Modifications for Bear in Lamb Sleep Suit

My son requested that I make him the Bear in Lamb Sleep Suit from Debbie Bliss' The Baby Knits Book. I started with a leg and after knitting, breaking the yarn, joining, knitting some more, breaking, joining -- you get the picture -- 6 tails to weave in later, I had this to show for my work:

I thought there must be a better way to do this! My first search on Ravelry for finished projects of this pattern uncovered echoed frustrations by my fellow Ravelers, but I didn't really find any help. I expanded my search to the vast www, and my first result on Google produced this ingenious woman's blog:
Cogknition

Now armed with schematics and some good advice, I forged ahead to make my own pattern for the arms and legs of the bear. My version of the leg eliminates the need to knit a separate piece for the sole. Here are my mods, so far:

These notes cover only the parts of the pattern that I modified. Gauge, yarn, needle (etc.) information remains the same as printed in the book. Also, unless I provided notes about my modifications, I used the instructions as written in the book.

LEGS (make 2)
With long-tail method CO 12 sts, join in the round and knit 1 round. (Note: I used the magic loop method.)

Next: Inc to 20 sts in next 2 rounds by:

• (kfb, k2) around to end, then
  
• (kfb, k3) around to end.  (20 sts)
  

Next: Work 12 rounds even.
Next: Inc to 26 sts for instep by working the next 2 rows 3 times:

• kfb, knit to last st, kfb.
• Knit 1 round
  

Next round: Knit.
Next: Dec for sole:

• K2tog, k5, (k2tog, k3) x 2, k2tog, k5, k2tog. (21 sts)
  
• Knit 1 round.
  
• K2tog, k4, (k2tog, k2) x 2, k2tog, k3, k2tog. (16 sts)
  
• Knit 1 round.
  
• STUFF THE LEG AT THIS POINT!
  
• K2tog around. (8 sts)
  
• K2tog around. (4 sts)
  

Cut the working yarn leaving a tail, thread tail through remaining sts and pull tight. Knot these so they don't come undone and bury the tail up and through the bottom of the foot into and through the leg. Snip off excess. I used the cast on tail to sew the leg to the body.


ARMS (make 2)
With long-tail method CO 4 sts, join in the round and knit 1 round (Note: I used the magic loop method.)

Round 1: kfb into each st (8 sts)
Round 2: Knit.
Round 3: (kfb, k2, kfb) x 2 (12 sts)
Round 4: Knit.
Round 5: (kfb, k4, kfb) x 2 (16 sts)
Round 6: (kfb, k6, kfb) x 2 (20 sts)

Rounds 7-20: Knit.

Rounds 21 & 22: (SSK, knit to last 2 sts on needle, k2tog) x 2 (12 sts)
Round 23: Knit.

STUFF THE ARM AT THIS POINT!
Round 24: (SSK, knit to last 2 sts on needle, k2tog) x 2 (8 sts)
Round 25: Knit.
Repeat round 24 & 25 (4 sts).

Cut the working yarn leaving a tail, thread tail through remaining sts and pull tight. Knot these so they don't come undone and bury the tail up and through the arm. Snip off excess. I used the cast-on tail to sew the arm to the body.


BODY (made in 1 piece)
Using long-tail method CO 28 sts, join in the round and knit 1 round (Note: I used the magic loop method.)

Round 1: (kfb, knit to last st on needle, kfb) x 2.
Round 2: Knit.

Repeat round 1 & 2 4 times for a total of 48 sts.

Now I needed to shape the body to give the bear a "seat" and I did this by working a turn heel sock technique on the first half of the stitches, thusly:

Seat
Note that the stitches on the back needle (last 24 sts) will remain unworked during turn heel construction. "Heel" will be worked over the 24 sts of the front needle and not knit in the round. You can watch knitpurlhunter Turn Heel (Magic Loop) video for a video tutorial of this technique.

Row 1: K12, slip 1 kways wyib, k1, psso, k1, turn.
Row 2: Slip 1 pways wyif, p4, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Slip 1 pways wyib, k to within 1 stitch of the gap, slip 1 kways wyib, k1, psso, k1, turn.
Row 4: Slip 1 pways wyif, p to within 1 stitch of the gap, p2tog, p1, turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been worked ending after a knit row, 12 stitches.

Next:

• Pick up and knit 3 sts along right edge to eliminate any gap. These stitches go on the front needle.
• Return to magic loop knitting and knit across the back 24 stitches.
• Pick up and knit 3 sts along left side.
• Arrange your sts so that the front needle has 18 sts and back needle has 24.
• Knit 1 round.
• (k2tog, k3) 2x, SSK, k3, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k6, SSK, k5, k2tog.
• Knit 1 round.

Seat shaping
Round 1: (Front needle) Knit.  (Back needle) SSK, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat round 1 & 2 until stitches on Front needle and Back needle are the same.

Final shaping
Decrease as follows:
Round 1: Beginning at first stitch, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches of needle, k2tog, k1. On 2nd needle, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1.
Round 2: Knit all stitches with no decreases.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 20 total stitches remain ending after Round 2.

Graft remaining sts together with Kitchener technique. Stuff the body. The cast on edge is open and stayed open until I attached the head. I attached the legs to the side of the body at the bottom along the edge of the "Seat." I sewed the arms 1/2" from the cast on edge of body.


EARS (make 2)
With long-tail method CO 6 sts.
Work 3 rows in St st.
Row 4: p2tog, p2, p2tog tbl. (4 sts)
Row 5: SSK, k2tog. (2 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: kfb in each st.
Row 8: pfb, p2, pfb. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows in St st.
BO in purl.
Fold in half with wrong sides together and sew up the sides.

Hermione Loves Her Cabled Mittens

My first design -- As a Christmas present for my sister, I designed and knit these mittens to go with the Hermione Hearts Ron hat (designed by Christy Aylesworth) that I made, also for my sis.  It was fun doing design work and figuring out the kinks in the pattern.  I am working on expanding the pattern to include multiple sizes, but for now, there's this version that makes a child's large/adult small.

It's been exciting to watch the "hits" grow on Ravelry as more people discover my pattern and link to it.

For the text of the pattern, click here.
For a PDF of the pattern, get it from scribd.