The show notes are here — and the tracklisting is here — so you can see what you’re in for.

We’re back live as usual next Saturday 13/3 — see you then.

They’ve made an instructional video and everything:

You will need:

• 2 x socks (they don’t have to be a matching pair, ankle socks are too short tho)
• scissors
• needle and thread
• buttons
• stuffing
• pencil
• an awake!

Who’s in?

Update

I’ve watched the video through a couple of times now and I recommend you do the same if you’re going to join in. I’ve scribbled down some reminder points for myself, so thought I’d share them:

Step 1 – Body and legs

1. Take the first sock and flatten it out.
2. Cut a line (through both sides of the sock) from the open ankle part down to the heel.
3. Turn the sock inside out and cut a hole where the mouth will be.
4. Sew up the legs.
5. Turn the sock back the right way again by pulling it through the mouth hole.
6. Stuff the sock monkey’s legs and body.
7. Sew up the mouth hole.

Step 2 – Mouth, arms, tail, ears and eyes

1. Take the second sock and cut out the heel to make the mouth.
2. To make tail, cut a strip right down the whole length of the front of the sock from ankle to toe, sew it and stuff it (use a pencil to push stuffing to end of tail, small pieces at a time).
3. Make the arms from the remaining material in the top half of the sock.
4. Cut ears out of the remaining material.
5. Sew body parts onto the monkey.
6. Sew on buttons for eyes

Here’s the diagram from the video that shows which sock parts make which monkey parts:

Eh, voila (hopefully).

Don’t forget to send us photos of your work in progress and the finished article via twitter (@thebigpaws) or email (studio@rhubarbradio.com).

Then send your monkey off to Kate Goes to star in their video (address in the instructional video).

The stream URL has changed to: http://streams.rhubarbradio.com:8000/listen.pls

(It’s not much of a change, but these things have to be exact to work). You may need to update it in the aps – especially if you typed it in in the first place.

Instructions for the FREE FStream app.

RadioBox (paid for app that allows you to browse the web – and hence tweet us – at the same time).

If you didn’t type the address in but selected from a listing, then it’ll probably right itself – don’t worry.

In bonus news however the new iPhone 3.0 software will play live Rhubarb right out of the box. Press on “listen live” on the main page and you should see the “play in your media player link” – much like on the web:

play in your media player now works direct on the iPhone – yay!

In honour of kittens, I’ve been picked the bestest kitten related tunes going.

To get you in the mood, here are some of my all-time favourite kitten and cat videos:

Kittens, inspired by kittens:

Talking cats:

Keyboard cat:

And here are a couple featuring The Big Paws resident puddy tats, our very own Bollo and Boo:

Where are my socks, Bollo?

Your go Bollo:

For those who like kittens AND football:

Tune in to The Big Paws at 8am on Saturday on Rhubarb Radio, or we’ll send some kittens to cute you to death!

In honour of the end of the season, I’ve been picked the bestest football related tunes going — and if I said I’d found some from The Undertones, The Fall and Frank Sidebottom you wouldn’t be surprised — but I’ve also got a rare-er-than-a-Maradonna-apology hit single by Johan Cryuff.

Beauty Football 14 by Mymike on Flickr

Tune in to The Big Paws at 8am on Saturday on Rhubarb Radio, or you’re going home in an organised football coach.

Oh and Jules will pick some too.

This week we’re welcoming artist and “eccentric archaeologist” Harry Palmer.

Amongst other things Harry edits The Eccentric City, which bills itself as “the World’s first dedicated eccentric newspaper” – and I’m sure it is. It contains contributions from around the World, he says it “serves to review, preview, present and promote the nuances of personal and creative pursuits, interests and fascinations”.

There’s also the Brass Section, Sweary News and Gavin’s Northern Soul experience as normal.

Thanks very much to our special guests for the last shows for holding the fort. It’ll take some proper antibiotics to get rid of me.

Don’t forget to tune in, face masks optional.

Libby is going to talk to us about her involvement with Birmingham Friends of the Earth and give us some cycling tips (despite being prone to regularly ‘losing’ her own bikes!). Here’s Libby and I when we met Cerys Matthews at her gig at the Glee Club last year:

Chris is the German Christmas Market’s biggest fan and if he had his way would probably have it here all year round. Here he is enjoying an invisible weisbeir with our very own sweary newsreader Wes Mundell (aka Adam Juniper):

He’ll be making sure Libby and I don’t get too giggly.

Unfortunately I don’t think we’re allowed animals in the studio, otherwise they could have brought along their beloved pooch Poppy, but here’s a gratuitous cute animal pic anyways as you know we’re fond of teh cute at The Big Paws

Photo “Nick gets Goatse’d” by Pete Ashton

No, this week’s Big Paws should have a distinctly professional feel about it for a change, as Nick is an experienced radio professional who used to make documentaries for the beeb, and also, perhaps more excitingly, used to write the news for Atlantic 252!

Nick will be chatting about lots of the interesting stuff he gets up to. He was one of the official bloggers at the G20, he runs podnosh.com a community podcasting website, is a trustee of the Birmingham Conservation Trust and organises the free Social Media Surgeries for voluntary organisations in Brum among many other things. If you want to ask him any questions during the show, you can contact us by Twitter (@thebigpaws) or email studio@rhubarbradio.com

Plus there’ll be the usual eclectic hodge-podge of music for your delight.

That’s this Saturday 8 to 10am on Rhubarb Radio,  see you there!

Interviews from the 4am Project.

It’s all part of The 4am Project – go check it out.