It began with wanting to knit my daughter a Christmas present. Not being a fan of surprises, I did not want to present my daughter a knitted garment she hadn’t seen. Having to start somewhere in the investigation of what to knit for her, we began with patterns I had saved over the years. Our tastes are different as are our lifestyles, so I did not think she would actually choose any one of these yet I did think these patterns would lend some inspiration. Well, I was wrong. The bear sweater by Tiny Owl Knits stopped her dead. In my queue for a few years, she fell in love with it and visualized hers to be in the colors that are seen in the pattern. I found a great visual to help with the face.
The knitting of it was quick and easy; sending it off to her was another matter. She promised me a photo shoot (one day, maybe) so these are the only pics I have of it now.
It is made with Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun worsted. The color spun gives it a denim flair, the bear face itself scraps of bulky wools from my stash. I did add french knots for glisten of eye. What is working best for her is the dense fabric as it offers a great tightness of the hood and the ears stick up perfectly. Maybe, you can tell here.
Very satisfied with the end result yet still desiring a bear sweater myself (oh, brother), I purchased a relatively inexpensive (a lot of yardage in one skein) James C. Brett Marble Chunky soft bulky acrylic, considered an entirely different color scheme, and used this gorgeous Kodiak as my muse.
Again, scraps from stash make up its face. I’ve always wanted to learn how to add side pockets and thought this a good project to attempt. I mean, a hoodie with pockets? Made sense to me! Following the well-written directions in Deborah Newton’s Finishing School, a Master Class for Knitters, some scrap worsted, double pointed needles here I am picking up the edges of the prepared side seam to knit them.
End result. a pocketed version in warm tweedy browns. Seen here, bear and I are on a local golf course during pre-season, making a perfect back drop for whimsy. Photo credit: hubby photographer
Oh, so cozy
a few more
Hollyknits 
9 responses to “Bear(s)”
I really like the subtle striping in the body. Looks cozy!
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so cozy. Yeah, I am pleased with the tweedy stripes. Thank you, Terry
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Both look fabulous and love the 2 different colour ways. Works of art! Can’t wait for more pics of your daughter’s.
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Thank you, Karen. . . we both may be waiting forever for those photos. ugh
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it is amazing how color can make such a difference in a garment – the two hoodies look really different, and yours suits you! It does look soft and snuggly, and those pockets are perfect. I am curious why a designer would create a hoodie pattern with no pockets? Hmmm.
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because a designer might want to keep it simple knitting to invite more people? I agree with you, totally. Like when I made Jill’s, it was actually physically difficult not to add pockets. Another reason, however is because it does add a bit of bulk at the hips. Likely, most would not like that. I didn’t think Jill would. The color effects are interesting.
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I suppose so- but the designer could put a couple of options out there, a pouch pocket in front, or side pockets. 😉 Anyway, both of yours came out great, and you didn’t need the designer to do the pockets!
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A hoodie with pockets ! I had one on my list too. It looks so comfy, love both your versions.
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thank you, Agnes
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