Leah's Giraffe

We have known Leah since she was 11 months old-- back when Sonia and Leah were both little bald beauties.  Those girls took their time growing their hair!  It astounds me that it has officially been 3 years since Maritza brought Leah's mom, Sarah, over to where our playgroup was lounging on picnic blankets at Riverwalk Park and announced that she had found a new friend for us.  Good find, Maritza!

Leah is absolutely nuts for giraffes, so her 4th birthday gave me the perfect excuse to try out one of the many ridiculously cute giraffe patterns that I have seen float by on Pinterest.  I chose this $5.00 pattern from Etsy, and it was worth every penny!  Great design and easy-to-follow pattern directions.

Love his wide stance so he can stand up!  Not many of my crocheted creations can stand on their own. I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn and an F hook.

Whoops. should have rotated the leg to put my wonky color change (where the giraffe's left front hoof meets the rest of his leg) on the inside.

The tail was made using a really cool method that I will most definitely remember and use again.

I broke out of my safety eyes comfort zone and went ahead and embroidered the eyes and nostrils as the pattern suggested, and I like the way the face turned out!  The giraffe looks angelic to me.

Happy birthday, Leah!! I hope this giraffe makes you smile.