pattern: Anti-Firework Dog Balaclava from Pet Projects: The Animal Knits Bible
designer: Katherine Case
yarn: Cascade 220 in Anise and some silk/mohair that I am pretty sure is by Habu
needles: Addi Turbos US size#8
modifications: The pattern is written to be knit flat, but I thought it would go faster in the round (and hooray! no pesky seaming later). I also added a couple of stitches to the circumference and length since Mali is not really such a small dog, but he is definitely too small for the larger size.

While at Webs last weekend with some friends, I came across this fabulous book for knits for your pets. While I love my pets (enough to post embarrassing photos of them all over the internet, ahem), I have never really been into this sort of book. I feed them the sooper-speshul fancy-pants pet food, but I have never knit for them. What’s up with that? This particular book, however, really caught my attention. The photography is lovely, and the projects mostly seem like quick and easy knits, mainly stash-busters even. It was the Anti-Firework Dog Balaclava that really caught my eye, though, and pushed me to buy it on the spot. I knew I had to make this for Mali, because… well, why not? Mali doesn’t need this, as he is totally not phased by fireworks, but I could not resist the immense cuteness of this pattern. Look at the buns!

So frigging cute! Granted, I didn’t sew them on exactly as I should have. They’re a little lopsided. But still… CUTE!

Today is a very special day for Malachi and for us. It was 7 years ago today that I found him as a scrappy stray in Long Island City. And this is how we thank him for living with us all these years. Hah! Happy Maliversary! Anyhootle, not to make the cats feel excluded, I even made LG try it on because… well, why not?