Here’s something the boys might like. This group of rambunctious sock monkeys were especially made for them. I used red, purple and yellow with touches of green, brown, blue and even pink! These sock monkeys with their boyish good looks are just as cute as the girls. :)
Shawn Mars Sock Monkey
Nick Mars Sock Monkey
Tomie Mars Sock Monkey
With every move comes a new work space and some organization. I’m always looking for ways to repurpose anything so my bits of scrap yarn were perfect for making a couple of holders for my knitting and crochet needles.
The pattern is pretty simple. Once you have a starting loop, single crochet (sc) all around adding 2 sc in one stitch every other row to allow the circle to expand without curving. When its time to go up, sc 1 in every stitch or try skipping stitches to shape the motif into a bowl. When you reach the desired length bind off and hide loose ends. To avoid tipping, just add some acrylic/polished rocks to the bottom for extra weight. ;)
Make shorter ones for loose change, office supplies, even candy!
Meet my most recent rainbow sock monkeys, Sebastian and Mimi. Working with rainbow socks is great because there’s an endless array of color options when it comes to making the hoodie. I also found sock monkeys make great thank you gifts. You can also never go wrong with giving your girlfriend a cute stuffed animal. :)
Also, check out this googly eye sock monkey I made for some friends at London Hackspace, a non-profit organization which provides space and equipment to make/hack on pretty much anything you can imagine. I actually spend a little time there making Honty while checkin out the place. Neat stuff!
Sebastian Mars Sock Monkey
Mimi Mars Sock Monkey
Honty “The Hackspace” Mars Sock Monkey
Tags: boyfriend, eye, family, friends, gift, girlfriend, googly, Hackspace, Honty, london, Mimi, Sebastian, thank you
This week was a whirlwind! I got the opportunity to sit at the 1,000th show of The Martha Stewart Show! Actually, the Twitter section of the audience, which of course meant live tweeting from the show and getting some VIP treatment.
It was great to see one of my favorite chefs, Mario Batali, make pasta and cocktails. He also brought us arugula seeds. :) The best part though was meeting Martha in person! I took a truly amazing NY experience home with me. Plus a sweet Ball® Canning Kit and a Vitamix 5200 blender! Good stuff, good stuff. Follow my tweets at maribelmade.
Tags: 1000, audience, channel, episode, Hallmark, Martha Stewart, new york, ny, show, The Martha Stewart Show, tv
When I first read about steeking, it was hard to imagine such an unconventional knitting technique. Wikipedia says:
“In knitting, steeking is a shortcut used to knit garments such as sweaters in the round without interruption for openings or sleeves until the end.”
But cutting holes in knit fabric? To leave openings for sleeves? Sounded crazy to me. I mean think about the unraveling. Yet, this clever technique had a comforting solution: sewing around the cut to secure the stitches! And instead of knitting 6 separate hoodie pieces, I can now knit 3 and speed up my knitting. :)
As a matter of fact, my newest Mars Sock Monkeys Loni and Samie come in the re-invented knit hoodie! These rainbow striped sock monkeys can be adopted at Maribel Made on Etsy.
Loni Mars Sock Monkey
Samie Mars Sock Monkey
Check out my new Moo cards! They come free with purchase. :)
Tags: handmade, heart, hoodie, knit, knitting, steeking, technique, toys
Happy 2011 everyone!! This first week flew super fast, but I got to stuff lots of sock monkeys! There’s good news too. I have a new sock monkey with a hand-knit heart hoodie. Samie is inspired from the original Samantha Mars Sock Monkey, which everyone loves! I also listed new striped sock monkeys Haden, Jack and Maddy plus polka dot lady Roxy. These and other Mars Sock Monkeys are available for sale on Etsy. :)
Samie Mars Sock Monkey
Haden Mars Sock Monkey
Jack Mars Sock Monkey
Maddy Mars Sock Monkey
Roxy Mars Sock Monkey
Tags: etsy, hoodie, knit, mars, monkey, rainbow, shop, sock, stripe
My Christmas shipping is all done! Making cute things isn’t. Earlier this week I sewed some hoodies with some fabric I ordered from Spoonflower! These super cute hoodies were made with a Scattered Fruits fabric designed by Berrysprite and a Power Paisley fabric designed by Heather Dutton. They’re both adorable! They’re also available for sale on Etsy. :)
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! I hope everyone enjoys their new Mars Sock Monkeys!
It was really interesting going to a big NY fair like this year’s BUST Craftacular Holiday. For one it was pouring like crazy and when I got there the line was wrapped around the building to the other side of the block! Of course I slept in, but the line moved fast and it was fun chatting it up Girl in Gotham Designs. :)
There was a ton to see! Two levels of wonderful, crafty goodness including Amy Sedaris doing a book signing on the 2nd floor. Her book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People looked pretty hilarious.
Here’s a list of my handpicked artists from the New York 2010 event. Enjoy because there’s a ton of cool stuff in there! :)
kg + ab - Ceramics handmade in Brooklyn
Corky Mansfield - Good clean humor to the world through tees and funky characters
Brooklyn Brine Co - Hand packed organic produce paired with simple ingredients and “damn fine pickles” in Brooklyn, NY
Twig. - Moss terrarium and other small wolds
Gramkin Paper Studio - Personalized stationery, invitations, announcements and other paper goods and gifts
Return to Me - Customizable necklaces, wristcuffs and t-shirts
Maybe You Should Die - Sweet declarations of hatred and ill will in the form of paper goods, apparel, plushes and Mean Bags™
Dea + Bean - Unique wedding invitations and paper goods the old-fashioned way
Made With Awesome - Original, off-the-wall slogans and cool tee designs
Beacon Bookmarks - Handcrafted Wooden Bookmarks from the Hudson Valley
McBitterson’s Tasteless Wares - Dedicated to spreading peace and joy to all the peoples of the world through adorable, affordable, hand-crafted goods
Grovius - Cute animal illustrations on wood
Twinko - Infant and toddler line of organic tees, onesies, and accessories with cute graphics
Gnome Enterprises - Men’s + Women’s + Kids Tees | Handprinted in BKLYN NYC
My Secret Music Box - Musical jewellery and pocket-sized enchantment
Shara Porter - Hand printed fine found objects
Las Delicias Patisserie - Boutique Gourmet Bakery
Herban Lifestyle - Hand crafted natural and organic bath and body products
webbedware - Textile jewelry and accessories handmade by Courtney Webb
Tharp - Illustrator and obsessive dreamer
Mochimochi Land - Original knitting and cross-stitch patterns
Not Just Tea - Boutique specialty tea company specializing in new tea blends
Amigurumi Kingdom - a place where cupcake bears rule and little creatures are glued to their ipods (literally)…
Caseybot - Plush, hats and friends
My Zoetrope - Painting, patterns, doodles and more
Rag Trader - Vintage jewelery reborn
Bubbledog - a cute-opia of t-shirts, accessories, & stationery
De*Nada - Accessories line, specializing in handmade knits for women and men
Dirty Ass Soaps - Almost edible vegan food and video game soaps
SPIRITelemental - Live in joy and be free terrariums and illustrations
Isabel Roxas - Books, tees, paper goods and art prints with very nice illustrations
Ashley Buchanan - Jewelry and metals
Fernworks - Jewelry encasing a real found object or painted scene in resin
Bacon Neckwear - Handmade, Custom and Wedding Neckties Bowties Necklaces
Torch Song Metal - Metal adornments by Emily Postula and Ashley Harris
Brooklyn Charm - Custom designed jewelry and supplies in Williamsburg, NY
Erica Weiner - locally made, affordable vintage-inspired jewelry, designed with a sense of humor
Les Enfants Sauvages - It is is all about texture, shapes and colours
Grand Marie - Fine silver earrings molded from antique buttons
Yummy & Company - Handmade jewelry and wedding gifts
Smoke & Daggers.com - Weapon inspired jewelry
Max Steiner Design - Original and unique jewelry designs
Glittery Blue - Vintage made new jewelry
Rock Love Jewelry - Handmade sterling silver jewelry with the alternative edge
By Natalia - Geometric inspired jewelry pieces with an architectural aesthetic
AMH Design - Contemporary needlepoint
Molting Yeti - Super fun knits
New York Couture - One of a kind clothing straight from New York
I’m Your Present - Handmade clothing & accessories
Tags: 2010, Amy Sedaris, art, artist, book, bust, ceramic, craft, craftacular, design, fair, food, funny, handmade, holiday, humor, jewelry, magazine, new york, ny, signing, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, tea
Earlier this fall I started a new project to help improve my glove knitting skills. This time I set out to learn how to knit gloves in the round as opposed to knitting them flat, which is how I made my very first pair of gloves.
The newest edition of Vogue Knitting Mittens and Gloves helped me accomplish just that with the Rainy Day Fingerless Gloves pictured below. These gloves were knit in the round with size 3 dpns and Rowan Handknit DK yarn. I also used colors I already had so I ended up with a new color scheme! The hardest part about knitting these gloves were the color changes and the M1R increasing, but I discovered a little secret to making these increases easier: use a crochet hook to pick up the yarn in between stiches. This made increasing a breeze!
Later I made these simpler pair of gloves, which got me thinking of new ways to knit clothes for the sock monkeys! Maybe I’ll list some of these gloves in the shop since they were pretty fun to make. What do you think? :)
Tags: color, crochet, dpns, fall, fingerless, glove, hook, increasing, knitting, M1R, rainy, round, Rowan, size, technique, vogue, yarn
I’m back from a frosty vacation in London where I got the chance to check out this year’s BUST Christmas Craftacular! Set in East London’s Bethnal Green neighborhood, I took a quick no 8 bus to see what’s shaping up the current London craft scene. I was also happy to receive an Etsy UK goodie bag!
I must have looked at each stall more than twice, picking up a bunny tee from Brat & Suzie, a “game boy” gingerbread cookie from Maid of Gingerbread, some fabric from Beyond Fabrics and a How to Make a Cloak instruction book from DIY Couture. I also got a nifty Moo discount. People were also getting their craft on at diy stations offered by The Make Lounge, Fabrications and Prick Your Finger.
I can’t wait for the New York Craftacular happening this Sunday, Dec 12th in Chelsea. I hear there will be nearly 300 artist participating. Wow!
Here’s a list of my handpicked artists from the London 2010 event. Enjoy. :)
crafty people
Brat & Suzie - www.bratandsuzie.com
Me Me Me - www.madebymememe.com
A Alicia - www.aalicia.bigcartel.com
Tatty Devine - www.tattydevine.com
DIY Couture - www.diy-couture.co.uk
Licie Ellen - www.lucie-ellen.com
Maid of Gingerbread - www.maidofgingerbread.co.uk
Xiang Zeng - www.freerangedoodle.com
Vic Lee - www.viclee.co.uk
crafty organizations
Urban Craft Collective - www.urbancraftcollective.com
The Make Lounge - www.themakeloungue.com
Ety UK - www.etsy.com
crafty stores
Beyond Fabrics - www.beyond-fabrics.com
Prick Your Finger - www.prickyourfinger.com
Fabrications - www.fabrications1.co.uk
crafty magazines
Cloth - www.clothmagazine.co.uk
BUST - www.bust.com
Tags: 2010, bust, christmas, cloth, craft, craftacular, discount, diy, event, fair, handmade, london, magazine, moo, scene
I have a new batch Mix-and-Match Mars Sock Monkeys in the shop! These new sock monkeys come in various styles of rainbow socks so they’re super fun and colorful. These little guys are soft and cuddly, but they could use a hoodie to stay warm. Adopt one of these cute sock monkeys and their clothing [...]
These new Holiday inspired Mars Hoodies are rocking! They come in red, green, yellow and a brand new color, royal purple. Some of the hoodies incorporate the “Power Paisley” and “Piggy” print fabric on the sleeves and each comes with a hand-sewn felt applique. There’s a pom-pom, red nose reindeer and the signature stars and [...]
There’s something new happening in the Maribel Made Etsy shop! I now sell individual Mars Sock Monkeys and Mars Hoodies. These new sock monkeys come unclothed so you can put together your own custom Mars Sock Monkey. Maybe you want a striped rainbow sock monkey with heart hoodie? Or black cat? Or something completely different! [...]
Lately I’ve been inspired by Fall food, weather and Halloween! These new sock monkey hoodies come with a cute pumpkin, a black cat, kitty crossbones and a classic heart in nice, warm colors. Now you can dress your own sock monkey in a Halloween inspired hoodie. :)
Fall Mars Hoodies are available on Etsy. Also, look [...]
My friend, who recently had a baby boy, created this “Woodland Creature” themed nursery with cute handmade toys, pillows, blankets and illustrations. It’s adorable! You can really tell how much love went into each item and Felix Mars Sock Monkey is no exception. These are only a few of pics so check out the [...]
