Thoughtful Bear is knit in one piece, with no seams save for a few kitchener grafts to close him up. Say goodbye to the troublesome trial and error and pinning of limbs!
Thoughtful Bear borrows several construction techniques from garment knitting: raglan sleeves, short row sock toes, and more. You should be comfortable with the following techniques before beginning this bear: short rows, picking up stitches, crochet chain provisional cast-on, kitchener grafting, and knitting in the round (magic loop or double-pointed needles).

The other special thing about Thoughtful Bear is that he comes in 5 different sizes. This pattern is for a giant bear, or size 5 out of 5. I use 6-7oz of worsted weight yarn and size US 3-4 needles to make him, but he can be made with nearly any yarn, so long as you use needles a few sizes smaller than what is recommended on the label; the important part is that the fabric will not show stuffing when stretched. This estimate may not be very accurate and will vary depending on your yarn choice, but I am working on making up all the sizes in several different yarns, to create a table of yarn amounts and measurements that will help you determine how much you need.

This pattern has been thoroughly tested, but will be updated soon to include better photos and visuals throughout.

If you would like to share your bear project or keep up with other Thoughtful knitters, check out the Toys of Earth Facebook group!