Elephant Handwarmers
You need:
\~100g of 100% cotton yarn (to make two) A small amount of black cotton yarn to make eyes Uncooked rice, or something else to use as filling 4.0mm hook You can also use this pattern to make normal stuffed elephants, in which case you don't need 1o0% cotton yarn. The cotton is only important if you need to microwave it. 30 seconds to a minute in the microwave is enough to make these little guys good for half an hour's walk in the cold or whatever. Use as small hook as you can get away with if you're stuffing them with rice, or it'll come out between the stitches. As you can see, I used a 4.0mm hook, which mostly worked out well. I used Hap'iyarn from the Mirasol project, which is really nice.
Key:
sc -Single crochet sc-inc -Increase sc-dec - Invisible decrease, I used this tutorial
TRUNK, HEAD & BODY:
Make these all in one piece, in continuous rounds. 6sc into magic ring, join with a slip stitch (6st) 6sc into back loop only (6st) Continue doing one sc into each st all around until the trunk is as long as you want it (6st) 2sc into each sc all round (12st) 1sc, sc-inc all round (18st) 3sc, sc-dec, sc-dec, 3sc, [1sc, sc-inc to beginning of round] (20st) 5sc, sc-dec, 13sc (19st) 4sc, 2sc-inc, 6sc, 4sc-inc, 3sc (25st) 2sc, 3sc-dec, 1sc, [1sc, sc-dec] x 4, 1sc (16st) 3sc, sc-dec, 11sc (15st) [sc-dec, sc-dec, 1sc] x 3 (9st) sc-inc all round (18st) [1sc, sc-inc] all round (27st) 2sc, sc-inc x 7, 18sc (34st) sc all round (34st) sc all round (34st) 20sc, 3sc-dec, 1sc, 3sc-dec, 1sc (28st) [2sc, sc-dec] x 7(21st) 7 sc-dec, 7sc (14st) sc all round (14st) STUFF [5sc, sc-dec] x 2 (12st) sc-dec all round (6st) LEGS: Make four. 5sc into magic ring, join with a slip stitch (5st) sc-inc all round (10st) sc in back loop only all round (10st) sc all round until the legs are as long as you want them
EARS:
Make two. 5sc in a magic ring, do not join, chain 1, turn (5st) sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, chain 1, turn (5st) sc in each stitch, chain 1, turn (5st) sc-inc, sc-inc, sc, sc, sc-inc, sc-inc in the bottom (10st)
ASSEMBLY:
As in the photo. Stuff the legs just before you sew them on: if you're filling them with rice, it may help to stitch over the top to keep the rice in while you sew. Bring the loose ends through the body to make the tail, plaiting them together and knotting them to secure it. Sew on eyes with black cotton.
