I never thought I would own a dog, let alone dress her up

I resisted getting a pet for years because I always claimed that I needed to be able to leave town on a dime and not worry about what to do with an animal left behind. But my better judgment got the best of me and I adopted a schnoodle almost two years ago.

She is about 20 pounds of stubborn terrier. She's half miniature schnauzer and half miniature poodle . . . schnoodle! Her name is Daisy and she and I have been doing battle ever since I adopted her from an older woman who couldn't afford to lose her arm because of how strong this dog is. Daisy is 8 years old but can still jump as high as my shoulder. Schnauzers were bred by the Germans to be ratters around the barn and house. They were not bred to be companions. I wasn't either, so that makes us a good match.

Anyway, I first heard about upcycling a sweater into a dog sweater from my sister. She made one for my other sister's shitzu out of the sleeve of one of her old sweaters.

Since then I've seen all kinds of versions of this on Pinterest. Almost all of them have you doing some sewing. These sweaters look adorable and they're sure to last. Here's a couple of links if you're interested. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/40669/how-to-make-a-recycled-dog-sweater/page/all  http://www.greenisuniversal-reuse.com/archive/20-minute-dog-sweater

These are good designs with fairly easy instructions and some sewing involved. These designs will probably stand up to laundering and such.

And even though I initially resisted the urge to dress my dog up in clothes, I succumbed after I was cleaning out my closet and came upon some old sweaters.

However, my feeling about it is this. It's just a dog sweater made out of a sweater that was on its way to the thrift store anyway. Do I really care if it lasts or will stand up to several washings?

HECK NO! In fact, it only needs to last a few weeks and then I'm pretty much just gonna throw it out. And with two sleeves on a sweater, I'll be able to make two dog sweaters from one sweater. And that will take Daisy through the rest of the Ohio winter.

So here it is, my completely abbreviated, NO SEW version of the upcycled sweater converted to a sweater for my dog.

First, find a sweater: I had to find a big baggy sweater cuz my dog is almost 20 pounds. Luckily, I found a nice cotton cable knit that was big enough.

Second, cut the sleeve off. If you're careful to cut the sleeve ABOVE the shoulder seem, it won't fray as quickly.

Third, roll the bottom of the sleeve up a little to make a nice collar.

Fourth, hold the sleeve up to the side of your dog so you can use my precise measuring device (again, the eyeball) to figure out where to cut the slits for her front legs.

Look how cute she is. In this pic you can clearly see how she barely tolerates me.