Shock the Monkey

What is it about the sock monkey that is so lovable? Most of us were gifted with one of these stuffed creatures at one time or another in our life (or knew someone that did). Sock monkeys just have a lasting quality about them. Like the revival of My Little Pony and other toys that us kids of the 70s and 80s played with, we now want our children to experience the same things. So, I think what makes the sock monkey so lovable is that it brings a smile to our faces ~ pure and simple.

Here are a few of my favorite interpretations of the monkey from some of my fellow Etsians:

1. http://www.etsy.com/shop/stephaniewatson

2. http://www.theguildedlily.etsy.com/

3. http://www.etsy.com/shop/sockmonkeykook

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4. http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveLeeSoaps

5. http://www.etsy.com/shop/zsparkleys

6. http://www.etsy.com/shop/KTBdesigns

Squaring Off ~ Calling All Blanketeers

Project Linus http://www.projectlinus.org/ is an organization that is a natural fit for my craft. They provide handmade blankets and afghans to "children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need". I recently donated a blanket to the Louisville Chapter (where we will be moving after the school year) and I'd like to do more.

So, I'm calling out to my fellow crocheters ~ the network of "blanketeers" for help. PLEASE SEND ME YOUR SIX INCH SQUARES and I will assemble an afghan with your donations. The squares can be any style or color that you like, just as long as they are 6 inches square.

Email me at thebluecalla@yahoo.com for mailing instructions. I'd like to say that I came up with this on my own, but I actually saw it a few weeks ago while perusing the net. I loved the idea so much, that I wanted to participate.

I can't wait to see what we come up with...I'm always amazed at the power of community. Just think, an hour of your time can give a child a the warmth and comfort of their very own handmade blankie. Thank you!!

Organic Cotton Market Bags

I LOVE this yarn ~ sooo soft! It's Lion Brand's Nature's Choice Organic Cotton. I wish they made more colors, but I'm still having fun with what's available. I had to order the "mustard" color online, because apparently, there is someone locally that only crochets with that color! I have looked at the empty bin for two months now...so in a few days, I will be the proud owner of mustard yarn (it's the little things...)!

Below is the link to my latest.

I call it my "Chocolate Easter Egg" organic cotton market bag...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40764647

teaching a lefty 8-year old to crochet

Wow ~ I couldn't wait to teach my oldest daughter to crochet...just like my grandma taught me. Two differences...one, my daughter is a lefty and I'm not and, two, my grandma had patience. Geez...I had to really stop and think about the mechanics of crocheting. I realized that there is almost a tripod of tension that you are balancing and then rebalancing with every stitch. Once I had that down in my head, I could move on and verbalize my thoughts. Of course my daughter didn't understand why her stitches didn't look like mine, but that's where that patience gene came into play. After about two inches of the chain stitch, she wanted to make a scarf. No. So, I told her I would teach her the single stitch once she made a chain that extended from one end of our long hall to the other. I figured she just really needed to get a good feel for the craft and if she had enough will to keep making that very long chain, then she could graduate to the next stitch. Surprisingly, she did it and was so proud of herself. Also surprising was the fact that she looked at me with a big smile and said, "Mom, you're a good teacher". She knows just what to say to skip to the double stitch!

Check out this fun "sock monkey love" treasury on Etsy!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=113173

HeRe wE Go...

Well...I got Twitterfied last week and now I'm diving into the big scary blogger world.

This site will be a work in progress for a few weeks, but I'm a quick learner, so we'll see what happens.

I look forward to many new friends, fans, followers...oh my!

Oh yeah, although this is falling on deaf ears at this point, I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.