UCLA Bruin Plushie

This week is the annual white elephant gift exchange in my department at UCLA. I wasn't sure what to make, but eventually decided on a Bruin (brown bear) which is the mascot of UCLA. I asked the /r/crochet community and they pointed me to the perfect pattern, Winston the Bear, which is free on Ravelry. I made it a tiny scarf from some dark blue and gold yarns to give it some character, otherwise I feared it might not be recognizable as the school mascot specifically.

The whole thing took me only a few nights of working on and off and procrastinating. Every time I see an adorable amigurumi I want to make it, but once I get to doing anything but the body, I start to despise it and usually want to quit working on it. Overall this guy wasn't too traumatizing, but I do hate sewing on those ears and legs. The nose turned out surprisingly well. Usually when I embroider something, it looks ridiculous or downright scary.

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Tiny Bear Pattern

Here's an adorable tiny bear pattern that's great for a keychain or charm!

Pattern

Key:
sc = single crochet
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc2tog = single crochet two together
magic ring = see this video

Materials
Small amount of Very Fine yarn
C (2.75mm) size crochet hook
Blunt tapestry needle
Thread or brads for eyes/nose
Sewing needle to embroider eyes
Stuffing

Body and Head
R1: Make a magic ring with 6 sc, sl st in first sc to join (6)
R2-5: 2sc in each sc around (12)
R6: [sc in next 5 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (10)
R7: [sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (8)
Begin stuffing body
R8: [sc in next 4 sc, 2sc in next sc] around (10)
R9-10: sc in each st around (10)
R11: [sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (10)
R12: [sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (8)
If you want to use brads, you should attach them now.
Stuff head and use blunt needle to close up the head, secure.

Nose
R1: Make a magic ring with 3 sc, sl st in first sc to join
R2: sc in each sc around
Attach brad if desired.
Bind to head in position desired.

Ears (make two)
Ch 2, turn, sc in 1st ch, bind to head in position desired.

Front Legs (make two)
R1: Ch 4
R2-4:Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across
Bind off, leaving a long yarn end. Use some of the yarn and the blunt needle to form the square into a tube, closed on one end. If necessary, stuff with just a bit of stuffing.
Bind to upper body in positions desired.

Back Legs (make two)
R1: Ch 5
R2-5:Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across
Bind off, leaving a long yarn end. Use some of the yarn and the blunt needle to form the square into a tube, closed on one end. If necessary, stuff with just a bit of stuffing.
Bind to bottom of body in positions desired.

Use your sewing needle and thread to decorate your tiny bear, or fasten

I originally wanted this to look something like Dieter the Polarchuck from Neopets, but it turned out more like a regular bear and nothing like Dieter (mostly because I'm quite terrible at embroidery). His favorite food is snow, which is why I also crocheted some colored snow blocks for him as a snack.

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Hunny in my Tummy Beanie

I found this pattern after many days of searching, and it was finally posted by JezeBearDesigns on Ravelry (for free, even!) when I had almost given up hope. My friend loves that certain honey-loving bear, so I made this for his Christmas present.

For this project I used Caron Simply Soft in Sunshine, and a small amount of some scrap black yarn. This beanie crocheted up quickly, and the pieces were quite easy to make when I was short on time. I even crocheted part of the hat while waiting for a doctor's appointment! I love this yarn because it's so soft, and I hope the recipient does too!

The only trouble I had with this project was that the yarn is a bit thinner than "normal" worsted weight yarn, so I had to make many more rows than the pattern suggested. This wasn't really a problem, as I simply added more rounds of simple double crochet once the rounds stopped increasing.

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