This pattern turns out really cute and I thought I would love picking up the stitches and knitting each piece onto the toy instead of sewing parts together (which I detest) but this was REALLY challenging. Someone else suggested using a crochet hook to pick up the stitches and I think I will try that next time. The stitches and techniques are not difficult, but the general construction was a little frustrating.

5/20/17 Little Hailey is now great big nearly 4 year old Hailey, but she still loves her elephant!
2/23/16 Hailey’s little sister Harper is keeping up the tradition and has taken her one month photo with the elephant as well. And, yes, her hair just does that naturally - I’m told she takes after me as a baby :0)
9/23/15 I suspect these two year pictures will be the last for the shrinking elephant - Hailey’s getting all grown up!
8/17/14 Happy first birthday Hailey May! Your elephant sure has gotten tiny! :0)
10/17/13 The action shots are starting to roll in! Brother and SIL have decided to use the elephant as a tool to measure Hailey’s growth, taking her picture with it every month to show how much she’s growing. :)