Elefante Finito

Hi Knitters!
Okay, he's finished and that's Spanish and Italian in the title. I'm feeling some tiny elephant love for this little guy.

Oh, and again...I uploaded the same shot twice, sorry.

Get ready for the close-up. He is such a camera lover, what a ham!

This project is pure fun all rolled up into a little ball with a trunk. I have the pattern written out in detail in my sketch book, but I think copyright is an issue here, since it is a knock-off, certainly not an exact replica, but close enough. If anyone knows more about that, let me know. If I can get the pattern approved I will make it available to you.

You could figure this one out on your own, too. I used size 4 dpns and Cascade 220 and a little Julia for the blue colors. Here are the general steps:

Make a ball for the body (think about a hat just closed on the top and bottom).

Make a ball with a trunk for the head (stop decreasing and knit straight for a bit for the trunk).

Make four tubes with closed bottoms for the legs (throw in a purl round to get the ridge).

Crochet 2 circle ears folded in half with single crochet edging to hold them closed.

Make a tiny i-cord tail with a tassel.

There you have it (I won't say wa-la, but it would fit here for sure)! Elefante! Check out the original adorable crocheted animals here.

A couple of quick news bits for you, starting with something brewing around on the net. Apparently, Pam Allen's daughter is the model frequently used in Interweave magazine and on the cover of both Wrap Style and Scarf Style (by the way, both of these should be in your knitting library). She is beautiful and natural looking, an excellent model for the company. It is funny I just mentioned Pam Allen and her daughter, a couple of posts ago, in Knitting in America. Some people complain that Interweave always uses the same models over and over, but I like their models so it doesn't bother me at all, instead it feels familiar and good. I like it, too, that Pam puts her daughter in the publications because she is not only an excellent model, but I love the whole mother-daughter thing.

Check out this studio. Boy, am I jealous. I could never be that organized. Ever. And where would I put all of my candy?

For more fun knitted toys look here.

One last news bit to mention, the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit-In is on Saturday, March 24th. It looks like they have a great line-up for classes. I am teaching an embellishing class in the morning session which I am very excited about, but that means I have to start working on my shtuff (that's not a typo). You don't have to be a member to attend and take part in the classes, so everyone is welcome. I am bringing a sneak peek of my new book to share!

Best of all Annie Modesitt is coming to speak and I can't wait for that. Find out more about the Knit-In here. If you are in the area, come and hang out with me. I am staying for lunch after my class and attending Annie's talk right after. I'd love to see you there!

best, susie