Creature Feature

Who hasn’t had a craft project gone awry? But while many of us would simply abandon the project or throw it away, illustrator and ceramic artist John Murphy took the opportunity to turn a messed-up sock monkey into a Stupid Sock Creature. He hasn’t looked back since.

In the first part of his book, Stupid Sock Creatures: Making quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-off Socks, Murphy goes into detail on what supplies are needed, the correct way to stuff your creations and how to sew and attach various creature “parts”—lips, teeth, limbs, tails, etc. The section is illustrated with both detailed diagrams and photos as well as Murphy’s quirky drawings. Most of the supplies are those that many crafters will already have on hand—socks (of course), buttons, and basic sewing supplies like a needle and thread.


The second part of the book consists of eight different patterns that are varying degrees of difficulty. Because of details like lips and eyes, crafters can use a combination of sewing machine and hand-sewing, or simply sew the entire creature by hand. Each pattern includes a diagram showing how to dismember the sock(s) into the various creature parts and provides photographs of the creature from several angles. Murphy also provides a humorous biographical sketch of each creature.

For anyone who is looking for a fun and quick project to make out of supplies they probably already have on hand, Murphy’s book will provide both inspiration and ideas.

Difficulty: Beginner to advanced beginner. Basic sewing skills required.