I would like to trade crochet hats for rooted Episcias, Streptocarpus, Kohleria, Achimenes, Gloxenia. I make all sorts of hats like sock monkey, frog, owl, ladybug, tiger. Also newsboy, beanies, just about any style you want. I have a facebook page Grandma Kathie's Crochet Cuties that shows many of the hats I make. The URL is http//www.facebook.com/gkcrochetcuties . Please let me know if you would like to trade.

I've never seen cross-stitch sock monkeys but I know where there are some machine embroidery ones. Here is the site. http://www.vsccs.com/me/720-SockMonkeys/72000-SockMonkeytCollection.htm

Sylvia, my trick is to use a digital kitchen scale, if using a 100 gm ball of yarn, and divide it in half, rewinding it into two balls. I try to have the "begining" ends matching at that point. If they don't, (and I start both socks at the same time on two different needles so I get them close to matching), Just unravel the second ball til it matches, and save that yarn. You might need it to finish the toe of the second sock. By all means, don't throw it away! And like Vickey said, there is no knitting police, so if it doesn't bother you, start wherever you like. Tami

I found this children's sock monkey hat pattern: http://crochetincolor.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-another-sock-monkey-hat-ipattern.html I'm not a crocheter, but the pattern seems pretty straightforward, and easily adapted to infant size. Hope this helps!