This is my elephant pattern - but with clothes! The elephant is one of the easier of my animals to knit because there are no color changes in the body and legs. It’s a great animal for clothes and shoes. Just remember to knit the leg variation with long feet and socks.

The dress has a fun pleated ruffle and a center panel with a kind of mock cable known as a pucker cable. The shoes use garter and seed stitch and are fairly easy. The trickiest part of the shoes is repositioning the stitches once you get to the strap row.

You need to have…

• Yarn in desired color and the same weight as that used for the animal: Animal: (~3oz/100g for sport weight, ~12oz/350g for worsted) and dark contrast yarn for eyes and tip of tail; Dress: (~1.5oz/50g for sport weight, ~6oz/175g for worsted); Shoes: (~.75oz/25g for sport weight, ~3oz/80g for worsted)
• Straight knitting needles: o Animal: At least 2 sizes smaller than the size recommended for the weight of yarn (for tight stitches) o Clothes: At least 2 sizes larger than those used for your animal (for stretchy stitches - I find the size recommended for the yarn being used often works well)
• DPNs or circular needles for transferring stitches on the shoes
• Tapestry needle
• 3 buttons (2 for the shoes and 1 for the dress)
• Stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• Crochet hook for the crochet chain loops or fringe stitch

You need to know (or learn)…

• Stockinette stitch
• Increase and decrease stitches
• Moss stitch
• Garter stitch
• Seed stitch
• Pucker cable stitch (instructions included)
• Pleated ruffle stitch (instructions included)
• Mattress stitch for sewing seams
• Fringe stitch or crochet chain loops for tail