I try to stay away from much personal stuff on this blog, but I’ve been tagged by Kari for the “6 weird things” meme, so here’s a little dose of my weirdness.

RULES: People who get tagged need to write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names.

1. When I was in primary school, we always used to try to peel our satsumas/tangerines/small-orange-type-things so the peel would come off in one piece, for good luck. There was even more luck to be acquired if the fruit had 10 segments. I still try to peel them in one piece and *always* count the segments. Hey, a little extra luck can’t hurt, can it?
    
2. I am left-handed, but use my computer mouse right-handed. It wasn’t until I got carpal tunnel in my right wrist that I learned to mouse left-handed. So now I am just about mouse-ambidextrous (although I still prefer to use my right hand when my wrist is up to it). Luckily, I crochet left-handed…
    
3. When I exercise, my pulse goes very high. VERY high. Around 200 bpm. I’ve had tests for it but they haven’t been able to find anything wrong with me.
    
4. I like to eat frozen vegetables… while they are still frozen. Peas, green beans, or sweetcorn; my sister and I have always eaten them that way. Put them in a bowl and eat them as a snack – it’s also healthier than a bowl of peanuts. Sometimes my teeth are too sensitive to eat a whole bowlful these days, but I still always grab an extra handful to eat while I’m cooking the rest.
    
5. I am insanely competitive and can’t stand to lose. But I also feel terrible whenever I win – I know how badly I feel when I lose, and I don’t want to make anyone else feel that way. So I try to stay away from competitive games and situations because I always feel bad, whatever the outcome.
    
6. I love playing adventure games on the PC and all sorts of games on Nintendo Game Boy. I have owned a Game Boy since the original black and white version, and I’ve upgraded to almost every iteration since then: Pocket, Color, Advance, and now Micro.  When I bought my original one I couldn’t afford any extra games, so I am a Tetris master and can probably still run through Super Mario Land with my eyes closed.

And that’s my six! It was disturbingly easy to get there… 

Tagging time: I nominate Mia, Rina, Mindy, Claire, and I have 2 more spots up for grabs – let me know if you want to be tagged for this one too!

Whilst venturing deep into the heart of the jungles of Ontario, I managed to photograph these two monkeys in their natural habitat (click for full-size images):

 

…Okay, so what gave it away? The ‘natural’ floor lamp the monkeys are clinging to? 😉  

I decided to try making something a bit different for a change. Don’t worry, the cute fuzzy patterns will still keep coming; I just wanted to see if I could make a more realistic animal (as more of an ‘art’ thing).

I made these from Patons Carmen (possibly the softest yarn in the world!) with Bernat Satin for the faces and feet. I wired all the limbs and the tail so the monkeys are poseable, and daddy monkey can carry his baby on his back, just like in the real world.

I know these won’t have the same universal appeal as the Fuzzies, but what do you think of them? Please let me know in the comments or by e-mail…

And, on another note, thanks to everyone who has entered my contest so far! You’ve given me some great ideas for my next patterns. Current favourites seem to be cat, dog, monkey, skunk and penguin. There’s still time to enter, if you haven’t got around to it yet – the contest is open for another week, and remember, there’s a free pattern of your choice up for grabs for the winner!

UPDATE: Looking for the pattern? You can find the Fuzzy Monkeys crochet pattern in my shop.