The Alligator & the Elephant (Alli & Ele)

Here’s a set I made from Alan Dart’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ pattern. I changed the legs on the elephant. His were very thin using drinking straws for the insides. I just added some extra stitches and overstuffed mine. I’m very happy with the picture. Blue plastic bag makes a great water edge! Almost looks too real!

Alli:

Ele:

This was a hard pattern to come up with. I made each shape separately, then hooked the loops together with a crochet hook (around the black Pentagons)and stitched through the loops between the white polygons. Here's the pattern, I you want to try it.




Knitted Soccer Ball by Tommy Smith

Black Pentagon (make 12):

CO 5 sts and join in the round

K 1 row (If you used the Long-Tail Cast On Skip this row)

KFB into every stitch [10 sts]

K 1 Row

(K1 YO K1) x5 [15 sts]

(K1 KTBL K1) x5 - this twists the YO from the previous row

K 1 Row

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle and the tail from the beginning Cast On, thread through remaining live stitches on the needle. Do not pull tight this will be removed later.

White Hexagon (Make 20):

CO 6 sts and join in the round

K 1 row (If you used the Long-Tail Cast On Skip this row)

KFB into every stitch [12 sts]

K 1 Row

(K1 YO K1) x6 [18 sts]

(K1 KTBL K1) x6 - this twists the YO from the previous row

K 1 Row

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle and the tail from the beginning Cast On, thread through remaining live stitches on the needle. We will call this the safety yarn. Do not pull tight this will be removed later.

Finish:

To finish, place a Black Pentagon in the center of 5 White Hexagons. Using a crochet hook, pick up one loop from the edge of the Black Pentagon (at the end of your last stitch) and pick up one loop from the edge of a White Hexagon. Pull the loop from the White Hexagon through the loop from the Black Pentagon. This will leave the loop from the White hexagon on the crochet hook. Now hook the next loop on the Black Pentagon and pull it through the loop on the needle. Continue this until 3 loops from each color have been captured. Pick up another White Hexagon and continue the procedure for 3 more loops. Repeat until the Black Pentagon is surrounded with the 5 White Hexagons. Use the long tail to secure this loop. The safety yarn can be removed from the Black Pentagon.

Using the diagram below, connect all your pieces. Remove the safety yarn when the Hexagon or Pentagon is fully attached. Before you finish the last row, stuff with filling.

I won’t say this is an easy pattern, but knitting should challenge you sometimes!

Here's the Nurse Mouse. I have made 2 of these and this one is the better of the 2! I was trying to balance the mice and turn them to show the 360 view. It was raining and I was in a hurry... So you get the falling mice babies view...

Got a Soccer Ball coming real soon. Maybe even today, if I can get some computer time at work... :o)