Charles Bear - Free Toy Knitting Pattern for Kids in Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK by Paintbox Yarns

Charles Bear – Free Toy Knitting Pattern by Amanda Berry in Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK

Charles Bear is a charming intermediate-level knitted toy bear designed by Amanda Berry for Paintbox Yarns. The finished sitting bear measures approximately 7¾ inches (20cm) tall, making him a perfectly huggable size for children. This is a free downloadable PDF pattern that walks knitters through constructing a fully three-dimensional stuffed bear with clothing details and embroidered accents.

What Is Being Made

The project is a knitted stuffed toy bear — a classic soft toy designed to appeal to children and collectors alike. Charles Bear is worked as a seamed, three-dimensional figure complete with a body, head, limbs, and decorative clothing elements. The bear features domed black button eyes, embroidered details worked in gold cotton thread using a couching embroidery technique, and is stuffed with toy filling to give him his rounded, cuddly shape. As a finished toy, he sits upright at just under 8 inches, making him a wonderful handmade gift or nursery decoration.

Construction Techniques

• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight single-pointed needles, meaning each section is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round.
• Bottom-up construction: The pattern follows a bottom-up approach, building each component from its lower edge upward.
• Seamed finishing: Individual pieces — such as the body, head, arms, legs, and any clothing elements — are knitted separately and then joined together using mattress stitch or similar seaming methods with a darning or tapestry needle.
• Stuffing: Once seamed, the bear's body parts are filled with toy filling to create a soft, three-dimensional form.
• Couching embroidery: Gold cotton thread is used for couching, a surface embroidery technique where a thread is laid on top of the fabric and stitched down, adding decorative detail to Charles Bear's features or clothing.
• Button attachment: Two 3/8in (10mm) domed black buttons are sewn on as eyes, adding a classic toy-bear finishing touch.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) and Purl (p) — the foundational stitches used throughout.
• Garter stitch (g-st) — knitting every row to create a ridged, reversible fabric, often used for texture or borders.
• Kfb (knit into the front and back) — a simple increase that adds one stitch, used to shape the bear's rounded body parts.
• K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease used to taper and shape sections of the bear.
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease that pairs with k2tog for symmetrical shaping.
• Sl1p (slip stitch purl-wise) — used for neat edges or specific stitch pattern details.

Materials

The pattern calls for Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK, a yarn exclusively available at LoveCrafts.com. Cotton DK is a smooth, tightly spun yarn that gives excellent stitch definition — ideal for toy knitting where clear shaping and a firm fabric are desirable. The specific colours required are:

• Soft Fudge (A) — 2 balls, used as the main bear body colour
• Pure Black (B) — 1 ball, for details and contrast
• Champagne White (C) — 1 ball, for lighter accent areas
• Pillar Red (D) — 1 ball, likely used for clothing or decorative elements
• Glorious Gold (E) — 1 ball, for golden accent details

Each ball is a standard 1.8oz / 50g weight. The recommended needles are a pair of US 2 (2.75mm) straight single-