All the while I was making this adorable bear I kept saying to myself, “What a good bear.” It had to become the name of the pattern, Good Bear. I hope you think it is a good bear, too. I worked so hard on two different color versions of Good Bear for months and months and months because the bear seemed so “good” I wanted everything to be just so. I think the effort has paid off.
I’m so proud of Good Bear and all of the custom clothes. I hope you feel the same way when you make one for yourself or as a gift to share with someone you love.
Good Bear Construction Notes
Good Bear is worked in the round from the bottom-up starting with the legs. The legs are joined together and the body is worked to the neck, and added purl bump guides are put in place along the way to pick up the tail and arms later. The back of the head is then worked back and forth in a heel-flap fashion. The stitches are then picked up along both sides of the flap and combined with the stitches along the front of the body, the face and nose is then completed in the round. The eyes are placed along the way. The ears, arms and tail are picked up and knit on. Due to the construction, the nose naturally tips up a little toward the sky, which adds charm and wonder to the toy.
The custom, made-to-fit Good Bear clothing, including the pants, colorwork pullover, jacket and beanie are all worked separately, and mostly in the round other than the jacket has some back and forth knitting.
Finished Measurement
The Bear is 8-inches tall from the toe to the top of the head.
Kit Information
Yarn included in the Good Bear Kits (enough to make one bear and one of each piece of clothing):
Woolens by Barrett Wool Co., 100% American Wool (180 / 50 grams)
Brown Good Bear yarn colorways:
Bear Main Color: Earthen - brown
Nose Contrast Color: Putty - tan light gray/oatmeal blend
Colorwork Pullover: Main Color is Putty, Contrast Colors are Earthen and Door County
Pants: Beck - heathered denim blue
Jacket: Terrarium - mossy green
Beanie: Garland - dark forest green or Wells - medium grey
Black Good Bear yarn colorways:
Bear Main Color: Inkwell - charcoal black
Nose Contrast Color: Putty - light gray/oatmeal blend
Colorwork Pullover: Main Color is Putty, Contrast Colors are Inkwell and Door County
Pants: Beck - heathered denim blue
Jacket: Old Fashioned - heathered deep copper
Beanie: Garland- forest green or Wells - medium grey
Also included in the kit is the Good Bear pattern for no additional cost in the form of a Ravelry download code on a printed card inside the kit bag. The contrast color Door County Red is included as a cut length for the colorwork pullover, and you get the safety eyes and black string for face embroidery. It all comes packed in a printed cotton bag with an illustrated tag by me.
Don’t Forget the Buttons! You have the option to add our gorgeous wooden 1/2-inch Round or Heart shaped buttons to your kit. We have these buttons handcrafted by Wooly Moss Roots just for our BWC Kits. They are created with such care and love, and the process is extensive. The buttons are exquisite and add so much soul to the project. It’s hard to explain how much we love our handmade wooden buttons. If you’re able I highly recommend adding a set of three Heart or Round buttons to your kit. Once you try these charming buttons nothing else will compare.
New Pattern Format
You will notice a new pattern format. The Good Bear pattern is easy to read on your device, as always, but when printed out it can be folded and stapled to make a charming little book. The pattern is included as a Ravelry download code inside your kit.
Here are the instructions for how to make the pattern book (also found in the front matter of the pattern):
1. Print out all of the pages single-sided.
2. Fold each page on the center dotted line with the blank side of the page to the inside and the printed side to the outside.
3. Put the pages in order with the folded edge to the right.
4. Staple the pages together along the left side with three staples, one on each end and one in the center.