On Elephants and Completing Crochet
So my little Socktopus left such an impression on the family it went to, that when that family needed crochet assistance, they turned to me. I can only say that I feel really really honored for that position. I was asked to complete a baby blanket that was left unfinished when the new babies' grandmother passed. It was a shell stitch blanket in a soft variegated yarn. I could tell that a lot of love and time had already been put into this blanket.
The whole thing was a little miraculous, especially given that this blanket was started before they even knew that their new baby was going to be a girl... and this yarn is decidedly girly. Finishing it was easy, but it was complicated by trying to crochet through teary eyes.
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I also wanted to give this new girl her own crochet toy, just like her brother got the Socktopus. I asked what they would like and they told me that her room was going to have giraffes and elephants and that kind of a look. I then hunted around for an elephant crochet pattern that I liked. I tried this Floppy Elephant pattern first, but after getting most of the way through the head I decided that I wanted something a little bit larger than the size it was shaping up to be.
Not finding anything free that I liked I turned to Etsy, where I have found good patterns before. I decided to purchase and use Ami Amour's pattern E is for Elephant. Working on this pattern has been a joy since it is so clearly written. I really love the long legs and trunk that I think will be perfect for little hands to grab on. This pattern took me about 6 hours all told to make. That is fast!!
The yarn is Loops and Threads Impeccable Glitter in Silver. I liked the softer light gray and felt that the little bit of light shine made it look girly without it being pink. I also think it adds to the idea that it is a sleepy elephant... for some reason. I added a little flower to make it more girly, in the same yarn that the baby blanket is made of. I also left off the tusks since I am pretty sure that only boy elephants get tusks. I also decided to make the eyes sleepy and closed to be a little similar to the Socktopus.
The whole thing was a little miraculous, especially given that this blanket was started before they even knew that their new baby was going to be a girl... and this yarn is decidedly girly. Finishing it was easy, but it was complicated by trying to crochet through teary eyes.
...
I also wanted to give this new girl her own crochet toy, just like her brother got the Socktopus. I asked what they would like and they told me that her room was going to have giraffes and elephants and that kind of a look. I then hunted around for an elephant crochet pattern that I liked. I tried this Floppy Elephant pattern first, but after getting most of the way through the head I decided that I wanted something a little bit larger than the size it was shaping up to be.
Not finding anything free that I liked I turned to Etsy, where I have found good patterns before. I decided to purchase and use Ami Amour's pattern E is for Elephant. Working on this pattern has been a joy since it is so clearly written. I really love the long legs and trunk that I think will be perfect for little hands to grab on. This pattern took me about 6 hours all told to make. That is fast!!
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| Body parts all laid out. Tail and toes off to the sides. |
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| Put together, from the back. |