Introducing the Otta Bear

Lately I've fallen head first into the world of knitting bears. And I've fallen in love with knitting bear clothing. This has led to the creation of the Otta Bear.

The Otta Bear is a 19 cm (7.5 inch) tall bear, hand knit from 100% wool and stuffed with polyester or wool fill. Accompanying each bear are two outfits, a dress and a pullover sweater with pants. Each Otta Bear is handmade with a unique expression and embellished with a heart. No two Otta Bears are the same. The accompanying outfits are also unique, one of a kind, creations. The size is both big enough for big hands to hold, and small enough for small hands to carry around. The bear and outfits are made entirely out of yarn, making it is safe for all ages as there are no small buttons or parts to come loose. 

Here are some of the creations made so far. If you are interested in owning an Otta Bear you can find any available ones in my Etsy Shop.

Etsy Shop is Reopened

I offer a limited selection of one of a kind hand-knit items for sale. You can find all available items in my JanetWelshKnits Etsy Shop. As each pair of mittens is unique, please see image in each listing with the specific measurements for that pair of mittens. 

Free Shipping and Giving Forward

Free standard shipping is offered within Canada and the United States. This includes standard shipping without tracking. Options for tracking and express shipping are available in your cart, at an added cost.

For every sale in my Etsy shop, I will make a donation of $5 CDN to a worthy organization. In 2021, all donations will go to the The Legacy of Hope Foundation, a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for more than 19 years.

Autumn Fade Mittens - Mystery Revealed

 This September, I've been hosting a Mystery Knitalong for my Autumn Fade Mittens pattern. It's been good fun sharing the design with people one clue at a time until they received the final clue a week ago. 

In addition to the falling leaves, this design has several fun elements including little mushrooms, acorns, a squirrel on the thumb and optional falling leave tassels. 

Here are the four pairs of Autumn Fade Mittens that I knit. 

Join My Autumn Fade Mittens Mystery Knitalong

September is coming soon and with it come all the glorious colours of autumn here in Canada. To celebrate, I'm hosting a mystery knitalong (MKAL) on the I Make Mittens group on Ravelry.

The Autumn Fade Mittens MKAL pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry for $2.99 Canadian. This is 50% off my usual pattern price (no coupon required), and after this MKAL ends the pattern will go back up to full price. Purchase the pattern at any time during September and you will receive any clues released, prior to the purchase.

If you wish to purchase my patterns outside of Ravelry, please reach out to me by sending a message through the contact form on my home page.  Let me know what pattern you would like to purchase and I will email you a PayPal invoice. Once the invoice is paid I will email you a .pdf file of your selected pattern. 

When you purchase this pattern, you will receive only the introduction. The remainder of the pattern will be released in five clues on September 1, 5, 8, 12 and 15, with a bonus clue being released on September 17. When the new clues are released, you will receive a message with a download link to the updated pattern with the new clue or you will be able to update the pattern from your Ravelry library.

There will be prizes!
For those participating in the MKAL:
Random draw on October 4, for two winners, from all those who have posted a completed pair of the mystery knitalong mittens by October 3. One winner will receive a project bag and a second winner will receive a pattern from Janet Welsh’s Ravelry store.

If you are interested in this MKAL, please come join us on Ravelry and participate in the fun. 

Chocolate Swirl Mittens Pattern Available Now

I'm pleased to release a new design which came to life from thoughts of ice cream. As you look at them you can see swirls of chocolate against a vanilla background that will make you want to indulge in some ice cream as soon as possible. 

This pattern is suitable for an intermediate knitter with some experience working with charts and knitting in the round. Designer tips are provided for those who are new to stranded colourwork. The right and left-handed mittens are identical.

Instructions are written for a woman’s small hand with medium and large in brackets. Alternative charts are included for those who want a shorter mitten. Mittens pictured were knit with the instructions for size medium.

And if chocolate isn't your thing (is this even possible?), the design looks just as good in other colours. 

Go to my Patterns For Sale page to purchase this pattern.

Testing a New Design

 It's been too long since I've posted any new mittens. 2021 has been a year of big gift and sweater projects, with little time focused on mittens. Knitting mittens for me is like being at home, and after a long time away from knitting mittens it feels good to be "home". 

These mittens are called Chocolate Swirl Mittens as they were designed around the theme of ice cream. This is the first test knit of the pattern following the instructions for the medium size. After the testing is complete for the other sizes, I'll be releasing the pattern.