Bedtime Care Bear choc orange cover / toy

Bedtime Care Bear Chocolate Orange Cover or 14cm Toy

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted stuffed toy or decorative cover designed by Andrew Lucas, featuring a Bedtime Care Bear character. The finished toy measures approximately 14 centimeters in height. The project can be created as either a standalone plush toy or as a cover, making it a versatile beginner-friendly knitting project suitable for gift-giving or personal collection.

Difficulty Level and Suitability

This pattern is rated as beginner difficulty, making it an excellent introduction to toy knitting and three-dimensional garment construction. The project teaches fundamental shaping techniques while maintaining manageable stitch counts and straightforward row counts.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Bedtime Bear employs several essential knitting techniques that build foundational skills:

• Increases and decreases: Strategic increases and decreases shape the body, head, and facial features of the bear. The pattern uses increases in every stitch to expand the body width and targeted decreases to form the shoulders and head definition.
• Stocking stitch: The primary fabric construction method, alternating knit and purl rows to create a smooth, finished appearance suitable for a stuffed toy.
• Garter stitch: Used selectively for textured areas, created by knitting every row.
• Bind and tie finishing: The pattern uses a traditional bind-off method where yarn ends are threaded through a tapestry needle, passed through remaining stitches, drawn up, and tied off to secure the work.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and stitch types:

• K: Knit stitch
• P: Purl stitch
• Inc: Increase by working into the same stitch twice
• Dec or K2tog/P2tog: Decrease by knitting or purling two stitches together
• St st: Stocking stitch, the foundation fabric created by alternating knit rows and purl rows
• Gs: Garter stitch, created by knitting every row for textured detail
• B and T (Bind and Tie): Finishing technique for closing and securing the toy
• Alt: Alternate, indicating pattern repetition

Construction Method

The bear is constructed in distinct sections that are knitted separately and assembled:

• Body: Cast on 25 stitches using light blue wool, then increase in every stitch to create 50 stitches for width. Stocking stitch is worked for 21 rows to establish the body length.
• Shoulders: Decreases are introduced using knit two together across the row, reducing to 25 stitches, followed by a purl row to maintain stocking stitch pattern.
• Head: A new increase sequence creates the head section with 37 stitches. Stocking stitch continues for 17 rows. Multiple decrease rows progressively reduce stitches from 37 to 25 to 13 stitches, creating the tapered head shape.

Materials Required

Needles: 3.25mm knitting needles are used throughout the project for consistent gauge and fabric weight.

Yarn: Double knitting weight wool in multiple colors creates the bear's distinctive appearance. Light blue forms the primary body and head, while white, blue, black, and yellow are used in smaller amounts for facial features and details such as eyes, nose, and any decorative elements characteristic of the Bedtime Care Bear design.

Additional Materials: A small amount of polyester stuffing or similar fiberfill is required to fill the completed toy, creating a soft, three-dimensional plush effect. A tapestry needle is essential for the bind and tie finishing technique and for assembling any separate pieces.

Finished Characteristics

The completed Bedtime Bear toy features a charming chocolate orange color scheme through its carefully selected yarn palette. The stocking stitch fabric creates a smooth, polished surface ideal for a cuddly toy, while the strategic shaping produces a recognizable bear silhouette with defined shoulders and a proportionate head suitable for a 14-centimeter finished size.