Puppy Love

Left to Right: Garbonzo, Shemp & Betsy

My cousin is a wonderful mom.  She raised these three beautiful dogs from pups.  Unfortunately, her beloved "Bonzo" passed away last year.  This year, she found out she is going to be a mom again.  Her first human baby is due to arrive at the beginning of winter.  I figured it might be a bit of an adjustment for Shemp and Besty, so I came up with a crafty solution to help the little guy or gal (that's right, they want to be surprised...don't you just hate that?) fit in with the rest of the pack.

 

The Perfect Hat for a New Pup

 

Sure, there are plenty of puppy hat patterns already available online, but I wanted to make mine special.  While this isn't specifically modeled after any of the three dogs, I chose a yarn color that most closely matched Garbonzo's beautiful fur.  I also wanted it to have eyes like Betsy and a big black nose to match Shemp.  I added the furry ears for fun!  I love how it came out...especially the detail in the eyes.  I used embroidery thread instead of yarn because it's hard to make anything but big, clusmy circles on such a small hat.  I think it really captured the beautiful shape and, what I always refer to as, her natural eyeliner.

 



My First Pattern

 

It was so easy to make and so cute, I decided to take the project a step further.  Here's my first attempt at a public pattern.  I hope you like it!

 



Perfect Puppy Hat Pattern by Ash 'N' Crafts