Wintry polar bear
Cast on this last-minute Christmas gift knit – his padded paws and snuggly scarf make him the cutest bear around.
POLAR BEAR HEAD, PAWS AND BODY
Begin at the muzzle:
Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Row 1 (RS) (Kfb) to end. [16 sts]
Work 7 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 9 K3, (kfb, K1) 5 times, K3. [21 sts]
Row 10 Purl.
Row 11 K3, (kfb, K1) 8 times, K2. [29 sts]
Work 3 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 15 K5, (kfb, K1) 9 times, kfb, K5. [39 sts]
Work 3 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 19 K5, (kfb, K1) 4 times, K14, (kfb, K1) 4 times, K4. [47 sts] Work 7 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 27 K4, (k2tog, K1) 4 times, K15, (k2tog, K1) 4 times, K4. [39 sts]
Work 6 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 34 (P2tog, P1) 4 times, P15, (P1, p2tog) 4 times. [31 sts] Row 35 K2tog, K27, k2tog. [29 sts]
Work 2 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Continue knitting to make the Body:
Row 38 (WS) (Kfb, P1) to last st, kfb. [44 sts]
Work 2 rows in st st, beg with a knit row.
Row 41 K44, cast on 16 sts (Front Paw). [60 sts]
Row 42 P36, kfb, P1, kfb, P21, cast on 16 sts (Front Paw). [78 sts] Row 43 Knit.
Row 44 P37, kfb, P1, kfb, P38. [80 sts]
Row 45 Knit.
Row 46 P38, kfb, P1, kfb, P39. [82 sts]
Row 47 Knit.
Row 48 P39, p2tog, p2tog, P39. [80 sts]
Row 49 Knit.
Row 50 P38, p2tog, p2tog, P38. [78 sts]
Row 51 Knit.
Row 52 P37, p2tog, p2tog, P37. [76 sts]
Work 6 rows in st st, beg with a knit row.
Row 59 Cast off 15, K61. [61 sts]
Row 60 Cast off 15, P46. [46 sts]
Row 61 K2tog, K42, k2tog. [44 sts] Row 62 Purl.
Row 63 Kfb, K42, kfb. [46 sts]
Work 3 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 67 Kfb, K44, kfb. [48 sts]
Work 4 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 72 P48, cast on 12 sts (Back Paw). [60 sts] Row 73 K60, cast on 12 sts (Back Paw). [72 sts] Work 11 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 85 K25, (k2tog, K2) 5 times, k2tog, K25. [66 sts] Row 86 Purl.
Row 87 K23, (k2tog, K1) 7 times, K22. [59 sts] Row 88 Purl.
Row 89 K22, (k2tog) 7 times, K23. [52 sts] Cast off.
INTERIOR PART OF LEGS AND BELLY
Begin at bottom:
Cast on 40 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A. Work 16 rows in st st, beg with a knit row.
Row 17 Cast off 13 sts, K27. [27 sts]
Row 18 Cast off 13 sts, P14. [14 sts]
Work 15 rows in st st, beg with a knit row. Row 34 P14, cast on 16 sts. [30 sts]
Row 35 K30, cast on 16 sts. [46 sts]
Work 17 rows in st st, beg with a purl row.
Row 53 Cast off 16 sts, K30. [30 sts]
Row 54 Cast off 16 sts, P14. [14 sts] Row 55 K2tog, K10, k2tog. [12 sts] Row 56 P2tog, P8, p2tog. [10 sts] Row 57 K2tog, K6, k2tog. [8 sts]
Row 58 P2tog, P4, p2tog. [6 sts]
Row 59 K2tog, K2, k2tog. [4 sts] Cast off. 1 Sew the Head and stuff it, making the right shape.
2 Using image as a guide, introduce two little balls of stuffing to both sides of the face to make the cheeks.
3 Using image as a guide, sew on the eyes.
4 Sew the interior and exterior sections together. Stuff the Bear through the holes at the base of the paws. Sew them to the feet.
NOSE
Cast on 3 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn B. Row 1 (RS) (Kfb, K1) to end. [6 sts]
Row 2 Purl.
Row 3 Kfb, K3, kfb, K1. [8 sts]
Row 4 Purl. Cast off. Using image as a guide, sew the black Nose over the end of the white muzzle.
FEET (MAKE 4)
Cast on 6 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A. Row 1 (RS) Kfb, K4, kfb. [8 sts]
Work 3 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Row 5 Kfb, K6, kfb. [10 sts]
Work 23 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Cast off. Fold Foot piece at about Row 8 or 9 approx, and sew on both sides, stuff the feet and sew them at the end of the stuffed legs. Using Yarn B and a tapestry needle embroider the fingers using image as a guide.
FOOTPRINTS (MAKE 4)
Cast on 3 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn B. Row 1 (RS) (Kfb) to end. [6 sts]
Work 2 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Cast off. Sew footprints at base of the Feet and embroider the spots with Yarn A and a large-eyed needle, using image as a guide.
EARS (MAKE 2)
Cast on 3 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A. Row 1 (RS) (Kfb) to end. [6 sts]
Row 2 Purl.
Row 3 (Kfb) to end. [12 sts]
Row 4 Purl.
Row 5 (Kfb, K1) to end. [18 sts]
Work 2 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Cast off. Sew the ears to the Head, using image as a guide.
TAIL
Cast on 4 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A. Row 1 (RS) (Kfb, K1) to end. [6 sts]
Work 15 rows in st st, beg with a purl row. Row 17 (K2tog, K1) to end. [4 sts] Cast off. Fold the Tail in half lengthwise and sew it to the Polar Bear’s bottom.
CANDY CANE SCARF
Cast on 6 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn C. Row 1 (RS) K1A, K4C, K1A. [6 sts]
Row 2 P4C, P2A. [6 sts]
Row 3 K1C, K2A, P3C. [6 sts]
Row 4 P2C, P2A, P2C. [6 sts]
Row 5 K3C, K2A, K1C. [6 sts]
Row 6 P2A, P4C. [6 sts]
Repeat Rows 1-6 until Scarf meas 75cm. Cast off. Join the two sides of the Scarf sewing them carefully to match the colours of the stripes to make a tubular shape.
Using Yarn C make two pompoms 2.5cm in diameter and sew them at ends of the Scarf.
GREEN LEAVES (MAKE 2)
Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn D. Row 1 (RS) K1, (kfb) 6 times, K1. [14 sts] Cast off. Fold the Leaves at the middle and sew them together over the Scarf to decorate it, using image as a guide.
LITTLE RED BALLS (MAKE 2)
Cast on 2 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn C. Row 1 (RS) (Kfb) to end. [4 sts]
Row 2 P1, kfb, kfb, P1. [6 sts]
Row 3 Knit.
Row 4 P1, p2tog, p2tog, P1. [4 sts] Row 5 (K2tog) to end. [2 sts]
Row 6 P2tog. [1 st] Cast off. Sew into a ball shape and add to the green leaves.