I named him Maud the Monkey.

Apparently vodka doesn't make a very good presents for small children, so I had to think of something else to make my goddaughter and new nephew for Christmas.  I've been thinking about sock monkeys for a couple of years.  Ever since I picked up some sock monkey mittens in Canada because they were the only things that would fit over my cast.  Apparently I'm not very decisive when it comes to committing to monkeys.

I eventually picked up a book on how to make them, it's possibly the most exciting thing that I have bought in AGES.  You can make not only sock monkeys, but pigs and owls and elephants and rabbits and crocodiles and loads of other animals.  Sock monkeys are fascinating, they originate from the Victorian Era and there are now actually Sock Monkey festivals to celebrate them.  Look!

So it takes two socks to make a monkey, some stuffing, buttons for the eyes, needle and thread and some scissors.

Turn the first sock inside out and turn it over so the heel of the sock is pointing up, then draw on the leg shapes and stitch them up using a back stitch, through both layers of the sock.

Then you cut out the leg shapes, turn the sock over and cut in a slit where you want the monkey's mouth to be.

Use this to turn the sock the right way out and then stuff the monkey using the toy stuffing.  Stitch up the slit using a blanket stitch.

Then take the second sock and turn it inside out as well.  Use this to make the arms, ears, tail and muzzle.  It's not particularly easy to explain where to position these parts so I have used my outstanding powerpoint skillz to create the below guide.  No mocking me.

Double stitch the outline of the arms, making sure not to sew up one of the ends so you can stuff them and turn them the correct way out.  Do the same with the tail, but sew all the way round the ears as you'll cut them in half afterwards.  Cut the toe off the end of this sock and sew it over the slit the you made in the monkey's head to make the muzzle.  Sew most of the way round, stuff the muzzle and then finish sewing it up.

Attach the arms and ears and sew on two buttons for eyes.

I like them quite a lot.  I am not convinced how suitable they are for a small child that is only a month old.  Perhaps I should keep them instead.

Oh.  I appear to have made a sock rabbit as well now.  I think I shall try an elephant next.