Ok, so this pattern has a bit of a backstory. In the future my posts will contain a long-winded story of my life, not because I think you care, but because I’m trying to convince the robots crawling the page that I’m worthy of their ads lol.

This bear in a kimono was done in collaboration with a really good friend of mine, Billy Matsunaga. Billy is a really cool German lady living in kumamoto Japan working as a kimono teacher/model/TV personality. Pretty much living the coolest life ever! She just started a YouTube channel all about her life and love of kimono! She is a really old friend of mine. We met when I moved to Japan about eight years ago. We were both students at the same Japanese language school and we were in the same class which was for absolute beginners. Neither of us really spoke any Japanese at all! It’s crazy to think about because now we’re both fluent, she more than me lol.She was one of the first friends that I made in Japan and I can’t think about the time that I spent there without remembering the fun times with her. One thing that I really remember about her is that we both loved Sho Sakurai from Arashi (it’s this super popular boy band in Japan). We thought he was so good looking! Anyway, when I saw she started a YouTube channel I immediately contacted her about a collaboration. It’s the perfect combination really. How do you make an already adorable amigurumi even cuter? Put it in a kimono!

This pattern can be used with any of my standard head and body patterns. I’ll probably make some separate posts in the future to put my most popular patterns in kimonos, but for now, here is a bear! “Why a bear?” you ask? Well, Billy lives in a part of Japan known as Kumamoto. The “kuma” in Kumamoto is a bear, so we’re making a bear in a kimono!
Make sure you take a moment to check out Billy’s channel

MATERIALS:

• Medium – 4 worsted weight yarn
• • Main body color
  • Accent body color
  • Nose color
  • Main kimono color
  • Accent kimono color
  • Kimono pattern color (optional)
  • Obi (belt/sash) color
  • Sock color
  • Shoe color
• Size G – 4 mm crochet hook
• 1 pair of 12 mm safety eyes
• Tapestry needle large enough to fit your yarn
• Toy stuffing

Check out the Materials page to see the exact materials I use in my patterns/tutorials

TERMS:

• CH: Chain
• FO: Finish off
• INC: Increase
• INV DEC: Invisible decrease
• MR: Magic Ring
• RNDS: Rounds
• SC: Single Crochet
• SLST: Slip stitch
• ST: Stitch

HEAD & BODY:

Main body color yarn

1. MR with 6 SC (6)

2. (INC) x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

5. (SC 3, INC) x 6 (30)

6. (SC 4, INC) x 6 (36)

7. (SC 5, INC) x 6 (42)

8-14. (SC 42) x 7 RNDS (42)

15. (SC 5, INV DEC) x 6 (36)

16. (SC 4, INV DEC) x 6 (30)

17. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 6 (24)

18. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 6 (18)

19. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

Change to main kimono color

20. (SC 3, INC) x 6 (30)

21-30. (SC 30) x 10 RNDS (30)

31. (SC 3, INV DEC) x 6 (24)

32. (SC 2, INV DEC) x 6 (18)

Attach eyes 11 or 13 stitches apart between rows 13 and 14.

Refer to the video for more details.

Stuff the head and body

33. (SC 1, INV DEC) x 6 (12)

Sew the bottom shut with your yarn by sewing through the front loop of every stitch and pulling it tight until it closes.

Embroider on the kimono pattern using your pattern color and your tapestry needle. Refer to the video for more details.

SNOUT:

Accent body color

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. INC x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4-5. (SC 18) x 2 RNDS (18)

FO

Embroider on the nose using your selected nose color and your tapestry needle.

Refer to the video for more details.

EARS (Make 2):

Main body color

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. INC x 6 (12)

3. (SC 2, INC) x 4 (16)

4-5. (SC 16) x 2 RNDS (16)

FO

Embroider on the ear details using your accent body color and your tapestry needle. Refer to the video for more details.

COLLAR:

Accent kimono color

1. CH 31

2. SLST 30

FO

OBI:

Obi color

1. CH 33, turn

2. (SC 32, CH 1, turn) x 4 ROWS

FO

If you’re making a boy version, you can skit the bow portion. Sew on the obi as pictured above in blue and yellow.

OBI BOW Part 1:

Obi Color

1. CH 18, join first and last CH to make a ring.

2-5. (SC 18) x 4 RNDS

FO

OBI BOW Part 2:

Obi color

1. CH 9

2-5. (SC 8, CH 1, turn) x 4 ROWS

FO

Wrap part 2 around the middle of part one to form the bow.

Attach the bow to the obi.

ARMS (make 2):

Main body color yarn

1. Magic Ring with 6 SC (6)

2. (SC 1, INC) x 3 (9)

3-6. (SC 9) x 4 RNDS (9)

FO, stuff the arms

SLEEVES (Make 2)

Main kimono color

1. Magic ring with 6 SC (6)

2. INC x 6 (12)

3. (SC 1, INC) x 6 (18)

4. (SC 2, INC) x 6 (24)

5. SC 24 (24)

Change to kimono accent color

6-7. (SC 24) x 2 RNDS (24)

FO

Embroider on the kimono pattern using your kimono pattern color and your tapestry needle. Refer to the video for more details.

SOCKS (make 2):

Sock color yarn

1. Magic Ring with 4 SC (4)

2. (INC) x 4 (8)

FO

Embroider on the sandal strap detail using your obi color yarn

SHOES:

Shoe color yarn

1. Magic ring with 5 SC (5)

2. (INC) x 5 (10)

FO

Sew the socks and the shoes together. Refer to the video for more details.