Teddy Bear Superhero Outfits

Here's a very bright superhero outfit for 15" build a bear. 
The pattern is for an all-in-one suit made from the feet up, with back fastening for an easy fit and a gap for the tail. A separate cape is fastened with buttons on the shoulders, then briefs or a skirt.   Build a bears are the 'sitting down' type of bear which need a lot of shaping at the back for a good fit.  However, I have given suggestions in blue text for other bears

I used a budget yarn Woolcraft New Fashion dk, in vibrant colours which gives a great effect. 

I love my hobby of designing patterns and posting them online.  But I often can’t find anyone who has the time to test my patterns, although I do knit them up a few times myself.  So mistakes can slip by, especially typos when transferring the pattern to my blog.  So, please, please, if you find and errors or have any queries, let me know either by commenting below or contacting me via the contact form.  

Measurements:   15/16” Build a bear

Materials:  75g double knitting yarn in blue, 50g red, 20g yellow 

Needles size 3.25mm ,and 4mm, 2 blue and 2 red buttons

Tension: 24sts - 30 rows to 10cm (4in) in stocking stitch using 4mm needles (or the size required to give correct tension. 

Abbreviations:  k: knit, p: purl, Ss: stocking stitch (one row knit, one row purl), kfb, knit into front loop of next st, then knit into back loop, pfb, purl into front loop of next st, then purl into back loop dc: decrease, beg: beginning, sts: stitches, tog: together, yr, yarn forward, yon: yarn on needle, m1: slip loop between sts onto left hand needle and knit into back, skk: slip next 2 sts onto right hand needle, insert left hand needle into front loops and knit together.     

wrt k    yf, sl st from left hand needle onto right hand needle, yb, sl st back onto left hand needle, turn

wrt p    yb, sl st from left hand needle onto right hand needle, yf, sl st back onto left hand needle turn

Sleeves (make 2)

Using blue and 3.25 needles, cast on 36sts

Work 6 rows k1, p1 rib

Change to 4mm needles

Work 10 rows ss

Armhole shaping

Cast off 4sts at beg of next 2 rows

Leave 28sts on holder

Right leg

Boots

Using 3.25mm needles and red, cast on 28sts

Row 1:  knit

Row 2:  k6, m1, k2, m1, k12, m1, k2, m1 k6           (32sts)

Row 3 and every alt row:  knit

Row 4:  k6, m1, k4, m1, k12, m1, k4, m1 k6            (36sts)

Row 6:  k6, m1, k6, m1, k12, m1, k6, m1 k6            (40sts)

Row 8:  k6, m1, k8, m1, k12, m1, k8, m1 k6            (44sts)

Row 10:     k6, m1, k10, m1, k12, m1, k10, m1 k6    (48sts)

Row 12:     k6, m1, k12, m1, k12, m1, k12, m1 k6    (52sts)

Change to 4mm needles.

Starting with knit row work 8 rows ss*

Shape foot

Row 1:      k10, (K2tog) 4 times, k34     48sts

Row 2 and every alt row:  purl

Row 3:      k8, (K2tog) 4 times, k32       44sts

Row 5:      k6, (K2tog) 4 times, k30       40sts

Work 3 row gs (every row knit)

Next row: Inc row:  p4, (inc in next st, p5) 6 times   46sts  

Change to blue, using ss throughout, inc 1 stitch at each end of every following 4^th row to 54sts, ending on a purl row

Inc 1 stitch at each end of next row   56sts

Next row:       purl

cast off 2sts knit to end

cast off 4sts purl to end 

Fasten off yarn and leave 50sts on holder.

Left Leg

As right leg to *

Shape foot

Row 1:      k34, (K2tog) 4 times, k10     48sts

Row 2 and every alt row:  purl

Row 3:      k32, (K2tog) 4 times, k8       44sts

Row 5:      k30, (K2tog) 4 times, k6       40sts

Work 3 row gs (every row knit)

Next row: Inc row:  p4, (inc in next st, p5) 6 times   46sts  

Change to  blue, using ss throughout, inc 1 stitch at each end of every following 4^th row to 54sts, ending on a purl row

Inc 1 stitch at each end of next row   56sts

Next row:       purl        

cast off 4sts knit to end

cast off 2sts purl to end    50sts

do not fasten off yarn

Join legs

With right side facing knit across 50sts of left leg, continue across 50sts of right leg.  100sts

Rows begin at centre back

Next row:  purl

If your bear isn't the 'sitting down' type you could omit rows 1 to 6, plus repeats of shaping, and work 8 rows of stocking stitch decreasing 1st at each end of knit rows to 92sts then continue with pattern

Shape back

Row 1:      k18, wrt k

Row 2:      purl to end

Row 3:      k1, k2tog, knit to last 3sts, ssk, k1

Row 4:      (wrong side) p17, wrt p

Row 5:      knit to end

Row 6:      purl across all sts

Repeat rows 1 to 6,  3 times      92sts

Next row:  K1, k2tog, k to last 3sts, ssk, k1       90sts

Next row:  purl            

Starting with knit row work 15 rows ss

Divide for sleeves (wrong side facing)

Cast on 3sts (for back fastening) k3, p18, cast off 8sts, p37 (includes st on right hand needle) cast off 8sts, p16, k3

Join sleeves

Row 1:      k19, knit across 28sts of first sleeve, k37, knit across 28sts of second sleeve, knit to end    133sts

Row 2 and alternate rows:  k3, purl to last 3sts, k3

Row 3:  k17, ssk, k2tog, k24, ssk, k2tog, k33, ssk, k2tog, k24, ssk, k2tog, k19    125sts

Row 5:  k16, ssk, k2tog, k22, ssk, k2tog, k31, ssk, k2tog, k22, ssk, k2tog, k18     117sts

Row 7:  k15, ssk, k2tog, k20, ssk, k2tog, k29, ssk, k2tog, k22, ssk, k2tog, k17   109sts

Row 9: buttonhole row, k1, k2tog, yf, k11, ssk, k2tog, k18, ssk, k2tog, k27, ssk, k2tog, k18, ssk, k2tog, k16      101sts

Row 11:  k13, ssk, k2tog, k16, ssk, k2tog, k25, ssk, k2tog, k16, ssk, k2tog,  k15     93sts

Row 13:  k12, ssk, k2tog, k14, ssk, k2tog, k23, ssk, k2tog, k14, ssk, k2tog,  k14     85sts

Row 15:  k11, ssk, k2tog, k12, ssk, k2tog, k21, ssk, k2tog, k12, ssk, k2tog, k13   77sts

Row 17:  buttonhole row   k1, k2tog, yf, k7,  ssk, k2tog, k10, ssk, k2tog, k19, ssk, k2tog, k10, ssk, k2tog, k12    69sts

Row18:    wrong side facing, k3 (k1, p1) to last 4sts, k4

Row 19:  k3, (p1, k1) to last 4sts, p1, k3

Cast off in rib.  Fasten off yarn

To finish 

Sew side seams of legs.

Sew middle seam from centre front along back, leaving a gap for the tail

Overlap front bands and sew into place at centre front

Sew on 2 buttons to correspond with buttonholes.

Sew in all ends

Cape

Using 4mm needles and red cast on 66sts

Work 6 rows in garter stitch

Next row:  knit

Next row:  k3, purl to last 3sts, k3

Repeat last 2 rows until work measures 9”

Dec row:    k3, (k2tog) to last 3sts, k3  36sts

Next row:  knit

Next row:  buttonhole row:  k1, k2tog, yf, k to last 3 sts, yf, k2tog, k1

Knit one row

Cast off loosely

Fasten off all ends

Press cape lightly on wrong side to flatten edges.

Sew on two red buttons on either side of shoulders to fasten cape

Briefs

Front

Using 4mm needles and red cast on 10sts

Row 1:      knit

Row 2:      k1, purl to last st, k1

Repeat last 2 rows 2 times

Row 7:      kfb, k to last 2sts, kfb, k1

Row 8:      k1, pfb, purl to last 2sts, pfb, k1

Repeat rows 7 and 8 to 40sts

Work 4 rows stocking stitch

Fasten off red and join yellow

Work 3 rows gs

Next row purl

Next row knit

Cast off

Back

Using 4mm needles and red cast on 10sts

Row 1:  knit

Row 2:  k1, purl to last st, k1

Repeat last 2 rows 2 times

If your bear isn't the 'sitting down' type repeat rows 1 and 2 to 36sts continue with pattern from divide for tail

Shaping

Row 1:      kfb, k to last 2sts, kfb, k1

Row 2:      k1, pfb, purl to last 2sts, pfb, k1

Row 3:      kfb, k to last 3sts, yf, sl st from left hand needle onto right hand needle, yb, sl st back onto left hand needle turn

Row 4:      purl to last 3sts yb, sl st from left hand needle onto right hand needle, yf, sl st back onto left hand needle turn   

Row 5:      knit to last 2sts, kfb, k1

Row 6:      k1, pfb, purl to last 2sts, pfb, k1

Row 7:      kfb, k to last 2sts, kfb, k1

Row 8:      k1, pfb, purl to last 2sts, pfb, k1

Repeat rows 3 to 8,  then repeat rows 3 to 7     36sts

Divide for tail,   wrong side facing

K1, p17, k1 turn

Knit to last 2sts, kfb, k1

K1, purl to last st, k1

Repeat last 2 rows to 22sts ending on a purl row

Fasten off red

Join red yarn to remaining 17sts wrong side facing

K1, p to last st, k1

K1, kfb, k to end

Rep last 2 rows to 22sts ending on a purl row

Next row:  knit across all 44sts to join back

Next row    purl

Work 2 rows ss

Fasten off red Join yellow

Dec row:   k5, (k2tog, k9) 3 times, k2tog, k4   40 sts

Work 2 rows gs

Next row purl

Next row knit

Cast off

Sew all seams and fasten off ends

Skirt
Rows begin at centre back

Using 3.25mm needles and red cast on 144sts

Work 6 rows gs

Change to 4mm needles

Work in stocking stitch til work measures 3.5” or length required

Fasten off red join in yellow

Dec row:  k2tog across row   72sts

Work 2 rows gs

Next row purl

Next row knit   Cast off
Sew back seam and fasten off ends

Motif

Using 4mm needles and yellow cast on 2sts

Row 1:      knit

Row 2:      pfb p1                        3sts

Row 3:      (kfb) 2 times, k1         5sts

Row 4        pfb, p2, pfb, p1   7sts

Row 5:      kfb, k4, kfb, k1   9sts

Row 6:      pfb, p6, pfb, p1   11sts

Row 7:      knit

Row 8:      pfb, p to last 3sts, pfb, p1     13sts

Rows 9 & 10:   rep last 2 rows                 15sts

Row 11:     kfb, k to last 3sts, kfb, k1     17sts

Row 12:     p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2tog tbl,   15sts

Row 13:     ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog      

Repeat last 2 rows to 5sts.

Fasten off yarn

Using red yarn and duplicate stitch or cross stitch follow the chart for positioning of letter'  Sew motif onto front of suit just under the neckline as shown in photo. finish with red stitching around the motif.

motif chart

PDF pattern to download