Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Red Heart and Teddy Bears pt 4

Having not found any pictures of this bear, or Wilbur, has not stopped me from my quest to have a bear.  Yes, I'm a grandmother now.  No the girls don't need any more stuffies.  Definitely the girls don't have room for something this size.  Maybe I will do this bear in fingering weight yarn and have a desk bear.  Maybe I'll make this bear in size 20 thread and have a key chain.  Maybe not.  Things on my key chain tend to become filthy pretty fast.

Either way this is the time to make the face parts and perhaps anything else I deem necessary to a bear's appearance.  First things first, we will need eyes, muzzle, nose, ears for the face.  If you choose claws for the paws for the legs, I'll include directions.

Maybe a honey pot such as Winnie the Pooh carries, maybe a fish as the different shows portray bears loving.  Maybe a tie for his neck.  Maybe a lei for her neck.  Perhaps a hat to keep his head warm this winter........  The sky is the limit.

Claws

With a white, beige, or grey, if you like realistic, any other color if your bear is stylish and has painted claws.  Leaving a 8" tail, ch 5.  Turn, sl st back the same 5 ch in the back bump.  Fasten off leaving an 8" tail.  Make 16.  Bears I think have 4 toes on each foot on each leg.  If I'm wrong, let me know.

Ears

Choose the color for the ears. Leaving a 8" tail,  Ch 6, DTR 9 times in the first ch.  Fasten off. leaving 8".  Make 2.

Eyes

Using black or very dark brown, again this is realistic.  Pick an eye color you like. Leaving a 8" tail, Ch 3, 14 hdc in first ch.  Join in top of ch 3 with sl st.  Fasten off leaving 8".  Make 2.

Muzzle

Choose the color for the muzzle that works best with your bear's face.  Ch 4, join with a sl st to form a ring. 
Rd 1: Ch 3, 11 dc in ring.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.
Rd 2: Ch 3, dc in 2 dc, 2 dc in dc, *dc in 3 dc, 2 dc in dc.  Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.  There will be 3 increases in the muzzle.
Rd 3: Ch 3, dc in 3 dc, 2 dc in dc, * dc in 4 dc, 2 dc in dc. Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.
Rd 4: Ch 3, dc in 4 dc, 2 dc in dc, * dc in 5 dc, 2 dc in dc. Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.
Rd 5: Ch 3, dc in 5 dc, 2 dc in dc, * dc in 6 dc, 2 dc in dc. Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.
Rd 6: Ch 3, dc in 6 dc, 2 dc in dc, * dc in 7 dc, 2 dc in dc. Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.
Rd 7: Ch 3, dc in 7 dc, 2 dc in dc, * dc in 8 dc, 2 dc in dc. Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of the ch 3.  Fasten off leaving a 20" tail.

Nose

With black, again realistic, or color of your choice, ch 7.  
Rd 1: in 2nd ch from hook and each ch to the last, working in the back loop sc in each.  Work 3 sc in last ch, turn work.  Working in the back loop sc in each back to the first sc, 2 sc in that ch st.
Rd 2:  2 sc in first sc, sc in each sc to the st in the middle of the last 3 sc cluster.  3 sc.   2sc, hdc, dc tr, dc, hdc, 2 sc.  Join with a sl st to the first sc in this rd.  Fasten off.  Leave a 12" tail.

Tie (Do not use if there is any chance the recipient could use this to harm him or herself.)

Ch 8.
R 1: in 2nd ch and each across, sc.  ch 2. Turn.
R 2: hdc in each sc.  ch 1, turn.
R 3: sc in each hdc.  ch 2, turn.
Rep R 2 & 3 until tie measures 30 inches. Fasten off.  Weave ends. Tie in a traditional Windsor Knot or as a Bow Tie.

Flower

Visit Lion Brand for a multitude of flowers.  Leave a 12" tail at the beginning.  Use this to sew to the head over an ear.  Or Use this tail to tie together a bunch of flowers creating a lei.  Or safer still, use the tail to sew the flowers to the bear in a lei form.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Red Heart and Teddy bears part 3

Now back to the story...

I know you have to be wondering how Red Heart plays a part in this.  I had driven to a city about 45 minutes from my home to drop off some things that I had agreed to make for a friend's son's wedding.  Always one to make sure I do more than one thing at a time if possible.  I loaded up some pod casts I'm behind on.  I was listening to Creative Yarn Entrepreneur and Marie Segares was talking to a woman named Carrie from Red Heart Yarns about the yarn, the industry and pattern submissions and so on.  For whatever reason, this brought to mind the teddy bear I made.

But even more, the bear was made with Red Heart acrylic yarns and bought at Sears [this tells you how long ago this was (many years ago, my dad sold furniture there and we got the employee discount)], the local discount department store and anywhere else I could lay hands to skeins.  Red Heart yarns have made many changes over the years, some for the better, some not so much.  My hands have also made many changes over the years and things that never bothered me as a kid now cause immense misery.  At the time of the crocheting, Red Heart yarns were softer than Super Saver is today, but weren't as limp as Soft is.  

I encourage you, if you are crocheting along, to use proper fiber fil for this project.  Barring that, there are also beads out there that are used to stuff bean bags/beanie babies/bean bag "chairs".  These may or may not give your bear enough structure while being soft and squishy and potentially light in weight that you desire.  If you use the beads, please line your bear to prevent them from popping through.  Definitely keep from the hands of children or even teens and adults if there is a chance of someone putting these in their mouth.  They can pose a choking hazard.   Plus, I speak from experience here, my dogs have gotten some beanie type toys in the past.  Our beagle loved to tear the bean bag out of the butts.  (This seemed to be the usual location to make the animal sit up like a person.)  Sometimes they came out intact.  Mostly not and the polyester beans were everywhere.  They caused a slip hazard on the hard surface floors and a mess for the vacuum on the carpets.

I do remember my bear had a very stretched out neck and needed a necktie to delineate his body from head.  Dad gave me one of his I think.  I also know his head was oversized.  It was as wide, if not slightly wider, than his body.  I will be making corrections to my memory of him to the pattern.  This bear's head will be smaller.

Teddy Bear part 3

Stuff the body.  Make sure there are no lumps if using fiber fil  or similar.  Make this as firm or soft as desired.  Remember, firmer equals heavier.  Softer might not sit up on his own.

The neck:

Work 3 rounds of straight dc in dc as you have done for the body and legs.

The Head:

Increase Rd: Ch 3, dc in 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc. * dc in 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc.  Rep from * around.  Sl st in top of ch 3.
Repeat Increase Rd.
Work Straight Rnds as for the body and legs until head measures 12" from the beginning of the neck.  Stuff the neck and head.  Make the neck firm so the head doesn't sag and loll off to the side or front like he's inebriated or sleeping, unless this is a look you want.

Start the decreasing to the top of the head.
Dec Rd: Ch 3, dc in 8 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 9 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts.  Rep from * around.
Straight Rd:  Ch 3, *dc in dc.  Rep from * around.
Dec Rd: Ch 3, dc in 7 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 8 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts.  Rep from * around.
Straight Rd:  Ch 3, *dc in dc.  Rep from * around.
Dec Rd: Ch 3, dc in 6 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 7 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts. Rep from * around.
Straight Rd:  Ch 3, *dc in dc.  Rep from * around.
Dec Rd:  Ch 3, dc in 5 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 6 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts.  Rep from * around.
Dec Rd: Ch 3, Dc in 4 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 5 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts. Rep from * around.
Stuff Head more.
Dec Rd: Ch 3, Dc in 3 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts, * dc in 4 dc, dc dec over next 2 sts. Rep from * around.
Continue decreasing in this fashion until you have dc dec with no stitches between.  Finish stuffing the top of the head.  Fasten off leaving a tail to weave around the top of the stitches.  Pull tight and fasten off.  If there is a hole, sew across it in a star fashion until there is no hole.  Fasten off again and weave tail.

Weave tails as needed in both the body/head and the legs.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Red Heart and teddy bears, part 2

To continue....

I look back and see that the bear was less than stellar in execution.  I want to examine why.  I know that having a limited to no knowledge of gauge played a huge part in why the stitches were as widely spaced as they were.  What showed to be a close 4 sts per inch before stuffing, proved to be 2 1/2 sts per inch after and only got worse.  The weight of the old clothes used to stuff helped with the stretching.  Not understanding stretching of the fabric, I thought it would be done well and quickly if I made large stitches.  Sound familiar to anyone out there?

Stuffing with old clothes was not what I wanted but pricing fiber fil sent me out of the store fast. It was expensive, at least for me. Mom knew it was too expensive for my budget and hers, but I wouldn't listen.  After all, surely I knew better than any adult. I couldn't chop up yarn scraps fast enough to fill the bear and have enough for the size I wanted.  That much I did know.  I also knew that chopping yarn up made it compact easier and that was not desirable either.  I wanted him fluffy and large.  Can you see the flaw in this thinking?  40 years of experience tell me I can't be both fluffy and large like that while maintaining light weight and still expecting it to sit upright.  

So far this poor bear is suffering from filling showing, less than skillful stitching, non existent decreases (I just skipped stitches when I wanted it to get smaller), and being very overweight.  (He was overweight in the same way a very muscular person weighs more than a person of the same dimensions who doesn't work out.  Muscle is dense same as gold and lead.  Fat is much lighter in weight for the same volume like hydrogen and helium are lighter than the air we breathe.)  I feel more and more sorry for this bear every time I think of him....... to be continued.

Teddy bear pt. 2

Body

Ch 4, join with a sl st to form a ring.
Work as for the legs out to 300 sts.  
Then work in the round for 24 - 30 inches

Then start the decreases towards the neck.
Dec Rd 1:  ch 3, dc in next 9 sts, dc dec in the next 2 sts, *dc in the next 10 sts, dc dec in next 2 sts.  Rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.
Ch 3, dc in each st around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.
Dec Rd 2: ch 3, dc in next 8 sts, dc dec in next 2 sts, * dc in next 9 sts, dc dec in next 2 sts.  Rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3. 
Ch 3, dc in each st around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.
Dec Rd 3: ch 3, dc in next 7 sts, dc dec in next 2 sts, * dc in next 8 sts, dc dec in next 2 sts.  rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.
Ch 3, dc in each st around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.

Continue these rounds of straight and decrease until there are 5 dc between the decreases.

Do not fasten off.



Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Red Heart and Teddy Bears, part 1

Once upon a time, long, long ago, when I was a little girl, a local radio station had a give away every Easter.  The businesses that had advertising on the station received buckets and chance slips.  The prize?  A Wilbur Wabbit.  It was free to enter as the businesses hoped you would do shopping when you came in to put your chance slips in the bucket.  No, I didn't know that as a child.  

You probably have no clue about Wilbur.  But a quick check on-line shows there are still Wilburs around.  Here is a 1969 ad from the local newspaper featuring WiLBuR.  


Wilbur seemed to be a very large rabbit, 5 - 6 ft tall.  I'm not sure if I remember correctly or he just seemed that large.  Over the years, he shrank in size until he was about 3 ft tall.  He is no longer the Easter giveaway.  Now it's a large basket of candy.  Oh how times have changed.

However, back to the story.  Because my sister and I were in school when the shopping was done (kudos to mom and dad for not letting us get away with the gimmes by using this tactic), we didn't get to put in chances for a Wilbur.  I always wanted one.  I had carloads of small stuffed animals but nothing large.

After I learned to crochet I decided one summer to do a similar project of my own.  Wilbur was clearly for Easter or so I thought.  Teddy bears are universal and year round in my mind.  So I made a plan but not a pattern.  There was nothing out there at the time for a 6 ft tall bear, or any other kind of animal for that matter that I could find.  I also was unable to purchase sufficient yarn for this and so used remnants and scraps and whole balls as I could.  Poor bear was mostly pale yellow and a gingerbread color with loads of burnt orange, red, pink, royal blue, navy blue, black, kelly green, chocolate brown thrown in for good measure.

So here is the first part of the pattern.  35 + years later and working from memory.  The bear is no more and I have no clue how much yarn he actually used.  I also know that stuffing that bear with old clothes made him un-bear-ably heavy, probably 50 lbs.  I know I don't have a picture of it either, for good or for bad.  Sloppy stitch work, poor finishing, 4 legs 4 different sizes.  He was tall.  He was skinny.  His head was too big for his body.  He was mine.  He sat in the child size rocking chair in my bedroom until I moved out and got married.  I wonder what ever happened to him...... to be continued

Teddy Bear

Worsted Weight yarn, use scraps if you want a scrappy bear or at least 100 oz.
Size F hook, or size needed to get gauge
Tapestry or yarn needle

Gauge:  30 sts per 4 inch

Legs: Make 4

Ch 4, join with a sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rd 1:  ch 3 (counts as a dc now and throughout), 11 dc in ring.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.
Rd 2:  ch3, dc in same st as ch 3, * 2 dc in each st around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3. (24 dc)
Rd 3: ch 3, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next st, 2 dc in following st.  Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.  (36 dc)
Rd 4: ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in following st.  Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3 (48 dc)
Rd 5: ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st.  Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.  (60 dc)
Rd 6: ch 3, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st.  Rep from * around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.  (72 dc)
Rd 7: ch 3, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st.   Rep from * around. Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  (84 dc)
Rd 8: ch 3, dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st.  Rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  (96 dc)
Rd 9: ch 3, dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st.  Rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.  (108 dc)
Rd 10: ch 3, dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st, * dc in next 8 sts, 2 dc in next st. Rep from * around.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3. (120 dc)
Rd 11:  working in the back loop only, ch 3, * dc in dc.  Rep from * around.
Rds 12 - ? :  ch 3, dc in each dc around.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.  (120 dc)  Rep Rd 12 until the leg is 23 inches from Rd 11.  

At the end of the leg, fasten off leaving a tail.  

Make all 4 legs.  Depending on your taste for bears, you can shrink or stretch the number of rounds for length.  Just make sure to keep your gauge on the more stitches per inch than less.  You don't want the stuffing to show through.  Plus it will wear better.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Catastrophes part two

While we as a nation have been mostly lucky, there are times when people have had to be evacuated from their homes.  We've all seen these tragic events on tv, wildfires, earthquakes, floods.  Some of us may have been involved in an evacuation.  

What do we take?   We are told to have a "bug out bag" for each person containing 3 days of necessities,  including medical needs.  I know we also want to take irreplaceable items like pictures and heirlooms.   We take our pets.  I want to suggest that to this container, we add yarn, two or three skeins and hook or needles to go with them.   Why you will be asking yourself.   I can hear you now.  I heard that from my husband when I first thought about it years ago.   Then I heard about it from a podcast.

Think about it this way.   The yarn crafting we do might be a solace for you in a stressful situation.   The yarn can create a useful thing if it's needed.  The yarn can be used for games to keep boredom at bay for children.  It can be a way to help someone having trouble adjusting to the evacuation.   In the previous catastrophe post, I alluded to a quick succession of moves for my family.  I may have posted about this before.  We had a fire.  Family that helped us collect the necessities for living, got me yarn and needles and a few hooks.  In no way did I really have time to knit or crochet.  But by having these things with me, I could have a sense of normalcy for myself.  We had a lot of school functions for the kids at the end of the year to attend.  The kids got where they needed to be, we didn't get to attend these important functions as parents.  We had to deal with the insurance company, the fire police, the utility companies, the adjuster company and so on.  My knitting was something I did to keep sanity.  Nothing I made, a series of slippers that I told everyone was for charity, was in any way even remotely wearable.  Stress made my previously on target gauge nearly bulletproof.  I had to rip out when I couldn't get the stitches to move at all along the needles because of the tightness.  When I could manage to get a finished slipper off the needles, what had previously fit an adult man now fit a toddler.

I did finally relax and my knit and crochet went back to "normal".  My kids were then the recipients of most of my stitching.  They wore the outerwear accessories and slippers and many other things. My husband was a recipient but he doesn't care for hand knit items so I let him be his own person.  He is more a t-shirt and flannel shirt person.  His hobby is cars.  He gets greasy and dirty.  He doesn't want to ruin anything I might make him.  He doesn't have to dress up for work so that isn't an option.

More recently, my son was involved in a car accident.  I took him to the ER to get checked out when he decided things weren't getting back together fast enough.  We didn't know the hospital was on divert.  This is a nice way of saying they were full up and didn't have room for more runny noses and sore throats.  But I understand people will do what they think is necessary.  Just like we did.  But I thought ahead and took some small balls of yarn with me to work on swatches for a class.  Turns out there were a few young elementary school children there who were waiting for someone to be checked.  I kept them entertained with the yarn balls by teaching finger knitting to them.  Even the parents were interested in what was going on.  Eventually everyone was seen.  My son was given medications to make him more comfortable and the knowledge that he was on track in his healing.  The kids saw us as we were leaving and they were up to be seen next.  They had to show me, the "yarn lady" how far they had come in their ropes.  The parents were relieved to not have screaming memes so late at night.

These incidents have taught me to keep yarn and hooks or needles in each car, my purse and stashed in a few other locations.  I can make a difference during a crisis or perceived crisis or even just a long wait.  Knitting and crochet make a difference in my own temperament.   For the last few years, the Craft Yarn Council of America has been highlighting how knitting and crocheting have positive effects on our health.  I think I have just shown in my own personal life how yarn is positive.  

How does yarn, knitting, or crocheting help you with your health or those around you?  Leave a comment below.  I'm interested in hearing your stories.