Happy Okapi

These are one of my favorite animals! They look like some kind of zebra-horse hybrid, but they are really closer to giraffes. The legs on this pattern use a technique of working in spirals that seems scary at first, but is really simple and quick once you get the hang of it.

Body
Make the basic body.

Legs (make 4)
Rnd 1: starting in black, ch 2. 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6 st)
Rnd 2: work in a spiral. Sc 6 times. (6 st)
This is where things get fun. take your hook out of the black yarn. Use a stitch marker (I recommend paper clips) and place it in the loop to hold the stitch in place.
Rnd 3: in next st, join white. Ch 1. Sc 6 times (the last stitch will go into the held stitch). (6 st)
Rnd 4: remove marker from black yarn, and place it in white yarn. Using the black yarn, 6 sc (in the white stitches). (6 st)
Rnd 5: remove marker from white yarn, and place it in black yarn. Using the white yarn, 6 sc (in the black stitches). (6 st)
Rnd 6: repeat Rnd 4 (black). (6 st)
Rnd 7: repeat Rnd 5 (white), but sc 3 times. Sl 1, and fasten. Leave some tail for sewing.
Rnd 8: (black) sl 1, fasten.

Head
Rnd 1: starting in black, ch 2. 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6 st)
Rnd 2: work in a spiral. *sc, sc inc. Repeat from * 2 more times (9 st) Sl 1, fasten.
Rnd 3: join white into sl st, ch 1 (counts as first sc). Sc 8 more times. (9 st)
Rnd 4-5: Sc. (9 st per rnd). Sl 1, fasten.
Rnd 6: join brown, ch 1 (counts as first sc). Sc, sc inc, *2 sc, sc inc. Repeat from * 1 more time. (12 st)
Rnd 7: *3 sc, sc inc. Repeat from * 2 more times. (15 st)
Rnd 8-9: sc. (15 st per rnd)
Rnd 10: *3 sc, sc dec. Repeat from * 2 more times. (12 st)
Rnd 11: 6 sc dec. (6 st)
Fasten, leaving a tail for sewing.

Neck
Ch 10, join in first ch.
Rnd 1: sc. (10 st) Work in a spiral.
Rnd 2-3: sc. (10 st)
Rnd 4: 4 sc, 2 sc inc, 4 sc. (12 st)
Rnd 5: 5 sc, 2 sc inc, 5 sc. (14 st)
Rnd 6: 6 sc, 2 sc inc, 6 sc. (16 st) Sl 1, fasten. Leave some tail for sewing.
The increases form the front of the neck.

Ears (make 2)
ch 5. Starting in 2nd ch from hook, sl 1, hdc, tr, hdc. Fasten off.