vera

I find I learn a lot from knitting up and following other peoples' patterns. One that has been on my to do list for a while was "Vera", a teddy bear, designed by Annita Wilschut. What attracted me to this particular pattern is, it is knitted on dpns and knitted in one piece. I wanted to use a variegated yarn and decided on Stylecraft Life dk Vintage Look, Indigo shade. I used needle size US 2/2.75mm, a smaller needle than that suggested on the yarn label, so that the stuffing didn't poke through the knitting. Any weight of yarn can be used with the corresponding needle size.

The pattern starts with the head and I decided to stuff it and add the features before knitting up the body. I liked this part of the pattern ...two purl stitches indicate where to place the eyes.

There are a lot of picking up stitches, so if your not a fan of that technique then this pattern is not for you. I found the edge of the paws tricky, it took me two or three goes, but I got there eventually.
Here is Vera waiting for the body and limbs to be stuffed.

And the finished Vera......

I must say I found it a great pattern, easy to follow and some great shaping with short rows. Particularly appealing if you don't like seaming or a lot of sewing up. It would make a lovely baby gift, if the eyes were embroidered. For more details of the pattern, on Ravelry click here.

Till next time, Ali.