Festibear ...

Okay, he's arrived a bit late. I'd intended to have him off the needles in time for Festiwool, but, with one thing and another, life got in the way and poor Festibear missed his launch date. Still, better late than never, as they say. He can be a Christmas bear. I'm sure there are lots of little people up and down the land who'd happily give him a home for the holidays.

He's knit in the round (mostly) from my own-label Costa Brava Knitting Splatter dash Merino double knitting wool on 3.00 mm/  double-pin needles. You'll need about 70 g/ 140 metres for a bear of these proportions (he stands 30 cm/ 12" tall). In addition to the wool you'll need a circle of felt (diameter 9 cm/ 3.5") for inside his head to hold his facial features securely in place, some toy stuffing and a pair of 6 mm safety eyes. You may even like to push the boat out and treat him to a nice length of velvet ribbon, just for decency's sake so that he's not a naked bear ... .

Anyway, whichever way you want to dress him up, please read on for the pattern.



Abbreviations used:

k = knit
k2 tog = knit 2 together to make a 1 stitch decrease.
KFB = knit into the front and back of the stitch to make a 1 stitch increase
LLI = left lifted increase: using the left needle, lift the stitch 2 rows below the stitch just worked, and knit it to make a 1 stitch increase.
m1 = make 1 stitch by knitting into the stand of wool that links the last stitch on right needle with the first stitch on left needle. Insert the right needle under this strand (front to back) to knit a stitch through the back loop, making a 1 stitch increase.
p = purl
RLI = right lifted increase: using the right needle, lift the right leg of the stitch below the next stitch on the left needle, and knit into it to make a 1 stitch increase.
SKPO = slip 1 stitch knit-wise, knit next stitch, pass slipped stitch over knit stitch making a 1 stitch decrease.
SSK = slip, slip knit i.e. slip 2 stitches knit-wise from the left to the right needle. Then insert the left needle into the fronts of the 2 slipped stitches, and knit them together to make a 1 stitch decrease.
T = turn i.e. turn knitting around and work back in the opposite direction to which you have been working.
W = wrap i.e. slip the next stitch from the left needle to the right needle, wrap the live yarn around it, and slip it back onto the left needle again.

Tension: this yarn normally knits to a tension of 21 stitches x 24 rows on a 10cm x 10cm swatch on 3.75 to 4.5 mm needles. However in order to get a nice dense textile I dropped the needle size to 3 mm which knit on a tension of 26 stitches x 30 rows.

The Head

The head is knit from the front to the back i.e. from his nose, which will be where you've cast on, to the back of his head, which will be where you draw the wool through the final stitches on your needles to cast-off and close the knitted sphere that forms his head. Doing it this way creates a nice spherical shape with a texture that radiates out from his nose.

Cast on 6 stitches using the 2 needle twisted cast-on method.

To work a 2 needle twisted cast on: -

Hold the two needles side by side, parallel in your right hand. Twist the yarn around the top needle, looping it over itself at the back. Holding the working yarn over your forefinger and the tail over your thumb, twist the forefinger yarn around the bottom needle, looping it over itself at the back, and the thumb yarn over the top needle, looping it over itself at the back as well. Carry on with a rocking movement until you have the desired number of stitches. Turn the needles over so that the purl bumps are facing upwards, and knit the stitches off the bottom needle. Push the work to the other end of the needles, and knit the second needle with the working yarn, working in the opposite direction. 

Row 1, and all odd numbered rows: k

Row 2: KFB all the way round.  (12 stitches)

Row 4: *k1, LLI*.  Repeat from * to *  (18 stitches)

Row 5: k, dividing the stitches onto 3 needles as you go so that you have 6 stitches on each needle.

Row 6: *RLI, k2*.  Repeat from * to *  (24 stitches)

Row 8: *k3, LLI*.  Repeat from * to *  (30 stitches)

Row 10: *RLI, k4*. Repeat from * to * (36 stitches)
Row 12: *k5, LLI*. Repeat from * to * (42 stitches)
Row 14:  *RLI, k6*. Repeat from * to *  (48 stitches)
Row 16: *k7, LLI*.  Repeat from * to *  (54 stitches)
Row 18: *RLI, k8*.  Repeat from * to *  (60 stitches)
Row 20: *k9, LLI*.  Repeat from * to *  (66 stitches)
Row 22: *k9, SSK*. Repeat from * to *  (60 stitches)
Row 24: *k2tog, k8*. Repeat from * to *  (54 stitches)
Row 26: *k7, SSK*. Repeat from * to *  (48 stitches)
Row 28: *k2tog, k6*. Repeat from * to *  (42 stitches)
Row 30: *k5, SSK*. Repeat from * to *  (36 stitches)

Row 32: *k2tog, k4*. Repeat from * to *  (30 stitches)
Row 34: *k3, SSK*. Repeat from * to *  (24 stitches)
Row 36: *k2tog, k2*. Repeat from * to *  (18 stitches)

Row 37: k

Insert the felt circle inside the head, where Festibear's face will be. Stuff his head so that you can appreciate the shape and size of his face. Mark where you think his eyes should be with pins. Insert the safety eyes - you may find this easier if you remove the stuffing and work on an empty head. Push the screw-shaped back of the safety eye through the bear's face and the circle of felt (i.e. from the outside to the inside so that the eyes are on the outside surface, which will form his face). You may need to ease its way through the felt with a small incision depending on how thick it is, but do NOT on any account snip your knitting. Once I know where the eyes are going I like to turn the whole head inside out so that I can flatten the felt out and make sure that everything fits together properly without any wrinkles or gathers.

Festibear's head inside out - to make sure that the felt is lying flat without any bothersome wrinkles

When you've fastened the backs of the eyes in place, turn the head the right way out again, and stuff it.

Row 38: *k1, SSK*. Repeat from * to * all the way around. (12 stitches)

Row 40: k2tog all the way round (6 stitches)

Check that the head is adequately stuffed - adding more stuffing if necessary. Remember that it should be well stuffed to hold its shape as a perfect sphere. 

Cut the yarn, and, using a darning needle, draw the yarn through the live stitches to close the loop at the top of the Festibear's head. Fasten and darn in the loose end. 

Festibear is now a disembodied head.

 Ears - knit 2

The ears are knit on the flat and then sewn up.

Cast on 3 stitches.

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows: p

Row 2: k1, m1, k1, m1, k1 (5 stitches)

Row 4: k1 *m1, k1*. Repeat from * to * to end of row. (9 stitches)

Row 6: k1, m1, k2, m1, k3, m1, k2, m1, k1 (13 stitches)

Row 8: k3, m1, k2, m1, k3, m1, k2, m1, k3 (17 stitches)

Rows 9 to 13: work in stocking stitch i.e. purling the odd numbered rows and knitting the even numbered ones. 

Row 14: k2, SKPO, k2, SKPO, k2, k2 tog, k3, k2 tog. (13 stitches)

Row 16: *k1, SKPO*. Repeat from * to * again, k1, **k2tog, k1**. Repeat from ** to ** again (9 stitches)

Row 18: *SKPO, SKPO, k1, K2tog, K2tog (5 stitches)

Row 20: SKPO, K1, K2tog.

Cast off

Fold the ear over and seam along the edges, stuffing it lightly as you go. 

Repeat and make a second ear. Be careful to stuff both ears so that they are exactly alike. It's the road to madness trying to perfectly match ears (and legs and arms) 😩, but, if you can, try and make them as similar as possible for the sake of Festibear's body symmetry 😜 .

Attach the ears to the head, pulling the ends of each ear slightly together so that they cup into the shape of a perfect bear's ear. 

The Body

The body is knit on the flat, from the top down.

Cast on 14 stitches.

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows: p

Row 2: *RLI, k1*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (21 stitches)

Row 4: *k2, LLI*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (28 stitches)

Row 6: *RLI, k3*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (35 stitches)

Row 8: *k4, LLI*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (42 stitches)

Row 10: *RLI, k5*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (49 stitches)

Row 12: *k6, LLI*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (56 stitches)

Row 14: *RLI, k7*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (63 stitches)

Rows 15 to 29 are worked in stocking stitch i.e. purl the odd numbered rows and knit the even numbered rows.

Row 30: *k2tog, k7*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (56 stitches)

Row 32: *k6, SSK*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (49 stitches)

Row 34: *k2tog, k5*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (42 stitches)

Row 36: *k4, SSK*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (35 stitches)

Row 38: *k2tog, k3*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (28 stitches)

Row 40: *k2, SSK*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (21 stitches)

Row 42: *K2tog, k1*. Repeat from * to * 7 times. (14 stitches)

Row 44: K2tog all the way round (7 stitches).

Cut the yarn, and draw it through the remaining stitches on the needles pulling it tight. Fasten, and sew up the bear's side seam, and across the top, stuffing as you go. He should be well-stuffed with a proper teddy bear tummy. Remember under-fed is a bad look for bears!

Sew Festibear's head to his body, and he will suddenly start to look like a proper bear.

Legs - knit 2

Festibear's legs are knit in the round from his toes up.

Starting with a paw:

Cast on 6 stitches using the two needle twisted cast-on method. 

Row 1: k

Row 2: KFB all stitches (12 stitches)

Row 3: k

Row 4: *k1 KFB*. Repeat from * to * to the end of the row (18 stitches).

Row 5: k, dividing the stitches over 3 needles as you go so that there are 6 stitches per needle. 
Row 6: *k1 KFB*. Repeat from * to * to the end of the row (27 stitches).

Knit in the round until the foot measures 3cm.

Shaping the heel:

To shape the heel we work on the first 14 stitches on the needle. The remaining 13 stitches are held in waiting until the heel has been turned. If your tension is loose you may like to put them on a couple of stitch holders until they're in play again. They will, in due course, be knit to form the instep, the front part of the sock opposite the heel.

To begin purl back 14 stitches.
Row 1: k 13, W, T

Row 2: p12, W, T

Row 3: k11 (i.e. to within one stitch of the previously wrapped stitch), W, T

Row 4: p10 W, T

Row 5: k9, W, T

Row 6: p 8, W, T

Row 7: k7, W, T

Row 8: p6, W, T
Row 9: k5, W, T
Row 10 p4. W, T

Now we’ll carry on and work the other side of the heel, picking up the wrapped stitches, and working them through the back loops so that they lie on the wrong side of the finished work.

Row 11, k4, pick up first wrapped stitch and knit it along with its wrap, T

Row 10: p5 pick up first wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T

Row 11: k6, pick up next wrapped stitch and knit it along with its wrap, T

Row 12: p7, pick up next wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T

Row 13: k8, pick up next wrapped stitch and knit it along with its wrap, T

Row 14: p9, pick up next wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T

Row 15, k10 pick up next wrapped stitch and knit it along with its wrap, T

Row 16: p11, pick up next wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T
Row 17: k12, pick up next wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T
Row 18, p13, pick up next wrapped stitch and purl it along with its wrap, T
Row 19: knit around the 14 stitches of the heel, and carry on knitting the 13 steps of the instep that have been held waiting for the heel to be turned. Distribute the stitches evenly across the needles, and carry on working in the round until leg measures 8 cm

It's a good idea to start stuffing at this point. We are now going to work the decreases to shape the upper leg, and it's going to start getting more and more difficult to poke stuffing down into the Ted's toes.

Shaping row 1: *k1, k2tog, k3, SKPO, K1*.  Repeat from * to * 3 times (21 stitches)
Row 2: k
Row 3: *k1, k2tog, k1, SKPO, k1*. Repeat from * to * 3 times (15 stitches)
Row 4: k
Row 5: *k1, k2tog, SKPO*. Repeat from * to * 3 times (9 stitches)
Row 6: k

Cut the yarn, and draw it through the live stitches. Finish stuffing before pulling the loop tight, fastening and darning in the loose end.

Arms - knit 2

The arms are knit in the round, starting with the fist, and knitting towards the upper arm.

Cast on 6 stitches using the twisted cast on method.

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows: k

Row 2: KFB of all stitches (12 stitches)

Row 4: *k1, KFB*. Repeat from * to * 6 times (18 stitches)

Row 6: *k2, KFB*. Repeat from * to * 6 times (24 stitches)

Row 8: *k3, KFB*. Repeat from * to * 6 times (30 stitches)

Rows 9 to 13: k.

Row 14: *k3 SSK*. Repeat from * to * 6 times (24 stitches)

Row 16: *k2tog, k2*. Repeat from * to * 6 times (18 stitches)

Carry on knitting in the round until the arm measures 7.5 cm. 

Shape the upper arm: 

Row 1: *k2tog, k2, SKPO*. Repeat from * to * 3 times (12 stitches)

Row 2: k

Row 3: *k2tog, SKPO*. Repeat from * to * 3 times (6 stitches)

Row 4: k

Cut the yarn and draw it through the live stitches to close the loop on the upper arm, stuffing the arm to your satisfaction before you close it fully. Fasten and darn in the loose end. 

Finishing

You will now have a Festibear with a head and body joined together, and 4 limbs that need attaching.

Mark each of Festibear's limbs where you intend to draw the joining thread through it to join it to the body. Mark the body also so that you can see clearly where the limb-joining thread will enter and exit the body.

Using a long thread, fasten securely and sew through each limb, joining it to the body, and exiting on the other side of the body, joining the opposite limb in the same way. Repeat a few times for security. Fasten and darn in the loose ends. 

Using a contrasting black wool, embroider a nose over the original cast-on stitches, and give your Festibear a nice, cheerful smile.

And - ta-dah! - you're done!

I've had all sorts of customers lining up here at Talk-a-Lot Towers to adopt Festibear. Emi thinks that he'd make a good mate for Dave, his bear of a few weeks' ago. And the WonderDog seems to have designs of his own ...

He's totally mine!

All the best for now,

Bonny x