Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Bear With Me

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That's Gypsy

The yarn For the Sheep Shawl hasn't arrived yet, I'm getting kind of twitchy without anything to knit, so I knit a bear.

I've been playing with dying my own yarn, but it's mostly been small batches in scratchy wool, but it's perfect for bears!

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I used the Air Bear pattern from Berroco, but I did it in the round, with worsted yarn, on US 5s(3.75mm).

I didn't like the way the arms looked, and since I couldn't figure out a way to do them as written but in the round without making a lot of seaming work (I hate seaming, that's why I did the pattern in the round) so instead I just knit the body back and forth at the part, and picked up stitches around the armholes.

I think I should have picked up more though; her arms are kinda skinny and short compared to the rest of her. Otherwise the pattern worked beautifully in the round, with no seeming and just a little bit of Kitchener on the ears and top of the head. And I sewed her nose on crooked, but that just gives her character... yeah...

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I will warn, if you try the pattern in the round, start stuffing and do the arms BEFORE you start the head, there are some sudden decreases for the neck that make end weaving and stuffing very difficult.

I finished her up while watching MST3K with Bill at the Motel, and later while driving home Stevie Nicks came on the radio singing "Gypsy" and that is how she got her name.

I had the green shawl swatch thingy leftover from when I was 'unventing' a top neck down triangle shawl pattern, and it makes a perfect little gypsy/Stevie shawl.

Here is Gypsy doing her best Stevie Nicks impersonation:

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8 comments:

  1. That's so cute! I like his big belly! ;o)

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  2. Adorable. Love the colour.

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  3. i like cute sort of quirky bears...they are so lovable

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  4. What a cute bear, and the Stevie Nicks impression is hysterical!!!

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  5. Hee, thank you all!
    :D

    Monika – I love the belly too, it looked so weird before I stuffed her though, the shaping made it pucker in at the sides, I thought she was going to have an itty bitty little pot belly!

    Sara – I had fun dyeing the yarn, only my second attempt, using wilting cake dyes until I can afford all new pots and utensils for acid dyes.

    Kat – exactly, I think her nose gives her a cute little attitude, like; you don't wanna mess with her!

    ericah64 – I had a lot of fun with her little photo shoot, that was my favorite picture! Cant you just envision her up on stage singing and waving her shawl around? Hee!

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  6. So adorable! Love the nose, and love, love the shawl ~ too funny.

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  7. Thanks, the shawl was just a happy fluke. :D

    (I like the nose now myself, but it bothers me a little, because at the time I was trying so hard to make it straight, but I know it's not that big of a deal, and it gives her personality.)

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