Finbar Bear - Classic Teddybear Pattern

[Jessie]

Hi. I have posted to this forum before, but I find the hugeness of it a bit intimidating, so I haven't gotten involved. I am passionate about crochet and yarn, and I really would like some crochet friends! I do not wish to break any rules of etiquette here and I did read the guidelines. I just made a pattern available in my Etsy shop (my first ever pattern that I am wanting to sell) and I would like to announce it here.

 

 

I am REALLY proud of this pattern!

 

I live in a small town in Upstate NY called Bearsville (really!). I have always loved classic teddy bears. I wanted a pattern for an artful, detailed, full-size crocheted classic bear and I couldn’t find one, so I set about coming up with my own. I spent over a year working out the subtle shapes in this bear. The whole bear is done in single crochet, with increases and decreases. I made Finbar out of millspun sportweight alpaca yarn, but you can use ANY yarn. I have started one in handspun white bunny angora, and I am really enchanted by it. The thicker the yarn, the bigger the finished bear. You can make a whole family of bears with this one pattern. If you use different yarns, they’ll all look different.

 

This pattern is more detailed than any of the bear patterns out there. The head, at its largest, is 68 single crochet stitches around, compared with about half that number in even the most detailed thread-crochet bear patterns I have seen. This is not a very fast project, for sure. It is a labor of love, and the quality of the bear will reflect the hours you put into creating it.

 

I thought about writing a book about classic bear crochet, complete with a section on natural fibers and handspun yarns, with detailed photographs of many different bears at various stages of completion (the head alone would make an excellent paperweight). I spoke (through e-mail) with a publisher at Interweave Press, and she told me that, though she really liked the bear, they wouldn’t be interested in a book with only one pattern in it, no matter how detailed the process. So, here is Finbar, ready for you to crochet and love. I am excited to share my very special bear with you.

 

Here's a link to the Finbar pattern in my Etsy shop:

 

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7439190

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Jessie

[LaurieE]

He's cute! You did a great job.

[Coffeywoman]

He's beautiful. And so true to the classic form!

[angelfire]

He is a wonderful bear and well worth buying the pattern for. Right now it is out of my price range though. You deserved every dime you earn from the pattern. WOW:yay

[Jessie]

Thank you for the kind comments!

 

I did some research on pattern pricing and I found a range. Fairly simple patterns seem to sell for $5-$8. Most thread bear patterns sell for $9-$12. More complex patterns sell for more. It's hard to know what price to put on intellectual property, but I know how much consideration I put into every stitch, and I think the price is fair.

 

Jessie

[beth eathorne]

you did some great work and i hope your patten does well. glad to see you here and hope you do more in the future.

[Sockmad]

Your bear is really cute. I used to live in Bear Delaware. So I can totally believe there is a Bearsville NY!

[livedinalaska]

Great Bear! I'm sure the pattern is worth every cent, as I really respect designers' talents. Good luck!

[misskatimus]

That's fantastic!

[Shebop]

He is a great looking bear! Good job on the pattern design!

[Jessie]

I don't know if this is the place to ask (it probably isn't), but does anyone have any suggestions of ideas of how to get the info out there about the pattern? Maybe I should put an ad in a magazine or two. I bet that's expensive. Maybe I could submit the pattern of the head (as a paperweight) to some magazine, and they could send people to me who want the rest of the pattern. Hmm...just brainstorming.

 

Jessie

[Michele]

What a wonderful bear

I know where Bearsville is my brother used to live there

[Jessie]

I know where Bearsville is my brother used to live there

 

Wow! It's so small. I am amazed that anyone has heard of it. It is next to a well-known place, though. It's part of the town of Woodstock. A lot of people have heard of that.

 

[Michele]

My brother still lives really close to you in Glenford and goes to Woodstock alot with his family

[Woolcrafter]

How sweet - he's adorable! Great job!

[crochetgirl2]

You did a GREAT job! I always enjoy meeting new crochet friends, don't know anyone nearby who crochets so gotta find ones who want to email now/then, interested??