Tiny Rainbow Bears

Once upon a time the sun was shining and it was raining at the same time...

These cute little bears are quick to crochet and with almost no need of sewing.

• cotton yarn 125 m/ 50 g in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black and cream
• crochet hook 2.5 mm
• tapestry needle
• sewing needle
• white sewing thread (preferably cotton)
• scissors
• fiberfill (preferably cotton)
• few pins

Abbreviations:

• MR - magic ring
• yo - yarn over
• slst - slip stitch
• ch - chain
• sc - single crochet
• inc - increase (2 sc in 1 stitch)
• dec - invisible decrease (1 sc in the front loops of next 2 stitches
• bobble - (yo, insert hook in the stitch, pull yarn through, yo, pull yarn through 2 loops) x 4, yo, pull yarn through all 5 loops, push the bobble stitch outward
• BLO - back loops only
• FLO - front loops only
• (...) x 6 - repeat stitches in brackets 6 times

Start with red yarn and crochet in spiral rounds. The number in brackets says the number of stitches made in the round.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)

Rnd 2-4: 6 sc (6, 2 rows)

Fold the arm flat and crochet both sides together joining 2 opposite stitches at a time (see picture).

Rnd 5: 3 sc (3)

Fasten off.

Crochet with white yarn.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)

Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)

Fasten off, leave enough yarn for sewing.

Crochet with red yarn.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)

Rnd 2: (2 sc, inc) x 2 (8)

Rnd 3-5: 8 sc (8, 3 rows)

Leg 1: Slip stitch in next stitch, fasten off.

Leg 2: Do not fasten off. Put the two legs together, insert hook in the last slip stitch of Leg 1 and the next stitch of Leg 2 (see picture) and crochet 1 sc. Now continue around both legs (you have 14 stitches).

Rnd 6: (2 sc, inc, sc, inc, 2 sc) x 2 (18)

Rnd 7: 17 sc, bobble (18)

Rnd 8: 18 (18)

Rnd 9: (3 sc, dec, sc) x 3 (15)

Rnd 10: (2 sc, dec, sc) x 3 (12)

Rnd 11: 2 sc, insert hook in the last stitch of one arm and the next stitch of the body (see picture), 3 sc crocheting arm and body together, 3 sc, insert hook in the first stitch of Row 5 of the second arm and the next stitch of the body, 3 sc crocheting arm and body together, sc (12)

Stuff legs and the body.

Rnd 12: 6 dec (6)

Rnd 13: 6 slst (6)

Rnd 14: 6 inc (12)

Rnd 15: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Rnd 16: (sc, inc, sc) x 6 (24)

Rnd 17-19: 24 sc (24, 3 rows)

Rnd 20: (sc, dec, sc) x 2, sc, dec, lay the yarn between this and next stitch (see picture), sc, right ear (1 chain, pull the loop and yarn through the space between stitches as in the picture, 5 sc in the front post of last sc as in the picture), (sc, dec, sc) x 3, left ear (5 sc in the front post of last sc as in the picture, slst in the bottom of the same stitch, pull the loop through the same space, 1 chain) (18)

Sew the muzzle to the head, embroider nose and eyes with black yarn and eye gloss with sewing thread. Continue crocheting, do not count ears as stitches.

Rnd 21: (sc, dec) x 6 (12)

Stuff the head.

Rnd 22: 6 dec (6)

Fasten off and weave in the loose end.

Repeat steps 1-3 with orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Start with red yarn.

Row 1: 51 chains, skip one stitch, BLO 50 sc

Row 2-11: 50 sc

Switch to orange yarn.

Row 12: FLO 50 sc

Row 13-21: 50 sc

Switch to yellow yarn.

Row 22: FLO 50 sc

Row 23-31: 50 sc

Switch to green yarn.

Row 32: FLO 50 sc

Row 33-41: 50 sc

Switch to blue yarn.

Row 42: FLO 50 sc

Row 43-51: 50 sc

Switch to purple yarn.

Row 52: FLO 50 sc

Row 53-61: 50 sc

Fasten off and weave in all loose ends.

Crochet with cream yarn in the bottom loops of red foundation chain. Attach yarn in bottom loop of stitch 20. When crocheting sides of the basket all slip stitches are made from outside.

Row 1: 12 sc, skip 1 stitch, 2 slst, rotate and turn

Row 2: 12 sc, skip 2 red stitches, 2 slst to red, rotate and turn

Row 3-17: 12 sc, 2 slst to the red part, rotate and turn

Row 18: 12 sc, slst to red part

Fasten off and weave in all loose ends.

Continue crocheting partitions and other side the same way using the remaining loops of the rainbow part and the back loops (looking from outside) of Row 61.

Crochet with cream yarn leaving enough yarn at the beginning for sewing.

Row 1: 51 chains, skip one stitch, BLO 50 sc

Row 2: 50 sc

Fasten off, leave enough yarn for sewing. Sew the straps to the basket.