Since I have a real liking for nature’s most peculiar, weird, mysterious or misunderstood underdogs I decided to design some of them for anyone who wants to get to know these natural weirdo’s a little better!

The okapi or zebra giraffe is an alien looking animal from the Congo, that seems like something made up for a Star Wars movie.
Not until 1901 did the okapi become an officially described animal; before that it was the stuff of legends, known as the African unicorn!

Okapi have long, purplish, very prehensile tongues, that are so long they can lick their own ears! And their feet have scent glands that secrete a tarry substance to mark their territory: apparently not just us humans have smelly feet.
Luckily, your knitted okapi does not suffer from odious foot odor! But it has all the weird cuteness of the real thing!

This okapi measures 16 cm from head to tail and to foot.

It was knitted on 2.5 mm double pointed needles (UK 12). in Lana Grossa Alpaca Peru 200 (211) dark brown, Phildar Laine Mohair Soie (0101) Noir, Lana Grossa Ragazza Voi (07) white and Rowan Felted Tweed (177) clay.

It is a medium level knit, that asks for some intarsia work and short row knitting and an i-cord.