co: cast-on (I just use long tail method over 2 needles) – sl: slip stitch, used on sides and last row of bind-off – k2tog: knit 2 loops together, used for bind-off - p2tog: purl 2 loops together, used for bind-off   ÂTags: coaster, dog, double, double knitting, free, knit, knitting, pattern, sg-creations.org, Sugar and Cream, Sugar'n Cream
