"How To" Tuesday

How to make a sock monkey hat.

Here's what I did, anyway!

Materials:

• Paton's wool yarn
• A set of size 7 DPNs
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle
• Coffee
• A good show to watch

Let's get started!

• Cast on 54 stitches using the long tail method.
• Divide stitches between three needles, 18 per needle.
• Join, making sure not to twist your stitches. After first stitch is knitted and cast on stitches are joined, place your marker to indicate beginning of round. (You'll really only need this for marking where to begin decreasing.)
• Knit around until the piece measures approximately 2 1/2-3 inches.

Now we decrease!

• K7, K2TOG around. (48 stitches)
• K6, K2TOG around. (42 stitches)
• K5, K2TOG around. (36 stitches)
• K4, K2TOG around. (30 stitches)
• K3, K2TOG around. (24 stitches)
• K2, K2TOG around. (18 stitches)
• K1, K2TOG around. (12 stitches)
• K2TOG around. There will be 6 stitches remaining.

Cut yarn leaving a 6 inch tail. Thread end through a yarn needle and pull through remaining 6 stitches TWICE. Pull tight, thread through center of closure. Tie off inside and weave in all ends. Top with a pom pom or simply leave plain. Either way, your monkey will be happy to have a warm hat!

This hat fits my larger traditional red heel and gray sock monkeys. Later I'll explain the formula for making any size hat with any type of yarn using any size needles... check back for that soon!

"How To" Tuesday

Be UNIQUE... Make your own Valentines!

We often spend time at the table doodling and coloring. A few days ago I drew a sock monkey couple that maybe only I thought was super cute. The boys... not so much. They were very much more interested in coloring pictures of Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Clutch Powers. Either way, I printed a larger image of my sock monkey couple and got to coloring it. When it was finished I thought it would make a really neat (and unique) Valentine's Day card.

Preparing for Garrett's Valentines gifts for his class, I bought packs of pencils at Target (found in the dollar bin) and used supplies I already had lying around the house. The colored image was scanned into the computer and printed to wallet sized prints. I cut them out and attached them to a pencil. Easy, right?

It really is! If you have scrap booking supplies (trimmers, decorative scissors, corner punches, etc.) you can get REALLY creative with the cutting. I have lots of that stuff, but opted for a simple, clean line along the edges. A basic hole punch (if you don't have this, they're only about $1.40 in the office supplies section of your local store) was used to add a hole to the corner. I threaded curling ribbon and tied it to a pencil. That's it!

Now all the kiddo needs to do is write a note or his name on the back and he's good to go! Although... he did tell me he doesn't want to use my pretty sock monkey cards. Instead he'll finish his Lego Indiana Jones coloring page and THAT'S the picture he'll use. It's just as well... I'd rather it be his artwork, anyway!

Garrett's finished card.

Feel free to print a sock monkey coloring page for your little artist found HERE. Have a fun and crafty day!

(Please comment... I'd love to hear from you!)

Sock Monkey Love

I'm in the mood for... SHARING! Enjoy this coloring page, just in time for Valentine's Day craft sessions with the kids.

HAVE A FUN AND CRAFTY DAY!

You may need to save the image to your computer and print it to the size you would like for your little artist to color.

For personal use only. Print as many as you'd like, but remember: this image is NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE. Don't sell this image or items made from this image or claim it as your own.