It has been a truly long time. No explanation, no excuses. Just — here’s a pattern I made!
These Build a Bears of mine needed a simple school-uniform-type vest. I’m still much better at crochet than knitting, and I couldn’t find something that was quite what I wanted, so here’s what I created.
It’s fairly easy to adjust (the black bear, Baz, is a bit bigger than the other, Simon; and I made his vest a little longer in the body), see the notes in the pattern.
Here’s the pattern!
Crocheted Vest for Teddy Bears (Build a Bears, etc)
Materials:
- H hook (5mm)
- Yarn (I used Yarn Bee “Hint of Silk,” China Silk (red), (bamboo & silk yarn) – used just under one full skein, which is 3 oz/85g,130 yds/119m)
- Yarn needle, scissors, etc.
Abbreviations/Stitches Used:
- Ch – chain
- Sk – skip
- St – stitch
- Sc – single crochet
- Tbl – through back loop
- LDC – linked double crochet
- LDC 2tog – linked double crochet 2 together (decrease)
- Crab stitch edging
LDC
- One loop on hook.
- Insert top to bottom into horizontal bar of previous stitch (or 2nd chain of ch3), yo, draw through. (2 loops on hook.)
- Insert hook into next stitch, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through remaining 2 loops.
LDC 2tog (decrease)
- One loop on hook.
- Insert top to bottom into horizontal bar of previous stitch, yo, draw through. Two loops on hook.
- Insert hook into next stitch, draw up loop. Insert hook into next stitch, draw up loop (4 loops on hook).
- YO, draw through two loops, yo, draw through remaining three loops.
(LDC 3tog is similar, but insert hook into an additional stitch in step 2, and draw through three loops at a time in step 4.)
Crab Stitch
At the end of row of sc, do not turn — CH 1, skip the stitch directly to the RIGHT and reverse single crochet (rev SC*) into each SC, ending with a sl st in the turning chain of the previous row. Fasten off.
*rev SC (worked from left to right): Insert hook in next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull loop through, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
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Notes:
Adjustments are fairly simple, adding rows in the body, or even starting with a few more rows of ribbing and body stitches.
When adjusting, keep an eye out to match the pattern of alternating right and wrong side rows of LDC.
Figuring out the front: total stitch count, subtract 9 (or 10), divide that by 2. Be sure to put the decreases (after row 2) on the v-neck side.
Bottom Ribbing
Ch 6
1 – Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (5 sc)
2 – Ch 1, turn. Sc tbl across.
Repeat row 2 till approx. 17” (approx 54 rows). Fasten off.
Body
Attach to end, ch 1. Sc evenly to the end. (Approx 54 sc)
Ch 3. LDC in each sc to the end. (This is the right side (RS) of work.)
Repeat previous row till body measures approx.1.5” from top of ribbing. (Approx 4 rows.) 54 st, fasten off, leave long tail for sewing side seam later.
Back
Turn work (match right/wrong sides of stitches)
1 – Sk first 2 sts. Join yarn in next st, ch 3 (counts as first stitch), LDC 21x (22 st)
2 – Ch 3, turn, LDC 2tog, LDC across, LDC 2tog at end (20 st)
3-4 – Ch 3, turn, LDC across
Shoulders
5 – ch 3, turn, LDC 4 times, fasten off (5 st)
Attach yarn with sl st and do the same in the last five st on other side.
Front
1 – sk 5 st from back (other armhole). Ch 3, LDC across, till 3 st from end (22 st)
(decreases rows 3-5 on side of v-neck)
Left front
2 – ch 3, turn, LDC 2tog, LDC 6x, LDC 2tog (9 st)
3 – ch 3, turn, LDC 2tog, LDC 6x, (8 st)
4 – ch 3, turn, LDC across, LDC 3tog (6 st)
5 – ch 3, turn, LDC 2tog, LDC across (5 st)
6 – ch 3, turn, LDC across
Right front
Attach in middle (matching RS/WS of stitches) with sl st
2 – ch 3, turn, LDC 2tog, LDC 6x, LDC 2tog (9 st)
3 – ch 3, turn, LDC 6x, LDC 2tog (8 st)
4 – ch 3, turn, LDC 3tog, LDC across (6 st)
5 – ch3, turn, LDC across till last 2 st, LDC 2tog (5 st)
6 – ch 3, turn, LDC across
Sew shoulders, and side seam.
Edging
1 – Attach yarn at bottom of armhole, ch1, sc evenly around armhole. Sl st to first sc.
2 – Ch 1, crab stitch around.
Repeat for other armhole, and around neckline.
Weave in ends.