Buddy the Christmas Bear

Supplies Needed: camel yarn, green yarn, red yarn, black yarn, small amounts of buff yarn and dark brown yarn, scraps of different colors (for lights), a pair of 12 mm safety eyes, 3.75 mm crochet hook, yarn needle, and polyfill stuffing.

Stitch Abbreviations Used: sc- single crochet, sc2tog – single crochet two together, slst – slip stitch, hdc – half double crochet, dc – double crochet, fpdc – front post double crochet, bpdc – back post double crochet, BLO – back loop only.

Head (camel yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc in next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *sc in first stitch, 2 sc in next stitch, sc in following stitch* repeat * to * around.

Round 5: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 3 stitches* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: sc around.

Round 7: *sc in first 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, sc in next 2 stitches* repeat * to * around. (36 stitches)

Round 8: *2 sc in first stitch, sc each of the next 5* repeat * to * around.

Round 9: *sc first 3 stitches, 2 sc next stitch, sc following 3 stitches* repeat * to * around. (48 stitches)

Round 10 – Round 16: sc around.

Attach safety eyes between rounds 11 and 12, with three stitches between them.

Round 17: *sc2tog, sc next 6* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 18: *sc first 5, sc2tog* repeat * to * around.

Round 19: *sc first 2, sc2tog, sc next 2* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 20: *sc2tog, sc next 3* repeat * to * around.

Stuff head.

Round 21: *sc first stitch, sc2tog, sc next stitch* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 22: *sc2tog, sc next 2* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Body (camel yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *sc first stitch, 2 sc in next, sc following stitch* repeat * to * around.

Round 5: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: *sc first 2, 2 sc in next, sc following 2 stitches* repeat * to * around.

Round 7: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 5* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 8 – Round 13: sc around.

Round 14: *sc2tog, sc next 5* repeat * to * around. (36 stitches)

Round 15 – Round 18: sc around.

Round 19: *sc first 2, sc2tog, sc next 2* repeat * to * around.

Round 20 – Round 22: sc around.

Round 23: *sc2tog, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 24: sc around.

Stuff body.

Fasten off, leave tail for sewing to head around round 21.

Arms (camel yarn, make 2)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in first stitch.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc in next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *sc first stitch, 2 sc in next, sc in following stitch* repeat * to * around. (21 stitches)

Round 5- Round 7: sc around.

Round 8: *sc2tog, sc next 5* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 9: *sc2tog, sc next 4* repeat * to * around. (15 stitches)

Stuff the hands.

Round 10 – Round 14: sc around.

Round 15: *sc2tog, sc next 3 stitches* repeat * to * around. (12 stitches)

Round 16 – Round 17: sc around.

Stuff the arms.

Round 18: flatten both sides of arm together, complete round 18 through both sides to close arm, sc 4.

Fasten off, leave tail for sewing to body at an angle between rounds 20 and 23.

Legs (camel yarn, make 2)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 2* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 5 – Round 7: sc around.

Round 8: sc each of the first 6 stitches, sc2tog 6 times, sc each of the last 6 stitches. (18 stitches)

Round 9 – Round 14: sc around.

Round 15: *sc2tog, sc next 4 stitches* repeat * to * around. (15 stitches)

Round 16 – Round 17: sc around.

Fasten off, stuff legs. Leave tail for sewing to body between rounds 8 and 10.

Snout (buff yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc in next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *2 sc in first stitch, sc each of the next 5* repeat * to * around. (21 stitches)

Round 5 – Round 6: sc around.

Fasten off, leave tail for sewing to head between rounds 13 and 17, adding stuffing as you sew.

Nose (brown yarn)

Round 1: ch 4, begin stitches in 2nd chain from hook, sc in each of the first 2 stitches, 3 sc in the last chain, continue stitches on back side of foundation chain, sc in the next stitch, 2 sc in the next stitch.

Round 2: sc in each stitch around. (8 stitches)

Fasten off, sew to snout between rounds 3 and 5, adding a small amount of stuffing as you sew.

Hat (red yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *sc first stitch, 2 sc in next, sc in following stitch* repeat * to * around.

Round 5: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: sc around.

Round 7: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 4* repeat * to * around.

Round 8: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 5* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 9: *sc first 3, 2 sc in next stitch, sc following 3 stitches* repeat * to * around.

Round 10 – Round 12: sc around.

Round 13: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 7 stitches* repeat * to * around. (54 stitches)

Round 14 – Round 15: sc around.

Round 16 – Round 17: ch 2, *fpdc first stitch, bpdc next stitch* repeat * to * around, slst to the first stitch of the round.

Fasten off, leave tail for sewing on top of head. Create a pompom with green and red yarn and attach to round 1 of hat.

Ears (camel yarn, make 2)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc in next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4 – Round 6: sc around.

Fasten off, leave a tail for sewing onto hat between rounds 12 and 15.

Tree (green yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 3 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches)

Round 3: sc around.

Round 4: 2 sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Round 5: sc around.

Round 6: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 7: *sc first 2 stitches, 2 sc in next* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 8: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 2 stitches* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 9: sc around.

Round 10: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 2* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 11: *sc first 3 stitches, 2 sc in next* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 12: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (24 stitches)

Round 13: sc around.

Round 14: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 15: *sc first 2, 2 sc in next, sc following 2 stitches* repeat * to * around. (36 stitches)

Round 16: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 4* repeat * to * around.

Round 17: sc around.

Round 18: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 4* repeat * to * around. (36 stitches)

Round 19: *sc next 5 stitches, 2 sc in following stitch* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 20: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 5* repeat * to * around.

Round 21: sc around.

Round 22: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 5* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 23: *sc first 3 stitches, 2 sc in first stitch, sc next 3* repeat * to * around. (48 stitches)

Round 24: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 6* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 25: sc around.

Round 26: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 6* repeat * to * around.

Round 27: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 7* repeat * to * around. (54 stitches)

Round 28: BLO *sc2tog, sc next 7* repeat * to * around.

Round 29: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 7* repeat * to * around. (54 stitches)

Round 30: *sc first 4, 2 sc in next, sc next 4* repeat * to * around. (60 stitches)

Round 31: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 9* repeat * to * around.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Tree Base (green yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: *2 sc in first stitch, sc in next* repeat * to * around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: *sc each of the first 2 stitches, 2 sc in next* repeat * to * around.

Round 5: *2 sc in first stitch, sc each of the next 3 stitches* repeat * to * around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: *sc first 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, sc following 2 stitches* repeat * to * around.

Round 7: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 5 stitches* repeat * to * around. (42 stitches)

Round 8: *sc first 3 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, sc next 3 stitches* repeat * to * around.

Round 9: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 7 stitches* repeat * to * around. (54 stitches)

Round 10: *sc first 4 stitches, 2 sc in following stitch, sc next 4 stitches* repeat * to * around.

Round 11: *2 sc in first stitch, sc next 9 stitches* repeat * to * around. (66 stitches)

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing the base to round 31 of the tree. Stuff the tree as you sew.

Stump (brown yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around.

Round 3: BLO sc around.

Round 4 – Round 5: sc around.

Fasten off, leave a tail for sewing to round 2 of the tree base. Add a small amount of stuffing to the stump as you sew.

Star (yellow yarn)

Round 1: magic ring – 5 sc.

Round 2: *ch 4, begin stitches in 2nd chain from hook, slst, sc hdc, slst to next stitch of round 1* repeat * to * around.

Fasten off, weave in ends and tack onto round 1 of the tree.

Light Wire (black yarn)

Chain 100.

Fasten off, leave tails on each end of the “wire” for sewing to the tree after you add the lights.

Lights (using scrap yarn in a variety of colors, make 25)

Round 1: magic ring – 3 sc.

Round 2: sc around.

Fasten off, use tail to weave in unworked stitches of round 2 then tack each light onto the light wire. After attaching all of the lights to the “wire,” wrap the wire around the tree (starting at round 1 of the tree and tacking it in a few spots to help with some stability). When you get to about the last 5 lights, connect the working end of the “wire” to Buddy’s hand.

**If you don’t like the look of the crochet lights, you can also buy Christmas light embellishments to attach to the wire. I have used these in the past and they look super cute!**

I hope you love your Buddy the Christmas Bear! Be sure to check out his friend, Stuart the Santa Reindeer, too!

I’d love to read your comments on what Christmas friend you’d like to see added to the collection next!