Hudson The Polar Bear

I've been spending a lot of time lately on Ravelry and knitting up a few projects. One of my most recent discoveries while reading the forum posts over there are the many podcasts available to either listen to (audio podcasts) or watch (video podcasts). It's quite addictive, informative and entertaining... and the plethora of podcasts means there is probably at least one (and likely many more) for any hobby you can think of.

My most favorite video podcast is called "The Bakery Bears" from Kay and Dan, a sweet couple in the U.K. who BOTH knit! They are fairly new but such fun to watch while I am knitting too. This husband/wife team (with cameos from their darling daughter) discuss a mix of yarn creations and .... Star Wars! They also treat their viewers to tours of the incredible history around their Darlington home in northern England.

Kay has even designed her own stuffed toy patterns called Mr and Mrs Bakery Bears, awesome teddies that can be knit (most stuffed toys are crocheted, but I just can't get the hang of that yet). So I purchased a Mr Bakery Bear pattern a few days ago. Until now I have only been searching the thousands of free patterns there, but this was so cute and well written it was worth the small charge!

I rummaged through my stash to find some white, black and peach yarn and got started on my first bear... naming him "Hudson" after Hudson the Polar Bear at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo - the star of our new International Polar Bear Conservation Program.

I changed the pattern around a bit... adding pink inside the ears (so that the outside of the back of the ears are still white) and I made the arms larger with big paws - Kay designed hers with straight thin arms that are static. When I attached Hudson's, I ran the yarn ends through the torso in such a way that his arms rotate. I also got some nice blue beads and with a Sharpie, coloured in the pupils for the eyes. They are attached with embroidery thread.

Next I made the legs... I veered from the pattern just a tad and made them so that they move too, rounding the tops of the thighs as well. Kay designed hers to come straight out the bottom of the body section.

Lastly, I added a teenie tail! The pattern didn't call for one, but since I wasn't making clothes for this bear (a sweater and pants come in the pattern set as well), I thought the tail would be cute.

What a quick knit and such an easy pattern to follow!

This was so much fun to make -- I think know I shall be creating more...