Today I have another little teddy bear pattern to share with you - this time with a different body shape, where the legs and body are crocheted in one piece.
I made two versions - one with regular cotton yarn and one with fuzzy baby yarn. I love them both, but the soft texture of the fuzzy yarn does make them extra cute.
There's a free online pattern below or you can get an ad-free printable PDF version with step-by-step photos on ETSY or KRISTITULLUS.COM.
About the pattern
Size: 9.5 cm (3 3/4”) from head to toe, when crocheted with DK weight cotton yarn and a 2.50 mm hook and 11.5 cm (4 1/2”) when crocheted with fuzzy baby yarn and a 2.75 mm crochet hook.
Difficulty: intermediate – includes some more complicated crochet techniques, small details, and simple shaping.
You will need
- Yarn. I used Cascade Yarns 'Ultra Pima', a DK weight cotton yarn, 200 m (220 yd) / 100 g (3.5 oz). You will need about 17 g of brown (3828 sandstone) or pink (3753 white peach) and 2 g of white yarn (3718 natural).
- 2.50 - 3.00 mm crochet hook (US size 2/C - 3/D).
- Polyester fiberfill, wool, etc. for stuffing.
- 6 mm (1/4") safety eyes or buttons, beads, felt etc.
- Dark brown cotton embroidery floss.
- Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.
For the fuzzy version, you will need
- Alize ‘Softy’ - 20 g of brown (321 dark brown) or beige (310 honey) and 3 g of white yarn (62 milky white).
- 2.75 - 3.50 mm crochet hook (US size 2/C - 4/E).
- Polyester fiberfill, wool, etc. for stuffing.
- 8 mm (1/3") safety eyes or buttons, beads, felt etc.
- Dark brown cotton embroidery floss.
- Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.
Skills needed
- Magic ring
- Crocheting in spiral
- Slip stitch
- Single crochet stitch (double crochet stitch in UK and Australia)
- Increasing
- Decreasing
- Finishing an open piece
- Joining two open pieces
- Sewing an open piece to a closed piece
- Sewing a flat piece to a closed piece
- Crocheting pieces together
Abbreviations
- mr, sc n = magic ring – crochet n (number) single crochet stitches into the adjustable loop.
- ch = chain stitch
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet stitch (double crochet stitch in UK and Australia).
- sc (or sl st, ch etc.) n = crochet one sc (or sl st, ch etc.) in each of the next n stitches.
- inc = increase – crochet two single crochet stitches in the same stitch.
- dec = decrease – crochet two stitches together using the invisible decrease method.
- dec (or inc, dbl-inc etc.) x n = crochet n decreases (or inc, dbl-inc etc.) in a row.
- (sc 4, inc) x n = repeat the pattern between parentheses n times.
- (36) = number of stitches in a round after finishing round.
Notes
- Work in a continuous spiral, do not join rounds or turn your work, unless instructed otherwise in the pattern.
- Use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to mark the end or the beginning of a round. Move the marker up after completing each round.
- All stitches are worked into both loops, unless instructed otherwise in the pattern.
Printable PDF Pattern
You can download an ad-free printable PDF version with step-by-step photos.
BUY NOW
Head
With brown yarn:
1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2: inc x 6 (12)
3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
4: (inc, sc 2) x 6 (24)
5: (sc 3, inc) x 6 (30)
6: sc 6, inc, sc 14, inc, sc 8 (32)
7-8: sc in each st (32)
9: (sc 7, inc) x 4 (36)
On round 10 place a stitch marker around the 17th stitch to mark the center of the face. Use it as a guide when placing the eyes.
10-12: sc in each st (36)
Attach safety eyes to either side of the stitch marker, between rounds 10 and 11, leaving 7 stitches (count 6 holes) between them.
13: sc, dec, (sc 4, dec) x 5, sc 3 (30)
Start stuffing the head. Keep adding a bit of fiberfill after every few rounds, stuffing the head firmly.
14: (sc 3, dec) x 6 (24)
15: (dec, sc 2) x 6 (18)
16: (dec x 3, sc) x 2, dec x 2 (10)
Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Finish stuffing the head.
Muzzle
With white yarn:
1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2: inc x 6 (12)
3: sc in each stitch (12)
Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Stuff the muzzle firmly.
Sew the muzzle to the head with whip stitch, placing it just below round 9.
Use yarn to indent the eyes a little.
Embroider the nose with cotton embroidery floss.
Ears
With brown yarn:
1: mr, sc 8 (8)
2-3: sc in each stitch (8)
Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Do not stuff the ears.
Flatten the ears. Sew the ears to the head, placing them just below round 4.
Body
Legs and body are crocheted in one piece. Start by making the two legs first.
With brown yarn:
1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2: (inc, sc) x 3 (9)
From here on the right and left leg are crocheted differently.
RIGHT LEG
3: sc 3, dec, sc 4 (8)
4: sc in each stitch (8)
Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn and fasten off. Stuff the leg firmly.
LEFT LEG
3: sc 4, dec, sc 3 (8)
4: sc in each stitch (8)
Do not fasten off, leave the working yarn attached to the left leg. Stuff the leg firmly.
BODY
Join the two legs with a chain on the first round of the body. Then continue crocheting the body around the legs and the chain between them.
1: Take the left leg and ch 2, take the right leg and continue around it, starting in the next stitch after the sl st: sc 8, sc in next stitch (the stitch where you made the first sc after the chain, total of 2 sc-s in this stitch), sc 2 (into chain), sc in the stitch where you made the last sc before the chain (total of 2sc-s in this stitch), continue around the left leg: sc 8
Now you should have 22 stitches - 9 sc-s on either leg + 2 sc-s on one side of chain + 2 ch-s.
2: sc, inc, sc 4, dec, sc 4, inc, sc 4, dec, sc 3 (22)
3-6: sc in each stitch (22)
Sc in next 12 stitches. Count the last sc as the end of the round from now on.
7: (dec, sc 4, dec, sc 3) x 2 (18)
Start stuffing the body. Keep adding a bit of fiberfill after every few rounds, stuffing the body firmly.
8: sc in each stitch (18)
9: (sc 2, dec, sc 3, dec) x 2 (14)
10: sc in each stitch (14)
11: (dec, sc 2, dec, sc) x 2 (10)
Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn and fasten off. Finish stuffing the body.
Sew the head to the body.
Arms
With brown yarn:
1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2-3: sc in each stitch (6)
Stuff the hands firmly. Keep adding a bit of fiberfill after every few rounds, stuffing the arms lightly about half way up.
4-7: sc in each stitch (6)
8: sc 3, flatten the top and sc through both layers (3)
Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off.
Sew the arms to the sides of the body, one row below the head.
Copyright 2024 Kristi Tullus, TÜ Spire. All rights reserved.
Please do not post this pattern to your website or blog, instead, post a link to https://kristitullus.com/blogs/news/free-pattern-oliver-the-tiny-teddy-bear. You may use this pattern as a teaching aid in any free class or e-course, or as part of a free crochet pattern, provided you credit me as the designer (Kristi Tullus, http://kristitullus.com).
You are welcome to sell items made with this pattern.
* Some links may be affiliate links which will allow me to make a small commission on any products purchased using one of these links with no extra cost for you. This does not influence my opinion or recommendations in any way. Thanks for your support.
1 comment
I love this. I think it’s easy to follow the instructions and I just love it!