Are Mary Jane’s Tearoom Knitted Toy Patterns Easy?

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In Are Mary Jane’s Tearoom Knitted Toy Patterns Easy?, you will find the answer to this question, discover the magical world of this talented designer, learn what skills you need to make these toys and find the yarns I used for my own teddy bear.

Teddy bears occupy a very special place in my heart.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved my own grandmother’s teddy bear collection. She didn’t have a large hoard of toys, but a small gathering of mostly handmade characters.

Each one is full of personality and I display them each Christmas above my antique piano. It’s a symbol of a simpler and sweeter time.

One of my favorites is a small teddy with a faux mink stole wrapped around her shoulders and a big red church hat propped precariously on top of her head. She also has a wrapped Christmas present tucked neatly under one arm.

This handmade teddy bear is full of spunk and I wish that I could meet the toymaker who was able to capture the individuality of a human person in toy form.

Plus she reminds me of my grandmother, who was a rather short and high-spirited redhead with an affinity for fur.

Mary Jane’s Tearoom Resource

Get my FREE Mary Jane’s Tearoom Resource sent straight to your inbox. I share all the places you can find Susan and her wonderful patterns, the yarns/needles I used. Plus you’ll find links to helpful knitting toys tutorials (that I didn’t share here in the post)!

Knitted Teddy Bear

The very first toy I ever knitted was a teddy bear. And I was elated that I was finally able to achieve this goal. I had worked on my skills for an entire year to be able to knit the kind of toys I longed to make.

I completed this pattern for the first time back in January of 2019. Now two years later, I have revisited this teddy bear and I bursting to share all about it.

Plus you will find out if this pattern is easy enough for a beginner?

Mary Jane’s Tearoom

If you aren’t familiar with the gorgeous patterns from Mary Jane’s Tearoom, you are in for a treat. Susan is an incredible designer and I know you are going to love her adorable characters.

Are the Patterns Easy?

The patterns from Mary Jane’s Tearoom are some of the best written patterns I have experience with (and I have quite a bit of experience knitting toys).

Each and every step is meticulously explained. Every detail is made extremely clear.

There are lots of photos for each section, but the written explanations are excellent.

Skills Needed

This was the first knitted toy I ever made. I found the explanations so helpful that I believe that an experienced beginner could make them.

Of course you will need to know how to knit and purl. Make common increases and decreases.

You will also want to know how to mattress seam if you are knitting the toys flat.

If you are struggling with any of these skills:

Check out my Knitting Toys 101 Series where I share the common skills needed for making toys!

Mary Jane’s Tearoom Knitted Toy Designs

You will find knitted toy patterns for bears, dolls, mice, and elephants, just to name a few. Each one is full of charm and whimsy.

The toys come in different sizes, the smallest being 8″ to the largest at 15″. She also has lots of patterns for clothing as well.

Flat Knitting vs In the Round

One of the most unique offerings that you will find with Mary Jane’s Tearoom patterns is that you can choose to knit the toys flat (back and forth) or in the round.

Many knitters have a preference when knitting and you can choose which technique you want to use. Make sure to look closely at the listing description to purchase the correct pattern.

The patterns do not include both styles, so you will need to choose either a flat knitted or in the round pattern.

This post contains affiliate links and at no cost to you I may earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase them. Please know that I only recommend products I use and love! Thank you for supporting Le Petit Saint Crochet! You can read my full (and slightly boring) full disclosure here.

Yarns Used

For the knitted teddy bear body I used my tried & true Berroco Vintage in the colors:

• Oats
• Buttercream
• Gringham

For the clothing I experimented with Cascade Heritage and I couldn’t be happier with the results:

• Snow
• Mustard

Comparing First Teddy Bear with Current Teddy Bear

There is nothing I love better than comparing an older version of a toy with a new one.

It is so exciting to see the progress I’ve made. It proves to me that practicing skills pays off.

The first Mary Jane’s Tearoom teddy I knit was in January of 2019. I was so proud of him and shared him all over my social media.

Two years later, I look back and see all the mistakes. And that’s ok. It’s proof that I have improved my skills.

There have been many knitted toys in between and with each one, I learned something new and invaluable.

My current teddy bear is clearly better made, but I can’t wait to see what my toys will look like in a few years time! There’s always room for improvement.

Mary Jane’s Tearoom vs Little Cotton Rabbits

When I first saw both the Mary Jane’s Tearoom patterns and the Little Cotton Rabbits, I thought they were fairly similar.

They both have a teddy bear and elephant pattern. The similarities stop there.

Size

The size of the finished toys is the most obvious difference. The Mary Jane’s Tearoom toys are significantly bigger in height and breadth.

They are both absolutely adorable, but the sizes are completely different.

The other difference is that the profile of each knitted teddy bear is quite different. With the Little Cotton Rabbits teddy bear, you will notice that his snout is shaped quite noticeably.

But with the Mary Jane’s Tearoom bear, his snout is much more subtly shaped. There is less of a definition between his snout and the rest of his face.

Both profiles are adorable, but there are noticeable dissimilarities when you see them side by side.

Knitted Dolls

One of the other unique offerings from Mary Jane’s Tearoom are the knitted dolls.

First of all, they are gorgeous. Secondly they are the perfect doll size, especially for a child to hug.

Mary Jane’s Tearoom Knitted Toy Gift

As much as I want to keep this little beauty, she will be heading out to a very special lady.

Lisa Farmhouse on Boone

Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone has become a mentor to me in my blogging/YouTube journey. Without her influence, courses and advice, I would be floundering in a sea of confusion.

If you’re interested in finding out more information about starting your own blogging or Youtube business:

Check out my post: How Much Does a Small Crafting YouTube Channel Make?

Podcast

I wanted to thank Lisa personally for interviewing me on her podcast, Simple Farmhouse Life.

It was such a wonderful opportunity to talk to her all about how knitting and crocheting help with stress (and hasn’t there been a lot of it the past year?).

If you would like to take a listen you will find the episode here. I felt like I was talking to a friend and I hope you will to.

Episode 79: Crafting to Fight Stress

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