Hmm. Tug toy not quite looking right? Let’s look at some common pattern problems. We’re often asked about making tugs is why a woven tug toy might come out with an uneven shape or irregular pattern. In this post, we’re troubleshooting DIY dog tug toy pattern problems and weaving issues. To help with visuals, I intentionally made some of the most common weaving errors in a multicoloured square box knot tug toy and a multicoloured round spiral tug toy. Let’s take a closer look at some DIY dog tug toy pattern problems and their potential causes.
Pattern Problems? No Worries!
Got a funny looking pattern or strange shape in your homemade dog tug toy? Don’t stress too much. As long as the tug is safe and secure for playtime together, relax and enjoy the fun. The dog’s won’t care if things wobble a little out of pattern or position, but we humans can be funny creatures. So let’s sniff around for tug toy trouble and see if we can help make both the dogs and their people a little happier. For this FAQ post, we’re digging into common DIY dog tug toy pattern problems and causes.
Understanding more about common pattern problems can not only help to ease your tug toy making frustrations (we’ve all been there…), it can help to inspire new creative ideas, too! Intentional disruptions or modifications in a weaving pattern can be used to create interesting visual effects, like our colour block dog tug toy, or modify shape, like the taper in our birthday candle dog tug toy.
Weaving Pattern Problems in Square Box Knot Tug Toys
Weaving Pattern in a Square Tug Toy
In a tidy square knot tug toy, woven from four strands of four different colours, the finished tug will have a squarish form, with even lines of colour up the length of the tug. During weaving, the working end is kept secure so that there is no accidental movement of strand position and the strands move straight back and forth (up/down, left/right) as each layer is woven.
Keen to give it a try for tug toy making? Detailed instructions, diagrams, and step-by-step photos for this weaving method are available in our comprehensive post on making square knot dog tug toys. See below for some common mistakes and pattern problems.
Tug Toy Colours are Out of Pattern Position
If at some point the strand positions are accidentally mixed up so that a layer is woven on a diagonal corner to corner instead of straight back and forth (injecting an accidental spiral tug toy knot, or other accidental weave), the pattern of the weave will be thrown out of position.
The lines of colour seen on the sides of a square/box knot toy are built up as each layer is knotted. Accidentally changing the way a layer is knotted will change the position of the strands, causing a shift in colour position. When it happens as a random mistake, you’ll create a pattern anomaly. In special cases, you can do it on purpose, too. The shift can also be used intentionally on a recurring interval to create special colour patterns. Check out our DIY colour block dog tug toy for an example of using interval rotations.
Because fleece is soft and pliant, you can also inadvertently create similar shifts in colour position by accidentally rotating the strands or the working end of the tug while you weave. These position irregularities are caught in the layers as the strands are pulled tight. Fleece is so good at trapping the movement that you can even use this intentionally to create a cheater’s spiral DIY tug toy.
Body of the Tug is Rounded in Areas Instead of Square
Both of the mistakes above can also cause the body of square tug to have rounded areas.
Gaps and/or Bulges in the Tug Toy
Applying inconsistent tightening and tension as you weave each layer can result in gaps, bulges, and tug thickness variations down the length of the tug toys. In any given layer of the weave, not pulling all strands sufficiently tight will create bulging (or loose loops). Pulling a strand too tightly can cause it to be pulled so tightly into the body that it’s barely visible (pockets or gaps). The colour pattern and general square shape is still there, but may not be as clearly defined due to these issues.
Applying tension that is relatively even on all strands for a layer but varies between layers over the course of weaving the full tug will cause areas of the tug to be larger (looser tension) and smaller (tighter tension) down the length of the body.
Weaving “perfectly” but with significantly different weights of fleece or sized strands can cause uniform anomalies in pattern. Depending on position and colours, this can can be similar to the issues above, just with a more consistent pattern to the irregularities. It may also affect the tug’s squareness and/or straightness.
Weaving Pattern Problems in Round and Spiral Tug Toys
Weaving Pattern in a Round Spiral Tug Toy
In a tidy spiral knot tug toy, woven from four strands of four different colours, the finished tug will have a roundish form, with uniform speckling of colour in an even pattern. If only two colours are used in alternation, it becomes a diagonal spiral of colour up the length of the tug. During weaving, the working end is kept secure so that there is no accidental movement of strand position and the strands move the strands move corner-to-corner on a diagonal as each layer is woven.
Keen to create some spiral fun? Detailed instructions, diagrams, and step-by-step photos for this weaving method are available in our comprehensive post on making spiral dog tug toys. See below for some common mistakes and pattern problems with spiral tugs.
Tug Toy Colours are Out of Pattern Position
If at some point the strand positions are accidentally mixed up so that a layer is woven straight back and forth instead (injecting a square box knot), it will create a repeat colour layer, breaking the pattern. Other accidental weaving patterns can create similar disruptions.
As noted above, because fleece is soft and pliant, you can inadvertently create similar shifts in colour position by accidentally rotating the strands or the working end of the tug while you weave. These position irregularities are caught in the layers as the strands are pulled tight. It’s important to keep the work end of your tug secure while you weave. I like to weave seated, with it nipped between my knees.
Body of the Tug is Flat or Square in Areas Instead of Round
Both of the mistakes above can also cause the body of round tugs to have square or flat areas.
Gaps and/or Bulges in the Tug Toy
Applying inconsistent tightening and tension as you weave each layer can result in gaps, bulges, and tug thickness variations down the length of the tug toys. In any given layer of the weave, not pulling all strands sufficiently tight will create bulging (or loose loops). Pulling a strand too tightly can cause it to be pulled so tightly into the body that it’s barely visible (pockets or gaps). The colour pattern and general square shape is still there, but may not be as clearly defined due to these issues.
Applying tension that is relatively even on all strands for a layer but varies between layers over the course of weaving the full tug will cause areas of the tug to be larger (looser tension) and smaller (tighter tension) down the length of the body.
Weaving “perfectly” but with significantly different weights of fleece or sized strands can cause uniform anomalies in pattern. Depending on position and colours, this can be similar to the issues above, just with a more consistent pattern to the irregularities. It may also affect the tug’s shape and/or straightness.
Other DIY Dog Tug Toy Weaving Patterns
Mixing up strands, switching positions, missing a loop in a layer, inconsisent tension and tightening, etc. can cause pattern problems in whatever tug toy type you’re making. The common causes above would present similar-looking issues in other weaving patterns, including more complex multi-strand weaves built from basic square or round shape.
Minimising the Risks of Pattern Problems in DIY Tug Toys
- Use similar weights of fleece and equal strand widths, unless intentionally using a variation for a special project design.
- Start your tug with a secure working end and keep it secure as you weave. You can secure the starting/working end to something, if you wish, but personally I prefer to be seated with it nipped between my knees.
- Take care to maintain the correct position and pattern for your strand movements as you weave.
- Maintain an even tension for the strands in any layer and across all layers as you weave.
- Look at the body of the tug periodically for a quick visual check and confirm so any mistakes are caught early and layers can be unpicked to correct with limited effort.
- Being interrupted or needing to pause mid-project is one of the points where it is all too easy to make a mistake. If at some stage you need to stop weaving, be extra careful. Take time to double check that the starting position of your strands is correct for the previous layer and pattern you’re weaving before you resume.
- And last but definitely not least, if you make a mistake or two, no worries! As noted above, your dog isn’t judging on looks. Just fun!
Additional Tug Toy Making Help and Information
You can find all of our tug toy related posts under the DIY Dog Tug Toys tag. Helpful information is also available in the full collection of tug toy FAQs, tips, and troubleshooting in this mini-series:
Safety first, furfriends! Remember, no matter what a toy is made of or how it’s made, toys are meant for supervised interactive play. Know your dog before giving him or her any new toy. Some dogs try to eat toys or parts (whether bought or handmade) and that’s doggone dangerous. Toys are for playing, and playtime is always safer (and more fun!) with you involved. You can read more in our dog toy safety post, including tips and helpful links for safer playtime. Have fun and play safe!
