Mookey

Mookey arrived last Wednesday and spent the day grazing on my patio. We brought her around to the front porch, our work station, and unpacked her Friday evening. She fills up the porch!

                    

Bob helped me prime her Friday night so that we could get a full day in starting early Saturday morning. This project is mostly a painting one; there is some fiber art thrown in. I spent my ‘tutorial video time’ at work watching web design videos and knitting a cow hat, then Saturday I needlepointed the eyes while the hat felted; all the rest is painting! We found out quickly that our brush strokes did not look anything alike so Lee took over the painting of the brown knit pattern. It’s was impossible to keep the stitches uniform even with one person doing them all! Painting the brown under layer took 8 hours! So, while Lee painted the brown, I painted everything else. Mookey looks a little like Rudolph with her bright shiny nose!

 

It began to get dark before we were finished so Bob set us up lights. He was a great critic – trying to do this size project in 2 days, it’s hard to step back and see what’s going right or wrong – he was our extra set of eyes as well as our cook and waiter. Thanks dear!

This is a very daunting project for such a short time span but this lady represents an important part of the UNC Healthcare’s work with their young patients. Not only do we love sock monkeys; it’s great to create something especially for the children. The UNC Healthcare volunteers make one-of-a-kind monkeys for the children – “When the kids get them the rec therapists help them write on them to show what the procedures are that they will have.  Patients have brought them with them when they return to become volunteers and we know of several who were buried with their monkey companion.” says Linda Bowles, Director of Volunteer Services.

We covered a lot of territory in 2 days. I will start putting on the varnish tonight while Lee gathers the ribbon and bows that Mookey will sport; we’ll also put the finishing touches on WiFi. Tomorrow, I finish the varnish and we resin the hat and eyes. Wednesday they both get delivered to the Roundup! 

                     

Mookey gets to come inside in the evenings, NCSU students are back in town and we’re afraid she might just be too tempting to for an Ag school!

                  

Check back for pictures of the finished girls and the Roundup Event this Saturday from 10-4, Artists at Golden Belt, 807 East Main Street, Durham, North Carolina 27701.