Hairem Scarem

Remember the hairy things I was making back in July?

In the end there were 5 of them and over the last week or so, I've finally put them to their intended use.

Please welcome the coolest, newest rock group to hit blogland - Bearded Monkeys.

Featuring 007 and Titch on drums, on keyboard, Lily the Pink .....

... and Tipsy, and on guitar, Zero-X1 (alias Bluebeard the Monkey) and Captain Monkeypants!

They're currently wowing all the hippest venues around the house playing various smash hits and covers. Think 'Angels' by Robbie Williams but substitute the word 'Monkeys' for the Angels ..... I'm loving monkeys instead .....

Or ??? Anyone have any special requests for our Bearded Monkeys to perform?

Perhaps surprisingly, Miss Bertha has turned out to be one of their greatest fans...

In between gigs, the monkeys have taken to careering around the garden on 'their wheels' and discussing cookery!

Hairy Biker Monkeys (have you heard of the Hairy Bikers?)

I think they also have more hairy, geeky and intellectual ambitions too - I recently caught 007 and Zero-X1 huddled over a laptop arguing over the exact dimensions and definition of an Infinite Monkey Cage, or was it preferable to remain free Uncaged Monkeys?

I think they may be getting a tad confused - perhaps all that fresh air and exercise has been too much for them. Do they really think beards like those necessary to join the ranks of sexy science types like Simon Singh and Brian Cox?

- Composed using BlogPress from my iPod & finished off on a pc!


P.S. Anyone fancy a game of Words with Friends? I promise to be completely useless!

P.P.S. We have a new member of the monkey family - meet Chirpy next week!

Titch

Once upon a time there was a monkey. He lived in a nice house with a nice family and some lovely knitted friends.


The humans who lived with him were very kind. They played games with him, took him on holiday and named him Zero-X1.


However, this was not a happy monkey. He did not know any other monkeys made of knit and this made him sad. He was a sad monkey, a lonely monkey, a blue monkey.


But one day, Zero-X1 was in for a surprise. Suddenly, Titch appeared.


Titch was a lively little fellow and Zero-X1 loved him.



Zero-X1 was now a happy monkey – he was no longer a lone monkey of knit. He and Titch played together endlessly.



Zero-X1 was happy.


And they lived happily ever after. The End.

Monkee Hide & Seek

While we were up in Scotland over Christmas, DS and I invented the game of Monkee Hide & Seek which we found rather amusing! Just a sort of hunt the monkee game with photos.

So first, DS hid him in bed -


Then I hid him on top of the kitchen cupboards -


DS then decided that the wine rack would make a good hiding place ......


...... and that he needed some refreshment after.


But I got my revenge by hiding our friend in the washing machine .....


..... but I'm not sure that he liked it!



Continuing the monkee theme, I have to show you something my brother introduced me to.

Just search on youtube for 'tbs monkeys' and you can find lots of monkey-ed movies!



to everyone for the lovely comments on my photos in my last post. I do enjoy playing around taking photos and trying to get the best from them. I don't like to blog without photos!

My camera is an Olympus C70 Zoom which I think is quite a good one and gives me lots of scope to play around and try different things. I'm sure I don't know half the things it can do! It does have a couple of very useful close-up settings which can allow me to get very close in for some photos. I also usually play around with my photos on the PC when I take them off the camera, cropping to photo to emphasise the things I'm most interested in and adjusting the lighting, but nothing very sophisticated really.


I've amused myself at work this morning looking for a chart for a Ring Pillow which I've offered to stitch for my sister's wedding. I think I've settled on 'A Celebration of Love' from JBW designs. I really love Judy Whitman's designs - they're kind of simple designs but effective, nothing over complicated or ornate, but they stand out because of that. I've stitched a couple of her designs before, but my browsing today has reminded me how much I like them.

My sister's wedding is at the end of May, but I think I want to get the pillow finished before all hell breaks loose in April! (Well that's one way of describing baby's arrival! LOL) Good thing as I'm really looking forward to stitching it!

Merry Christmas

I finish work today until the 7th January (hurray!) so, between now and then, I don't know when I'll get the chance to blog again or catch up with everybody. I thought I'd leave you with a photo of my Christmas tree, complete with knitted monkee in a Santa hat!


On Monday we'll be heading off up the M1/M6 to my parents' house where we'll be staying over Christmas and for most of next week. On our way. we have to stop off in Manchester at my sister's house to drop off presents and pick up my brother who is coming over for Christmas week from his home in Orlando (the one in Florida). I haven't seen him since last Christmas, so it'll be lovely to see him again.

I'm also looking forward to being back home in Scotland. Somehow, I find it easier to relax up there. The air seems so much clearer and fresher and the scenery is amazing.


This poor monkee doesn't look entirely happy with all the Christmas festivities, although I do think he enjoyed being permitted to scramble around in the Christmas tree.


I just have this sneaking suspicion that his is more of a 'bah humbug' sort of expression. Or maybe he's just tired. Poor thing.

So until next time, wishing you all the best for a Merry Christmas and a good New Year.

Meet the Monkee

Here he is - my first monkee! He knitted up quite quickly but seemed to take ages to put together and stuff!

I had thought his name was Malky, but he and DS took an immediate fancy to each other, and after a short discussion, DS announced that his name is Zero-X1.

After reaching this understanding, Zero-X1 was quickly put to work as a contortionist's assistant.


After that he made himself at home getting to know the other residents of our house.


He seems to fit in very nicely.



Did someone say shopping?

The monkee bag came last week courtesy of Monkee Maker's shop. It arrived all parcelled up like an early Christmas present!


Thanks Monkee Maker! More monkees are planned but I think I'd like to work out how to make the half pint variety first. So it might take a little while to work out the pattern amendments first! And I want to knit a gnome too, and there's my stitching, and it's nearly Christmas .......