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Monkey Back

Posted on by Joyce Makes Art

**if you are looking for the post about the Elliebelly Knit-Along and yarn giveaway, click here.**

I’m back to knitting Monkey. And Monkey now has a back.

Head n body

I’m completely enamored with this knit and am starting to envision an entire zoo, full of knitted animals.

Fortunately, I’m not the only one. We’ve decided to include a group for knit stuffed animals and monsters as part of the Adventurous April KAL. I’m planning a cat or bunny to follow Monkey.

There are an amazing variety of fabulous knit stuffed animal patterns on Ravelry, many of them free.

If you’ve never knit a stuffed toy, you should come join us in the KAL. And if you have made one or more in the past, you should come knit with us and share your ideas and expertise. Toys are not something I ever saw myself knitting, but my best friend and I have a 30-year tradition of exchanging gifts, so when I saw the original Monkey Jacobus pattern, I couldn’t resist. And now, I’m hooked!

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Malabrigo March KAL

Posted on by Joyce Makes Art

Do you remember the 2014 Malabrigo March Knitalong?  I amassed stash, cast on all the things, finished two cowls, a hat, and a sweater, went to Iceland, knit a lot while hiking, and finished one last hat just in time for Ellie to wear it home.  All in all, it was a wonderful month.  Knitting in Iceland!  Knitting with Malabrigo!

This year, my goals are a bit more modest.  I have two projects to knit and a longer term project to cast on and get started with, and then finish up later this year.

image from images4-d.ravelrycache.com

First up, Blue Mittens. Because it's surprisingly cold for Alabama in February.  I plan to cast these on right at midnight on March 1 and have them knit up in time to wear for the Selma march anniversary the following weekend, because I hate having cold fingers and this bulky Malabrigo Rasta yarn is an amazing chill chaser.

image from images4-d.ravelrycache.com

Next up, Monkey Jacobus.  He's going to be my first knitted stuffed animal.  He's going to be adorable – you're just going to have to trust me on this one.  And, I get to learn a new technique, intarsia in the round, along the way.

image from images4.ravelrycache.com

My last project is Hannah Fettig's Featherweight Sweater.  Yes, that's a sweater knit in a fingering yarn, Malabrigo's new Mechita.  I love their single-ply yarns, and I fell hard for Mechita in the Diana colorway.  I'm willing to accept that this one will take a while.  I'm calling it "I want to go to Marz," a goofy homage to the fact that Marz means March in Icelandic and our tour guide in Iceland played the John Grant song of this name over and over while we were in Iceland last March. 

I'm looking forward to this year's Malabrigo March KAL festivities, which are hosted here on Ravelry.