Miss Millie : Monkey Maker

200th Post & Giveaway!

Guess what? Go on...

If you read the title of this post you probably already guessed what but if you didn't them I'm excited to tell you that this here ye olde blog is 200. Flip! 200 whole posts.

I made some sock monkey kits for A Craft Affair and they all sold out within the first hour. Go kits! The kits come with everything one needs to make a sock monkey including socks, stuffing, needle, thread and buttons for eyes. All you need is a pair of scissors and a few hours. I now have more available in my Felt shop as well as just a pdf pattern if you'd rather freestyle with your own supplies. 

So it seems fitting that on this here 200th post I should give away some kits don't you think? Leave a creative comment that includes the words sock monkey and sombrero and I'll give a complete kit to the two most amusing/interesting/creative answers posted before July 23, 2010.

Also, since it's my Mum's birthday today I'll give a pdf download to the first person who can guess her age. Clue: I'm 29 and I'm the oldest (and best) child. heh heh.

Millie x

Sock Monkey Dishcloth

I made my first sock monkey dishcloth during my Monkey-a-Day month in February. Since then I've been whipping up dishcloths every time I need a quick, gratifying knitting fix. Look closely to see the face in the navy dishcloth. He's in there I promise.

The pattern is from Ravelry: Sock Monkey Dishcloth by Melanie Thompson. 

Millie x

A Craft Affair

Pictures will do for 10pm on a Sunday night. A very fun day at the fair.

Millie x

Could it be true that I have not posted on this here blog for almost 2 whole months?

Well, it appears that it could be and is true. Flip!

I won't give you one of those lengthy excuses about why I haven't posted for so long but just so you know and are suitably jealous I've been around the world and done some insanely awesome, possibly once in a lifetime (but mostly uncrafty) sort of stuff while I've been not posting here. Oh, actually I did do one crafty thing, I managed to sneak this exhibition in just before leaving London.

So since this is clearly a bit of a show-off post here's the behind the scenes snaps of a photo shoot I was super duper lucky to take part in today. Look out for me and those pesky sock monkeys (as well as other talented crafters) in the September issue of Next magazine.

Millie x

Sackboy

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Have you heard of Little Big Planet?

No, me neither.

But if ever there was a video game likely to spike the interest of crafters this would be it.

Exhibit A above is an image of the game's main character, Sackboy. Exhibit B is a Miss Millie real life version I just finished for my little friend Jack. Jack has a good imagination so hopefully he can see the connection.

Millie x

Camp Cupcake

I apologise. I don't mean to overwhelm you with images taken using the Hisptamatic app but I neglected to pack my real camera for Cupcake Camp today so I was forced to use the iphone to document festivities. Here are a few of the cupcake highlights:

   

  
  

I went along as much for the cupcakes as I did to silently stalk one of the esteemed judges. From left: Stephanie Hersh, private cooking tutor and one time personal assistant to Julia Child (!), Fiona Fidow, owner of The Cupcake Collection in Beckenham and Moata Tamaira, Stuff.co.nz blogger and Qantas Media Award blogger of 2009. An intimidating line up for any baker I'm sure.

All stalking aside, I really went along to support a friend who was in the competition. Sadly, she didn't come away with any prizes this time but as far as I'm concerned her green tea cupcake was the best in show.

Millie x

Hipstamatic

A few weeks ago my friend Flip introduced me to a new app for the iphone. I was over the moon about it because what I really needed was yet another reason to waste time playing on my phone. But I paid over my $2.59 and now, with the help of Hipstamatic I have special powers to make even the most mundane moments look rock n roll by applying a range of Polaroid style filters to my photos.

To illustrate, here's a little photo essay of a batch of Miss Millie's Tomato Sauce I made this rainy Saturday afternoon. 

Millie x

 

Miss Millie the builder. Ok, builder's assistant.

It turns out that many of the pleasures we crafters experience while baking, sewing and knitting can also be achieved in an afternoon of construction. Formulate an idea, collect together a bunch of materials, maybe take a few measurements, cut, chop, and mix them all together to create something new.

My parents came to stay for the weekend to help with some general maintenance around the house and because they've always encouraged a "girls can do anything" attitude my Dad was all too keen to get me involved in a hands-on capacity. Imagine, if you will, this monkey maker on the end of a chisel, a makeshift crowbar, a power drill, a hammer and just once, a skill saw.  

Dodgy boards on the deck repaired. New seating surrounding the deck. A career change briefly considered. One extremely satisfying day of work.

Millie x

Sock Monkey Commerical

I'm back in Los Angeles for a week and last night while flicking through the endless channels of nothingness on TV I came across this advert for the new Kia Sorento MPV. Go sock monkey and friends!

Millie x

Bit of a catch up.

I've gotten a bit behind on posting about what's been occupying my time over the last couple of weeks so let's catch up in pictures since that always seems to be the most fun way.

March 4th - My Christchurch premier of the 'Handmade Nation' documentary at the Hollywood in Sumner - to a sold out audience! Who says Cantabrian's don't get out on week nights??

March 6th was Wellington's favourite market, Craft 2.0. A quiet day by Craft 2.0 standards but that just gave me all the more time to ogle the beautiful yarn at Tash's stall next to me.

As is generally the way following a craft show I just have to do anything but sock monkeys. I'd recently gotten hold of green and purple yarn required to finish the Needlefood rainbow.

I briefly considered making the colours into something for myself but the speed of gratification that comes with baby knits got the better of me and I made this little Debbie Bliss cardigan with vintage glass buttons - is it safe for babies clothes to have glass buttons?

My camera doesn't do justice to the depth of colour in this yarn.

March 11th I took the day off work and joined 41,000 other Cantabrians at Ellerslie Flower Show. My two favourite things were:

1. This totally edible garden which really reminded me of the 'It's Complicated' garden.  I visited 4 times.

and 2. Red Gumboots! Yes!

During the evening of the same day we joined considerably less Cantabrians, but still a strong showing I thought of 3,000 + at the James Hay Theatre for Richard Dawkins. I could listen to pretty much anything in that super fancy accent from the motherland but I was particularly taken by this: we all started as a single cell and grew to be something as complicated as a baby within 9 months. Imagine what's possible over hundreds of millions of years.

And lastly I just wanted to show off these pretty lillies I have on the kitchen table at the moment. They look so darn lovely with the hutch and the tea sets. If I do say so myself.

Yep, there's a reason blogs are suppose to be updated regularly.

Millie x