A Trumpety-Trumping Amigurumi Elephant

Q: How many elephants will fit into a Mini?
A: Four: Two in the front, two in the back.

Q: How many giraffes will fit into a Mini?
A: None. It’s full of elephants.

Elephant jokes are the best :D

I was really excited to be asked to make another animal for someone, my uncle asked me to make an elephant for his sister!

After a search through a few websites and my books, I plumped on a modified version of the elephant in Stacey Trock’s Crocheted Softies. In the book the trunk was pointing up (which looked a bit strange) and it had a mouth (which I didn’t like). Here’s what my version of the little guy turned out like:

How mean is Mister Mouse?! What a bully.

I was really worried about how he’d look when assembled, but I think he looks pretty cool! I spent a huge amount of time making sure he was all lined up; on the first attempt his trunk was basically where his right-hand tusk is now! He looked very silly.

The trunk was super-interesting to make. It included both slip stitches and single crochet so the end turns to one side slightly and the trunk points down. I didn’t really understand how it worked whilst crocheting, but afterwards you can see that as the slip stitches are smaller, it causes a sort of gathered effect.

Along with sewing his trunk on pointing down instead of up, I decided to make all his legs the same size instead of two small arms and two legs as the pattern suggested. That’s what real elephants are like after all.

Jasper was also a great help whilst I was making the elephant, and I found a use for him! It turns out Jasper is great at balancing stitch markers on his head:

Which means when I take one out to move it, I won’t lose it down the side of the sofa anymore!

 

What I learnt

• Slip stitches + single crochet = gathered-up magic!
• Jasper makes an excellent stitch marker holder.

Yarn used

• Sirdar Supersoft Aran (shade 0909) – elephant
• Sirdar Supersoft (shade 0830) – tusks