FO: Little Giraffe

So after making Christmas gifts for about 2 months straight, I wanted to make something frivolous for no reason, lol. 

It's hard to get more frivolous than a random toy you don't need (plus you don't have children), isn't it? I loved the Little Giraffe pattern by Susan B. Anderson back when she released it in Making magazine last year, so when she released it for sale as an individual pattern I snapped it up. She was advertising kits that included the pattern along with come of her new yarn line to make it up in, and the color combinations were lovely, but I already had two of the exact colors she used in a different yet equivalent yarn - perfect! My giraffe is made using Cascade 220 Superwash, so it is still a superwash wool toy - making it a little extra special to me since I always use acrylic. As soon as I finished my Christmas gifts, I cast this on.

The pattern is completely seamless, so it has you start with the garter stitch bum - isn't it cute? Then you move up to the point of the legs, make the legs, then resume knitting them into the body. I've made some of Susan's seamless toys before, and it can be a bit fiddly, but they come out so neat and smooth in the end it's definitely worth it. You also don't end up needing to keep track of a bunch of little pieces as you go either, which is nice.

Next you start the color work, which was what I was most excited to do. I've done only a little color work before and those pieces always turned out too tight across the floats, so I wanted a small project to practice on now that I know a bit more about what to do. It's not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty happy with how this color work lays. After about halfway up the body, I added a white nylon stocking with poly pellets in it to give him some weight. I definitely recommend adding the pellets because I don't think he would really sit right without them - he wants to lean forward a lot as it is, so without that extra stability I think he would always tip over. I also always put the pellets in nylons and tie it closed because I'm paranoid about them coming out and a baby eating them. I want these toys to last and be safe. So you knit the body, then stop to make the arms, then knit the arms into the body and close it up.

My one complaint about the color work is that the pattern changes in the middle of the tummy. Suddenly two of the circles are right on top of each other and every time I see it it looks like a mistake, but this is the way the pattern is written and how everyone else's look too, so I know it wasn't a mistake. If I made this again, I would adjust that just for my own sanity, lol. It's cute just the same though.

Next you make the head from back to front. I love that the color work continues there - such a cute touch. You stop again to make ears and horns, then knit them on as you go. The final touch is to embroider the now and eyelids (he has eyelids! - look at them!). I love the eyelids and think they look great with his slouchy body shape.

It took me a few weeks before I could embroider the nose since I had to dig out black yarn and I was moving at the time. Technically the pattern only has a nose, but I thought he looked a bit overly sad so I added a little smile :)

Isn't he so cute? He is in an honored spot on my étagère so I see him everyday in my sewing room. I really love how classic Susan's toy designs are, and I plan on keeping this for when I have kids. I've now made 2 giraffes designed by her, lol. And I'm no huge giraffe lover, I just thought they were adorable designs and had to make them. I also love the hug-able size of this guy - I know it's hard to tell from the photos, but he's about 10" tall. This is definitely an heirloom toy, and I'm so glad I made him up.

Summary:
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Aran and Smoke Blue (leftover from this and this)
Pattern: Little Giraffe by Susan B. Anderson
Notions: fiber fill, poly pellets, white knee high nylon stocking