The finished Octopus!

Well, the octopus is now complete. It didn't even take all that long. Probably the most laborious part of the whole process was making the eight tentacles, but even those weren't hard, just a bit repetitive by the time you get to the last couple. I love that he has the pipe cleaners in his legs making him pose-able. I think he might actually look kind of limp and sad otherwise!

I have made a lot of different crocheted (and a few knitted) Amigurumi, but never kept one for myself. So this was going to be the one. However, he kind of decided, all on his own, that he wanted to live atop the water tower on Ron's train layout. That way he can wreak havoc on all the unsuspecting citizens there. And that's ok with me. I can go visit him whenever I want.

On a non-knitting note, I have been totally drawn into the web of pop-hooks spun by non other than Lady Gaga. I managed to resist her for about a year now, but finally gave in and let The Fame into my psyche. I must say that it is a catchy disc and her follow-up, The Fame Monster, while a bit darker, is just as good. Now if I could just get the songs out of my head!

Speaking of music, I used to do a "Listening To:" thing at the end of each post, and with my extended break, got out of the habit. That being said, it was fun for me to share what I had going in iTunes or on the iPod at the moment. I often heard from others who had similar taste in music and got a few tips on bands that I ended up really liking. So, I think this may be the time to resurrect that little section. Here goes...

LISTENING TO: MANSUN - "Kleptomania"

Mansun was a great band from the UK. They started out in 1995 and ended up releasing a series of four EPs before their first proper album, "Attack of the Grey Lantern." The single "Wide Open Space" was the first thing I heard from them and I was hooked from that point on. They eventually disbanded in 2003 after 14 EPs and 3 albums. They were in the process of recording their fourth album when they decided to call it quits. Fans petitioned and those recordings were finally released as "Kleptomania." Here's a live video of the song that started it for me...