Amigurumi Elephants

Isn't this little elephant just the cutest? I recently finished making this little guy as a gift for a friend's brand new baby. If you want to make your own elephant pal, you can find the pattern over at All About Ami. 

I don't know about you, but I know that my least favorite part of making amigurumi is attaching all the pieces. This pattern is absolutely brilliant because it's designed so that you only have to attach the ears and the tail. Even if you don't want to make one these, I recommend looking over the pattern just so that you can marvel at its genius. 

You may notice that I made a few alterations from the original pattern. I decided not to sew fabric to the ears because I'm paranoid about the stitches ripping out (yarn + thread = bad combination) and becoming a choking hazard for the baby. I also altered the tail because I didn't like the look of the original. Instead of the bulkier tail, I simply attached a piece of yarn, made a few chains, tied it off and then frayed the ends. It looks a bit more elephant-y to me that way. And I left off the felt tusks so that it could just go straight into the washing machine when it inevitably gets gross. Because if there's one thing that I've learned from having a baby, it's that washable things are your friend. 

This was actually my second time making this pattern. Before my son was born, I made him one as well, but with some slight differences. 

You'll notice from the picture that his elephant is a bit larger. Both elephants are made with worsted weight yarn (Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Plum Jam and I Love This Yarn in Grey Beard), but I used different hook sizes. The purple elephant is made with the recommended size C crochet hook while the gray elephant is made with a size F. After making it both ways, I actually prefer it with the larger hook since it means the stitches are a bit larger and more flexible, making it soft and cuddly instead of stiff. One small warning: If you are changing hook sizes, just make sure that your stitches are tight enough to prevent the stuffing from coming out. 

The one other major difference between the two is the type of decrease stitch I used. On the gray elephant, I used the traditional single crochet decrease, but on the purple elephant I used the invisible decrease stitch. I highly recommend using the invisible decrease since it looks a lot neater, especially on the trunk where the decreases are more noticeable.  

I love looking at these two elephants side by side because it's a great example of simple ways to customize crochet patterns. Don't be afraid to experiment a little and try something different! There's no wrong or right way to crochet as long as you make something you love. And I definitely love these elephants.