I Never Thought I'd Craft...

When I first took up knitting, my main motivation was to keep myself warm and cozy through the cold months — for as little money as possible. I made a different scarf for every outfit and weather condition imaginable, and my hat collection was testament to my neighborhood yarn store's diverse selection. Needing more of a challenge, I soon took a class on how to knit my own socks and even developed several of my own patterns for arm warmers and fingerless gloves.

But I never thought I’d find myself knitting dog poop bag holders. That’s quite a diversion from fluffy hats with pom poms and cabled scarves. Even though I know it sounds kind of icky, hear me out.

I didn’t have a dog when I began knitting and knew very few dog owners. But several years later — after I’d knit just about every kind of hat, scarf or sock I could think of — I started working in pet care where I was introduced to dog poop bags and holders. The holders I encountered were plastic cylinders that attached to the handle of a leash. A roll of plastic bags fit inside the holder so there is always at least one bag when the dog does Number Two. However, since the holders are heavy, usually unattractive and break easily, it can be a chore to get the bags in and out.

When I adopted a dog of my own, I knew that poop bags and a holder were a must, but I sure didn’t want to mess around with those plastic holders. I was determined to find a better solution, so I got out my knitting needles and a yarn to match my doggy’s collar and leash. I knitted a small pouch with a strap to loop through the leash handle, added some buttons, and now I’ve got a lightweight, stylish solution for keeping bags close by when I walk my dog! I was so happy with my knitted bag holder that I started making them for friends (friends who have dogs, of course) and I’ve even started selling them in local pet stores and online.

I like to think that necessity is the mother of crafting, and the knit doggy bag holders are proof. And the best thing about them? They’re small, so I can entertain myself with endless patterns and colors, and they don’t take up as much space as all those hats and scarves I’d been making!

Image credits (from top): esty.com/shop/withclaws