Chunky Knitted Bear

Let's Knit Issue 53

Why oh why oh why do I torture myself with toy knits. I usually spend the entire project worrying whether I'm going to produce an acceptable cuddly toy or something that will frighten children. I then have to knit faster and faster until I get to the end to see which it will be. Nancy Atkinson's Derek project from April's Let's Knit magazine was no exception.

The pattern used Debbie Bliss Paloma, which I didn't like the look of as it's a chainette yarn. So, I opted for the suggested alternative of Rowan Purelife Chunky in Blue Faced Leicester, which I've used before and loved. The project called for 6mm needles. In retrospect, I think I should have used 5mm as the Purelife has a recommended needle size of 7mm and the Paloma 10mm. I found my bear a little gappy when stuffed in places.

The bear was a traditional toy knit, made flat in mostly stocking stitch and sewn together. As usual, I sewed and stuffed as I went along to prevent getting fed up with making up at the end. So, my husband came home from work to the incongruous sight of a completed bear's head and two arms sat on on the coffee table. That really would frighten children.

My one gripe about the pattern was the feet. You were supposed to separate the stitches and pick more stitches up to make more of a 3D foot. The introduction to the project described Derek as "a quick knit for beginners who have never ventured into toys before". To me, that sentence should not be followed with any instructions that require the picking up of stitches. So, I altered the pattern to do a simple increase row to make the foot shape.

I have to admit that I thought the bear might fall into the "frighten children" category but he began to grow on me once all his parts were assembled. To finish Derek, I knitted him a simple garter stitch scarf on 4mm needles with a lovely variegated yarn I had in stash. I even made some tassells.

Finally, the renaming of the bear. I wasn't keen on Derek. I like to name things after my favourite Sci Fi and Fantasy characters (my cat is named Dexter after Michael C. Hall's character in the serial killer show of the same name). So, Derek is now Eric, named for the hunky Viking vampire in Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series (not the Eric in True Blood but that's a whole other blog...).

Melx