Toes and Bears

one bobbi bear ahahah

One down. Three to go.

The Most Urgent Bear is finished in surprisingly little time. When I counted up the TV shows I watched making him, the total came out to around six hours. He was really fun to make! I think I am going to make the other bears (I used to need two more, but now I need three more – what is up with all these babies?) on smaller needles. My gauge was right but he looks too stretched out when he’s stuffed. Mom put his face on – I will have to do the others myself. The pattern is “Baby Bobbi Bear” from Blue Sky Alpacas. They also have a a “Bobbi Bear” who is 20″ tall.

finished atyourown risk sock

To make your toe:

Knit to within 1.5 inches of your total desired sock length, ending with round 6 or round 14 of the pattern. Then shape the toe as follows:

Round 1
Needle 1: k to the last three sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: k1, ssk, k to the last three sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 3: k1, ssk, k to end of needle
Round 2
Work all stitches evenly (no decreases).

Repeat these two rounds six times (48 stitches remain).
Repeat Round 1 six more times. (24 stitches remain)
Knit the 6 stitches from Needle 1 onto Needle 3. Break yarn leaving an 8 inch tail. Graft (kitchener) live toe stitches together. Weave in ends.

Now, you can taper the pattern down the toe by dropping one set of hay-stacks from each end on each successive repeat (by repeat, I mean rounds 1-8 and rounds 1-16; by haystacks, I mean the big, loopy stitches). For instance, if you have ended the foot on round 14 (with 5 haystacks across the top of the foot), work rounds 1-6 with only the 4 middle haystacks. At the same time, work the toe decreases as indicated. If you want to plan ahead and create a more noticeable taper, begin dropping haystacks on the repeat before the end of the foot. There is enough length in the toe for one more repeat. This is not as hard to do as it is to explain!

You know what you do when you finish the first sock, right?

cuff on my noggin

Cast on for the second! And wear it on your head to celebrate.

You can print out the complete pattern for the HayStack Socks here. Please let me know if you find any mistakes!

26 thoughts on “Toes and Bears

  1. Teyani

    That is THE MOST ADORABLE TEDDY BEAR!!! Where did you get the pattern again? Both my Mom and I are teddy bear hounds, so must make her one right away.
    It is the perfect new baby gift!!! and it turned out so dang cute!

    The sock is awesome as well – gee, all of a sudden it looks like your project list has shrunk!
    Way to go girl!

  2. Lene

    Awwwwww how cute is he! The arms might be a bit stubby, but naww… I want one too!

    I also like the haystack socks. I’m not knitting along with you because my sock mojo has left me long time ago, but maybe I might knit them in the future 🙂

  3. Karen

    That bear is too cute! It’s bigger than I thought it would be. I am sure it will be well loved.

    And your socks are awesome! Very, very pretty.

  4. amanda

    Cute bear! Sounds like there is something in the water over there in Bama land. Lots of buns in the oven ready to pop. So glad I don’t have to drink that water!

  5. katie

    I love your bear! I have decided I like stuffed animals to be knitted in a very tight gauge. Then the stuffing just doesn’t show at all. But yours doesn’t look over stretched to me!

    He is precious and you did a beautiful job!

  6. Sheryl

    What a funny picture! I looked at it before I read the caption and thought to myself, “I wonder what that sock is sitting on, it looks like a head.” I REALLY want to make your sock pattern!

  7. Crazy For Yarn

    How cute is this guy!!! Hmmmm is 47 too old for a Bobbi bear???? Lucky babies!!! The sock really turned out pretty!! I’ll save the pattern…maybe someday I’ll be able to make it…can’t seem to master even the most simple of socks right now!

  8. Tonni

    Love those Haystacks! I almost bought the Bobbi bear pattern… for some odd reason, I thought it would be smaller. So cute!

  9. Cynthia

    I love, love, love that bear! I don’t know about all those babies but I love the bear. I love the socks too! You have been busy Emily – you go girl!

  10. monica

    Your bear turned out cute! You were lucky to have Mom put the face on. Mine turned out looking angry because I cannot embroider. Thanks for posting your pattern!

  11. Rachel

    Congrats on finishing up the socks! Even a stockinette-only sock-knitter like me thinks they look pretty cool. And let’s not even talk about that adorable bear. Okay, actually, let’s talk about him. He’s adorable! (Hmm, looks like I actually covered that.) Seriously, I sort of like the overstuffed stretchy look, but I think it would look good in a tighter guage too. Lucky babies!

    P.S. Don’t you love using TV shows to determine time-to-knit? Sometimes it freaks me out a little that I’m spending so much time in front of the TV, but then I remind myself that the TV is just background noise to my knitting. Right?

  12. Jen

    WOW, I love that bear! I was fortunate enough to find it totally cheap as a kit and just ordered it! woo hooo!

  13. Laura

    The bear. Absolutely adorable! Perfect advertising to sell a bunch of patterns I think!

    The sock. Haystack Sock! PERFECT name. Really cute – let’s see the finished sock on your foot so you can show how the pattern stretches out. Please? 🙂

  14. Mama Bear

    I love the Bobbi bear pattern. I love knitting stuffed animals and dolls for little ones! They can use them for SO much longer than clothes.

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