So I’m sitting here with my very first ever sock monkey. I’ve been wanting to make one for a while, and even found a few sets of instructions online, but never really got around to it(Instructions 1, Instructions 2, Instrtuctions 3).

We call my son “monkey boy” as he climbs on and jumps over everything, and he has a love of monkeys. The sock monkey will be going to him shortly, if I can part with it. I’ll be making one for his cousin and his sister, too. They are in Florida visiting the grandparents right now. I think maybe they’ll like a monkey package from home :^)

I have hundreds of unmatched socks in a bag that I’ve finally admitted will probably never be matched. The goal was to use these socks to make them, but as I was rummaging around the Salvation Army the other day, I found 2 pair of the red-heeled socks they are normally made with for only 49 cents each(still in the plastic with tags and everything-yay me!) I couldn’t pass it up, and was finally motivated enough to make my first sock monkey.

Of course, it helps that the Spring quarter is over for school 8 classes (24 credit hours) was a bit much, but it looks like I still made the Dean’s list. Another yay for me! So this week is the break before summer quarter starts, the kids are gone, and aside from some housework I really don’t have a lot planned except for a few sewing and crocheting projects. Oh, and one knitting project, but as it is a gift I’m working on for someone in September, I won’t be blogging about that yet. But after his birthday, you better believe I will tell you all about it. It’s going to be nice, and it requires a lot of creativity and my learning a new skill in knitting.

Anyway, back to the sock monkey. I’ve never made one before, and my sewing is really not very good, so I practiced on an old pair of socks in the basket first. They actually do match each other, but as they don’t have very much elasticity, I don’t really wear them at all. I’m so glad I practiced on the old socks first, as it didn’t go very well at all.

But I did figure out what not to do next time!

Definite learning experience. I feel bad for the little stripey guy, being all ugly and not put together well. I think I’m going to remove his tail, create a face, and put some yarn hair and clothes on him. I can’t bear to throw him away, but he’s really not something I wanna show off that much…lol.

Still, confident at what I did right with him, and understanding what I did wrong, I set out to make a sock monkey out of the good socks.

Here are some of the progress photos:

Sock turned inside out, legs made at toes.

Socks right side out, ready to be stuffed.

This is after I stitched the head closed, rolling the cuff down for a “hat”, basted around the neck and pulled a little to shape, then stitched the other sock’s heel on the face and stuffed:

What you lookin’ at?!

He’s got no arms!

The arms and tail are taken from the other sock, and stitched in to place:

I used white embroidery floss for all stitching.

I am the one-armed man! hahaha!

Oh, yeah, got 2 arms now! Somebody stop me!

 

And here is the final creation:

And the tail makes the monkey!

 

I was going to go pick up buttons for his eyes, but I kinda like him this way. Maybe I’ll add some later, I don’t know. I didn’t cut up the rear enough, so he looks like he’s wearing the pants with the big crotch that all the thugs wear nowadays. I guess the ski-hat covering the eyes goes along with that whole thug-monkey theme…lol.

I think he’s so cute. I’m going to make the other one later today. I may try to slow down and create my own instructions detailing what to do when…of course, that would require being a little more organized. But if it helps spread the sock monkey love, it would be worth it.

If anyone tries to make sock monkeys after reading this, or have made them in the past, please feel free to send/post pics of your little monkeys as well-I would love to see them!