I See London, I See France...

Sarah

My favorite playground structure was always the set of "monkey bars" at the west end of the field on my elementary school campus. I wasn't a huge fan of the metal slide to begin with, but after slicing open my index finger on one (I still have a long ugly scar, and I can't properly straighten my finger) it definitely dropped low in the rankings. The weird cage-thing climbing structure was okay, but the bars were awkwardly spaced.

The monkey bars, though -- those were good times. You could balance yourself on top, then flip forward and over, giving yourself a neat little head rush as you watched the world spin and right itself. It was so fun, it was impossible to resist the temptation to do flips even on those days when your mom made you wear a skirt (thankfully rarely), which led, inevitably, to minor incidents of public exposure. The public, being children, would of course respond with a chorus of "I see London, I see France, I can see your underpants!"

Since I'm knitting my Monkeys (am I the last person on the internets to be knitting a pair?) toe-up, the pattern is upside-down, and this of course led me to remember my days of hanging upside-down on the monkey bars, looking at the world from a different perspective. I wonder if they still allow monkey bars on the playgrounds these days -- they do seem like a good way to break a neck, and they obviously create a risk of flashing one's undies to one's classmates. On the other hand, how good can a childhood be if it doesn't include the occasional risk of public humiliation or injury?

Comments

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

I love those colors. I've become a big fan of that robin's egg and chocolate brown combo. I have yet to knit in those colors, but I'm sure I will this winter.

They do still have monkey bars, but only the ones you swing across--not the ones from which we used to do "death drops." I wonder why they got rid of those?

[Laura]

Well even with the new monkey bar designs and all that bark the kids still get hurt. Jaclyn broke her arm on one a few years ago. Since they are swinging the kids usually land on their wrists or arm. Although you hate to see them get hurt kids do have to be kids and I am glad they did not take them away like in some areas. I knit her a purple cast cover - big hit! :)

[Karen B.]

You're not the last person to knit Monkeys. That would be me, perhaps sometime next year :o)

Yours are quite attractive, so knit on, Madame London!

[Carol]

I loved monkey bars as a kid! I gave myself blisters. Often. Does this mean they should be the underpant socks :)

[Mama Urchin]

Scooters - the girls wear them (skirts with attached shorts underneath) to avoid indecent exposure. Some schools also have rules that if they wear a dress/skirt that have to wear shorts underneath.

Love that colorway. I haven't knit any monkeys either. So you're not last.

[Ava]

Okay, Miss Smarty-Pants-look-at-me-on-the-bars, are you using one yarn or stripping it every repeat. And thanks for toe upping them first . . . now I can see what they look like. For the record, I sucked at the monkey bars, but man, was I good at four square!

[Teyani]

it looks lovely even upside down :-)
and I agree - the monkey bars are great.. but then there are the swings (they always called my name)

[Lolly]

Oooh, the monkey bars! loved them :)

Great look with the stripes and the pattern. I haven't knit this pattern yet, so you are not the LAST person in the blogosphere!

[maryse]

eww the monkey bars. i broke my arm falling off of them when i was in the first grade. never went on them again.

but hanging upside down was never a problem because my mom made matching shorts to go with every dress i owned. my modesty remained intact.

[Sarah]

Great socks! Can I ask what size needle you are using with that yarn?

thank you!