February Bear Materials:

Super Saver Yarn Delft Blue, White, Black
2 black buttons ¾ “ inch size
Crochet hook G
Embroidery thread for attaching facial features

Skill Level: Easy

Abbreviations:

double crochet - dc
single crochet - sc
half double crochet - hdc
single crochet decrease-  sc decrease
stitch -  st 
chain - ch

Hat fits 17”- 22” head circumference

Hat Pattern:
​
Starting with blue yarn ch 4, 10 dc in 4th ch from hook, join to first dc ,ch 2.
Row 1:  2 dc in each st around, join to first dc, ch2
Row 2:  2 dc in first st, 1 dc in next st, repeat around, join to first dc, ch2.
Row 3:  2 dc in first st, 1 dc in next 2 sts, repeat around, join to first dc, ch2.
Row 4:  2 dc in first st, 1 dc in next 3 sts, repeat around, join to first dc, ch 2.
Rows 5-9:  1 dc in each st around, join to first dc, ch 2. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Earflap 1:

Attach blue yarn in the 7th st to the left of the center back seam.
SC in the next 10 sts, ch 1 turn.
Row 2: SC decrease,  sc in next 6, sc decrease, ch 1, turn.
Row 3: SC across (8sc)
Row 4:  SC decrease, sc in next 4, sc decrease, ch1, turn.
Row 5: SC across (6sc)
Row 6:  SC decrease, sc in next 2, sc decrease, ch 1, turn
Row 7:  SC  across (4 sc)
Row 8: Make 2 sc decreases, ch 1, turn
Row 9: SC decrease, fasten off, weave in ends

Earflap 2:
​
Attach blue yarn in the 7th st to the right of the center back seam.
SC in the next 10 sts, ch 1 turn
Row 2:  SC decrease,  sc in next 6, sc decrease, ch 1 turn
Row 3: SC across (8sc)
Row 4: SC decrease, sc in next 4, sc decrease, ch 1 turn
Row  5: SC across ( 6sc)
Row 6:  SC decrease, sc in next 2, sc decrease, ch1, turn
Row 7: SC.across (4 sc)
Row 8: Make 2 sc decreases, ch 1, turn.
Row 9: SC decrease, continue to sc around until you get back where you started.  Fasten off weave in ends.
Bear Ears  (make 2)
Ch 4 make 10 dc in the 4th ch from the hook.
Round 2:  2 hdc in first st, hdc in next st, repeat around, join to first hdc. Ch 1.
Round 3: sc in each st around (causing ear to curve in) Fasten off leaving long tail to sew onto hat.

Bear Muzzle:

With white yarn ch 12.
In the 2nd ch from hook 1 dc in each st, for 9 sts. 
In the 10th st, dc3. Continuing along the bottom side 1 dc in each st to the beginning of the round, 2dc in last st. Ch2.
Round 2: 1dc in each st around for 11 sts, 3 dc in the 12th st, continue 1 dc in each st to the beginning of the round, 2 dc in last st. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Bear Nose:

With black yarn, ch 4. In 4th ch from hook, 8dc, join to first st. Fasten off.

Bear Eyes:

With white yarn, ch 4.  In 4th ch from hook, 8 hdc, join to first st. Fasten off. Sew ¾ black button in the center.
Using picture as a guide sew facial features onto the bear.

​Hey team!

So excited to share about one of my favorite programs at 818 Ministries - our Give a Box Get a Box program! When an 818 Ministries volunteer ships us a box of handmade hats to be delivered to patients fighting serious illnesses, we ship you back a box of yarn as a thank you and a way to stay involved with us! Click below to go to our donate page to learn more about the program:

Ongoing Projects:

Little Hats Big Hearts: we are accepting newborn sized red hats for our project with the American Heart Association until Thursday, January 25th. Thank you to all of you who have already donated and who have communicated that you have hats in the mail to us. We're SO thankful for you and truly believe this is such an amazing opportunity to impact a whole new people group!

Octopus Project: We will be partnering with UT Medical Center this spring to provide handmade octopuses for their families. We will collect them through the month of March and they will be donated in April. Be creative - there are so many ideas on Pinterest of different color combinations and character themes. Each octopus will get donated with a handwritten letter of encouragement just like our hats and will be packaged with an 818 Ministries logo so that families can get connected to us!

Note: many of you have asked if there will be an 818 Ministries pattern released for a crocheted octopus. The answer is yes!  Look out for it in the next couple of weeks! In the meantime, feel free to use Pinterest and YouTube as a resource - they have a ton of ideas.

Upcoming Impact Squad Visits:

Palmetto Children's Hospital 
College students only, spots are already filled!
Friday, February 16th
Columbia, SC
Hat sizes needed: children (6-18 years of age)

Children's Hospital of Atlanta
Date: TBA
Atlanta, GA
Hat sizes needed: children (6-18 years of age)

MD Anderson Cancer Center
Date: TBA (likely early March)
Houston, TX
Hat sizes needed: adult (male and female)

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Date: TBA (likely in May)
Memphis, TN
Hat sizes needed: children (6-18 years of age)

Please reply to this email with any questions about projects we have going on, or Impact Squad trips that you want to be a part of! We're so excited for all God has in store for 2018. To partner with us financially, click below!

​Cheering for you,
Rebecca Dotson
Founder, 818 Ministries