How to make a dog snood (neck warmer)

1. Materials & tools

Materials (a medium dog)

• Fabric (fleece, knit, cotton) — a rectangle of tube circumference + length
• Optional 1 cm wide flat elastic — your dog's neck measurement

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Pets” → “Dog snood” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the neck circumference, length and ease, or pick a small / medium / large preset. The single rectangle pattern is sewn into a tube and hemmed (or threaded with elastic).
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Cut one piece
   Cut a single rectangle. With stretch knit, mind the grain direction.
2. Finish the edges
   Finish the seam edges (skip for fleece, which doesn't fray).

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the tube

1. Fold the fabric right sides together and sew the long edge into a tube.

4-2. Finish the ends

1. Fold and hem the top and bottom edges.
2. Make one end a casing and thread elastic sized to the neck so the face side gathers in.

5. Tips & variations

• Meals vs warmth: make a washable cotton one for meals and a fleece one for warmth.
• Adjust the ease: a narrower face side stays on better; a wider neck side is easier to slip on.
• Spares: they get dirty quickly, so a few on hand is reassuring.