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Friday, April 16, 2010

Knitted Teddy Bear

Hello Everyone,

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and she is busy making teddies for charity. She has grown bored with the pattern she has been knitting and was looking for something a little more interesting, so I gave her my teddy pattern.  Then I thought that it would be good to share it here too. It is easy knitting but is in pieces so that you end up with a jointed bear. You can change the size of the bear by using thicker yarn and bigger needles and it will still work.

Here are the instructions for the bear. You are welcome to share it with your friends but please re visit my blog for each new copy. The pattern may not be sold.



Teddy Bear
© Dana Biddle

You will need
Approx. 50g of yarn, furry ones work best. Kid Mohair available fromColourSpun Natural Designer Yarn
Scraps of smooth yarn of a similar weight to match your furry yarn.
Knitting needles – a smaller size than would usually be used to suit the yarn as a fairly tight tension is required.
1 pair safety eyes – to suit size of bear
Black yarn to embroider nose
Stuffing
Embellishment – ribbon for neck, flower (optional)

Abbreviations
c/on = cast on c/off = cast off K = knit P = purl
inc. = increase by knitting twice into the next stitch
dec. = decrease by knitting 2 stitches together
st. = stitch sts. = stitches Stst = stocking stitch
k2tog = knit 2 together p2tog = purl 2 together

Body

Using furry yarn, c/on 11 sts.
Next row: p
Next row: k – inc. into every st. – 22 sts.
Continue in Stst - work 7 rows
Next row: k6; inc. ; k8; inc.; k6 – 24 sts.
Continue in Stst for 13 rows
Next row: (k2tog) to end – 12 sts.
C/off purl wise. Leave a long enough tail to complete seam

Head
Using furry yarn, c/on 14 sts.
Next row: p
Next row: k – inc. into every stitch – 28 sts.
Continue in Stst - work 11 rows
Next row: (k2tog) to end – 14 sts.
Next row: p5; (p2tog) x2; p5 – 12sts
Continue in Stst – work 4 rows
Next row: k2tog; k2; (k2tog) x2; k2; k2tog; - 8 sts
Next row: p
Thread yarn through remaining sts and leave a long
enough tail to complete seam

Ears
Using furry yarn, c/on 8 sts
Next row: p
Continue in Stst and dec. 1 st each end of next 3 rows – 2 sts
Change to smooth yarn
Continue in Stst and increase 1 st each end of next 3 rows – 8sts
Next row: k
C/off. Leave a long enough tail to complete seam.

Legs

Using furry yarn, c/on 20 sts
Beginning with a p row, work 7 rows Stst.
Next row: k3; (k2tog)x2; (k3tog)x2; (k2tog)x2; k3 – 12 sts
Next row: p
Next row k – inc. 1 st each end – 14 sts
Continue in Stst – work 11 rows
Next row: k2 tog to end
C/off. Leave a long enough tail to complete seam.

Sole
Start at bottom of sole
Using smooth yarn c/on 2 sts
Beginning with a k row work in Stst. – inc. 1 st each end of
next 3 rows – 8 sts
Continue in Stst – work 4 rows
Continue in Stst – dec. 1 st each end next 2 rows – 4 sts
C/off Leave a long enough tail to complete seam.

Arms
Using furry yarn, c/on 6 sts
Next row: k – inc. into every st. – 12 sts
Continue in Sts – work 11 rows
Next row: k4; (k2tog)x2; k4 – 10 sts
Continue in Stst – work 10 rows
Next row: p2tog to end
Thread yarn through remaining sts and leave a long enough
Tail to complete seam.

Assemble

Attach a sole to bottom of each leg. Stitch up seams for each piece of bear leaving a gap for stuffing. Position and attach safety eyes. Stuff each piece (not ears) and close seams. Position and attach ears to head. Securely attach head to top of body. Position and attach arms and legs. Using black yarn, embroider nose. Embellish as desired.

Hope you have fun making these bears

36 comments:

  1. This is adorable Dana! Thanks for sharing, I think I will knit one for Erin's birthday:)
    Hugs
    Linda

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  2. So cute!!! thanks for posting the pattern, now I am itching to try one out!

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  3. You're welcome, hope you enjoy knitting them up

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  4. Hi, I have started knitting one of these cute lil fellas for my nephew, but I was wondering, do I make 2 of the body pieces (a front and back) or just one?Its just the one I've done seems rather small.

    Thanks
    Hazel

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  5. hi, do you make two body pieces??

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  6. I tried to answer here yesterday but just couldn't get my comment to post, so here I go again.

    The body is worked in one piece, if it seems to small for the size bear that you want to make, double up your yarn, or triple it, or use a thicker yarn and increase the size of your needles accordingly.

    The size of the bear is dictated by the yarn and needles used.

    Hope that helps :)

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  7. Do you sew up the body/head etc. along the cast off edge or side edge? and is the stocking stitch the right side? sorry I am new to all this?

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  8. Just love the bear, will try knitting one soon. What is the finished size?

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  9. love the bears, will try knitting one soon. thanks, jackie

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  10. Does anyone know the answer to the question: What is the finished size of this bear, approximately? Thanks, these are absolutely beautiful bears I can't wait to make one for my soon to arrive grand babe =)

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  11. The size of the bears will depend on the yarn you use and your personal knitting tension. My brown bear, knitted with a chunky yarn, measures 25cm from head to foot and the green bear, knitted with a DK mohair yarn measures 18cm from head to foot.
    Hope that helps :)

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  12. I appreciate your answers Dana, but I am still a little puzzled as I have never made a bear before. I want to make a big teddy bear, about two feet tall...what size needles would you suggest I use and what kind of yarn? I am currently using a very heavy yarn with 4mm needles and it looks like I will end up with a 10 to 12 inch bear. That is of course if I am doing everything right. It is so hard to look at the pictures that people post and know if I am doing something wrong. I think your bears are just so beautiful I bought some Maribou yarn, 50g balls. They are 90% acrylic and 10% polyester. It seems to me that if I were to use large needles then this yarn would be very sparse because the string is very thin. Is there some trick to this that I don't know or is it just that I am looking at a small bear using this kind of yarn? I do appreciate your help in solving these mysteries! Thank you so very much!! =)

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  13. With a chunky or heavy yarn, 10 to 12 inches is about the size you'll get from my pattern. If you want it bigger you would have to double up the yarn and use bigger needles, I'm not sure how that will look as the stitches will be much bigger too - try it, it may look good. If it doesn't work then all I can suggest is to look for a pattern for a larger bear. I don't know the yarn that you are using but if the string is very thin I suggest you may want to find a thicker yarn.

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  14. Hi
    Dana

    do you think it would be possible to knit this in Sirdar snowflake chunky, sorry I am new to knitting.
    thanks

    ann

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  15. Hi Ann,

    I'm sure it will be fine, I've seen it knit in all sorts of yarn.

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  16. Thank you for this pattern! I have been searching for a good pattern like this for a while.

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  17. That's such a pleasure, glad I could help.

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  18. I am starting to knit again after 30 odd years, as you can imagine it is taking a while to get back in on it... I have a question that may appear silly by you experts.. on the head the last instruction ..thread yarn through remaining stitches... am I supposed to cast off these stitches, when I put the yarn through the stitches, the stitches fell apart.

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  19. There are no silly questions :). You need to thead the yarn through the stitches so tha you can gather them together, if you cast them off you won 't b abl o ather them. Break your yarn ff leaving a tail. Thread the end of the tail into a darning needle then pass the needle through the middle of the stitches ( where the knitting needle is) and pull the yarn through Start with the last stitch knitted and work to the first stitch, don't remove the knitting needl until you have pulled the yarn through.

    Hope tat helps

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    Replies
    1. that is great thanks..

      another question that may appear silly...

      the piece I have knitted so far.
      body x 2
      head x 2
      ears x 2
      legs x 2
      sole x 2
      arms x 2
      am I supposed to have 4 pieces for the arms and legs.

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    2. You have knitted 1 and a half bears. For each bear you need 1 body, 1 head, 2 ears, 2 legs, 2 soles and 2 arms.

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  20. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  21. My name's Lo, and my friend Toni just turned me onto this pattern as both me and her brother are having baby's in July, she's decided to knit one for her soon to be niece and i'm about to cast on one for my baby now!
    This pattern is so easy to follow it's great!!!!
    Thanks so much for posting it!

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  22. Congratulations to both of you and happy knitting :)

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  23. What kind of cast on and bind off do you do for this pattern? Does it matter?

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  24. Hi Lauren, I use a cable cast on but it shouldn't really matter so long as it is neat and the same tension as your knitting.

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  25. Thank you for this pattern. I like the fact that head and body are just one piece each.

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  26. I have another question. :)

    I'm trying to assemble all the pieces of the bear, but I've run into a snag with the head piece. I've sewn up the sides, but I'm left with a hole in the back of the head. It's the cast-on edge that is causing the hole. Is there a trick to sewing this up, or am I missing something? The instructions are just a bit sparse, so I'm just not sure I'm doing it right or not.

    Sorry for being such a newb! lol

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  27. Hi Lauren, I'm not sure how you got a hole. You just need to seam the whole opening up once you have finished stuffing. Have you read the instructions for assembly at the end? I'm not sure how I can give any more detailed instructions than are there, and not being there to show you on your knitting makes it difficult. Do you have an experienced knitter you could ask to show you?

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    1. Perhaps it would help me if I could see more close-up pictures of your bears if you have one on hand? I'm a visual person, so *seeing* how it's sewn together would probably help me immensely.

      As for the hole that I ended up with, it's not a hole in my knitting or anything, I'm just confused about how to sew up the cast-on edge of the head piece. The bind-off tightened together nicely to form the nose, but the cast-on is just kind of... there. I was worried that simply sewing it up as I did the side seams, that it would create an oddly shaped ridge in the back of the head. Does that make sense? I may try to take a photo of what I'm talking about when I get home so I can show you...

      I did read the instructions at the end, but they're basically just "sew up the seams, stuff it, and put it together." If I had more experience crafting 3-d projects like this, I'm sure I wouldn't have the uncertainties that I have. Unfortunately, though, I'm self-taught via the internet, so my access to an experienced knitter is limited.

      So sorry for all the questions. I really appreciate your being very helpful and patient with me.

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    2. Here's a pic. :)
      https://www.dropbox.com/s/kmmt3pxcqx3wwlq/teddy-head.jpg

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  28. Hi Lauren, it looks good, just complete the seam. Use a mattress stitch and the ridge will be on the inside.

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  29. I have to say this was the first toy pattern that I had tried to make. I'm now totally addicted to making bears! It is fun and quick. I'm having a ton of fun trying out different yarns with this pattern. The only thing that I kind of modified was that I use yarn and stitch the eyes... as I have given some to young children and I did not want to worry about them popping the eyes off. Thanks for posting such a wonderful pattern!

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