kavita and bear!

Sooo... I finally gave Kavita her bear! Aren't they cute together? Bear (still no name) looks a little distorted in this photo. Kavita does too...oh well.

A little on the making of Bear:

I'm not really sure how I feel about the pattern I used. It was free, and I got it from an afternoon of intense google-searching for a bear that was actually three-dimensional (had a muzzle and feet, basically). I really didn't like the way the garter-stitch muzzle looked, so I ripped it out and did it again in stockinette, but other than that it was a pretty good pattern, I suppose. The feet are a little too pointy, maybe. It suggested putting buttons at the joints for the articulated arms and legs, which upon reflection would have been good, but I just couldn't find any I liked! Kavita didn't seem to mind the lack of buttons, though. And this way it's child-safe, anyway. :) The only real complaint I have is that this pattern doesn't follow what Dan W. calls the "cardinal rule of teddy bears": for cuteness, the head must be about 40% the size of the body. :)

Let me just say that putting together a teddy bear is HARD! it's tough to get the stuffing in right, and even tougher to get the limbs on effectively. The ears turned out a little lopsided, because I'm not totally anal, but I think they're kind of cute that way. Nor do the back seams line up. (hello! The hole at the bottom of the head is SMALLER than the hole at the top of the body! How are they supposed to line up?)

All in all, though, this teddy bear was a totally positive experience. I was kind of freaked out by his disconnected body parts while I was knitting him, but when I was done I totally identified with him. It was nice to see his smiling face, to knit his little sweater, and to show him off all the time. I'm going to miss the little guy. Enjoy him, Kavita!