It’s a well known fact that dogs need hugs, so it makes sense that homeless hounds need twice the amount of love. Battersea Dogs & Cats Home care for thousands of dogs and cats every year. That’s a whole lot of lonely animals looking for love.

The Purly Paw Print Patchwork Blanket, donated by Lauren O’Farrell of Whodunnknit, is made up of four simple squares: a plain square, a teeny paw print square for minuscule mutts, a medium paw print square for canines of middle size, and a huge paw print square for bigger beasts. Sew them all together and you have one woolly comfort blanket for a canine in need of cuddles.

YOU NEED:
Yarn: approx 125g of colourful acrylic DK
4mm knitting needles
Tapestry needle
PLUS
Comforting canine thoughts to think while you knit (very important)
One lonely dog to give blanket to (Battersea will provide these!)

SIZE
Approx 50cm x 50cm
Note: add more squares for a larger blanket

SKILL LEVEL: EASY

BLANKET PATTERN
The Purly Paw Print Patchwork Blanket is made up of 25 squares, knit in simple knit and purl.

It comprises of ten plain squares, five tiny paw print squares, five medium paw print squares, and five huge paw print squares. Sew them all together and voilà! A comfort blanket for a homeless hound who is feeling ruff…

PLAIN PAWLESS SQUARE
Make ten
Using 4mm needles and chosen yarn cast on 23 sts
Rows 1-3: k to end
Row 4: k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 5 and every odd-numbered row: k to end
Row 6 and every even-numbered row (until Row 34): rep Row 4
Rows 35-37: k to end
Cast off

SMALL PAW SQUARE
Make five
Using 4mm needles and chosen yarn cast on 22 sts
Rows 1-3: k to end
Row 4: k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 5 and every odd-numbered row: k to end
Row 6 and every even-numbered row (until Row 10): k2, p to last two sts, k2
Rows 12: k2, p6, k2, p2, k2, p6, k2
Row 14: rep Row 12
Row 16: k2, p3, k2, p8, k2, p3, k2
Row 18: k2, p3, k2, p2, k4, p2, k2, p3, k2
Row 20: k2, p6, k6, p6, k2
Row 22: k2, p5, k8, p5, k2
Row 24: k2, p6, k6, p6, k2
Row 26 and every even-numbered row (until Row 34): k2, p to last two sts, k2
Rows 35-37: k to end
Cast off

MEDIUM PAW SQUARE
Make five
Using 4mm needles and chosen yarn cast on 22 sts
Rows 1-3: k to end
Row 4: k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 5 and every odd-numbered row: k to end
Row 6 and every even-numbered row (until Row 8): k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 10: k2, p6, k2, p2, k2, p6, k2
Rows 12: k2, p5, k3, p2, k3, p5, k2
Row 14: (k2, p2) to end
Row 16: k2, p2, k3, p8, k3, p2, k2
Row 18: k2, p3, k2, p2, k4, p2, k2, p3, k2
Row 20: k2, p3, k, p2, k6, p2, k1, p3, k2
Row 22: k2, p5, k8, p5, k2
Row 24: k2, p4, k10, p4, k2
Row 26: k2, p3, k12, p3, k2
Row 28: k2, p5, k8, p5, k2
Row 30: k2, p7, k4, p7, k2
Row 32 and every even-numbered row (until Row 34): k2, p to last two sts, k2
Rows 35-37: k to end
Cast off

LARGE PAW SQUARE
Make five
Using 4mm needles and chosen yarn cast on 22 sts
Rows 1-3: k to end
Row 4. k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 5 and every odd-numbered row: k to end
Row 6: k2, p5, k2, p4, k2, p5, k2
Row 8: k2, p4, k4, p2, k4, p4, k2
Row 10: rep Row 8
Row 12. k2, p2, k, p2, k2, p4, k2, p2, k, p2, k2
Row 14. k2, p, k3, p10, k3, p, k2
Row 16. k2, p, k3, p2, k6, p2, k3, p, k2
Row 18. k2, p2, k2, p, k8, p, k2, p2, k2
Row 20. k2, p5, k8, p5, k2
Row 22. k2, p4, k10, p4, k2
Row 24. k2, p3, k12, p3, k2
Row 26. k2, p2, k14, p2, k2
Row 28. k2, p3, k12, p3, k2
Row 30. k2, p4, k10, p4, k2
Row 32: k2, p to last two sts, k2
Row 34: rep Row 32
Rows 35-37: k to end
Cast off

TO MAKE UP
Sew in ends. Arrange blanket squares in desired order. Sew squares together. Celebrate your new knit for a lonesome dog!

SEND your finished blankets to… Dog Blanket Appeal, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, 4 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4AA
OR…
Take it along to the home yourself. It’s open to the public every day, and you can visit the public kennels and cattery to see their lodgers. Who knows, you might find a friend to take home with you!

Fancy fostering? If you can’t take a friend home for good, Battersea are always looking for foster homes for their dogs too. To see if you might be able to take in a furry friend for a while check out:
www.battersea.org.uk

This pattern was donated for free by Lauren ‘Deadly Knitshade’ O’Farrell. Find more of her kooky little knitting patterns at www.whodunnknit.com

You can find out more information on the home’s monthly knitting group here.