Knitting Tutorial: Baby Elephant in Blue Overalls and Yellow Bow Tie – Free Knitting Pattern.

This sweet baby elephant knitting pattern recreates the plush toy shown in the photo, with a round sky-blue head, curved trunk, floppy blue-and-pink ears, cream shirt with green stripes, blue overalls, yellow bow tie, peach sandals, tiny toe details, straw hat, brown shoulder bag, acorns, and a red-capped mushroom. The finished toy is soft, cheerful, and full of small handmade details.

 

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Pattern Overview

This pattern is written in US English knitting terms. The elephant is knitted mostly flat and seamed, which makes the project friendly for newer knitters who are comfortable with increases, decreases, simple shaping, and sewing small pieces together.

The toy is designed with a large rounded head, smaller stuffed body, short legs, rounded arms, oversized ears, and a curved trunk. Clothing and accessories are worked separately, then sewn or attached in layers to match the image closely.

• Finished size: About 10.5 inches tall from feet to top of head, not including the hat.
• Skill level: Confident beginner to intermediate.
• Main fabric: Stockinette stitch with garter stitch trims.
• Construction: Flat pieces, seamed and stuffed.
• Needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm straight needles or DPNs.
• Gauge: 24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch.

Materials

• DK weight yarn in sky blue for elephant head, ears, trunk, arms, and visible feet.
• DK weight yarn in light pink for inner ears, cheek embroidery, and head tuft.
• DK weight yarn in cream for shirt body and sleeves.
• DK weight yarn in olive green for shirt stripes and small embroidered sprigs.
• DK weight yarn in denim blue for overalls and straps.
• DK weight yarn in yellow for the bow tie.
• DK weight yarn in peach-orange for sandals and sandal bows.
• DK weight yarn in white for toe pads.
• DK weight yarn in tan or straw beige for the hat.
• DK weight yarn in brown for the bag, acorns, and bag strap.
• Small amount of red yarn for the mushroom cap and one acorn.
• Small amount of white yarn for mushroom stem and hat flower center.
• Two 8 mm black safety eyes, or black beads sewn securely.
• Two tiny tan buttons for overall straps.
• One tiny tan button for the bag flap.
• Black embroidery floss for eyebrows, eyelashes, trunk lines, and mouth line.
• Polyester fiberfill stuffing.
• Tapestry needle, stitch markers, scissors, pins, and row counter.

Abbreviations

• CO: Cast on.
• BO: Bind off.
• K: Knit.
• P: Purl.
• St / sts: Stitch / stitches.
• RS: Right side.
• WS: Wrong side.
• kfb: Knit into front and back of the same stitch to increase 1 stitch.
• k2tog: Knit 2 stitches together to decrease 1 stitch.
• ssk: Slip, slip, knit to decrease 1 stitch.
• St st: Stockinette stitch, knit on RS and purl on WS.
• G st: Garter stitch, knit every row.
• rep: Repeat.

Important Shaping Notes

Stuff the head firmly so it becomes round and smooth, but do not overstuff the trunk or ears. The trunk should curve gently to the elephant’s left from the maker’s view, which appears to the viewer’s right in the photo.

The ears are large and soft. Each ear is made from one blue outer piece and one pink inner piece. The pink inner ear is slightly smaller, so the blue border remains visible after sewing.

The overalls sit high on the belly and cover the legs. The cream shirt sleeves puff slightly at the shoulders and show green stripes. The yellow bow tie sits under the chin, centered between the two overall straps.

Main Head

Use sky blue yarn. Make one large oval head. Work flat from the lower back neck area upward, then seam at the back. Leave a long tail for gathering and shaping.

1. CO 12 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, kfb in each st to last st, K1. You now have 22 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Row 5: K2, kfb, rep from kfb across to last 2 sts, K2. You now have 40 sts.
7. Row 6: P all sts.
8. Row 7: K4, kfb, rep across to last 4 sts, K4. You now have 48 sts.
9. Row 8: P all sts.
10. Row 9: K6, kfb, rep across to last 6 sts, K6. You now have 54 sts.
11. Rows 10 to 32: Work in St st, beginning with a purl row.
12. Row 33: K6, k2tog, rep across to last 6 sts, K6. You now have 48 sts.
13. Row 34: P all sts.
14. Row 35: K4, k2tog, rep across to last 4 sts, K4. You now have 40 sts.
15. Row 36: P all sts.
16. Row 37: K2, k2tog across to last 2 sts, K2. You now have 22 sts.
17. Row 38: P all sts.
18. Row 39: K2tog across. You now have 11 sts.
19. Cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull gently, and secure.

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Seam the back of the head using mattress stitch. Stuff firmly before closing the lower opening. Shape the head into a soft sphere, slightly wider at the cheeks than at the top.

Trunk

The trunk is rounded, tapered, and curved upward at the end. Use sky blue yarn. Work flat, seam along the underside, and lightly stuff while shaping the curve.

1. CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: Work in St st.
3. Row 5: K2, kfb, K to last 3 sts, kfb, K2. You now have 20 sts.
4. Rows 6 to 12: Work in St st.
5. Row 13: K2, k2tog, K to last 4 sts, ssk, K2. You now have 18 sts.
6. Rows 14 to 20: Work in St st.
7. Row 21: K2, k2tog, K to last 4 sts, ssk, K2. You now have 16 sts.
8. Rows 22 to 26: Work in St st.
9. Row 27: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1. You now have 14 sts.
10. Rows 28 to 32: Work in St st.
11. Row 33: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1. You now have 12 sts.
12. Rows 34 to 38: Work in St st.
13. Row 39: K2tog across. You now have 6 sts.
14. Cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull closed, and secure.

Seam the trunk from tip to base. Add a small amount of stuffing, keeping the tip flexible. Curve the tip upward and hold it with a few hidden stitches along the underside. Sew the wide base to the center front of the head, slightly below the eyes.

Outer Ears

Make two in sky blue. The ears are long, floppy, and rounded at the bottom. They should hang from the sides of the head, with the wider rounded ends reaching near the shoulders.

1. CO 10 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, kfb, K to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. You now have 12 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until you have 28 sts.
7. Rows 19 to 38: Work in St st.
8. Row 39: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1. You now have 26 sts.
9. Row 40: P all sts.
10. Repeat Rows 39 and 40 until 14 sts remain.
11. Next row: K2tog across. You now have 7 sts.
12. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

Inner Ears

Make two in light pink. These pieces are sewn to the blue outer ears. Keep the pink pieces centered so a blue rim shows around the edges.

1. CO 8 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, kfb, K to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. You now have 10 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until you have 22 sts.
7. Rows 15 to 32: Work in St st.
8. Row 33: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1. You now have 20 sts.
9. Row 34: P all sts.
10. Repeat Rows 33 and 34 until 10 sts remain.
11. Next row: K2tog across. You now have 5 sts.
12. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

Block the ear pieces lightly with steam, without flattening them completely. Sew each pink inner ear to one blue outer ear using small whip stitches. Do not stuff the ears.

Body

The body is smaller than the head and shaped like a soft oval. The upper body is mostly covered by the cream shirt, and the lower body is covered by blue overalls.

1. Using sky blue yarn, CO 14 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, kfb in each st to last st, K1. You now have 26 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Row 5: K3, kfb, rep across to last 3 sts, K3. You now have 32 sts.
7. Rows 6 to 22: Work in St st.
8. Row 23: K3, k2tog, rep across to last 3 sts, K3. You now have 26 sts.
9. Row 24: P all sts.
10. Row 25: K1, k2tog across to last st, K1. You now have 14 sts.
11. Row 26: P all sts.
12. Row 27: K2tog across. You now have 7 sts.
13. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

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Seam the body at the back. Stuff firmly, keeping the front smooth so the overalls sit neatly. Sew the body to the bottom of the head after the clothing layers are prepared.

Legs

Make two in sky blue for the elephant feet and lower leg base. The legs are short and rounded, with the blue overalls worked over them later.

1. CO 12 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: Work in G st.
3. Rows 5 to 12: Work in St st.
4. Row 13: K1, kfb, K to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. You now have 14 sts.
5. Rows 14 to 20: Work in St st.
6. Row 21: K2, k2tog, K to last 4 sts, ssk, K2. You now have 12 sts.
7. Row 22: P all sts.
8. Row 23: K2tog across. You now have 6 sts.
9. Cut yarn, draw through sts, seam, and stuff lightly.

Arms

Make two. The arms are sky blue at the hands with cream sleeves on top. The small blue hands peek out from the striped shirt sleeves, matching the photo.

1. With sky blue yarn, CO 10 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: Work in G st.
3. Rows 5 to 8: Work in St st.
4. Change to cream yarn.
5. Rows 9 to 10: Work in St st.
6. Change to olive green yarn.
7. Rows 11 to 12: Work in St st.
8. Change to cream yarn.
9. Rows 13 to 16: Work in St st.
10. Change to olive green yarn.
11. Rows 17 to 18: Work in St st.
12. Change to cream yarn.
13. Rows 19 to 24: Work in St st.
14. Row 25: K2tog across. You now have 5 sts.
15. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

Seam each arm with the seam facing inward. Stuff only the blue hand and lower sleeve lightly. Leave the top flatter so it can be sewn neatly to the shoulder.

Cream Striped Shirt Front

The shirt is visible above the overalls, across the chest and upper belly. Work it as a small wrap panel that is sewn around the body before adding the bib.

1. Using cream yarn, CO 34 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 2: K all sts for a neat lower edge.
3. Rows 3 to 4: Work in St st with cream.
4. Rows 5 to 6: Work in St st with olive green.
5. Rows 7 to 10: Work in St st with cream.
6. Rows 11 to 12: Work in St st with olive green.
7. Rows 13 to 16: Work in St st with cream.
8. Rows 17 to 18: Work in St st with olive green.
9. Rows 19 to 22: Work in St st with cream.
10. Rows 23 to 24: K all sts.
11. BO all sts loosely.

Wrap the shirt panel around the upper body with the striped side facing outward. Sew the back seam closed. Let the upper edge sit just below the neck.

Blue Overalls Lower Pants

The overalls are denim blue with ribbed-looking vertical texture. Work this lower pants piece and wrap it around the lower body and legs. The center front should sit smoothly and high on the belly.

1. Using denim blue yarn, CO 38 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts for the cuff-like lower edge.
3. Row 5: K2, P2, rep across to last 2 sts, K2.
4. Row 6: P2, K2, rep across to last 2 sts, P2.
5. Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until the piece measures about 2.5 inches.
6. Next row: K4, k2tog, rep across to last 4 sts, K4. You now have 32 sts.
7. Next row: Work in established rib pattern.
8. Next row: K3, k2tog, rep across to last 3 sts, K3. You now have 26 sts.
9. Work 2 more rows in rib.
10. BO all sts loosely.

Sew the pants around the lower body, placing the seam at the back. Shape a small dip between the legs with two hidden stitches so the overalls look separated at the center.

Overall Bib

The bib is a rectangular denim blue piece on the front chest. It should cover the lower part of the shirt but leave the striped sleeves and bow tie visible.

1. Using denim blue yarn, CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts.
3. Rows 5 to 18: Work in St st.
4. Rows 19 to 20: K all sts.
5. BO all sts.

Center the bib on the front of the body. Sew the bottom and side edges down. Leave the top edge neat and visible, just below the yellow bow tie.

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Overall Straps

Make two denim blue straps. These rise from the top corners of the bib, go over the shoulders, and fasten with tiny buttons on the front.

1. CO 5 sts with denim blue yarn.
2. K every row until the strap measures about 4 inches.
3. BO all sts.
4. Repeat for the second strap.

Sew the back ends to the upper back of the overalls. Cross them slightly at the back if needed for a snug fit. Bring the front ends to the bib corners and sew one tiny tan button on each strap end.

Yellow Bow Tie

The bow tie is bright yellow and sits directly under the trunk and chin. It is small but full, with a wrapped center.

1. CO 18 sts with yellow yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 10: K all sts.
3. BO all sts.
4. Thread a length of yellow yarn through the center and pull tightly to pinch the rectangle into a bow.
5. For the center band, CO 5 sts.
6. K 8 rows.
7. BO all sts.
8. Wrap the band around the pinched center and sew at the back.

Sew the bow tie to the upper front of the shirt, centered between the overall straps. Keep it slightly raised so it looks soft and dimensional.

Pink Scalloped Head Tuft

The top of the elephant has a soft pink scalloped patch. It sits like a small decorative hair tuft on the crown.

1. Using light pink yarn, CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts.
3. Row 5: K3, BO 3 sts, K3, BO 3 sts, K3, BO 3 sts, K3.
4. On the next row, cast on 3 sts over each bound-off gap while purling across.
5. Rows 7 to 10: Work in St st.
6. Row 11: K2tog across. You now have 9 sts.
7. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

Lightly gather the top edge and sew the tuft to the crown. Let the lower edge form three soft scallops across the forehead.

Toe Pads

Make two white toe panels for the front of the feet. Each panel is sewn onto the blue foot and divided with blue embroidery lines to create three rounded toes.

1. CO 10 sts with white yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 2: K all sts.
3. Rows 3 to 6: Work in St st.
4. Row 7: K1, k2tog, K4, ssk, K1. You now have 8 sts.
5. Row 8: P all sts.
6. Row 9: K2tog across. You now have 4 sts.
7. Cut yarn and draw through sts.
8. Repeat for second toe panel.

Sew one toe panel to the front of each blue foot. Use sky blue yarn or embroidery floss to stitch two vertical curved lines on each panel, making three white toes.

Peach Sandals

The sandals are peach-orange, with a sole band across the front and tiny bows at the outer sides. Make two soles and two front straps.

Sandal Soles

1. CO 16 sts with peach-orange yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts.
3. Row 5: K1, kfb, K to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. You now have 18 sts.
4. Rows 6 to 8: K all sts.
5. Row 9: K1, k2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1. You now have 16 sts.
6. BO all sts.
7. Repeat for second sole.

Sandal Front Straps

1. CO 5 sts with peach-orange yarn.
2. K every row until the strap fits across the front of one foot.
3. BO all sts.
4. Repeat for second strap.

Sew the sole under each foot, then sew the strap over the white toe panel. Keep the strap low enough that the white toes remain visible.

Sandal Bows

1. CO 8 sts with peach-orange yarn.
2. K 4 rows.
3. BO all sts.
4. Wrap yarn around the middle to pinch into a bow.
5. Repeat for the second bow.

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Sew one bow to the outside edge of each sandal strap, matching the image where the bows sit near the side of the feet.

Facial Details

Place the eyes before final head closure if using safety eyes. The eyes should sit wide apart, slightly above the trunk base. This creates the gentle baby expression shown in the image.

• Place each eye about 7 stitches from the trunk base and 9 rows above the lower head edge.
• Embroider one curved eyebrow above each eye with black floss.
• Add three short eyelashes beside each eye with black floss.
• Use black floss to stitch three short curved trunk lines near the lower left side of the trunk.
• Add soft pink cheek blush with light pink yarn, making 5 or 6 small horizontal stitches under each eye.
• Secure all embroidery ends inside the head.

Straw Garden Hat

The hat is beige and sits beside the elephant in the image. It has a rounded crown, wide brim, and small orange flower. The hat can be made as a removable accessory.

Hat Crown

1. CO 36 sts with straw beige yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 6: Work in K1, P1 rib.
3. Rows 7 to 18: Work in St st.
4. Row 19: K4, k2tog, rep across. You now have 30 sts.
5. Row 20: P all sts.
6. Row 21: K3, k2tog, rep across. You now have 24 sts.
7. Row 22: P all sts.
8. Row 23: K2, k2tog, rep across. You now have 18 sts.
9. Row 24: P all sts.
10. Row 25: K1, k2tog, rep across. You now have 12 sts.
11. Row 26: P all sts.
12. Row 27: K2tog across. You now have 6 sts.
13. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts.

Hat Brim

1. CO 56 sts with straw beige yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 8: K all sts.
3. Row 9: K4, kfb, rep across to last 4 sts, K4. You now have 66 sts.
4. Rows 10 to 16: K all sts.
5. BO loosely.

Seam the crown and sew it to the center of the brim. The brim should curve gently upward at the edge. Add a line of beige running stitches around the crown base to suggest the raised hat band.

Hat Flower

1. With orange yarn, CO 20 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: K2tog across. You now have 10 sts.
4. Cut yarn, gather tightly into a flower shape, and sew closed.
5. Add a small white French knot or tiny white stitched circle in the center.

Sew the flower to the side of the hat brim, slightly off-center, matching the photo.

Brown Shoulder Bag

The bag is a small brown knitted satchel with a long strap and buttoned flap. It rests beside the elephant in the image, but it can also be hung over one shoulder.

Bag Body

1. CO 18 sts with brown yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts.
3. Rows 5 to 24: Work in St st.
4. Rows 25 to 28: K all sts.
5. BO all sts.

Fold the lower edge upward to create a pouch about 2.25 inches deep. Sew the side seams. Fold the top garter section downward as the flap.

Bag Strap

1. CO 4 sts with brown yarn.
2. K every row until the strap measures about 12 inches.
3. BO all sts.

Sew the strap ends to the upper side edges of the bag. Sew one tiny tan button to the center front under the flap.

Acorns

The image includes several tiny acorns around the elephant. Make two tan acorns, one orange acorn, and one red-tipped acorn if you want the full decorative scene.

Acorn Nut

1. CO 10 sts with tan, orange, or red yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 6: Work in St st.
3. Row 7: K2tog across. You now have 5 sts.
4. Cut yarn and draw through sts.
5. Seam the side and stuff lightly.

Acorn Cap

1. CO 12 sts with dark brown yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 5: K all sts.
3. Row 6: K2tog across. You now have 6 sts.
4. Cut yarn and draw through sts.

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Sew one brown cap to each acorn body. Add a tiny stem by twisting brown yarn and sewing it to the top.

Red Mushroom

The small mushroom has a white stem and bright red cap. It is shown near the hat and bag as a woodland garden accessory.

Mushroom Stem

1. CO 8 sts with white yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 10: Work in St st.
3. Row 11: K2tog across. You now have 4 sts.
4. Cut yarn and draw through sts.
5. Seam and stuff lightly.

Mushroom Cap

1. CO 18 sts with red yarn.
2. Rows 1 to 4: Work in St st.
3. Row 5: K3, k2tog, rep across to last 3 sts, K3. You now have 15 sts.
4. Row 6: P all sts.
5. Row 7: K2, k2tog, rep across to last 3 sts, K3. You now have 12 sts.
6. Row 8: P all sts.
7. Row 9: K2tog across. You now have 6 sts.
8. Cut yarn and draw through sts.

Seam the cap and sew it to the top of the stem. Add two or three tiny white stitches on the red cap if desired.

Assembly Order

1. Sew and stuff the head first, then attach the trunk securely to the center front.
2. Sew the pink inner ears to the blue outer ears.
3. Attach the ears to the sides of the head, beginning slightly above eye level and ending near the lower cheek.
4. Sew the pink scalloped tuft to the top front of the head.
5. Sew and stuff the body, then wrap and sew the cream striped shirt around the upper body.
6. Attach the lower blue overalls around the body and legs.
7. Sew the bib to the front and attach the two shoulder straps.
8. Sew the arms to the shoulders, with the cream sleeves facing outward.
9. Sew the legs under the body, keeping the feet facing forward.
10. Add white toe pads, blue toe lines, peach sandal soles, sandal straps, and sandal bows.
11. Sew the head to the body using strong stitches around the full neck opening.
12. Add the yellow bow tie at the front neck.
13. Sew on the overall buttons and finish all embroidery.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Check the elephant from the front before securing final knots. The head should look larger than the body, the trunk should curve upward, and both ears should hang evenly with the pink sides visible.

Use black embroidery floss for the gentle details. Keep the eyebrows thin and curved. Add three short eyelash stitches at the outer side of each eye. The trunk lines should be short and slightly slanted.

For the cheeks, use light pink yarn and make small horizontal stitches under each eye. Keep the blush soft and subtle, as shown in the image. Hide all yarn tails inside the head or body.

Care Notes

• Spot clean the toy with cool water and mild soap.
• Do not machine wash if using safety eyes, buttons, or delicate accessories.
• Let the elephant air dry flat on a towel.
• Reshape the ears, trunk, bow tie, and hat while damp.
• Keep small buttons and accessories away from children under three years old.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• The head is round, smooth, and firmly stuffed.
• The trunk curves upward and is sewn securely.
• The ears are large, floppy, and pink on the inside.
• The cream shirt has visible olive-green stripes.
• The denim blue overalls sit high on the belly.
• The yellow bow tie is centered under the chin.
• The sandals show white toe pads and peach bows.
• The hat, bag, acorns, and mushroom are complete if making the full scene.

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

Store the finished elephant in a dry place away from strong sunlight. Long sunlight exposure may fade the sky blue, pink, yellow, and peach yarns over time.

For dust removal, use a soft dry cloth or a gentle lint roller. Avoid pulling directly on the embroidered eyelashes, trunk lines, or small flower details.

If the toy needs deeper cleaning, dab the surface with a damp cloth and mild soap. Do not soak the toy, because stuffing may hold moisture and change the shape.

After cleaning, press the toy gently in a towel to remove extra water. Let it dry naturally. Once dry, fluff the ears, straighten the straps, and smooth the overalls with your fingers.