The employees who accepted the sock monkeys from us were blown away. They had no idea that each one would be different and unique. And so darn cute!!

I wish I could have taken a picture of each and every monkey.  There were purses, and blankets, monkey outfits, hats, socks, shoes and earrings.  These sock monkeys were better accessorized than I am!   And they were literally from all over the world.  Amazing.  Most were from the United States, but we had contributions from Germany, Australia, UK, Canada… everyone coming together to make a difference.  Don’t ever be deceived into believing you can’t make a difference, because we have proven otherwise.  Coming together makes a big impact.

The Preschool Burn Camp has more sock monkeys than they could use.  I heard talk of having enough monkeys for next years camp and the camp for the older kids.  Who doesn’t love a sock monkey!?  I miss the monkeys and the excitement from every package that arrived (so does my three year old, Luke.)

I am amazed and blessed by each one of you who participated in project 4; the time and effort that you all put into doing something for someone else… it’s love.

Blessings and hope to you all.

The cutest firefighter helmet ever!  It’s exactly what I was hoping one of you crafty bloggers would figure out for this project.  It’s perfect.

I’m off to buy some red yarn today to give it a try.  I was so excited yesterday when I saw this – I can’t even tell you.  Also, my husband suggested that you could make yellow or black helmets (when he found out I needed to go out and purchase red yarn.)  hee, hee..

So check your stash and give it a try if you are so inclined.

Look what I got in the mail! Our first sock monkey. It made my day

I hope you’re having a great day, too!

Hello, friends!  It has been brought to our attention that we need to discuss sock monkey eyes.  Because the monkeys will be given to children, safety must be seriously considered with the monkey eyes.  Apparently one tutorial suggests gluing the eyes.  This, obviously, is a bad idea for a child’s toy.  A lot of us are moms and know the choking hazard of eyes and noses on some stuffed animals.

Here are some acceptable ideas for the eyes…  Embroidering the eyes is going to be the safest route.  Safety eyes that are available at craft stores would also be another safe bet.  And if you do use buttons for eyes, please make sure they very secure.  I think that pretty much covers the subject of monkey eyes!

We also have this discussion on Craft Hope Nest if you have any other ideas or comments regarding the eyes.  Thank you all for your devotion to Craft Hope.

I am amazed by how many people are willing to give.  Shortly after I posted about project number four, the comments started to pour in to my email account.  I called Jade and told her we were starting to get a response and I already got the first emails of people volunteering for sock monkeys.  She laughed at me.  Funny girl.  But I love the fact that every time I check my email, someone else is saying; yes, I want to make something for someone I don’t even know.  Restores your faith in mankind.  I wish I could meet each one of you personally and that I had the time to visit each of your blogs.  I already can tell that I would like you.  From the children who will benefit from your kindness, thank you.

** Some housekeeping **

Speaking of emails, there are a few that I’m getting returned to me.  So, if you said you wanted to help with the Little Heroes project and I haven’t sent you an email, could you please leave another comment and I will try again!?  Thanks.

And please don’t forget to post your sock monkey photos on flickr.  We all want to see a sneak peak at what you are making.  *** Also, remember to check in on Craft Hope Nest - this is a valuable tool for you all.  I posted an offer from sockmonkey.net for a special discount… just for our Craft Hope group!  Others have posted links to online tutorials for sock monkeys, etc.  If you know of a good buy or have a tip or tutorial to share, it could benefit someone else.

Happy sewing friends

With that said, let me introduce myself…  my name is Marjorie and I’ll be your Craft Hope contact for project number four.  I met Jade through this crazy world of Internet and we quickly became “bloggy friends.”  I’m very excited about this next project for Craft Hope and I’m looking forward to what this community of crafters can accomplish for our next chosen charity.

The next Craft Hope project is one that will take place right here in the United States and holds a dear place in my heart.  It will benefit the smallest of burn victims through the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento, California.  Not only do we live in the area, my husband is a firefighter and is very excited about this next project, too.  September 25-27, the institute is holding a camp for the kids and their families called Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp.

What are we making you ask?  Sock Monkeys!  The beloved sock monkey and maybe, just maybe… a firefighter sock monkey.  The firefighters are a big part of the camp and the Firefighters Burn Institute, so it would be great if we could figure out a way to make a sock monkey with a firefighters helmet.  You’re up for the challenge, aren’t you?  I thought so.

I have been continually amazed by the blessings that have been bestowed by this community here at Craft Hope.  It’s truly amazing what we can do if we work together.  Please leave a comment to join in this next exciting adventure of Craft Hope.

Many Blessings, Marjorie

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Update:  There have been a lot of questions/comments about what kind of sock monkey to make and if it needs to be a traditional sock monkey.  Any color sock monkey that you make will find a home with a child who will love it; I’m sure.  The wonderful thing about the creative women at Craft Hope is that you all have great ideas and it’s so fun to see what you come up with for every project.  If you can figure out a way to make your monkey a “firefighter” in some way, then great!  If not, then no worries – it will be loved all the same.

Craft Hope Nest is a great place to exchange ideas, post patterns and ideas for the sock monkeys.  Some have said they need a tutorial and others have said that they have one…  thank you in advance for any help you have in this area!  Also, we will have a tutorial posted on our site soon!

The deadline for the sock monkeys is September 18th.