January 18, 2013

Chibi Mr. Skeesbear

So you might remember I made Mr. Skeesbears for a few of his students.

Well I want one dammit. However, mine could not be the same as theirs, that would encroach upon the specialness of those three. So, I had seen that the creator of the pattern that I loosely based the bears on had made some fat bears. So I studied the pictures and figured out her ratio for the size of the head versus the pants and feet and loosely applied that ratio to my doll.

I guess her yarn is thicker or these are worked smaller than mine.
Her proportions are: Number of Head rows is equal to the pants and feet.
I changed that for mine to be: head equals shirt plus pants.
So then: if shirt 5 rows, pants 5 rows --> head 10 rows after increase to size.

So for the body/head:
6 sc in magic circle
Increasing every row from 12 stitches to 60 stitched in a normal flat circle.
Your last row of increasing will be: Sc in 8, 2sc in next (60sc)
Sc around 60 for 15 Rows
Switch to light blue do one row in front loops only, four chainse before the end chain two do the following: treble crochet in same, then double crochet, then half double. Then go back to sc around, in last three on the other end do a half double, double and then treble, chain three and slip stitch into last. I left three unused sc in the center between both collar points as a space for a tie. (These two rows make collar.)
Go back into the empty loops to make the shirt underneath the collar. Do 6 rows of single crochet around. It will lie underneath and then come out underneath the collar you made.

First half of pattern done with collar.

By using the front loops for the collar, you can use the back loops to continue the shirt/body.
Switch to gray for 4 rows to start making the pants. All these rows should maintain the 60 stitches.
Split at middle with 6 chain to make the seam for between the pant legs. This chain of 6 should run from the front center of the doll body to the back center.
Do 2 rows of gray for pant legs. These leg rows will have about 36-40 stitches. Whatever you have make them both the same. It's OK to fudge and add a few extra stitches along the center chain. Don't forget to go back and add the two rows of gray to the second leg!
Switch to brown for feet on bottom of both legs.
One row of 40, two rows of *1 sc, 1 decrease* repeating around.
Decrease every stitch last row, bind off foot.

Arms
Chain 16 in light blue of shirt, join to form a loop.
5 rows sc in each
Switch to brown yarn
Sc in each, back loop only
One sc, decrease around till done, bind off
Stuff, fold in half and stitch along top. Attach to sides below where the collar lies. Yes, you could put the arm in the space underneath the collar, but then it make it stick up like a neck tutu and not a collar. (Yes I did this. It was awful. Had to rip it out. Carefully.)


 
Make tie in black: chain 7, skip two next to hook, hdc in five, slip stitch to first chain, 4 double crochet in stitch, bind off, shape and stitch top shell shape down to doll.

Make snout in cream: following the oval pattern in the original monkey pattern.
Ears are the same as well, except I made mine one row smaller than hers.

Details in dark brown: nose, mouth, beard, eyebrows

I am toying with adding a Belt in black, as well as Suspenders in black.
Here is how I think I could make suspenders...

Suspenders:
Chain 5, turn with three chain for button hole and sc in each chain back up.
Slip stitch in first chain, do shell stitch (five double crochet in one)
From last double crochet, chain enough to go over shoulders, note that number, turn with three chain for button hole and sc back to shell
Slip stitch in tops of middle three double crochet of shell
In last double crochet of shell chain same number for suspender, chain three for button hole sc back again. Bind off.

Since I have two other projects now in the queue, I will leave off suspenders for the moment and move on to those other projects.