-This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.-

Today is going to be the final day of the Book Inspired Craft Week. I had originally planned to do 6 books, Monday-Saturday, even though last year I only did 5. I had a hard time narrowing it down to only 5 books, for that matter I had a hard time narrowing it down to only 6. I am already starting a list for next year. When I planned this year I didn't realize until it got closer that I had planned it for the same week one of my kids was having surgery. I tried to have as much as possible finished and scheduled ahead of time so I didn't have to worry about it while we were in the hospital and even at home when I was trying to focus on taking care of him. I didn't quite get everything done ahead that I had hoped, so with as busy as this week has been at home I just decided to cut one of the projects and stick with 5 like last year.

For today's book I chose Summer of the Monkeys. When I was making a list of books I could choose for this week this was one that I thought of because it is one I remember my reading aloud to us when I was a kid. But then I asked my husband if there were any books that he remembered really liking as a kid and Summer of the Monkeys was the first one that he mentioned.

Since it was one I was already considering I felt like the fact that he also mentioned it meant that it should definitely go on the list. It is written by the same author as Where the Red Fern Grows and I always think of those two books together, and they are definitely two that I remember either reading or having my mom read to me, or maybe both.

I feel like the project for this one was kind of obvious. To go along with a book about a boy in Oklahoma finding a bunch of monkeys in the woods near his house, of course I was going to make a Monkey. And if I am going to make a stuffed animal then crochet is my go to way to do that. So for the craft inspired by Summer of the Monkeys I made a little amigurumi monkey.

How to Crochet an Amigurumi Monkey

You will need:

worsted weight yarn in brown, and tan (sample made with Red Heart Super Saver Coffee and Buff)
G crochet hook
Safety eyes, 10 mm
Polyfil fiberfill
2 chenille stems
yarn needle
scissors

Instructions:

The body and head are made in one piece, from the bottom up, the other pieces are made separately and sewn on at the end. All parts except the face are made beginning with a magic ring and worked in continuous rounds. The face piece begins with a chain, then is worked in the round working along both sides of the starting chain, until you get to the flat section which is worked back and forth in rows. The tail has wire inside in the form of chenille stems, to make it bendy.

Body and Head

Begin with magic ring, using brown yarn

Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 4: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Round 5: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Round 6: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (36 sc)
Rounds 7-15: 1 sc in each st (36 sc)

Round 16: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (30 sc)

Rounds 17-18: 1 sc in each st (30 sc)

Round 19: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (24 sc)

Round 20: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (18 sc)

This is the end of the body portion, begin stuffing and continue to stuff as you work

Round 21: 2 sc in each st (36 sc)
Round 22: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 5 st] repeat around (42 sc)
Rounds 23-29: 1 sc in each st (42 sc)

Round 30: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 5 sts] repeat around (36 sc)
Round 31: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Round 32: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Round 33: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 34: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (12 sc)

Round 35: sc2tog around (6 sc)

Finish off, weave around opening to close, weave in end

Face

Begin with chain working around both sides of the chain and working in continuous rounds until other wise noted, then work back and forth in rows, use tan yarn

ch 11

Round 1: sc in second ch from hook, 1 sc in each of next 8 ch, 3 sc in last ch, turn so you are working in the other side of the ch, 1 sc in each of next 8 ch, 2 sc in last ch (22 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st (26 sc)
Round 3: 1 sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 2 sts (30 sc)
Rounds 4-5: 1 sc in each st

continue on as directed working back and forth in rows

Row 1: sl st in next st, ch 1, 1 sc in each of next 10 sts (10 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in each st across (10 sc)

Row 3: ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc last st (12 sc)

Row 4: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in each st across (12 sc)

Row 5: ch 1, sc2tog, 1 sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog (10 sc)

Row 6: ch 1, sc2tog, 1 sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog (8 sc)

Finish off and cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing, add safety eyes between rows 3 and 4 toward the outside edge

Stitch the face to the head with the flat part on top, when attaching the face stitch across the bottom edge of the rows attaching the flat part flat against the head and stuffing the bottom nose/mouth part as you are sewing around

Stitch a nose on the stuffed section by stitching around a couple of stitches 3 or 4 times in the same place

Stitch a long mouth across the face

Ears (make 2)

Begin with magic ring, using brown yarn

Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)

Rounds 4-5: 1 sc in each st (18 sc)

Round 6: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (12 sc)

Finish off and cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing

Flatten (the ears will cup, they will not lay flat) and sew one ear to each side of the head

Arms (make 2)

Begin with magic ring, starting with tan yarn and changing to brown where directed

Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)
Rounds 4-5: 1 sc in each st (18 sc)
Round 6: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (12 sc)Round 7: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)

switch to brown yarn

stuff the bottom portion of the arm

Round 8-16: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)

Finish off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing

Sew the arms to the sides of the body

Legs (make 2)

switch to brown yarn

stuff the bottom portion of the arm

Round 8-18: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)

Finish off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing

Sew the legs to the bottom sides of the body in a sitting position

Tail

Begin with magic ring, with brown yarn

Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 8 sc (8 sc)
Rounds 2-25: 1 sc in each st (8 sc)

Finish off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing

Twist 2 chenille stems together folding down to the size of the tail and put inside the tail with the folded side toward the inside

Sew the tail to the back/bottom of the body

Amigurumi Monkey