Help needed any advice?

[Adilah Kurmoo]

Hey guys so I'm trying to make an elephant toy and I'm fine so far, got the legs, body and ears done. My only problem is the trunk. I want to do a continuous trunk that will start with the end looking like a 'U' and then increase in size to form into the head. If that makes sense

 

I've tried doing it on my own but I can't seem to get the bends right to look like the 'U' shape I'm looking for. I've looked at different patterns but they don't have the effect I'm going for and I've even branched out on different things like crochet letters, horns, tails but there aren't any patterns out there to give me any guidance.

 

So if there's anyone out there who can help me I'd be so happy as this elephant is starting to annoy me lol.

 

Thanks!

[redrosesdz]

I don't know if this will help or not, but when I did an elephant, I made the trunk and head separately. 

 

http://www.crochetville.com/community/topic/156183-elephant-lovie-round-ripple/?hl=elephant

 

I can't seem to find the pattern that I used.  It might be this one ...

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amigurumi-elephant-snuggle

[Granny Square]

You mean like the first pic here?  And in other pics on the same page, where there are sort of lips at the end of the trunk?

 

The tip is really more of an upside-down heart shape than a U; it's going to be really hard to get the detail right unless you are making a large elephant in fine thread..you'd need a few rounds of the nostril area to get the shape really right.

 

Assuming you're working with something more like worsted weight, you're going to have to do the shape in 1 or 2 rounds and even then you may be throwing off the scale of the trunk to body.  I'd use different height stitches to achieve something close to the heart shape - taller for the lobes, shorter for the tip.  Then, move on to the trunk working the first trunk round in the back loops of the heart - this will leave the front loops free to use later.  Work on the trunk up to the face (actually, it might be interesting to make the whole trunk in the back loop, to get the wrinkly look).  Before attaching to the face, go back to the first free front loops around the trunk tip, and use the free loops to make slst & sc, maybe hdc to give the shape and look of the 'lips'.  

[Granny Square]

This is not a free pattern, I went looking to see if I could find a pattern that tried to achieve the effect - most patterns didn't, except to change the tip color.  I found a few that look like it's just a closed tube that is pulled in a bit at the end; if I were trying to imitate that spot I'd begin at the tip leaving a long tail, work a few rounds to 1 beyond where I wanted the indent to be, then push the tip of the trunk inward and sew the tip invisibly to the inside of the tube with the beginning yarn tail.  It also looks like the trunk narrows down a bit after the indent part, to give the tip a flared look.  This would be easier than my suggestion above.  One example:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elephant-amigurumi-10

 

A similar one, more exaggerated indent, with color change

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ks18---kiss-elephant

[Adilah Kurmoo]

I have tried doing the trunk and head separately and I wasn't happy with the appearance....Getting the 'U' shape is the desired outcome but I have also been playing around with a modified horn and that seems to be working it will just be a case of shaping the trunk when I stuff it to see if I can get the right shape.

 

Thanks for the advice ladies!

[Adilah Kurmoo]

Looking thank you granny square!! I will give that a try too!!!

[ReniC]

You may need to adjust for size; this elephant trunk is over the animals head.