Teddy Bear's Picnic

If you go out in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go out in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise...

I'm not sure what kind of disguise a Teddy Bear would have to wear to not look like a teddy bear. Honestly, I think the best part of being a teddy bear is the cute and fuzzy look. I am certain my dear nephew would agree with me. So much so that his obsession with stuffed animals has tipped over into an exorbitant number of bears, penguins, monkeys and other assorted animals being in his bed in the evening. I really hope he doesn't lose this innocent love of all things soft and cuddly anytime soon though. It's one of his most endearing characteristics, and one of his only remaining innocent ones. Aside from being a schmoopy sucker for stuffed animals and hugs, he is a hardcore extreme athlete who is ALL BOY.

I was at my sister's house visiting last weekend, with my knitting of course, and my niece was all engrossed in learning how to knit alongside me. J had no interest. The only thing he wanted when we went to the yarn shop was for me to buy him something. That something would mean making him something. And since I was unwilling to commit to making HIM a sweater at this point, I went with one-skein criteria. And lo and behold, they had a mini stuffed moose wearing a sweater. Leave it to J to point it out.. "I want that." The stuffed moose? "No, the sweater." And so the idea of knitting a Teddy Bear sweater was born. A of course wanted an American Girl doll sweater in kind, but I will be working on that soon and will get back to that at a later time.

There is nothing more satisfying then a fast, fun project where you learn something new. So, this pattern was great to break up the monotony of making my first adult sweater. And it came out great thanks to his selection of an awesome Malabrigo yarn called "Snow Bird" and a fun, simple raglan NO SEAM pattern. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to put their teddy bear in disguise!

Monkster Sweater for a small Teddy Bear

Comments

Hatched

Just a little update to provide an image of the finished product. I think it has a lot of charm and character, even without it being worn by a little person!

Co-Operate

I've been very fortunate as an independent crafter/knitter to have the support of friends and family as I look to build a brand - Knotty Nancy's. I have no intention of turning this cottage business into an enterprise, as I fear it would lose the simple charm that is central to it's success. That being said, one lone knitter may not be able to keep up with demand. My goods are sold in a local golf shop (Jim Sheerin's Golf Shop at the Abenaqui Golf Course in Rye, NH) that also sell great crafts and gifts. I am proud that the owner appreciates my work so as to feature it in her shop. Even more so, that she likes practically everything I make and buys all the pieces that I present to her. This is great in that I sell everything, but it leaves me with nothing to offer outside of that venue. The owner of the shop has been even kinder in offering me some space on her table at a fine arts festival at the golf club this fall. The first thought that occurred to me, with e...

Babes in Toyland

Babes In Toyland poster I am far removed from the toy world these days. The only real touchstone I have are my 8-year-old twin niece and nephew. In this technological world, many of their toys are ageless. The Wii can entertain a room of giddy (and often inebriated) adults, iTouches are for the masses, and computers are for everyone too. Fortunately, their innocence is not completely lost on microchips and extension cords. My nephew in particular has a very strong connection with plush stuffed animals. I was somewhat fearful that the knit monster I made last Summer would not go over well since it wasn't super duper soft, but it was embraced with love and has remained in the "top 10 most loved stuffed animals". He might be just saying this but fortunately, the fact that the wool of his knit monster is pilling demonstrates a lot of hugs, wear and tear. They are still intact though. On a recent trip down, my nephew noted a teddy bear sweater in a yarn shop and immedia...

Knotty Nancys

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