Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Review: Ten Adorable Teddy Bears to Knit

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10 Adorbale Teddy Bears to Knit reviewI had a different book review on my calendar for this week, but the girl insisted I knit her something from Rachel Borello’s Ten Adorable Teddy Bears to Knit this week so I figured since I was using the book I might as well tell you about it. You can see a couple of the parts I’ve knit so far over on my blog.

As the name mentions, there are patterns here for 10 little bears, from traditional looking teddies to a panda and a koala. (The girl opted for the panda, but she has a long list of demands from this cute book.)

Each bear comes with its own outfit and accessories. Junior, for instance, is shown with a hat that has holes for his ears, a wee backpack and a sleeping bag with cables. Hudson has a beanie and backpack as well, but also overalls. Clarke is a superhero in shorts, a cape and a mask, while Peta has a little dress, scarf and winter hat.

The panda, named Riley, is shown in shorts, a sweater and socks, but the girl wants a lace skirt and a little top instead.

Some of the projects are worked in the round while others (like the panda) are knit flat in lots of little pieces that have to be joined to make the bear in question. That said it’s pretty easy knitting and you can stitch it up as you go, leaving less work for the end.

This book is really cute, and these tiny bears are sure to attract kids and adults alike. I think it will be fun to knit lots of little outfits, and maybe a few more bears. They’re so small, the projects actually go pretty fast even though there are lots of pieces.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback with interior flaps, 10 bear patterns plus 22 options for accessories. Published August, 2015 by Barron’s Educational Series. Suggested retail $16.99.

Looking for more Knitting patterns for Teddy Bears? Check it out here.

Have you read?

Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.