Somplace Soft To Sleep

My dogs love to arrange and rearrange their blankets till they're just right, then they snuggle down into them. They nest. Sometimes they drag their blankets from room to room with them. One of the kindest things we can do for a homeless, shelter animal is to give it something soft to arrange and curl up in, to stay warm in, and to help fight off the fears.


A couple times a year I take a pile of blankets to our local shelter, C.A.R.E. I knit the blankets from leftover yarn or yarn I find on sale. Color doesn't matter. I usually knit stripes just to make it less boring for me. My favorite stitch for a dog blanket is a double seed stitch because it has some thickness for softer bedding.


There is a web site called The Snuggles Project that helps support animal shelters by encouraging their members to make blankets for the animals. They provide patterns to anyone, you don't have to be a member.


They have sewing patterns, including these Easy Sew Snuggles.


This is the stitch for the Quick Easy Crochet Snuggle.


Another crochet pattern is this Double Crochet V Crochet Snuggle.


All the dogs and cats shown in this post are waiting in shelters for a new safe, forever home. That is the very best gift, but in the meantime, they'll appreciate a new blankie.


This is a knitted pattern for the Little Devil Snuggle.


This pattern, also knitted, is called My Favorite Snuggle.

Remember a blanket can be any size, dogs come in all sizes, any color, dogs love even those colors we think are too ugly to wear, any pattern. Just make it soft with a tight weave. Lacy, open patterns make it too easy for a big dog to catch a nail and much too easy for a puppy to find a place to start chewing.

I Wait
by Karen Tracer

days into nights
nights into days
patiently
I wait
for someone
anyone
to like me.

an array of people
pass by
looking
petting
talking
to me
I wait.

I do my antics
I strut my stuff
I sit
chest puffed out
I bark
I purr
I wait.

I am homeless
no family
no master
no love
I wait.

Patiently
I wait
for someone
anyone
to like me
enough
to love me
and
take me home.

I dream
I wait
I am homeless
like me
love me
please.