Materials:
You need two colors yarn, and I did
it in some old Red Heart I had lying around (Snob note...I admit I won't use
Acrylics for the most part in sweaters for people, but this stuff was in a great
variegated color...called Jewel Fiesta. The other color was black.) I used under
1 oz. of each yarn, and a set of dpns, size 8
Cast on 40 sts. in black. Do four rows of K2,P2 ribbing, with Jewel Fiesta as the purl sts. (Corrugated ribbing). You can use a single color if this gets you nuts. Do this flat on two of the dpns.
Divide the stitches onto three needles and join the round. Inc. 1 st at beg and end of this round, and work this color pattern:
K3Black,K3Jewel to end
K1Black,K1 Jewel to end
K3Black, K3 Jewel to end.
K3Jewel,K3 Black...
K1Jewel,K1 Black
K3Jewel,K3 Black
and so on...
XXXOOOXXXOOO
XOXOXOXOXOXO
XXXOOOXXXOOO
OOOXXXOOOXXX
OXOXOXOXOXOX
OOOXXXOOOXXX
for those who prefer charts.
Work 9 rounds.
Divide front and back by working the first 21 sts, and then working back flat in pattern. Work 9 rows total. Break off yarn.
Join yarn at other side, and work the front the same.
Turn sweater inside out and with black yarn, bind off 5 sts. together for shoulders. Bind off each side to last 5 sts. for neck, then bind off the other shoulder.
Make arms by picking up 21 sts (in color pattern) around armholes, 7 per needle. Continue in pattern for 6 rounds total. Bind off in purl in black.
Darn in ends, sew up ribbing at bottom of bear sweater.
This sweater uses some advanced techniques in it, for which simpler ones can be substituted. But it's a great way to practice your color knitting or corrugated ribbings, or shoulder bindoffs.
Try the sweater on your bear as you go along (he won't mind.) Because it's so small and works up quickly, it's no heartache to add or subtract length as necessary. Measure your bear's circumference as well. I was working at 5 st/in gauge, you can add or subtract stitches to fit (in multiples of 3).