Tapered the trunk:
After the instructions to “repeat the last 4 rows 4 more times,” I repeated those same 4 rows an additional 4 times, then did 3 repeats without decreasing (the purl row and 3 knit rows in the pattern), then finished with 2 more sets of the 4 decrease rows.
(12 stitches remaining)

I finished with the last purl row as written and did my last decrease row as K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog (tbl). I had 9 stitches remaining. Binding them off made the tip of the trunk flare when I tried to sew it closed, so I ripped out the bind off and just threaded the yarn through the remaining stitches to pull tight.

6/5 - Finished assembling the head/ears/tusks over the weekend and put the eyes on Monday. However, I ran out of yarn!

Can’t sew up the body or put the limbs on until I can knit a back piece.

Waiting nervously for matching yarn to arrive (from the UK!!).

Deadline: Saturday the 8th!

So the yarn arrived…on the 8th! I had to start knitting at 10:30 AM. Finished the back piece by about 12:20 PM. Then I frantically sewed the body and limbs until 3:30 when it was time to leave. Got the tail sewn on just in time to walk out the door!

Knit arms and legs in the round.

This site helped me invisibly join the horizontal seam of stockinette on the ears.