This adorable teddy bear was a very special project for a very special person. Mike, my mom’s fiance, had an amazing relationship with his mother, who was a knitter like me. She passed away several years ago, but Mike saved her WIPS and a lot of her yarn. Last year, he gave them to me because he knew how much I love yarn and knitting. One of her WIPS was a red and white striped sweater, about half-way finished. There was no pattern and it’s probably unlikely that I could match her gauge exactly, so finishing the sweater wasn’t really an option, so I set out to recycle the yarn.
I wanted to make a very special gift for Mike to thank him for the gift, so I decided to use the yarn that I unraveled from the sweater to make him a little teddy bear from the same yarn that passed through his mother’s fingers.
yarn details
mystery white yarn (recycled)
fingering or sport weight?
fiber did not felt – acrylic or superwash wool?
a bit of red mystery red yarn (recycled) for heart
bits of black fingering weight yarn from stash for eyes
findings
polyfill stuffing
buttons
carpet thread
project details
pattern: “Owen” by Jane Watling, available for purchase on Ravelry (£4.00 GBP)
finished size: sitting (seat to top of head) – 10”; standing (toes to top of head) – 13.5”
needles: size 3 bamboo dpns (see note)
yarn used: ??
duration: Dec. 7, 2014 – Jan. 27, 2015
notes
- I used bamboo dpns for this project that have kind of a dull point, but if I were to do it again, I would use pointier nickle plated needles. It was challenging to knit with the duller tips, especially for the part where you pick up stitches for the ears.
- The method of attaching the arms and legs is strange, but works wonders! I was able to find some very strong thread called carpet thread in my grandmother’s old sewing kit and it was perfect for this job. (We’re using vintage materials all around on this project!) I wasn’t able to find buttons in the size specified in the pattern, so I used smaller ones and it all worked out just fine. I wouldn’t stress out too much about finding buttons the right size – just use what you have on hand.
- Here is a visual of the moveable limbs:
Gorgeous bear! I'm so sad that the pattern doesn't seem to be available for purchase any longer. I would knit this guy in an instant for my little who asked for a bear for Christmas. Nicely done!
That's too bad that the pattern isn't available any more! I'd keep an eye on it. Sometimes designers stop selling them individually when the pattern is going to be published in a book. You may be able to get it that way.
Jane the designer died.no one seems to know what will happen to her patterns.Im glad to have my copy,x