Sammy isn’t your average bear! Not only is Sammy gender neutral and optionally knit entirely seamlessly, but the shaping and construction of the bear are achieved thanks to the wonders of sock knitting techniques! It makes Sammy an excellent project for anyone wanting to try sock knitting for the first time and to develop their skills without committing to a full pair of socks, while established sock knitters can delight in applying the skills they already have to an entirely new type of project.

FINISHED DIMENSIONS
Approximately 23cm (9”) tall when seated, measured from top of the head to base of the body.

YARN
DK weight/8ply yarn. Plump, wool-based yarns work particularly well, either in superwash or non-superwash bases. You can also hold 2 strands of fingering weight/4ply yarn doubled as you knit to make the equivalent of a DK weight/8ply yarn, or for a furry bear, you can hold a strand of laceweight/2ply mohair or similar fibre together with your DK/8ply yarn. Note that if you wish to hold 2 strands of yarn together, you will require the following yardage amounts in each base individually.

For a bear knit in 1 colour, you will need 140m (153yds)/
70g of yarn. For a panda bear, which is knit in 2 colours, you will need 60m (66yds)/30g of Colour A (this is used for the limbs, the stripe around the neck, the ears, and the tail), and 80m (87yds)/40g of Colour B (this is used as the main colour for the body and head).

Samples of the bear were made using:
– Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic 8ply (100% wool; 400m {437yds}/200g). Panda = Cinder Fleck (Colour A) and Linen Fleck (Colour B) colourways, Brown bear = Pebble colourway, Blue bear = Delf Blue colourway

– Orange bear = 4 Seasons Pure Wool 8ply (100% wool, 80m {87yds}/50g), Rust colourway

– Purple bear = CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK (75% superwash Merino, 25% nylon; 112m {122yds}/50g), Dionysus colourway, held together with Fyberspates Cumulus (74% baby Suri alpaca, 26% Mulberry silk; 150m {164yds}/25g), Thistle colourway.

It is recommended to seek out and use baby friendly-labelled yarns if your bear may be accessed by young babies and children.

Optional for scarf: additional 15m (16yds)/7.5g of scrap DK weight/8ply yarn. It is recommended to omit the scarf, or only make a short one that you can securely sew in entirety to the finished Sammy, if the bear may be accessed by young babies and children.

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
– 3.5mm (US 4) needle, OR size to obtain gauge, in preferred style for working in the round. It is suggested to use either 4 double-pointed needles (length: 20cm {8”}), OR a long circular needle (length: 80cm {32”}) to work the Magic Loop method
– 1 extra double-pointed OR circular needle in the same size
– Optional for provisional cast on and tail: contrasting waste yarn
– 4 removable stitch markers or progress keepers (style A), plus 2 additional ones in an alternative colour or design (style B)
– 4 fixed stitch markers
– Tapestry needle
– Tape measure
– Scissors
– Toy stuffing (e.g. polyfill)
– If using safety parts for the facial features: flock safety nose with washer (samples used a triangular, 12mm {½“} size), and 2 x plastic safety eyes with washers (samples used round, 9mm {¼”} sizes). Please note that safety parts are considered a choking hazard and should NOT be used on bears that may be accessed by children 0-3 years of age.
– Optional for adding in the safety parts: small pieces of felt
– If not using safety parts for the facial features: embroidery thread, and/or small pieces of felt and fabric glue. Ensure all parts you add to your bear are age appropriate, are very securely attached, and do not use unsafe materials on bears that may be accessed by babies and children.
– Optional for stuffing the bear: pencil, pen, chopstick, knitting needle, or crochet hook, with a smooth, rounded end

GAUGE
23.5 stitches x 31 rounds = 10cm (4’) in stockinette stitch, knit in the round and relaxed after blocking.

While an exact gauge isn’t necessary for this project, any variations may affect the size of your bear and yardage requirements. It is crucial that the knitted fabric you produce has a firm tension so that the stuffing doesn’t poke through.

CONSTRUCTION
Sammy is knit from the bottom up, beginning with the limbs. You knit the legs and arms from the “paws” upwards, then the top of each limb is closed using the three needle join and the remaining stitches placed on hold. Once the limbs are completed, the stitches for the base of the body are cast on and worked flat to a rectangular shape. You then pick up stitches around the sides of the rectangle and begin working in the round, with short rows added to shape the base of the body into a curve. As the remainder of the body is knit, the legs and arms are knitted in by using the three needle join again. The head is worked next, with increases, decreases, and short row shaping to create the nose and a curve to the top of the head. Lastly, stitches for each ear are picked up on the sides of the head and knitted on, and a tail can be optionally added if waste yarn was knit into the body when directed in the pattern instructions.

VIDEO TUTORIAL LINKS INCLUDED IN THIS PATTERN
– Judy’s magic cast on method
– Turkish cast on method
– Long tail cast on method
– Provisional cast on using the crochet chain method
– Three needle join
– Kitchener stitch
– Mattress stitch
– How to work short rows using the wrap and turn method
– How to work waste yarn into your knitting
Recommended if you are making a panda bear
– How to work jogless stripes in the round

This pattern has been professionally tech edited, and test knit. Instructions are provided in written format only (no charts required).