I started Miss Orchid as a test of my abilities. Although I have crocheted my whole life, I was very uncertain about this undertaking. A friend of mine requested this elephant for her granddaughter. I was a little worried as the pattern was 28 pages. Yes, 28 PAGES! YIKES! It was listed as an intermediate pattern, so I knew I would be able to handle it, I just didn't know what to expect. My friend bought the pattern for me. As I looked it over, I realized the creator of this pattern is BRILLIANT. You can check her out at Ira Rott Designs.
I had only followed written patterns all of my life. She not only writes the patterns, but also includes the graphs for every section. Graphs always seemed intimidating to me, but having them to refer to is a lifesaver!
Even after seeing the pattern and realizing that it was very well written, I was still a little worried to make this for someone else. I felt I should do a dry-run and just see how well it went. Little did I know that I would become obsessed with this pattern. It took me about 4 days to do, but that was a marathon long weekend of crocheting. It was extremely hot outside, so it made for a pretty good opportunity to sit inside and work on my project.
There are a lot of mishaps in this first elephant. Some I backed up an fixed, but others I just left in for character.
After finishing her, I decided that I could be confident enough to start my little side business. I have created 5 more elephants since Miss Orchid, and each one has gotten better. I think I have almost memorized the pattern. Yes, all 28 pages!
I will continue to post pictures of my work. Hopefully, you come to enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy creating them.
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