Dreary Winter Days

This has been the view from my front window for ever so long. The sun tries to burn through, but it doesn't quite make it. I have felt uninspired to do much. Since the water problems have been resolved I find myself stuck in the monotony of each day. Get up, make coffee, gather wood, build a fire and huddle on the couch with the dogs....... remote control in hand and laptop close at hand. I have one of those coffee tables that lift up and I can position it so that I can have the laptop at just the right height and the TV is at just the right angle for easy viewing. I have a notepad and the phone right there. I do have to get up to fill my coffee cup and go to the bathroom .............

I have turned into a couch potato. A big giant slug. I must confess that, although I have tried, I feel no guilt. I know that in just a few weeks I will have to steal minutes for myself. I did however grow bored with what the TV had to offer. I am bored with all the current drama surrounding the affairs of John Edwards, and Heidi's insane cosmetic surgeries. I did find the feud between Leno and O'Brien amusing and am pretty sure that the ratings went up for NBC during the froo-ha-ha. Sad to hear that Nancy Kerrigan's father died and that her brother is at fault. I am a little puzzled that the networks thought this would be a good time to rehash her skating career and her bout with anorexia. I would think the real story would be the brother and her father and what happened.

I am listening to the news as I write. A young man is on trial for the murder of his mother. He was driving around with her body in the trunk when he was pulled over for his erratic driving and had only a learner's permit. This required the police to tow the car and upon conducting an inventory of the contents they discovered the dead woman in the trunk. The defense is trying to get this "evidence" thrown out. They say the search was illegal. Our judicial system is in a sad state, much like our government..........

The other thing I have done while sitting here with a blanket on my lap is sew. I have gotten the process down to a science. The white monkeys were my first attempts and I used some socks that were on clearance for $1.00. The other monkey is one of my latest and you will note that she sports a hat. I realized that the toe of the second sock was being wasted ....... and I hate waste. While sewing up the ends of the arms and legs I decided I didn't like the way they were turning out, so I changed the process a little and started sculpting "fingers" and "toes". The original "instructions" said to hand sew the arms, ears and tail on after stuffing the body. I didn't like the way it looked and how easy a child could pick at the thread and yank these parts off, so I cut a small slit in the "butt" and one on either side of the head and sewed the ears and tail on. The arms still had to be separate, but I am using upholstery thread and sewing them at the "neck" and going all the way through one arm, through the neck and the other arm.

I have scoured the stores for socks that will be interesting. I liked the smaller pair with the teacups, but I wasn't thinking about the fact that they would be upside down, since the toe is the head and the heel is the butt. I won't make that mistake again! These are regular ladies socks and they make smaller monkeys. No buttons for eyes. I used DMC floss, all six strands and created these sort of square eyes. Not my favorite and I have decided a simple X will do nicely for the eyes.

These guys are made from men's work socks. The middle one is from socks make specifically for sock monkeys. I bought that pair about 8 years ago. I was going to make one and never did, then "lost" the socks in my sewing stuff and recently found them. This was my least favorite pair to work with. Also the most expensive pair. I like the texture of the other two and they had more stretch to them.

The last group here are made from knee socks and have wicked long limbs. I like these a lot. They have personalities. I will have them available to purchase in my camp store. I make different things every year and put them in the store. One year I did rag dolls and sold about 60 of them, so I decided to play around with my scraps and made doll clothes, too.

Everything I make usually has something to do with one of the grandchildren. I made all of them robes and nightgowns or flannel pants one year and decided to make matching robes and gowns for the girls' dolls, too. So I went a little nuts and made several dozen doll night gowns. Then decided to make more doll clothes and display those, too. My "label" is Kathy's Klothesline. So, I strung a clothesline in the store and displayed the stuff with clothespins. Too cute, huh?

A couple of years ago I was asked if the doll clothes were dog clothes. I guess you know what my next project was. I made some really cute harness and leash sets and then decided to make some handbags with dogs and cats on them. In a fit of inspiration, I labeled this "line" Doggone Cute Stuff. I have a small sewing room right next to the office/store. I sew when it is slow in the store. That is, when I am not documenting the ridiculous happenings of the park.

I have spent the last two days taking apart my sewing room and rearranging. I have refolded all my fabric and it is all zoned according to type. I put a cabinet that was previously in the store in my sewing room. It has glass doors on it and is 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall. It is holding all my calico and top weight solids. The bottom shelves have my bottom weight fabrics. Only cottons, though. I have all the knits and upholstery fabric in another cabinet with a little more space. The rest of my fabrics are stored in giant plastic bins according to type. I am thinking my couch potato days are over.............