The Sock Monkey Project
Recently, due to Arctic Blast 2007 (i.e. a quarter-inch of sleet upon these Dallas roadways), a much-anticipated night of drinking, fooling around and Sopranos was nixed. Did I sulk? Well, hell yes, I did. And then I did some more. But after that, pouting began to bore me and I hit upon a mission: I was gonna make a goddamn sock monkey.
Why the flip did this occur to me? Well, I'd talked it up for many years, seeing as how my grandmother gave me one when I was six or seven and it was subsequently so cherished and frequently hugged that the tail developed a hole at the end. As it turns out, my friends listen to me on occasion, so I was gifted with this kit at Christmastime this year. Though my original hosiery simian was far more tricked out than this one, with a red gingham dress and hat that had lace trim, this nostalgia-fueled, red felt vested ape would do nicely on a blustery, pissy winter's night. Besides, the original mon-chi-chi was lost.
Generally speaking, I'm not a seamstress, so the seams on this monkey are probably a little to a lot sloppy and poorly crafted. Yet on I sewed, into the night.
Toiling well past midnight, I fell into bed from exhaustion. The next morning I awoke, and within an hour or so, had the monkey finished.
It was a distinctly more Mennonite brand of fun than I'd had planned originally, but fun nonetheless.
And I most certainly have more to show for it.
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"Whoa, amber is the color of your energy, whoa." -- 311
Comments
They say that with the world today becoming less and less interactive that people crave more tactile forms of activity at times. I think that there may be something to that theory. I can talk to people all day and night on the Net, watch hours of TV, and drive through the nearest Mickey-D's for dinner, but sometimes I thrive on cooking a meal myself or sitting down and making something by hand...
I'm afraid I have to refuse that request, Gary. But if you buy a kit, ship it to me and pay its voyage back to you, I'll make you one. :)
It means Amish or somethin', Helga.
I enjoy doing crafty stuff like this every time I do it, Violet, but too often I fall prey to the virtual/instant gratification charms all around me and don't do something REAL near enough.
I think it will be loved a whit less than the original, but this whit is made up for by how it reminds me of the original, Aza. Did that make any sense?
You all really are in some strange f-ing weather!
Could you expand on the ' drinking and fooling around' thing.. inquiring minds - or just inappropiately nosey minds want to know.
I miss my sock monkey now,, I never got one as a kid, damn.
Well the secret, Amanda, as with most things, is to follow the instructions. Basically you start with a pair of old-fashioned socks. One sock makes the head, body and legs. You trace the pattern of the arms, tail and mouth onto the other sock, cut them from the socks, and stitch up the sides. Then you stuff and sew the parts onto the body. Last you sew the heel of one of the socks onto the front as the mouth. The facial features are cut out of felt and glued on. The vest came premade and was the final step.
Get a kit here from Action Products: http://www.apii.com/product.asp?idDept=97&idProduct=347
or just see the blueprints here:
http://home.inreach.com/marthac/craft1.html
My question is, why WOULDN'T it? The very FIRST thing I think about when I get the slightest bit bored is a sock monkey.
I would take it to work and go to meetings with it, and make people address the monkey when speaking to me. "Talk to the monkey!" I'd scream. "Talk to the monkey!"
Oh, jes. Sock monkey could well be my ticket to the padded room I've been craving, lo, these many years. Bless you.