I thought we could get one of these going. The bears are SUPER easy to make. It usually takes me about 3 days to get one finished. It’d probably be quicker, but I hate seaming it up. When I saw it on Knitty Gritty, then read about it in Knitting for Peace, I really wanted to do this one.
For those of you who don’t know what it is…
The Mother Bear Project is a grass-roots, non-profit group dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children, primarily those affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of hand-knit and crocheted bears.
I’ll do it!! It looks like a lot of fun and it will be my first non scarf or hat project. Hopefully everything will go okay. Now to pick out colors for the bear… What colors are you doing??
I would love to make one… or five… who knows?? I just need to wait till after payday to get some yarn-- my stash is getting low, which must be a crime of some sort
:cheering: Yayyy! I’m so glad you all joined. I was starting to think I’d be doing this KAL by myself. :teehee:
trublnde, I used Caron SS in Bone, Orchid and Light Country Peach. I made the girl bear and it took me about 2 days to get her done. This is the first time I’ve made a girl and I think I’ll stick to boys. The skirt is a pain.
Nope, no deadline. It just seems that many people don’t know about the Mother Bear Project. It’s such a worthy cause that I thought this would be a good way to get more people involved. It can be an open-ended KAL.
Oh your bear turned out really cute. The skirts do add more trouble what with more seaming but they are fun looking. You did really good on the embroidering the face. I find the knitting on these super fast and easy but he finishing a bit of chore.
I have the yarn I’m going to use on my next one sitting out. If I didn’t have to work and attend to so many other things it be easier to get going on more of these. Like most knitting, life interferes!!
I started one and have the body/head/legs done and started seaming. It seems like it’s ridiculously tall though. :?? I know I followed the pattern exactly other than needle size. I’m down one because I can’t find the 7’s at the moment. That wouldn’t explain it though. Is this bear really tall?
Oh and I’m making a polar bear because I didn’t have any tan color… :teehee: I know white isn’t good so I will be getting some other yarn for the next one.
I made 2 already but my embroidery could use a little help. I would like to do a KAL if only to learn some good embroidery tips! Oh and I bought some brown wintiuk that is really cheap in the first place then I got my 40% off coupon from Joannes and now I ihave enough brown to make a million bears so if anyone needs some brown gimmie a call and I’ll send you some.
I wish I had some suggestions for you, losnana. I tried to knit the face directly onto the bear so I wouldn’t have to embroider it afterwards and it came out a mess.
Here’s my 2nd bear. I’m not so pleased with how he came out. I thought it might turn out better if I used black yarn instead of embroidery floss for the face. It didn’t turn out better. :-x I think on the next one I’m going to do the whole bear in stockinette and see how that works.
I’m almost done with my bear, but I don’t know if I’ll do more or not. I hate seaming and the thought of seaming bear after bear after bear is not appealing. :wall: I know this pattern is the only one accepted, but I’m going to play with it and see if I can come up with something.
I saw somewhere on someones obscure blog about it being knitted in the round. They didn’t say how they did it. It did occur to me to do this starting at the head, then at the arms knit back and forth for 6 or 8 rows then continue in the round to the legs. At the legs put half on a stitch holder and knit the leg in the round. Then pick up the stitches for the other leg. Then go back and pick up the stitches for both arms. Then just the head would need seaming. I haven’t done this but I think it would work.
My only concern is that after all that would it look just like the original pattern and be accepted? Also the seam on the head wouldn’t be so hot, unless one started with a provisional cast on then kitchenered it. But I can’t do a provisional cast on to save my life, much less in the round…
But I still think it would work. One could also go up from just above the legs and then pick up stitches for th legs. The head could be kitchenered more easily if it was at the finish…May have to try this…
I admit that that cast on looks easier, I just don’t know if it is. I only learned to knit a year ago and cannot crochet to save my life. I have tried very painstakingly to crochet a chain-- because some provisionl cast ons require one to do that first-it took me a very long time to do a 12 loop chain and I could make one faster with my fingers. The loops always fall off the hook. However- with the knitting needle there in the cast on it might be easier.
I have looked a easy sweater patterns where the last finishing step calls for crochet edges and have decided not to do them because I can’t crochet. I sometimes can think of a knitted alternative but not always.–Still looking for the perfect sweater to make wehre I like the style and think I can do all the steps and don’t have to crochet.
Oh I once did a practice provisional cast on following directions from Barbara Walkers book Knitting from the Top. It was easier than Amy’s video, but I had to turn a page at a critical step and it was a bit of a struggle as well. I did succed but only for about 8 stitches.
Anyway, this doesn’t have much to do with the bears- except for altering the pattern…
