Sock Sloth

I can't be certain why, but recently, I've been slightly besotted with sloths. I don't know when or how this started, but seriously, have you seen how cute baby sloths are?! (Spoiler alert: they're really freakin' cute).

One of the first noted occasions that this obsession showed its prominence was when I found this picture:

I don't even know where I found this, so I don't know to whom I ought to credit it.
Blame the internet.

After I'd finished making my "Thrift Sloth" jokes, I happened to be looking around the Sock Dreams website for some inspiration for the sock-craft contest that Cut Out + Keep is currently running, when I stumbled across these:

Look at them! Just look at them! They are incredible! Exclamation mark!
Also, you can find them here.

These gave me some much-needed inspiration for a contest entry. I would make a sock sloth!

(I also wrote a tutorial on how to make your own, so keep reading for that.)

To make your own sock sloth, you will need:

• One pair of socks (I used a cheap brown pair that I bought a while ago)
• Felt scraps
• Safety eyes
• Velcro
• Stuffing

How to make him:

1. Turn your sock inside out. Pin the leg area of your sock flat, with a row of pins down the centre. Sew from the heel of the sock up, foot-width from the row of pins. Round the end just before the end of the sock. Repeat on the opposite side.
2. Cut down the centre of these strips, separating them, and cut off the end area of the sock. Turn the sock right-side out from the small hole between the legs.
3. Cut out a piece of felt for the face. Add two holes for safety eyes.
4. Add brown patches around the eye area.
5. Add a nose from felt.
6. Stitch on a small mouth, and attach face to toe of sock.
   
   
7. Add safety eyes.
8. Stuff sock.
9. Repeat steps 1 - 3 on the other sock, cutting the sock off at the heel and turning and stuffing each limb separately.
10. Sew the arms onto the sloth's body.
11. Add patches of velcro to each of the sloth's paws.
12. Add claws to each of the sloth's paws.

And you're done!

I thought that this little guy turned out to be particularly cute. He's a refreshing change from the standard sock monkey, though uses just about as many materials. He can literally hang around anywhere thanks to the velcro on his paws, allowing him to cling to anything from the dining-room chair to your arm.

Everyone who's seen him so far has been quite taken with him, and I've had quite a few desperate pleas from friends eager to give him a loving home. I'm slightly tempted to take them on and start a sock sloth army, requesting that people give me one or two pairs of cheap socks - and/or perhaps some money for the felt and eyes -  so that I can make them a sloth of their own colour selection. I'm scared to take on another project that I won't finish, but I'd love to see photos of my work in different people's homes and lives.

As usual, you can find a full tutorial on how to make him over on my Cut Out + Keep.

Thanks for reading, and please post photos of your own sock sloth if you make one!

LDP
x

UPDATE:
If you don't know, I've been making even more, other sloths! Check out a little video of them here: