Countdown to Baby Blueprint: Ellie on Parade

This project is very sentimental to us. I always wanted a mobile in the book. Originally I was going to make birds and have them dancing around the ring. Then our little Chachula Junior (CJ) came along.

For whatever reason, the toys that most caught her attention were the elephants. Not monkeys, lions, giraffe, or bears- but elephants. So naturally, how could I not make the mobile an elephant mobile? Thus Ellie the Elephant was born.

I made the mobile, (which took forever, since I must have re-crocheted that first elephant 10 times and then I had to make 3 more, of course) while CJ was till a newborn. I then strapped it to the chandler in my "studio" (aka dining rm) for CJ to look at while I was working. Back then she would sleep for an hour at a time every other feeding, so I would rotate where nap was. Sometimes in her crib, sometimes in the bouncy seat, sometimes on me. While in the studio, I would put on an audiobook and the rythm of the voices lulled her to sleep while staring at me or the mobile. Thank goodness for it too, since I would never have been able to finish the book. I was a month late as it was, but that's another story for another day.

The elephant is broken down by body part then stuffed and sewn together. The eyes and the toes are embroidered on with a contrasting ball of yarn. I used Filatura Di Crosa Zara since I love merino wool and it was a project for me to love to make too. The ring is simply a floral foam ring with yarn wrapped around it, nothing fancy there. The elephants are attached to the ring simply by a yarn chain sewn on.

It is so wild to look at pictures of CJ staring at this mobile. In a lot of ways, I still feel like she is that little newborn; even though she is now a toddler. Hope your little peanut enjoys!