Bears make excellent swimmers, and this little guy is no exception! He enjoys spending his days lounging in the water with his very own duck floatie. This pattern is quick to work up, and leaves lots of opportunity for customization to make this bear and his floatie your very own. If you make this pattern, please tag me @thecozychipmunk and #thecozychipmunk so I can see your creation! Happy crocheting!

Difficulty: Advanced Beginner

U.S. Terminology

Size: Bear is just over 4 inches tall seated, floatie is 4 inches across and 2 inches high

Materials:

Yarn: Worsted weight (4) in brown, white, yellow and orange (I used Impeccable by Loops and Threads as it is generally a stiffer acrylic)

Embroidery Thread: Black

Hook: 3.5 mm

6 and 9 mm Safety Eyes (2 of each size)

Polyester Fibre Filling

Needle

Optional: Stitch markers, pins

Stitches

MR- Magic Ring

SC- Single Crochet

INC SC- 2 single crochet into same stitch

SL ST- Slip Stitch

St- stitch

CH- chain

INV DEC- Invisible Decrease

BLO- stitch into back loop only

FO- Finish off

Other Notes:

Magic Ring alternative- if you do not feel comfortable doing a magic ring, you can also chain 2 and work the indicated number of stitches into the first chain

Continuous Rounds– each row is completed in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated (i.e. first row of nose)

Colour Change– When changing from one colour to another, in your final SC stitch after you have 2 loops on your hook, pull through with your new colour.

Pattern

Head

R1: With white yarn, MR, SC 6 into MR and SL ST to first St (6 st)

R2: CH 1, (INC SC) x6 (12 st)

in last SC of this row, switch to brown-see notes for instructions on how to do this. From here on we will be working in the round so you don’t need to SL ST

R3: SC around (12 st)

R4: (SC, INC SC) x6 (18 st)

R5: (2 SC, INC SC) x6 (24 st)

R6: (3 SC, INC SC) x6 (30 st)

R7-11: SC around (30 st)

At this point, you can sew on your nose with embroidery thread, and insert your eyes. I placed mine between rows 5 &6, approximately 9 st apart. You may prefer placing them higher or lower and closer together. Then, sew on eyebrows above your eyes.

R12: (3 SC, INV DEC) x6 (24 st)

R13: (2 SC, INV DEC) x6 (18 st)

Start stuffing the head with polyfill. Make sure some gets into his nose!

R14: (SC, INV DEC) x6 (12 st)

Finish stuffing. At this point you can finish the bear’s head by either INV DEC around, OR for the last round, I like to take an embroidery needle, and run it through the front loop of each stitch around, pulling tight. I find this makes a cleaner close. Depending on how tight your stitching is, you may find INV DEC to work best. FO and weave in ends.

Ears (make 2)

R1: in brown, MR, SC 5 into MR (5 st)

R2: INC SC around (10 st)

R3-4: SC around (10 st)

FO, leave tail for sewing

Fold ears in half so they are flat. Pin ears to head and sew on around row 10-11, weave in ends.

Body

R1: In brown, MR SC 6 into MR (6 st)

R2: INC SC around (12 st)

R3: (SC, INC SC) x6 (18 st)

R4: (2 SC, INC SC) x6 (24 st)

R5-8: SC around (24 st)

R9: (2 SC, INV DEC) x6 (18 st)

Begin stuffing body

R10: (SC, INV DEC) x6 (12 st)

R11: (4 SC, INV DEC) x2 (10 st)

Finish stuffing, FO, leaving a long tail for sewing to head

Sew body to head, around rounds 7-10 or so, weave in ends.

Arms (make 2)

R1: In brown, MR, SC 6 into MR (6 st)

R2: (SC, INC SC) x3 (9 st)

R3-4: SC around (9 st)

R5: (SC, INV DEC) x3 (6 st)

Put a bit of stuffing at bottom of arm

R6-7: SC around (6 st)

To close the arm, pinch sides closed and SC 3 across through top of stitches on both sides

Sew arms onto each side of body, weave in ends.

Legs (make 2)

R1: In brown, MR, SC 6 into MR (6 st)

R2: INC SC around (12 st)

R3-4: SC around (12 st)

R5: (SC, INV DEC) x4 (8 st)

R6-9: SC around (8 st)

Stuff legs lightly at bottom of foot. Close the same as the arms, with 4 SC across the top and FO. Sew legs onto bottom of body so they are 1-2 rows back from the MR. Weave in ends.

Tail

R1: In brown, MR, SC 5 into MR (5 st)

R2: SC around (5 st)

SL ST to next SC, FO and leave stitch for sewing on tail. I sewed the tail on in the BLO. Position tail between r4 &6 of body on back. Weave in ends

Floatie Body

With yellow yarn, CH 30 and connect to first CH with SL ST (30 st)

R1: CH1, SC around (30 st)

from now on work in continuous rounds

R2: (4 SC, INC SC) x6 (36 st)

R3: SC around (36 st)

R4: (5 SC, INC SC) x6 (42 st)

R5-8: SC around (42 st)

R9: (5 SC, INV DEC) x6 (36 st)

R10: SC around (36 st)

R11: (4 SC, INV DEC) x6 (30 st)

R12: SC around (30 st)

FO, and leave a long length of yarn for sewing. Bring the ends together and start sewing together. Start to stuff after about ¼ of the floatie is sewn, continuing to stuff until you reach the other end. Check a couple of times while stuffing that the floatie still fits around the tummy of the bear. If it is too stiff, he may not fit! He will only fit feet first (his head is too big to fit through the floatie). Weave in ends.

Duck Head

R1: With yellow yarn, MR, SC 5 into MR (5 st)

R2: INC SC around (10 st)

R3: (SC, INC SC) x5 (15 st)

R4-6: SC around (15 st)

R7: (SC, INV DEC) x5 (10 st)

Insert 6 mm eyes between R 4 & 5, 4-5 st apart.

Start stuffing head

R8: (3 SC, INV DEC) x2 (8 st)

SL ST to next SC, FO and leave length of yarn for sewing. Add any additional stuffing if required. Weave in ends.

Beak

R1: With orange yarn, SC 4 into MR (4 st)

R2: (SC, INC SC) (6 st)

R3: SL ST around (6 st)

FO and leave length of yarn. Sew on beak between r4 and 7 onto head. I stitched in the BLO. Sew duck head onto body of floatie. Weave in ends.

Thank you so much for making this pattern! If you run into any problems or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me through Facebook or Instagram! Please remember to tag me @thecozychipmunk #thecozychipmunk so I can see your completed creation! You can find the link for sharing your work on Ravelry here!

Copyright 2019, The Cozy Chipmunk. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce or translate in part or in whole, this pattern in any form in print or online. You may sell your completed creation, but please reference me as the designer and link back to my website. No Wholesale. You may post a link to this pattern if you wish to share it. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.