Monkee Maker

Monkee Pattern

2009-07-21T06:50:00.005+01:00

Just as I suspected, when I stopped paying the rent over at my new place, MrSite pulled the plug.

So here, for anyone who may want to make a monkee of their own is my very very long Monkee Pattern.

Happy knitting!

007 and the mini-me's ....

2008-08-03T16:08:00.000+01:00

We're back!

But we've moved here :

monkeemaker.co.uk

We hope to see you there!

A year of blogging and some Thank You's ....

2008-05-10T06:10:00.002+01:00

My blog is one year old today.

I've had a brilliant year of blogging, mostly about knitted monkeys, and I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by during the past year, and especially those who have commented on one or more of my 261 blog posts.

Thanks also to the following kind bloggers for these great goodies that have landed on my doormat recently ....

mushroommeadows for this beautiful February Girl print and cute card ....

Nia, for this delicious cupcake brooch .....

.... and Working Mom Knits for this wonderfully soft one too ....

Monda, for the extras that came with her little monsters ....

.... and Charlie, (the very talented creator of Greg) who sent me this fabulous package ....

.... complete with customised envelope!

Trash sent me loads of goodies including the best little hand painted monkey trinket box and teeny tiny glass ladybird ....

.... and finally, Bethany, who introduced me to these guys, and this song, for which I shall be eternally grateful ....

(I seem to have developed a bit of a crush .... I'm not sure which one on though ....)

I think that in this past year I've done as much public monkee-ing around as it's possible for a ~~young woman~~ slightly deranged 39 year old to do, so I've decided to hang up my monkee (not literally, for a change) and take a bit of a blogging break.

I'm feeling the need to step away from the computer and do something else for a bit. Maybe pick up a book, or just lie on the sofa of an evening having my head scratched, like I used to in the pre-blogging days (monkee by name, monkee by nature).

So it's goodbye from me ....

.... and goodbye from him ....

.... for now ....

.... we'll be back when more monkees made of knit are ready to join the crusade ....

.... the crusade that is world domination by monkees made of knit ....

007 in Mission : Unbelievable - Part III

2008-05-08T06:04:00.003+01:00

So, we're reaching the end of this monkee who-dunnit, and I must confess to being slightly surprised by the way things have turned out.

Looking at the following photo, I would say we had caught our monkee marauder red handed ....

.... No! Not my RGH - surely not! But when I studied the photo more closely, I realised that it had obviously been edited.

And further investigations led me to realise that THIS was in fact the straight-out-of-camera shot ....

For it transpires that the perpetrators of all these monkee misdoings were this pair of misfits .....

No. 5 (on the right) and his accomplice in crime No. 6. It's shocking, I know, as they both look much too gormless.

Not convinced? Well, lets examine some photographic evidence that has come to light ....

.... hmm, interesting ....

.... very interesting ....

And now that we know the truth, let's just have another quick look at the video footage taken recently at 007's garden party, to see if we may have missed anything the first time round .....

*gasp!*

Finally, the most damning evidence of all .....

Just who was behind the steering wheels of these stretch limos earlier this week?

.... why, none other than No. 5 and No. 6! .....

.... proof positive, I'm sure you'll agree ....

Luckily, before he flew back home, Cedric the Super Hero spotted the monkee mutineers laughing and joking in the garden .....

.... I think we got away with that .... we're great, we are ....

.... oh-oh .... looks like we've been rumbled .....

.... nothing to see here ....

But in true Super Hero style, Cedric took them down and bound them up so they could never cause any more mayhem ....

( .... and then he flew home ..... )

Under interrogation - which did not involve a little bunny bell or a knotted rope, I hasten to add - No's. 5 & 6 admitted to the charges levelled against them. They stated that they were fed up with living in these appalling conditions .....

.... while 007 was being treated as a superstar monkee who got all the glory. Well .... I guess they have a point ....

And I'll leave it to them to sum up ....

.... we're still monkees made of knit .....

.... don't hate us because our mouths are ugly .....

Well, I think we can all learn a lesson from that .... oh, come on, it wouldn't be a proper tale without a moral at the end, now would it?

The End.

Just to show that there really are no hard feelings, I'd like to thank the cast for their excellent performances ....

.... No. 6, Greg, 007 and No.5 ....

.... take a bow, guys ....

..... ummm ?.....

007 in Mission : Unbelievable - Part II

2008-05-07T06:03:00.002+01:00

Hmmm - so it transpires that Greg was hanging around the place during that series of unfortunate events after all. How strange .....

.... pure coincidence? Or something much more sinister? I wonder .....

Still, innocent until proven guilty and all that, plus 007 didn't have time to ponder as he needed his little crocheted chums help .....

..... he asked Greg to collect a couple of essential items .....

.... and while he was gone 007 heaved and tugged and pulled and stretched, and finally got an arm free of the ropes, just in time to see Greg return with the supplies .....

.... a sheet of paper and a Secret Agent Security-Cleared Hugely Impressive Magic Pen (SAS-CHIMP) ....

007 started frantically scribbling a message just as it began to rain, which meant that events from here on in got even more frenzied ....

(yeah, sure, monkee torture is one thing - but frizzy hair is quite another!)

To the untrained eye, this may look like an ordinary - somewhat crumpled - piece of paper ....

But anyone with an SAS-CHIMP would be able to tell you that it is actually a very detailed and highly elaborate plan, chock full of maps, advice and instructions on how to rescue a monkee in peril .....

.... ahem .... ok, so it's not actually that elaborate. Or detailed. Or chock full of instructions. But I think it does impart a very valuable message, and Greg was charged with delivering that message to it's intended recipient, Cedric .....

.... just as soon as it had stopped raining ....

.... he flew off .....

.... actually, he may have just waddled off .... to Cedric's place, somewhere on the south coast. ( .... it took a while)

For anyone who isn't familiar with Cedric, let me fill you in. Cedric Splatt is a Super Hero. A Super Hero who has a well deserved reputation for rescuing monkeys in peril.

Here he is, having just rescued Martin LaFelt from Ruby's knitted clutches, after she turned against him following a particularly bad PMS (Precocious Monkee Syndrome) episode ....

(just ignore what Lesley had to say about this incident .... he DID rescue Martin, Lesley just got the wrong end of the stick)

As soon as Cedric the Caped Crusader got 007's message, he sprang into action, and flew up to Bristol at warp speed, red cape billowing in the breeze.

(Unfortunately the batteries on my camera ran out at this very crucial moment, but with the aid of my trusty tablet and pen, I've been able to re-create the scene for you ..... )

Cedric flying in ....

.... to our fence .....

.... once the concussion had worn off, he immediately set about freeing 007 .....

.... and just as quickly as he'd arrived, he flew off again ....

.... into next door's hedge .....

.... Bye Cedric! And thank you - you're a Super Hero!

So at last, 007 was free. And if you're worrying about his welfare following the terrible goings on here over the last few days, please rest assured .... he's fine. After Cedric's departure he retired to the comfort of an armchair ....

.... with a four-pack and an ice-pack .... ahhhh, that's better!

And now dear reader, I'll leave you to decide. Just who was the criminal genius behind this evil plot to rid the world of 007?

Perhaps it was a new character or characters not yet involved in our tale ....

.... or could it really have been the mild-mannered Greg ....

.... possibly while under the influence of a mind altering substance .....?

Or was it this frowny man in the the monkey shirt?

Or could it just have been me, the mad monkee lady .....

.... after all .... pigeons don't wear green shoes ....

.... or do they?

Tune in tomorrow for the ~~final exciting instalment~~ slightly disappointing climax to
007 in Mission : Unbelievable

With special thanks to Rosie, who provided the Impressive Magic Pen prop ages ago, and to Lesley, who kindly let me borrow her pictures

007 in Mission : Unbelievable - Part I (Certificate PG)

2008-05-06T06:05:00.029+01:00

Things came to a rather nasty head this weekend. The day started off like any other and nobody knew that the following terrible events would unfold.

007 had just settled down to watch a film .....

(Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, if you're interested, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law)

But no sooner had it started, when 007 suddenly had a pillow case dumped unceremoniously over him ....

.... which was hastily tied up with string, with 007 frantically kicking and struggling inside .....

(you may not be able to tell that he's frantically kicking and struggling, but you'll have to take my word for that. Would I lie to you??)

And he was dragged - still struggling - out of the front door .....

mm ... seems familiar doesn't it? I wonder where the perpetrators of this monkee kidnapping got that idea from ....

.... and bundled into the back of a waiting car ....

He was then driven to a local beauty spot where he was tossed out as duck bait .....

.... luckily for 007 the ducks had had their fill of bread that day, so weren't interested.

Then they tried to throw him to the lions! .... ok .... lion ....

.... but quite frankly that just tickled a bit ....

Realising that they'd have to up their game, the perps then drove him to the Avon Gorge.

And threw him off .....

It was a long way down, but luckily 007 is no ordinary monkee made of knit .....

.... and against all odds he managed to scramble back up ....

.... straight back into their evil clutches.

The next thing he knew he was hanging upside down ....

.... over the rather murky River Avon - with duct tape muffling his monkee screams ....

Luckily at that moment the river police came along and threatened the criminal masterminds behind this cunning scheme with prosecution if they littered the river, so the action was moved on ....

.... to the train tracks!!

.... gulp ....

Thank heavens that particular train track was a disused one (please! .... as if I would encourage people to strap a knitted monkey to a real live track!) so the abductors thought they'd change their tactic.

To a tactic of torture.

First they tried stretching 007 .....

.... quite effectively as it goes ....

And then they turned to .... the chair* ....

.... oh, don't be fooled by it's look of innocence. It's pretty blue bird and sprinkling of flowers. For it is .... the chair of doom ....

You've seen Casino Royale, right? And that scene?? (about 2 minutes in)

Well with a little suspended belief, a smattering of imagination and a cartoon saw, that chair was easily recreated ....

.... and 007 was hastily strapped onto it. Then blindfolded.

.... which was probably for the best ....

Oh. It was bad. Make no mistake, it was bad. Would 007's monkee-hood ever be the same again? Has 007 even got any monkee-hood? (well ... he hasn't now, that's for sure ....)

But unbelievably the worst was yet to come. I know. Like I said, it really is unbelievable ....

Worse than Chinese water torture.

Much, much worse ....

.... the sound of a bell tolling .....

.... make that more of a tinkling ..... yeah .... definitely a tinkling, not a tolling ....

.... a little bell tinkling ....

.... the sound of the chocolate bunny's little bell tinkling in his ear .....

.... a cruel and twisted torture, I'm sure you'll agree ....

Well, that was just too much. 007 was a broken monkee.

.... could this be the end for 007? ..... and more to the point - where was Greg while all this was going on??

..... tune in same time (roughly), same place tomorrow, to find out .....

* chair prop very kindly provided by Moogsmum's shop

HP1 .... doing his bit for World Domination ....

2008-05-05T06:09:00.001+01:00

HP1 was lucky enough to have gone on a round-the-world trip recently, taking in Las Vegas, New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania and Hong Kong. Sue (his person) very kindly sent me some great pictures.

Here he is before the holiday, swotting up on all things Australian ....

Although he was very excited about this trip of a lifetime .... he didn't think much of the travel arrangements ....

When they got to Las Vegas, HP1 found it difficult to get his bearings, as one minute it seemed like they were in New York ....

.... and the next in Egypt ....

When they got to New Zealand it was lovely to be able to get close to nature ....

.... although not too close ....

(it was very hot - and smelly - apparently, and he didn't want his knit getting fuzzy, now did he?)

Ahh, HP1, I always knew he was a .....

You know how gregarious monkees can be, and it wasn't long before he made a new Kiwi mate ....

Sam

Good job too, as he needed some company on those long lonely evenings when Sue was out on the town with her husband, and they were left back in the motel room with nothing to do but look at the view ....

.... it's a hard life ....

But the highlight of HP1's holiday snaps (for me) has to be this one ....

.... mmm .... Krispy Kreme donuts - and he didn't even save me one!

Thanks Sue, for these great shots, and for reminding me that my monkees are better travelled than me. Do you have a big enough plastic lunchbox to take me next time?

And then there was the stair incident ....

2008-05-03T06:00:00.003+01:00

Strange things are definitely afoot here at Monkee Towers. First there was the sabotaged balloon at the garden party and now this.

007 was sat innocently at the top of the stairs, pondering.

.... not pondering on how RGH manages to cycle on that a**e up, head down bicycle, but pondering on what might be the best way to get downstairs. Should he use the botty-slide-bump-down method or the reverse-twist-knee-over-knee action?

Please bear in mind that when you're a monkee made of acrylic knit, using either of these options to scale down equally synthetic stair carpet could result in some pretty nasty static shock episodes.

So he was still debating which would be the least statically charged option when suddenly he felt a hefty nudge in his back, and this happened ....

Gasp! The decision was taken out of his little knitted mitts!

When 007 had recovered and his head had stopped spinning, he looked up to see who could have done such a dastardly thing, but there was no one there. No one apart from ....

.... Greg .... DA DA DAHHHHH!!!

.... Greg?? But surely not!

Just who has got it in for 007? The mystery continues ....

Anyway, to lighten the mood and to make sure there were no hard feelings, we took them out. Can you guess where?

Yep. How'd ya guess?

* * * * *

In other (and yet oddly related) news, this weekend I shall be giving a little something back.

Giving a little something back to the man who gives me pleasure every single weekend and never lets me down.

Well, apart from that brief spell last year when he couldn't come up with the goods and much frustration ensued here at Chez Monkee Maker.

Mr Coffee#1 guy, this is for you ....

Calorie and caffeine free white chocolate and raspberry muffin and single shot skinny latte. Enjoy.

.... watch out though, because as ever, this muffin bites back ....

(yes, I am hoping to get a free muffin out of this. Is that wrong?)

Monmouth and the Mountain

2008-05-01T06:15:00.001+01:00

Recently RGH and I had a day off together, and spent the day in Monmouth. He wanted to do some of this ....

.... up and down some big hills in preparation for a race he's taking part in this weekend.

007 and Greg wanted to go too ....

.... but they weren't allowed as they'd have slowed him up.

Greg even tried to disguise himself as a water bottle but that didn't work either ....

There he goes ....

Which left me with about 3 hours of unhindered retail therapy and wandering around the historic town with a couple of knitted chums ....

It really is amazing quite how much of a nutter you feel when you're doing this kind of thing on your own .... hence me only taking one photo all morning (plus, my hands were too full with all those bags).

Later on we met up again at Symonds Yat, which is a beautiful place with fantastic views .... and a rather lovely pub ....

.... where we enjoyed a shandy ....

Well, the monkee did, RGH enjoyed a nice cup of tea after all his exertion
....

And we would have gone canoeing .....

.... but apparently Greg is afraid of water .... (phew!)

Luckily, he's not afraid of Pizza, which was our next stop ....

.... and neither is 007 ....

There are some very big hills around Monmouth (just ask RGH), but there aren't any mountains that I'm aware of. There is one at my house though. I've mentioned these kinds of mountains before, and sadly another one has erupted here. Possibly the biggest one yet ....

You're probably thinking 'Pah, big deal, that's just some pants and socks in a carrier bag'. Well, you're wrong.

This is some pants and socks in a carrier bag ....

.... and so is this ....

.... and this .....

.... but this? ....

.... this is the mother of all carrier bags full of pants and socks ....

I asked RBD2 what she thought it would be worth to sort it all out for me, and I started the bidding at two whole English pounds. She added a zero. After she'd finished we compromised .... nearer my end of the fiscal scale ....

£5 for a job well done .... Thanks. RBD2 .... same time same place next month?

Some post-garden-party (knitted) monkey abuse

2008-04-29T06:03:00.008+01:00

Following the strange goings on at our recent garden party, we decided to have more fun with the party hats. .... ok .... I decided to have more fun with the party hats ....

.... must you? ....

.... *sigh* ....

..... are you done yet? ....

Nope.

.... just kill me now ....

I can't show you where I positioned the red shiny hat for the final shot as this is a family blog, but let's just say that 007 didn't complain .....

.... on the other hand ....

And then there was more.

Imagine the scene ....

.... you're a cool monkee about town ....

.... you share your name with the most suave secret agent the world has ever seen ....

.... men want to be you and women want to be with you .... (mm, yeah, I thought I'd gone one step too far with that one too ....)

.... you spot an unattended box of Thorntons ....

.... you move in for the kill ....

.... and you get a baby's bib whipped over your head .... oh, the humiliation!

When I was de-bibbing 007, I remembered that I used to do this with my poncho when I was young. Weird, I know, but being short haired, I wanted to know how it would feel to have long, flowing (albeit orange and turquoise granny squared) hair ....

.... or to help me make up my mind whether or not to become a Nun.

(.... I didn't, just in case you were wondering ....)

Something strange happened in the garden ....

2008-04-26T06:08:00.001+01:00

But before I tell you about that, I must quickly thank you for all your thoughts on photo editing on my last post. I've studied them intently, and I think the overall message is .... I'm right. Hurrah!

Anyway, on with the story .....

It was such a lovely day on Wednesday and 007 was feeling a bit grumpy, what with his latest bessie mate having been eaten (by me), that I decided to throw him a bit of a party in the garden.

There were party hats ....

.... and ~~homemade~~ cupcakes ....

.... and even a lovely heart-shaped balloon (kindly provided by Alice when I bought this gorgeous bag) ....

(oh yeah .... I've really over-edited this picture .... where are my shades?)

007 was one happy monkee ....

.... but that's when the something strange happened ....

.... what the ....??? 007 looked around for the scoundrel who had sabotaged his garden party but could see no one.

.... and then he spotted the blue party hat ....

.... and looked underneath it. And who did he find there?

Greg.

(Note to Dotty Cookie if she's looking .... told you my two neglected pots aren't as pretty as yours!)

.... Greg, looking like butter wouldn't melt in his little crocheted mouth .....

.... Greg, who insisted he had nothing to do with it ....

.... I had nothing to do with it ....

.... I didn't do it!.....

.... No, really .... it wasn't me!! ....

.... mmfffppfffffhh! ....

So Greg protested his innocence until the bitter end. And really, he was under the hat the whole time, so how could he have done it?

It's a mystery .....

Possibly more photos than you can be bothered to look at ....

2008-04-24T06:05:00.036+01:00

.... and not a single one of them a monkee. Shocking.

If you're only here for the monkees you may want to skip this and come back next time, when normal monkee service will resume. But, if like me, you like looking at other people's photographs (I'm a freak, I know .... or possibly just very nosey), and could maybe spare a few minutes at the end to help settle an argument, I'd be grateful.

I like to take photos and then I like to edit photos to (hopefully) enhance them. But it seems that what I see on my laptop screen may not be entirely accurate. When we went to Prague last year I took 200+ pictures, then edited them, and then spent around twenty quid having them all printed out .... wanna come see my holiday photos??

They turned out a tad on the gare-ish side ....

.... mind you, sometimes gare-ish is good ....

Since that unfortunate incident, RGH thinks I shouldn't edit my photos, and thinks I should just leave them in their original, straight-out-of-the-camera form.

But I disagree. Surely all pictures are edited? Imagine picking up the latest celebrity magazine and seeing un-airbrushed celebs, or the Sunday supplements having un-doctored pictures. Wouldn't it be a bit .... dull?

Anyway. Since I've discovered Picasa I've tried to be a bit more subtle in my photo editing, sometimes just using the "I feel lucky" tool to automatically adjust them, but often using other effects.

Here are some before (or I feel luckied) shots, followed by the - sometimes heavily - edited ones ....

.... and here are ~~a few~~ lots more, Picasa'd to within an inch of their lives ....

(you see? I told you there were a lot ....)

RGH asked me not to edit his photos. So I didn't ....

.... for about five minutes ....

(better, no?)

I may have accidentally done one ....

.... or two more ....

So. What do you think? Am I right, or is he wrong? Any advice would be gratefully accepted and acted upon .... unless you're agreeing with him .....

* * * * * * * *

Despite both girls being at the same school and only one year apart, RBD1 is staying home today due to the teacher's strike, but RBD2 has to go in. You can imagine how RBD2 feels about that ....

I feel sick ....

2008-04-22T06:04:00.002+01:00

Look what happened. Look what I did ....

.... bite marks ....

I tried and tried to resist .... but the lure of the Lindt was too great ....

.... sorry bunny ....

007 wasn't best pleased .....

.... and vowed to take revenge ....

I ignored his idle threat and got on with making the tea. And before you say it .... yes, chocolate does make an excellent starter. And breakfast, as we've already discussed.

I was so engrossed with the task in hand, I didn't notice this going on ....

007 had only bundled the latest batch of stunt monkees into a bag and was making off with them!

Down the hall ....

.... and out the front door ....

.... whoa, whoa, whoa!! Back up there a second! ~~I took these photos~~ These photos were taken yesterday afternoon. The first day back to school for the RBD's ....

.... so how do you explain THIS .....

.... Exhibit A : school uniform .... grrrrr ....

(I left it there .... and I won't be re-ironing it before school today. So there!)

Anyway .... as I was saying .... out through the door ....

.... and up some precariously placed steps ....

.... to the bin .... !

.... can you see where this is going? Or more to the point, where they're going??

Well ....

.... it could have ended like that, if I hadn't rescued them in the nick of time ....

And do you know what? Those brave little stunt monkees just kept on smiling through the whole traumatic incident ....

* * * * * * * * *

Update :
Many thanks to everyone who stopped by my shop tonight to reserve these monkees and bag .... once again the virtual shelves were cleared out in a flash, and slowly but surely the quest for world domination by monkees made of knit continues ....

It's been a while .....

2008-04-19T06:29:00.006+01:00

Just a quickie today as I have to go and prepare myself for a date with one of these* .....

Like I said .... it's been a while .....

..... since you saw any corners of my home .....

..... or any monkees in my shop .....

.... of course you may have lost interest by now .....

..... what with having to wait so long** .....

..... but just in case you do want one .....

..... Tuesday night, 10 pm (UK time).....

..... round at mine .....

* for 'prepare myself for a date' read 'go back to bed for another hour'

** let's not call me lazy .... let's call them rare and exclusive .....

I'm not a granny and I'm not square .....

2008-04-17T06:10:00.001+01:00

..... hmm .... ok, so I am square, but I'm definitely not a granny (and as my Rather Beautiful Daughters aren't allowed to leave the house without a chaperone, hopefully I won't be for a very long time). Even so, I am loving the whole granny square revival.

.... although I can't help wondering if there is actually a revival. Are granny squares so retro they're cool again, or am I just getting old?

... my granny squares ...

My Rather Fabulous Sister was a granny square virgin until she had a lesson from our Mum. Here she is modelling her very first square .....

.... oh no, wait, I seem to have blanked out her pretty face. Hang on .....

.... that's better ....

My RFS is steadily working on a throw .....

.... whereas I don't have the patience for that (plus I'm meant to be knitting monkees), so after being inspired by this girl's scarf in the film Snow Day ....

.... that's what I went for .....

.... I asked RBD2 to model my scarf for me but she refused. So I made her model it by proxy ....

One day I would like to make a full size throw, but for now I'll have to settle for a virtual one .....

.... although bearing in mind that RGH hates them - he's not a fan of knit or crochet ..... unless it's in monkey form ..... my throw would have to look more like this ....

In other crocheting news, last time we were at Ikea, I bought this lamp shade ....

(this is crocheting news, honest)

..... and I thought it might be nice to make a small throw in matching colours to replace this charity shop one that's on my chair ....

(told you)

.... so I ordered some cotton. Unfortunately I made a boob at the ordering stage and got this .....

.... spot the (non)deliberate mistake ....

Damn and blast it! I hate 4-ply!

*Sigh*

.... Still. Never mind. It makes quite cute little monkees .....

The real reason the bunny still lives .....

2008-04-14T06:12:00.002+01:00

007 had never seen so many chocolates in his knitted life ......

..... until he realised there was another layer .....

..... breakfast anyone?

Breakfast.

2008-04-12T06:12:00.024+01:00

Early morning. My kitchen. I'm hungry.

I think about the usual breakfast options ......

Toast.

Cereals. Drugs.

(kidding!) (..... about the ~~cereals~~ drugs)

But nothing is really ringing my bell. Floating my boat. Rocking my world.

And then, with a blinding flash of clarity, I think of something tasty.

Very tasty.

..... can you see it?

..... how about now?

..... how about now??

Ah yes .... chocolate ..... the breakfast of champions .....*

I assemble some tools I think may be useful for chocolate bunny massacre .....

Unfortunately 007 quickly realises what I'm up to and takes immediate steps to protect the bunny .....

..... by shielding his eyes ..... how effective .....

Too little too late, 007, too little too late!

I think about administering a shot of pain relief for the chocolate bunny .....

But then I worry that may make the chocolate taste nasty for me. I decide that if I use this tool .....

..... the chocolate bunny probably won't feel ~~a thing~~ much.

The chocolate bunny surveys the situation .....

..... but 007 can't bring himself to look .....

You probably can't tell, but underneath that calm, dignified exterior .....

..... the chocolate bunny is quaking like a leaf.

The time is upon us. My tummy is rumbling and I need my breakfast. I pick up the wooden mallet .....

..... but then I spot something out of the corner of my eye.

007 is trying to bait me .....

..... and I fall for it .....

Well ..... eggs are so much more breakfasty, aren't they?

You may not be able to see it, but the chocolate bunny is overcome with relief .....

007 is too .....

(you may be able to see that)

..... yum .....

These two on the other hand ..... are ~~cra~~pooping themselves with worry.....

.... although you may not be able to see that ..... what with the shell and all .....

So. The chocolate bunny lives to see another day, and 007 looks like the ~~cat who got the cream~~ monkey who saved the bunny .....

..... good job the best before date is August 2008 .....

* I am a mother. I know the importance of a hearty and healthy breakfast. Of course I don't eat chocolate for breakfast.**

** I do really.

Two more packages .....

2008-04-10T06:10:00.013+01:00

..... dropped onto my doormat recently. This one .....

..... from Jo ......

..... and this one .....

..... from Gina .....

After seeing some of Jo's lovely bags and doorstops on her website, I asked her if she'd make a doorstop for me. And, after giving me a choice of fabrics and size, she did .....

..... in a lovely floral mauve needle cord fabric .....

Thank you, Jo, it's great and it does exactly what it says on the tin ..... well ..... it would do if it had come in a tin .....

.... and it completely cuts out the need for this .....

And after seeing the gorgeous clutch bag that Gina made for her 100th post giveaway, I asked if she'd be able to make one for me. Luckily, she happened to have one that she'd made earlier (hmm, wonder if she's ever considered a change of career).....

..... ooh, I just love that cakey lining .....

Thank you, Gina, I'm so pleased with the bag, and the other goodies that came with it .....

Finally, I can't post today without mentioning my Rather Fabulous Sister, who is another year older than me today (titter).

Happy Birthday, Sis!

..... some sketches of my RFS through the years, from photos that I traced using my tablet and pen (I may have misled you last post when I said "copied". Oops).

.... that one on the left? That's a gun in her hand, ok? (from a picture of a paint-balling exercise we went on when we were both much younger ..... although she was obviously still older than me .....)

Today's word is .....

2008-04-08T06:04:00.017+01:00

Orange .....

Orange ....

Orange .....

Orange ......

(.... and blue)
(.... and white)

Orange .....

Orange ......

Orange .....

Orange-utan ......

* * * * * *

Many thanks for all the kind comments on my last post ..... some of them had me literally crying ..... but then I just made another appointment with the beautician, and I was fine .....

..... and the muffin was the best I've had in a long time, thanks .....

..... gratuitous muffin shot .....

Love is in the air ....

2008-04-06T06:40:00.000+01:00

Seventeen years ago today RGH plighted his troth to me and I promised to love, honour and obey .....

..... well ..... two out of three ain't bad .....

We've changed a lot since then .....

..... although I do still wear flowers in my hair as often as I can, obviously .....

I spent some time in the attic recently searching for our wedding album, just so that I could create this collage. Please try and remember that in 1991 it was absolutely fine to have MASSIVE brows .....

..... no really, it was .....

And in other celebratory news, it's also my Mum's birthday today ..... what with MiL's birthday on Valentine's Day and my Mum's on our anniversary, I think there's a conspiracy going on to ambush our love life!

I wanted to draw my Mum a little something with my tablet and pen (don't worry, I did send a proper card too), but I thought a monkee may be inappropriate. So I copied this photo of four monkeys instead ..... my siblings and I in our Sunday best (I'm the one with a piggy snout and a finger up it .....)

(hmm, I don't think I'll be giving up the day job anytime soon .....)

So Happy Birthday Mum, and Happy Anniversary RGH ..... I haven't brought you a card, but if you like, I promise to treat you to that thing you like .....

..... you know .....

..... that activity we both enjoy at least once a weekend .....

..... when we're alone .....

..... coffee and muffin .....

007 helped me out .....

2008-04-04T06:06:00.005+01:00

..... with the chocolate bunny conundrum .....

..... he surveyed the situation .....

..... he selected the right tool for the job ......

..... he took the appropriate action .....

..... to ensure complete chocolate bunny annihilation ......

..... result! .....

..... he didn't really.

..... as if he would! He's a mild mannered monkee who LOVES the chocolate bunny .....

..... awww .....

Have you ever seen the brilliant Bunny Suicide sketches?

..... here's my take on it .....

...... death by monkee-grip ......

I tote, you tote, we all tote together ....

2008-04-02T06:04:00.003+01:00

..... hmm, I really don't know what I was thinking with that title, but don't you find it tricky to come up with post titles sometimes? I do.

Anyway, for enquiring eyes who want to know, this is what my new bag looks like .....

.... sorry, Kitty, it's not leather, but it is a rather lovely brown canvas and was only eight quid at Asda. Bargain!

And, as I pointed out to RGH, it carries so much stuff "that I may never need another bag ever again!". I love how he believes this kind of garbage .....

Amongst lots of other things, in the top picture it was carrying .....

..... a monkee .....

..... a monkee and a pigeon .....

..... a monkee and a pigeon and a chocolate bunny that refuses to die .....

..... a monkee and a pigeon and a chocolate bunny that refuses to die and some really cute chocolate Easter chicks from my colleague (which are also too cute to chomp) .....

..... a monkee and a pigeon and a chocolate bunny that refuses to die and some too-cute-to-chomp chocolate Easter chicks and some 007 playing cards ..... no, Lauren, I wasn't kidding .....

.... sadly, they don't have any of our favourite Bond, but a close second .....

Oh, and my camera. Which I obviously couldn't take a picture of, but you get the idea. One very accommodating (and heavy) bag.

Also, when we went down to Cornwall recently, we stopped off in Sainsbury's and a very nice lady informed me that if I purchased a pack of PG Tips teabags, she'd give me a free bag. A free bag .... with a monkey on it!

(monkee in it not included)

Two new bags in one week. Fabulous!

In monkee knitting news I'm embarrassed that I've been so lax recently. So embarrassed that I'm thinking of changing my blog name to .... oh, I don't know .... 'Used to be a Monkee Maker but isn't really anymore' or something equally catchy.

But I'm happy to report that another monkee made of knit has finally been completed and has been added to the finished monkee tally ..... currently running at ..... two ..... ahem .....

(..... but there are five more in various stages of completion .... )

Honestly, this world domination malarkey is taking longer than anticipated ..... maybe if I spent less time doing this .....

..... and this .....

..... and more time actually knitting monkees, then it might just happen a lot quicker .....

How??

2008-03-30T09:30:00.002+01:00

How can I eat this ..... ?

It's just too damned cute! Every time I go to smash it over the head with a wooden mallet it keeps fixing it's beady eye on me ......

..... and I just can't do it. So this chocolate bunny lives to see another day. I'm not sure just how many more days it'll see before I crack (it) though .....

As mentioned last time, I need to get back to showing and telling the goodies that our very nice postie keeps delivering to our door.

The day after the monkey sock parcel arrived, I received a little something from Meg's Mum (no blog link I'm afraid, as she doesn't have one) (although she really ought to) (I'm just saying). Well, I say little, as little was what I was expecting, after she'd asked for my address so that Meg could send me a Thank you card.

Meg really didn't need to send me a Thank you card ..... in fact, I should be the one thanking her as she and her Mum have bought two of my monkees.

So I was a little taken aback when this arrived ......

..... not little at all (a Thank you card has been included for scale purposes) .....

Inside was a card and a brilliantly wrapped gift ......

..... and inside that was this gorgeous bag, handcrafted by Meg's Mum, a fabulous cupcake card and a letter from Meg .....

..... which included this groovy alien frog/monkee design .....

..... Meg's partial to frogs, apparently .....

Thank you Meg, and Meg's Mum, for your kindness, I've found just the thing to go in my luxurious bag .....

..... luxurious chocolates (which I have no qualms eating) .....

In ~~monkee~~ pigeon news, Greg's not very happy with me ......

..... something to do with his new badge, apparently ......

..... I can't decide if it's the picture or the pin he objects to most .....

Captain Jack Sparrow has got nothing on Greg .....

2008-03-28T06:05:00.029Z

So, as previously mentioned, last weekend we visited some of our relatives in sunny Devon and Cornwall.

We made sure we had the essentials .....

Clothes ..... check
Monkee ..... check
Chocolate ..... check
Pigeon ..... check
007 playing cards ..... check

After a long and boring journey, we settled into our five star accommodation then got busy with the treats ......

..... although 007 was keen to keep Greg at arms length ......

..... but I think he may have regretted his greediness the next day ......

We didn't actually do much in St. Ives with ......

...... as it was so incredibly windy ......

..... Greg found it especially difficult .....

..... those wings weren't made for flying .....

And we were all relieved to get to my Brother-in-law's house. It was our first visit there and we were very impressed by it's beautiful features.

Like this lovely (& warm) fireplace .....

..... and this impressive cast iron oven .....

..... 007 got busy with the copper kettle straight away!

Although he did seem a little confused about what was meant to be cooking ......

..... pigeon pie anyone?

The views scrubbed up pretty well too .....

Next day we visited some "friends", and I'm happy to report that no monkee business went on. Just a little pigeon baiting ......

..... and really, what's a little pigeon baiting between friends. Especially when said friends feed you up with delicious curry, make sure your glass is always topped up and offer to let your kids sleep over! (Plus, I think Greg actually quite enjoyed the attention .....)

So the next day we headed to a rather marvellous chocolate shop in Exeter, and picked them up a little Thank you. Although they were lucky to get them, as someone else had his beady eye on them ......

When we stopped for a coffee, it looked like 007 and Greg had fallen out ......

I'm not too sure but I think this may have had something to do with it .....

..... when 007 posed in front of Exeter Cathedral ......

..... Greg wanted a go too .....

..... and while he was being photographed I made sure that 007 was put away safely and comfortably .....

...... or maybe I didn't ......

(RGH, working my new bag)

(.... and a monkee .....)

Finally, this is for Murdo ......

..... I hope it helps ......

Well, that's it for today, please come back next time when I'll be reacquainting myself with that lovely man who brings me gifts on a virtually daily basis .....

Oh no! Wait!! I was forgetting! Something very exciting did actually happen while we were in Cornwall. Contrary to my earlier statement about Greg's wings, it appears that he can indeed fly.

During one flight out to sea, he came upon a miniature galleon and crew .....

(.... no, I haven't been drinking ....)

Once on board he rallied the crew into mutiny so that he could become the new Captain ..... well, those wings were really tired and he had to get back to land somehow .....

Cap'n Greg Pigeon ..... he could take Jack Sparrow with his wings tied behind his back!

I feel pretty ..... oh so pretty .....

2008-03-25T06:11:00.007Z

Lucy Locket asked why there aren't more pictures of me on my blog. Well, Lucy, I'm glad you asked. Apart from the fact that I'm ~~usually~~ always the one behind the camera, the real reason is that I don't like my face.

I have some deep-rooted face issues. But that's fine, that's ok, I'm sure lots of people don't like their face. I'll probably grow into mine one day.

In fact, when I was with my sister a couple of days ago, I came to realise that actually, I'm quite a corker. So I thought I'd share with you just how gorgeous I really am.

My Rather Fabulous Sister and I .....

..... oh yeah ..... we've really got it going on ......

And you can see where Rather Beautiful Daughter 1 gets her stunning looks .....

...... and Rather Beautiful Daughter 2's big blue eye(s) ......

Oh no, wait. Scrub that. They obviously get them from their Dad .....

Much fun was had by all, playing with my Sister's Mac Photobooth, but please rest assured that I'm not going to share all 70 photos with you.

..... how about just nine more?

..... in ..... oh, I don't know ..... let's say ..... collage form?

..... who needs therapy when there's Mac Photobooth .....

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes for RGH on the last post, I think they all must have gone to his head. Last night he asked if he could borrow my sketching tablet and pen. I suppose I should have been concerned, as he's a big fan of Itchy and Scratchy.

...... you may want to take that as a warning ......

..... well this kind of cartoon is never going to catch on, is it?

My guy's mad at me .....

2008-03-23T06:08:00.010Z

..... well, he will be when he sees some of these photos ..... but first of all, here's the final cartoon instalment of our trip .....

Thanks for humouring me while I showed off my new pen and drawing tablet toy, and if you could just indulge me once more, as I dedicate this post to RGH, My Rather Gorgeous/Geeky Husband, whose birthday it is today. And who I've bought nothing.

In my defence, last year, for his 40th, I arranged a long weekend in Prague as a surprise, and while we were there we were immortalised forever in a glass block .....

..... which, quite frankly, I think is enough of a gift that should be allowed to roll over to this year too, but I guess that's debatable.

So here are a few shots which should make him happy ..... RGH and his greatest love ..... cycling ....

He's always been a fan ..... right from an early age .....

..... and a fan of head-bands too ......

He's a fine figure of a man in lycra .....

..... and his dedication to his art is truly amazing .....

This was his highlight of our weekend away ......

...... whereas this was mine .......

..... nuff said ......

So here, as a special birthday treat for me RGH, is a rather gorgeous collage of the birthday boy .....

Happy Birthday RGH

Finally, an Easter message from my current favourite double-act .....

..... so does the Express Holiday Inn .....

2008-03-22T06:59:00.005Z

...... to be continued* .....

* when I don't have to pay to connect .....

What can I say?

2008-03-21T11:20:00.000Z

...... Bro-in-law has wi-fi .....

Socks, glorious socks!

2008-03-19T07:12:00.002Z

Warning : Anyone who has an aversion to feet and/or slightly hairy legs, please look away now.

I have loads of pairs of socks.

.... stripey socks ....

.... heart socks ....

.... argyle socks ....

.... spotty socks ....

.... more stripey socks ....

.... and did I mention heart socks?

Most of these were destined for sock monkeys like this one I made for Lauren (who incidentally, currently has THE most brilliant collage of 007 on her blog) (not my 007 sadly - you know, that blonde pouty guy) .....

.... but now they've been on my ~~smelly~~ beautifully fragrant feet, I guess they'd better just remain as .... well .... socks.

Recently, my virtual friend SuzyB asked me to make her some monkey socks, but I can't so I didn't. Instead I made her this .....

..... a monkey sock sock monkey .....

..... and I thought that was the end of it. But no. SuzyB had to take it one step further. Like I didn't feel bad enough already that I hadn't made her any, she only went and sent me some .....

MONKEY SOCKS!!

*sigh*

Monkey socks AND all this other fabulous stuff .....

.... including this little bag that has monkeys on the outside and knitting on the inside .....

.... inspired!

Thank you, SuzyB. Thank you very much for showing me up so magnificently. And for all the lovely gifts. But especially for these .....

..... monkey socks ......

I love them! And I wear them all the time.

Here's one with some fast-withering flowers .....

..... no - they were withering before my foot got near them .....

Here's one making the bed .....

Here's one reading the Sunday papers .....

Here's one doing the ironing .....

Here's one wondering why those pesky hairy monkees still aren't finished .....

.... sorry for the blurry picture quality ....

.... but it was a long way up .....

Here's one being forced into my boot .....

Here they are in the shower .....

..... and here they are getting ready to cycle to work .....

..... blimey, did I ever get some odd looks that day!

Like I said ..... I love them, thanks SuzyB!

And I think we all know what's coming next .....

.... it just had to be done .....

In other non-sock-related news, we're off to visit relatives in Devon and Cornwall, so I shall be off the blogging radar for a few days.

I just have one packing issue that I'm having trouble with .....

..... hmm ..... who to take ..... who to take .....

..... I think 007's thoughts are pretty clear on that one .....

Pigeon, I hereby dub thee .....

2008-03-17T06:06:00.012Z

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the naming of Mr P 019. So many entries! So many excellent names!

Some of the runners up : Squadron Leader P. John Smythe, Pingoe (which reminded me of Pingu - a favourite of ~~mine~~ the kid's, a few years ago), Percy/Percival - a popular contender, as was Walter, Woodie/Woody and Py/Pie. Captain Hook, Feathers and Biggles, all excellent names, as was Isambard Pigeon Brunel, but sadly I had to discount Charlie, as the creator of Mr P. (Sorry Charlie, but I didn't want it to look rigged or anything, now did I?)

But there can only be ~~one~~ ~~two~~ ~~three~~ four winners .... after all, everyone needs an extra name or two. Plus a nom de plume .....

So from here on, Mr Pigeon 019 will be known as .....

..... and just in case you can't see that ......

...... or Greg, for short ......

Thanks Working Mom Knits, Muddling Through, Rosie and Merry Mog for the brilliant names, if you could mail me at monkeemaker@yahoo.co.uk with forwarding addresses, I'll send you some goodies this week.

..... and if anyone is wondering how I managed to fit all those names on that tiny tag .....

..... I didn't .....

Talking of Merry Mog, recently she sent me a link to this recipe for some delicious looking Raspberry and White Choc Chip muffins. Thanks, Merry Mog. I think. Maybe you weren't reading my blog when I posted this entry. Or maybe you're just trying to rub in the fact that I can't bake. Whichever the case may be, I'm not going to hold it against you.

Oh no.

Because I've put all that bad baking behind me.

Why, just look at this batch of cupcakes I whipped up the other day .....

Mmmmm, don't they look good?

..... and I even sealed them in cellophane to keep them fresh. No, really, I did.

Sadly they'd all gone by yesterday, when the lovely and not at all Vicious Chicken came round to visit, but luckily she brought some delicious Blondies with her (thanks, VC!), and I had a great time knitting and chatting with a fellow monkey-loving blogger. Unfortunately she didn't wear her fabulous new slippers, but maybe she thought that risk was too great ..... given a certain someone's attraction to novelty footwear .....

Haven't you heard? Pigeons are the new monkeys .....

2008-03-13T06:00:00.002Z

In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that Pigeons may win the fight for World Domination. They have wings, you see, which is obviously a bonus when you're trying to take over the world.

Plus, believe it or not, they're really really cute. Look.

Small + round + fat = cute (Maths!)

When I saw this post on Di's Woollie Wanderings (sorry, I can't seem to get the link to work - Di's pigeon is on 16 January if you want to check him out) I just knew that I needed a pigeon. So I ~~begged~~ ~~pleaded~~ ~~bullied~~ asked Charlie to let me know when she had more available in her Etsy shop, and she very kindly did.

A little while ago this fabulous package arrived .....

Which as you can see contained loads of brilliant goodies. Thank you, Charlie, you certainly pack a mean parcel ..... in a good way!

Amongst all the extras in the box with my pigeon was this amazingly detailed passport .....

Which I was able to use to check that I had the right pigeon ......

Mr Pigeon 019. Check. Welcome to Bristol, Sir. Are you here for Business or Pleasure?

(a little bit of both, apparently)

Also included was this super stylish pattern for a Super Stylish Tank Top for Mr P ......

I haven't made it yet .....

..... although Mr. P seems quite keen that I do .....

And I love this brilliant artwork by Charlie ......

...... Monkee and Pigeon in perfect harmony ......

..... not too sure how Mr. P. feels about that idea though ......

But I told him not to worry. 007 has a fear of pigeons as everywhere we go he keeps seeing them with grotesquely deformed feet. (When I tried to google a picture of it, I couldn't find one - phew! But apparently it's called Pigeon Pox. Really hope that Mr P. won't be afflicted)

(always look after your feet)

We were keen to show Mr. P 019 the sights, so took him for a ride round Bristol .....

..... and through a car wash ......

(aah yes, we know how to live!)

..... and for the obligatory coffee .....

..... and muffin ......

..... but I have to say that he didn't really "get" the whole cafe culture experience and was more keen to check out the wildlife outside ......

We took him shopping ......

(could our day get any more exciting? Possibly not)

..... but unfortunately there was a small incident in Iceland ......

..... when Mr P. inadvertently fell in with the frozen poultry. Cripes. How did that happen??

When we got home Mr. P noticed more of his feathered friends outside .....

.....oops, I think we've been rumbled ......

(..... just checking out his feet ..... yep .... they look to be intact .....)

Mr P. decided he wanted to see what life was like in the wild .....

..... it was cold ......

(By the way .... that last picture? New seed on a different day .... I did mention Pigeon Pox, didn't I?)

Obviously I had to do a collage just for my new chum .....

And now I need your help, dear reader. The name Mr. Pigeon 019 isn't exactly catchy, and knowing that I'm no good at names - hence the monkee numbers - I've decided to borrow Tracy's idea and enlist your help.

Can you think of a good name for my cute new friend?

...... please help me fill in the blank ......

If you can, leave a comment and I'll send some goodies to the person whose name I like the best.

..... get your thinking caps on ..... oh, and enter as many times as you like. This pigeon needs a name and it needs it really quite quickly.

In which Monkee Maker* loses the plot. Again.

2008-03-10T06:03:00.028Z

The time : Friday morning

The place : Our dining room

I was just sitting in my chair, sewing up a monkee limb, when I noticed this .....

...... the sun was shining.

Oh, and there was a monkee sat facing the wall. It was 007. Now, as far as I can remember, it's only Dennis who is forced to sit facing the wall, so I asked him what was up.

He ignored me.

When I got up to make my breakfast I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched .....

..... but I guess I must have been mistaken ......

Honestly! It was like eating my breakfast with a surly teen ......

(for those of you wondering why I don't eat breakfast with a surly teen, it's because my (sometimes) surly teens don't eat breakfast. And before anyone writes in telling me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I know that. And you know that. But I think we all know that surly teens do actually know best)

So I went to work.

The time : Friday afternoon

The place : Our dining room.

When I got home 007 was in exactly the same position ......

..... funnily enough .....

But I noticed that there was a stack of paper and a pen on the table.

I tried again. "What's up?" I asked

007 started scribbling (he needed a bit of help with the pen lid .... no opposable thumbs)

(spelling was never his strong point)

"What's with the paper and pen?" I queried.

"But why??" I wailed.

Aah. It was becoming clear. 007 hasn't had a very good time recently. Not only did his girlfriend recently pop when she got snagged on the hawthorn hedge, but one morning 007 awoke to find that his little monkee mate wasn't around anymore.

But that wasn't my fault. RBD1 had an emergency birthday gift crisis and HP27 fitted the bill perfectly.

I suggested to 007 that maybe he'd feel better if he took his mind off his worries by doing some modelling work for me and my blog.

Oh, I think you'll find you are, 007. (You see? he can't even spell 'monkee' properly!)

"I guess that means you aren't keen?" I suggested.

O-K. And another penny drops. Since Martin LaFelt and Rosy arrived, 007's nose has been put well and truly out of joint.

Well, you can't really blame him. Martin, also known as "my new bessie mate" and I have been doing loads of stuff together ......

..... crafting ......

..... goofing around at the coffee shop ......

..... sharing coffee .....

...... and muffins ....... (ha! as if!)

...... going for long walks up on the downs ..... well ..... we would have ..... if it hadn't been raining .....

Generally, he's just taken over our house .....

..... he's even been to my work too .....

(No, Mr I.T. man, my computer didn't break because it was jammed with grey felted wool - honest!)

Anyway. Talking of work, I really need to get on. So, to cut an already long story slightly shorter, I'm not called Monkee Maker for nothing .....

I MADE 007 get back to work .....

...... modelling this fabulous new bag I bought from Moogsmum's new Etsy shop. It rather suits him, don't you think?

I'm afraid I've gone out of order with all the goodies I'm meant to be show and telling, but what can I say? A new bag in one hand and a reluctant monkee in the other? The opportunity was too good to miss.

I'll get back in sync next time, when I'll introduce you to my new bessie mate ..... and get this ..... it's NOT A MONKEY!!!

* and refers to herself in the third party. Proof positive .... if proof were needed.

Chocolate. Monkees. Chocolate. Corsages.

2008-03-08T06:10:00.001Z

Have you seen this advert for Lynx - or Axe as it's called in other countries?

Apparently the advertisers are working on a girlfriend for him ......

...... they haven't got very far .....

Were that to be true, they could do worse than to ask Michaela to make her, as Michaela knows a thing or two about chocolate. She sent me a whole slab of this divine chocolate cake when I correctly guessed how many pounds she had lost one week.

How ironic that she's sworn off the stuff and yet is forcing it upon those of us with weaker wills. Force away, Michaela, force away.

Pretty soon there was only one piece left.

...... and that didn't last long.

Moving on to the Monkee segment of this post, Joe's big sis was kind enough to mail me some pictures of Toffee in his new home .....

..... he settled right in with the natives ......

...... especially this pair .......

This is what he likes best about his new pad ......

..... chilling with Joe and the Playstation ..... I think he even lets Joe win sometimes .....

(please note that I don't usually post pictures of other people's children on my blog, but I did check with Joe's parents that it was ok.) (...... hmm .... I wonder if anyone thought to check with Joe .....)

Moving seamlessly back to chocolate (and corsages), Maxine very kindly sent this pretty package and lovely card recently, as a treat for me after I organised a raffle for Ellie ......

..... it contained these beautifully soft corsages and truly decadent chocolate truffles .....

..... that tasted heavenly, especially right before my tea ..... don't tell my girls, I'd never live that one down (plus they'd have wanted one). Thank you Maxine, for such a kind thought and lovely gift.

Finally, do you need more purple in your life?

Just asking ......

(my monkee making mojo appears to be back in the room ..... phew!)

So maybe "fancy" was a bit strong .....

2008-03-05T06:06:00.016Z

...... but it's just getting embarrassing, the number of times he's been calling for me recently, bearing gifts. Sometimes he even leans in and whispers sweet nothings to me. Ok, so it's usually "I need a signature on this one", but I can read between the lines .....

Recently he handed me this ......

..... oooh, a lovely package .....

Which contained these smashing goodies from RubyRed ......

I won them for nearly but not quite guessing how old her cat was. Thanks, RubyRed.

..... and do you see how the gorgeous purple brooch matches the skirt I had on perfectly? (Did I mention I like brooches?) How did she do that?

Another day he brought me an exciting package from the States, which made me very happy.

Because Autumn had arrived! I know what you're thinking, Spring isn't even properly here yet, so how can it possibly be Autumn already? And heck, does that mean I missed Summer??

Well, rest assured. This Autumn is in knit form. And it's a monkey!

Autumn

Huge thanks to Stine, who sent not only Autumn, but also some really minty mints .....

..... and a little snail playmate for Autumn ......

Thank you Stine, they're both ......

...... so sweet!

Next time I'll show and tell some rude food from Michaela and catch up with Joe and his monkee mates, but now I need to go and slap on some lippy ..... the doorbell could go at any minute and who knows what that man-in-a-big-red-van could bring me today.

A few things before I go though .....

Thanks so much for all the reassurance about my messy house. If I ever appear on How Clean is Your House, I'll know that I'm in good company!

Shawn Mary (she of the HP32 v Little Cotton Rabbits + Louis Vuitton bag fame) has started her own blog. If you like frogs (and I know someone who does), then get yourself over to Oliver and Olivia and scroll down to Friday's entry where you could win the lovely Pascale. No wait ..... why am I telling you this? I want to win him!

You may want to get yourself over to Aldi too, as they're currently selling wool ..... ok, acrylic ..... and really pretty needles ......

..... really pretty needles .....

They also had overlockers for one hundred and twenty pounds. That's got to be cheap hasn't it? (I wanted to get one, but after the whole cricked neck incident, I thought it best that I keep quiet)

And finally ......

Do you need more colour in your life?

..... just asking .....

Non-inspirational blogging

2008-03-02T06:21:00.013Z

Blogland is so full of inspirational sites and sights, isn't it? Stunning pictures of beautiful homes, beautiful people and beautiful lives. Truly inspirational living. And that's great, I love it. I just can't always live up to it.

So today, I give you an un-inspirational post. Think of it as a gift from me, a Mother's Day gift, if you like. A gift - in collage form - that will make you feel better about your home, and possibly your life.

Mess

Mmm, bad isn't it? I must confess that after snapping the above "artwork" I made a concerted effort to tidy up .... oooooh .... one of those areas.

And while I'm on a roll, in other un-inspirational blogging news, I'm afraid I haven't yet clawed my way out of the depths of Monkee Fatigue Syndrome, so no new monkees made of knit will be appearing any time soon.

I did make this yesterday though ......

For a blogging friend who did me a favour recently. Ok, so it's not knitted but it is still a monkey. That's got to count, right?

On Friday, RGH and I had the day off, and we went here .....

for a new one of these .....

While we were there I stumbled upon this in the Bargain Basement section ......

..... obviously I had to have it .....

RGH wasn't pleased. Basically because (a) he hates it and (b) it meant he had to drive home like this .....

Funny. And yet probably dangerous. So not funny at all then really.

..... but he's a good egg and soon got over it.

Busy.

Finally for today, when I got up this morning, this brilliant picture was outside my door, along with a two sided heart-rending letter from RBD1 explaining some of the teenage angst she (and therefore we) have been struggling with recently. It's the best Mother's Day present I could have hoped for and shall be put away safely to be re-read frequently.

..... a new family crest? Or a little prompt to get my mojo back, maybe.

Next time ..... I think my Postie secretly fancies me as he keeps bringing me lovely stuff ....

Monkees v Rabbits .....

2008-02-29T06:10:00.006Z

Shawn Mary has very fast fingers. Very fast fingers indeed. How do I know this? I know this because not only was she quick enough to bagsy one of my monkees last time my shop was open, but she has also bagged not one, but TWO Little Cotton Rabbits. And to get one of those little cuties you have to be really fast on the keyboard!

So, HP32 arrived at Shawn Mary's house, hoping to be welcomed into his new home with open arms ..... but what did he get on his arrival?

..... only beaten up by Dolly and Joey!! Who knew that Little Cotton Rabbits were capable of such a thing??

....... Doh! I'm just playing with you! As Shawn Mary's picture actually shows, they were just welcoming their new monkee mate ......

Unlike this guy (Bubba), who set about HP32 and kidnapped him!

What? You don't believe me?

..... told you .....

Pretty soon though, Bubba saw the error of his ways and they were all ......

(complete with monkee / rabbit snacks)

In fact ..... some may say they got a little too well acquainted .......

..... but I couldn't possibly comment on that ...... apart from to note that judging by the smile on 32's face, he's very comfortable .....

Thanks, Shawn Mary, for the brilliant pictures, and for these next ones, which show that HP32 is going to be FAR better travelled than his creator ......

...... hmm, squished between Shawn Mary and Louis V? What red blooded primate wouldn't enjoy that ride?!

Business Class ...... this monkee sure knows how to get around!

Unfortunately, while in the First Class Lounge something strange started happening to HP32. Maybe it was the excitement of living life in the fast lane that went to his head. Maybe it was one too many cocktails. Maybe it was magic beans. Whatever it was, this monkee started growing.

And growing ......

And pretty soon he had taken on King-Kong-esque proportions and wouldn't fit in the plane.

They told him he'd have to find his own way to Singapore .......

..... so he did ......

Again with the Doh!! I just can't help myself! Ok, so really he was just playing around in the lounge still ......

..... but you must admit that the last picture, ~~while possibly the result of a psychologically disturbed mind~~ obviously a work of pure genius, makes for a more nail biting finale.

Once again, many thanks, Shawn Mary, and if you should send me any more pictures, I promise not to mess around with them ..... too much .....

A note for Sal - I've been trying to leave a comment on your blog, but as I don't have a the right account it won't let me ..... anyway, my comment is ..... fabulous wallpaper, dahling!

Random Monkey Shot # 21

2008-02-26T06:12:00.001Z

OK ..... admit it ..... who dropped one??

COLLAGE CORNER ..... a new feature .....

Inspired by the embarrassed monkey, today's collage is brought to you by the colour Red .....

..... did I mention I *heart* Picasa?

Please join me next time on Monkee Maker, when I shall be putting the question : Monkees and Little Cotton Rabbits ; can they really can live together in the same community without resorting to unravelling? Discuss.

.... now that picture would make a good moo card ..... don't you think?

And then there was Colin.

2008-02-24T06:08:00.003Z

Not Colin Firth. (You may know him as Mr Darcy) (I must confess that I neither read Pride and Prejudice, nor watched the TV adaptation .... and thanks to that little youtube snippet, I don't think I need to.)

Or Colin McRae (RIP), the British and World Rally Champion.

Not Colin Montgomerie the golfist.

Or Colin Murray the radio DJ (for young people)

Not Colin Challen MP ( ..... an MP)

Or the Colin Glen Trust. (an organisation committed to the development and management of the Colin River Valley)

Not Colin Campbell, the Crime novelist.

Nor even Colin Farrell, the rugged Irish film star, who some people may remember from Ballykissangel.

No! Colin ...... The Monkee!

Gigibird's monkee, to be precise. I was in a bit of a rush to bundle him up and pop him in the post to her, and couldn't find my camera, so only have a couple of phone photos of him.

HP29 (as I think I knew him ..... I'm not good with numbers) was ok. He was fine. A bit dopey looking but generally a good egg. (or monkee).

But since he's been at Gigibird's house he's become something of an intellectual.

Just look at the kind of books he's been reading .....

Wow. Impressive.

Actually, it seems that book may have been a bit high-brow for him.

This one is probably much more in keeping with the Stunt Monkee ethos ......

..... and may yield some handy tips for World Domination success.

But there seems to be one book that has had a life-changing effect on Colin.

Oh yes. This book really seems to have gone to his head. Can you tell what it is yet?

Self-help for a monkee. I've seen it all now.

If you haven't already, you can see more of Colin (minus his JSP disguise) over at Gigibird's site, and while you're there you may want to peruse her Etsy shop. Look what arrived for me yesterday ......

Why - it's another corsage!

Many thanks, Lynn, the photos of Colin are brilliant, and the rose corsage is gorgeous. You're such a giver!

A thousand Thank you's .....

2008-02-21T06:03:00.003Z

Well, not quite a thousand, but so many people have sent me pictures or goodies recently, which I need to start show and telling. I'll try to do it in order, with one or two per post.

Firstly, thanks to Rosemary for this picture of her Chimp ......

..... and to her daughter, who made this fabulous sock monkey for her brother for Christmas .....

Thanks, also to Ann, who sent me this picture of her latest monkey, Hopper, named after the painter Edward Hopper, apparently.

Kaduuk on the left and Hopper on the right.

I didn't know who Edward Hopper was, so I googled him and came across this painting .....

..... which kind of reminds me of RGH. I think it's the leg muscles and the dark hair ..... and possibly the nose .....

Finally for today, I just wanted to post pictures of these receipts showing two deposits to the Ellie Wiseman trust fund (just to keep it all above board) .....

(amazing - who knew that Paypal were fans of monkees made of knit?!)

Thanks to Suzie and Gladys who donated after the raffle was over, the total raised was £402.00, which is an amazing amount. Many Thanks to everyone who donated.

I'll leave you with a collage of other people's monkeys, including Rosemary's, Ann's and Sarah's .....

..... and hope that this will distract you from the fact that I haven't produced any in AGES. Monkee Fatigue Syndrome ..... it's a terrible thing .....

Lucky No. 7

2008-02-19T06:05:00.008Z

007 pulled at the weekend.

...... he looks very pleased with himself, doesn't he?

I'm not surprised.

She's gorgeous ......

..... but she's a bit of a brat.

And I'm just the tiniest bit concerned ......

..... that he's getting carried away with her .....

This time last week .....

2008-02-17T06:21:00.005Z

..... we were in Tenby, staying in a recently converted pump house. A place which, if I'm being honest, was much too nice for the likes of us .....

..... the oh-so-stylish lounge .....

..... the stunning kitchen (RBD2's picture) ......

..... our romantic bedroom ...... that's RGH's and mine - not the monkee's and mine, by the way ......

..... yes, this picture has been Picasa'd to make it even more romantic .....

The RBD's bedroom ......

It was so beautifully furnished too. Using the medium of collage (which may be happening a lot from here on in), here are some of the lovely touches that made me want to come home and re-vamp our place ......

..... I didn't though - much too like hard work .... I just wanted to .....

There was even something to keep 007 amused ......

..... he likes sheep ..... remember Shaun??

After checking out some of the sights of Tenby, 007 decided that he'd mostly be staying back at the ranch playing with the sheep during our weekend ......

.... while we all had fun in the sun ......

.... with a muffin .....

..... sunbathing .....

..... rock-pooling ......

..... rock-climbing ..... and looking slightly nervous about all those mussels .....

..... fishing ..... and looking even more perturbed to be used as bait .....

..... I have nothing to say about this picture ......

But this one ..... a muffin eating a cinnamon swirl .....

..... is that cake cannibalism??

Sorry about the picture heavy post ..... are you still there? Just a few more of my favourite shots of Tenby - oh, and one more collage ......

(RGH's photo)

(RBD1's photo)

And finally, Monkee and Muffin in perfect harmony .....

What's that? You don't think Monkees and Muffins can go together in perfect harmony?

How do you explain this then ......

(Please note that this latest Etsy purchase isn't my fault. It's Cheryl's, cos she gave me the link. So there. But really ..... how could I not?)

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T06:11:00.008Z

To everyone.

But especially to anyone who didn't receive a card.

(..... that would include me .....)

And to anyone who didn't send a card.

(..... that would be me too .....)

To anyone who never received a card during their formative years ..... apart from one from their Mum.

(..... umm ..... yep ..... over here .....)

Also to anyone whose Mother-in-Law's birthday is today ..... meaning that Mummy gets a card even though wifey doesn't.

(..... Pick me! Pick me!! ...... not that I'm bitter ..... much)

But it's not all bad. I know someone who did get a card .....

Great! I don't get one, but the monkey does! The smug git.

Many thanks to whoever the secret monkee admirer is ..... I have a sneaking suspicion that it's someone who makes lovely cards and corsages, whose name begins with N, but I could be wrong.

But really, I'm not bitter, and if my MiL is reading this ..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

RGH and I haven't done the valentines thing for years now as we like to think we're quite loved up all year round (plus we're too mean to play into the marketing men's hands), but trying to get into the spirit of romance, I wandered round the house yesterday snapping as many love-ly things as I could.

And thanks to RBD2 introducing me to Picasa while we were away, I made this ....

Love-ly Valentine collage

I LOVE Picasa! How come nobody told me about it before? I could possibly be the last person in the world to realise what my photos have been missing. The effects you can achieve are fantastic.

Like this ......

Curious George? Or just Nosey 007 .....

And this .....

RBD2 working on her own arty shot

And this .....

RBD1 yearning for MSN

I think I'm in love ..... with a photo editing application. Now do you see why I didn't get any cards? Happy Valentine's Day, and please expect more doctored photos from me next time .....

Oh this is bad ......

2008-02-11T19:01:00.000Z

...... this is very bad. In fact it's excrutiating ...... but I said I'd do it so I am. Remind me never to film a draw EVER AGAIN!! It's so bad that I wanted to scrap it and do it again in silent movie mode, but RGH said that would be cheating. So I didn't.

A few things though .....

I strongly recommend that you skip this horrendous clip and scroll straight down to the winners.

I don't normally sound like that.

I do really.
I'm not normally such a nag.

I am really.
I'm so embarrassed I may never be able to blog again.
Not really.
But nearly.

You may want to have some loud music playing while viewing.

Or you could skip right down through this, as previously mentioned.

You have been warned ......

Updated to add : Phew! I think .... it finally worked. I chopped 20 seconds off the beginning (luckily for you) but it's still 3 minutes and 14 seconds of home movie. Bad home movie. I wouldn't bother watching it if I was you.

Sorry if your number wasn't picked (it's all RGH's fault!) and if it was, can you please mail a forwarding address to me at monkeemaker@yahoo.co.uk and I'll post your prize off on Wednesday.

1st prize - HP38 - Ticket no. 268 - Kate W.

2nd prize - Monkee Tote - Ticket no. 36 - Patti

3rd prizes - Muffins - Ticket nos. 256, 136, 185, 352, 129, 303 - Martine, Michaela, Catherine T., French Knots, Jackie M. and Mrs Pao.

4th prize - 007 moo cards in a frame - Ticket no. 323 - Gina

5th prize - Stripey notebook and clips - Ticket no. 58 - Angela

6th prize - Spotty notebook and clips - Ticket no. 193 - Jackie T.

7th prize - Monkey tin and clips - Ticket no. 292 - Elaine P.

Finally, THANK YOU all for taking part in this raffle to raise money for the very lovely Ellie .... I'm off to Paypal to take my balance right back down to where it should be ..... I felt quite wealthy there for a while .....

..... and I think it's about time I put away the muffin recipe and got back to the very important business of knitting monkees ......

All bets are off ......

2008-02-11T17:27:00.000Z

I'm not sure if that's the correct terminology, but my draw is now closed (..... not sure that that is either, but you know what I mean).

I'm delighted that the final total raised is £387.00 (someone just snuck in under the wire!) which I shall be sending to Ellie's fund this evening. Once again, HUGE thanks to everyone who has contributed to this.

I'll be back later to publish the winners of my booty ......

...... and when I say my booty, I obviously mean this booty ......

Didn't we have a lovely time .....

2008-02-11T06:05:00.000Z

..... the weekend we went to Tenby? Why, yes we did actually, thanks for asking.

I took a monkee with me ......

...... and a muffin ......

..... and two Rather Beautiful - if slightly embarrassed - Daughters......

...... and a Rather Geeky Husband ......

...... but more of that another day. Today is all about a little girl called Ellie and the raffle I've been holding over the last week to help raise funds for her to visit some specialists in America.

Thanks to all the very generous people who have contributed, I have so far sold 368 raffle tickets, so have raised £368.00. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed - this is an incredible amount, and much more than I originally thought I'd achieve.

If anyone would still like to buy any tickets, you have until about 5 pm tonight (UK time - I'll post again when the draw is closed) and I'll film the draw and post it this evening. For information about Ellie and the prizes on offer please click here, and I'm happy to report that my fingers were busy over the weekend and I now have six of these little beasties to include in the prizes ......

..... knitted muffin, anyone? .....

An update on Ellie's raffle

2008-02-07T06:08:00.000Z

Just a quick post to thank everyone who has taken part in my raffle for Ellie so far. I'm amazed, agog, astounded and most of all grateful that so many people have contributed and been so generous. Thank you.

..... I did mention that there were only seven prizes, didn't I? Just checking ......

..... but as so many people have entered already, I wanted there to be more prizes and since I love knitting these muffins (they're so much quicker than monkees!), I've added this bunch of calorie-free cakes to the raffle ......

...... including a triple choc chip one ......

We're going away later today for a long weekend ..... to a place with no internet connection - aaaarrrrggghhhhh!! - how will I cope?! But please carry on buying raffle tickets, and I'll mail your numbers to you on Sunday when we get back. The draw will take place on Monday evening.

For details of how to enter and for a peek at the other prizes, please scroll down or click here.

Once again, and borrowing Ellie's words ..... Thank you. Thank you dearly.

Muffins with attitude.

Possibly the sweetest girl in the world .....

2008-02-04T06:00:00.000Z

..... and I know sweet girls - I've got two of my own, but this one is something else .....

You see? I told you. That's Ellenor Wiseman and she is 12 years old. Together with her parents, Kirsty and Mark, she's trying to raise £5000 to be able to go to America for treatment that the NHS seem unable to offer. Please read this to find out about the ailments that affect Ellie.

I don't know Ellie or her parents, but have been inspired by Kirsty's amazing photos on the Her Space : My Space challenge blog that she runs with Anita (a challenge which I seem to have failed at before I even properly started - who knew that keeping up with two blogs AND knitting monkees would be so challenging? Anyway, I digress .....)

I was moved by Ellie's video and wanted to help, so I made a private donation to the fund. But then I thought that maybe I could help some more by holding a raffle, with ALL proceeds going to Ellie's fund. So I've assembled some goodies and hope that as many people as possible will buy raffle tickets at £1.00 each for this very worthwhile cause.

Here are the prizes I've rustled up ......

1st prize ..... this Silverback Gorilla .......

..... ok so it's a hairy monkee made of knit (HP38) but I was trying to big it up!

2nd prize ...... a long handled monkee tote bag ......

..... with purple and white sewn monkee motifs and lilac lining ......

3rd prize ...... my very first knitted cupcake ......

..... and wouldn't you know it - it's only a raspberry and white choc chip muffin flavoured one! (with thanks to Kae for giving me the link to this pattern ..... which I've just modified slightly - as is my wont ....)

4th prize ..... some 007 moo cards in a frame ......

5th prize ..... a stripey notebook and some tiny cute bulldog clips ......

6th prize ..... a spotty notebook and more tiny cute bulldog clips ......

...... and last (and probably least), 7th prize is this cheeky monkey pencil tin (complete with said tiny cute bulldog clips, should you desire) ......

So, a round-up of the prizes on offer ......

I have my book of raffle tickets at the ready ......

Ok, so I KNOW that I'm not going to sell 500 tickets, but any money that I can raise here will help Ellie's cause, and I hope that some people will want to win ~~this junk~~ these incredible prizes. Obviously there is no obligation to take part in this raffle, but if a lot of people give a little, then a little will soon become a lot. (I just made that up ..... profound, huh?)

If you would like to enter my raffle, please send £1.00 per ticket via Paypal - by clicking the Send Money tab in your Paypal account - (Pounds Sterling only please) to monkeemaker@yahoo.co.uk , with Ellie's Raffle in the subject box. I will mail you back with a ticket number (or ticket numbers if you buy more than one). Then, next monday - after work - I will hold the draw (and film it if I can get RGH to agree to take the starring role ....) and post the winners.

As previously mentioned, ALL proceeds from this draw will be forwarded to Ellie's fund and I will pay for these prizes to be posted anywhere in the world.

As an afterthought ..... just a quick warning .... should you win my muffin - which may or may not look more like a spotty mushroom ......

...... this muffin bites back .......

..... you have been warned ......

I really really need a wee .....

2008-02-02T06:03:00.000Z

...... sorry - I mean Wii .....

Last weekend we went to visit some friends who have one of these new fangled game thingies, and it was a revelation to me. Never normally one for computer games, this one was different. I was hooked. And I wasn't the only one .....

RGH working that pink Wii controller

Like all games, it can be a tad frustrating when you lose ......

RGH being a bad loser

But what I was most impressed with is that it's like a workout at the gym! The next day we were aching in places we didn't even know we had! Although that could have had more to do with my playing style .....

Notice how my opponent is casually standing still while I was throwing myself all over the shop ..... it's all in the wrist action apparently ......

And it comes with some really cool accessories, like this oh-so-handy golf club ......

Oh - and did I happen to mention I was excellent at bowling? Those scores speak for themselves ....... read up and weep, RGH, read up and weep ..... oh no, wait - he already did ......

Of course, my new bessie mate, Martin LaFelt came along too .....

..... but he preferred playing with their guinea pigs ......

Martin LaFelt .... King of the hairy pigs

So, what with the flowing wine, the good conversation, the laughs ..... but let's face it ..... mainly the Wii, a good time was had by all. I'm sure the girls would have loved the Wii too ..... if only they'd been given a chance to go on it ..... maybe next time .....

Here's a little something for the weekend ......

..... a sneak preview of the new chimp in town, who will be up for grabs on Monday. (Don't get too excited though - it's not another giveaway ..... all will be revealed early Monday morning.)

Right, now where did I leave my purse, I'm off for some Wii-tail therapy .....

Joe's monkee

2008-01-31T06:10:00.000Z

HP37

..... just hanging around .....

Well, we had to road-test him before we gave him to Joe, didn't we?

...... we tested him to see how malable he is

...... and to check how good he is at lounging around the place (very, as it turns out)

..... we checked out his ability to make grass-stars

..... and whether he could look indignant for the camera ..... he couldn't - he wouldn't stop smiling

And then we took him to our favourite coffee shop to torment him ....

..... with not one ......

..... but two muffins ......

..... cos we're mean like that

When we got home we realised that those muffins really got to him .....

..... but sadly he had to settle for biscuits (it's a hard life)

..... and after he'd checked that the coast was clear .....

..... he finally got that longed for coffee fix ......

Oh-oh

I'm happy to report that HP37 (also known as Toffee ..... hmm, maybe that should be Coffee) passed his MOT (Monkee Observation Test) with flying colours, so was allowed to be released into ~~the wild~~ Joe's house, where he's been reunited with a couple of hairy HP's. I hope to have photo's of them in their natural habitat soon.

In other news, I saw these cool magazines on Viv's site, and was keen to try one myself ....

Then, after I did one, I wanted to do another ......

...... and another .....

...... I could have carried on making these all day, but then I realised that I really ought to step away from the computer and do something more productive instead. Like the small matter of getting ready for work. Or forcing the kids to get ready for school. *Sigh*

But just before I do, a note for mog : my email address is monkeemaker@yahoo.co.uk - all knitted monkey shots gratefully accepted

HEY, JOE!

2008-01-28T06:05:00.000Z

When you get in from school later, have a look in your Mum's bag. There's a little something in there for you .....

I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I'll give you a couple of clues ..... it's made of knit and your Mum has one, your sister has one, your Aunty has one ..... and now you have one.

Can you do me a favour though? Can you tell your Dad that he's not having one. Nuh-uh, no way, nope. Thanks Joe.

In non monkee news, (oops ..... I hope I didn't just give the game away) a little while ago a purchased this gorgeous piece from Melissa's Etsy shop .....

Dragon Heart

Melissa makes beautiful jewellery, and how fortuitous! If you pop over to her blog, she's running a giveaway at the moment, of not one, but two lovely pieces.

Being a monkee made of knit fan, Melissa also made a little extra something for me ..... a teeny tiny 007 pendant ......

So sweet - Thanks, Melissa

Now I can have 007 with me at all times - if I can just get it off him, that is ......

And after seeing a link on someone else's site, I popped over to Picciolo, who makes fabulous purses and wallets and brilliant fabric artwork, and packages them up so prettily .....

..... I fear I may have to go back for more .....

..... I also fear that I may be addicted to Etsy ...... does anyone know if there's an Etsy Anonymous group I can join, for those addicted to handmade goodies?

I love this .....

2008-01-25T06:03:00.000Z

Press release - 17th January.

Following the success of Take Thats re-forming...it looks as if the Monkees may have done the same (although the one who used to wear a wooly hat seems to have had liposuction and turned into a penguin!) Following a sellout tour, they performed gigs all over Rochdale and are now planning to repeat their success in Scotland but their manager (aka Meg) has had trouble getting permission to fill the back seat of the car with all their instruments.

That brilliant photo and press release from Meg's Mum just cracks me up. MM has bought two of my monkees and also knitted one of her own and I think it's great that she and Meg have cooked up this monkee (and penguin) group!

Talking of cooking, I also love these other pictures she sent me ......

....... mmmm, knitted bacon and eggs ..... so much better for the hips .....

..... and yum - a basket full of knitted cakes ..... and a monkee ......

And I'm loving these snaps that Gladys sent me, of her winning monkee, Rambo .....

..... so named because on his arrival he was bursting his way out of his packaging .....

..... a monkee on a mission ......

....... wahey! Steady!! ......

Rambo ..... don't you think the likeness is amazing?

...... no wait .... why's it all gone dark??

..... aha ..... mission accomplished ......

Continuing to spread the love, how about these guys ..... a couple of monkeys that I didn't knit .....

Ann in Belgium knitted this one for her Dad - what a cutie ..... the monkey - not her Dad ..... (although he may be too, I don't know .....)

And Sarah knitted this handsome chap in vibrant red ......

Cedric

Sarah and Natalie also gave me this link, Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns Knit a Monkey knit-a-long a forum for knittists who are making their own monkeys. A place to share tips and hints, and presumably despair over that pesky mouth .....

And the final photo, received last night after HP36 arrived at Dottycookie's. Who couldn't love this one ......

..... oh, the cuteness - those tiny hands! ......

Many thanks to Meg's Mum, Gladys, Ann, Sarah, Natalie and DC for sharing these pictures and links with me ..... please keep them coming.

HUGE thanks too, to anyone who visited my shop this week to purchase a monkee ..... especially to those people on the other side of the pond ..... one of whom stayed up until 2.40 am to bagsy one, another set her alarm clock for 3.45 so she wouldn't miss out, and someone else staggered out of bed at 4.20. Sheer dedication to monkee madness ..... or just sheer madness? I don't know, but I'M LOVING IT!!

For SuzyB .... to get her off my back

2008-01-23T06:06:00.000Z

..... ok, so my blogging chum SuzyB hasn't actually been on my back about this recently (and isn't that just typical?!), but a while ago she was all "monkey socks" this and "monkey socks" that, and "when are you going to make me some monkey socks you lazy *****" (I added that last one, just for dramatic effect).

But I don't do socks. Apart from this one ......

.... which never got a mate because knitting socks, quite frankly, doesn't do it for me.

And no, I didn't unravel it to make this .....

Dottycookie's psychedelic monkee .....

So, sorry Suzy, I don't do socks.

I do these .....

..... and occasionally these ......

But I don't do socks.

Still, I must confess that when I saw this fabulous pair I received for Christmas .....

.... I thought of you ....

Until I realised that these aren't really the kind of monkey socks that you were after.

So how about this?

..... monkey socks sock monkey ......

...... will that do you? ......

..... now let's not mention monkey socks again, ok?

Right. Enough of that frivolity. On to the proper monkee business. Two bags and six monkees will be appearing in a shop near you at 10 am today (UK time).

..... 007 and 27 are keen to see them go .....

But I just need to mention something about one of them .....

I must confess that I prefer my monkees naked, but when I got home the other day I found this .....

..... primate in pants ......

He's embarrassed to be seen on the internet in his briefs ......

..... and he should be ......

So if you happen to bag this monkee later this morning, he can come avec pants, or sans pants ..... the choice will be yours. (I just knew those French evening classes would pay off one day ..... )

Random Number Generators ....

2008-01-21T05:56:00.000Z

They're great, aren't they? They never sleep. They never get confused by numbers. They never get emotionally involved. They have no guilt.

I put in the numbers 1 - 59 and immediately, without hesitation, it spat out No. 54 at me. At this time of the morning! Amazing!

So, No. 54 (Dottycookie) you win HP37 (who I think may actually be HP36 - you see? Me and numbers .... we don't get on); if you could mail a postal address to me at monkeemaker@yahoo.co.uk I'll arrange to get him posted to you.

And for anyone else who wants a monkee made of knit, this motley crew will be appearing in my shop on Wednesday at 10.00 am (UK time - there is a clock on the shop blog if you want to check the time difference) ......

Monkees in a basket

..... sorry, there are only 6 (and even worse - only two bags ..... my sewing mojo has completely deserted me recently) ..... but I'm planning on doing more monkee knitting and less messing around on the computer soon, so watch this space .....

Trade secrets and a teeny tiny giveaway .....

2008-01-20T06:06:00.000Z

Thanks for all your kind comments on the last post, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the latest photo story from a warped mind ..... it made two hours of leaping around the place posing and photographing and sweating for my art worth it.

Talking of which, some people have asked how I managed to make relatively floppy monkeys made of knit pose and point; to those people I say ...... a Magician never gives away his secrets.

Luckily though, I'm not a Magician, so I'm happy to spill .....

.... the tools of my trade ..... chopsticks, fondue forks and sellotape ......

I feel particularly bad about these very pointy things .......

...... sorry, Martin

So, here are some unedited photos, complete with tools .......

..... but simply by opening up "Paint" in my photo gallery and getting busy with the copy and paste tools, they were edited to something like this ......

A voila. Monkee magic. And the explanation as to why nothing productive ever gets done around here ......

Anyway, moving on to the teeny tiny giveaway ...... I got this idea from Jodie at Ric Rac (who put up a brilliant photo story yesterday) and thought it was great ..... a 24 hour giveaway.

In Lesley's fab package I was lucky to receive a really REALLY bright ball of wool and I just didn't know what to do with it.

So I did this .......

If you'd like to win this monkee (HP37! ..... I think), leave a comment and I'll pick a winner early tomorrow morning.

Happy rainy, windy Sunday ..... anyone else fed up with this foul weather which makes for truly crubbishy photos? I think one of these may be called for ......