Bear Sweater Pattern

One of the charities that my knitting guild participates in is called Precious Pals.  Stuffed animals are dressed in knitted clothing and donated to the local police department for giving to children in crises situations.  At the guild meeting last month I had a conversation with another knitter who was having trouble with a sweater pattern for one of these animals.  The pattern was very frustrating because it was more difficult than it should have been.  So I wrote up a simple pattern. I call it a "Beary Easy Sweater". (I thought it was a cute name).  Anyway, it's suitable for a beginning knitter.  Hope you like it.

Beary Easy Sweater

Seamless sweater for a 10 inch bear

Materials: worsted weight yarn about 40 yards,

needles US 7 (4.5 mm), 4 markers 

Gauge 18 stitches = 4 inches

Begin at neck edge: Cast on 30 stitches.

Rows 1 & 2: Knit

Row 3: (WS) Knit 2, Purl 4, place marker, Purl 4, place marker, Purl 10, place marker, Purl 4, place marker, Purl 4, Knit 2

Row 4: (RS) increase row *Knit to stitch before marker, knit in the front and back of that stitch (Kfb), slip marker, Kfb, repeat from * 3 times, knit to end of row. 8 stitches increased.

Row 5: K2, P to last 2 stitches, K2

Row 6: *K to stitch before marker, Kfb, slip marker, Kfb, repeat from * 3 times, K to end of row.

Repeat rows 5 & 6 five more times. (86 stitches)

Row 17: (WS) K2, P to next marker, K to next marker, P to next marker, K to next marker,

P to last 2 stitches, K2

Row 18: K to marker, Bind off 18 stitches, K to next marker, Bind off 18 stitches , K to end

Row 19: K2, Purl to last 2 stitches joining fronts and back, K2. (50 stitches)

Rows 20 - 24 : Continue knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side, keeping the first 2 and last 2 stitches in knit stitch.

Row 25: (WS) Knit

Bind off.

Weave in ends.

Abbreviations: K- Knit, P-Purl, RS- right side, WS-wrong side, Kfb- knit in the front and back of the stitch

Please use this pattern for charity or personal use.

OC Knitter October 2010

Lots of Projects

I'm still working through my shawl obsession.  I've already knit more than I'll ever use in my life time.  But I enjoy knitting them, so there are still more in the future.  These are both from stash yarn.

 These are hats that will be donated to the Knots of Love Charity.  They send hats to cancer centers throughout the country. This charity is a little different from others that do the same work in that they specify the brand of yarn that you use.

A twirly skirt.
And these don't even add up to half the projects I've finished in the last few months.