Monkey Business

My son is to graduate from university in a few weeks’ time, so there’s plenty to plan for, and to celebrate. This soon-to-be-graduate has a “thing” for monkeys in general, and for sock monkey stuff in particular ever since learning about Mr. Johnson (adult content alert! - this website has changed content since we first stumbled across it, meriting an R-rating at this point).

So I’ve been working on some special graduation presents for my own “monkey boy” (doesn’t every family have at least one “monkey baby”? ) …

I hope to finish the final stitches on the binding of his Monkey Wrench quilt … it’s only been in progress since his high school graduation

I’ll try to provide a soft landing for the inevitable bumps in the adult road he’s about to travel, with a pair of Sock Monkey Slippers (inspired by the pair of sock monkey scuffs he saw online).

These slippers (a simple variation of the ever-popular Fibertrends Felted Clogs pattern by Bev Galeskas) are the third pair I’ve made for this son. I think I could make these in my sleep!

He’s my educated monkey, so I’m trying to replicate Mr. Smart the Educated Monkey mechanical multiplier so that he has a back-up tool in his kit when he takes those job interviews (every software engineer needs one of these, surely). (There’s more information about this nifty little piece of Americana here), and more about its place among the machines of computer history here). He had a terrific passion for any and all manner of building toys when he was little, including Legos, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, so I’m looking for a special effect with this project (something like this, perhaps?). And I hope he thinks that some of our time together was, as the advertisement said, MULTE (Many Useful Lessons Taught Enjoyably).

Finally, we’ll settle him into a comfy chair, covered from tip to toes in quilt and clogs, to toast his achievement to the accompaniment of a Michael Jackson medley, performed by the inimitable duo Bubbles (the monkey) and Damon Scott. If it was good enough for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, it’s good enough for my monkey.

This stage of life is very sweet.