Finally ...

I'm proud to introduce to you Mr. Amato Pickles and his sister, Miss Cana Pickles.  To recap: the bears were crocheted from Berroco's Bulky Chinchilla yarn using a pattern found on the Lion Brand website.  The bears are gifts for my niece and nephew who recently lost their mother to cancer, and thus I'm calling them "Comfort Teddy Bears."
  They're about the size of a 18 month old toddler, and are just as soft as a loving hug.  Both bears received the last name of "pickles" at my children's school.  Their first names are Italian and mean "beloved."
  The vest Mr. Pickles is wearing was crocheted using the Modular Crochet technique that's discussed in Judith Copelands' out of print book, "Modular Crochet."  The tie was an addition from my son's collection.
  Miss Pickles ballerina skirt is tulle sewn in half with a beaded trim then stuffed with roses.  Her earrings are crocheted too; I deviated from the pattern by adding beads.


Without further delay, I present the Comfort Teddy Bears: Amato and Cana Pickles ...