Off On My Jollies

I won't be blogging for a few weeks - I'm off on my holidays, with my Mam. It's her birthday this weekend and we fly to Rome on Tuesday for six days, followed by Florence for two.



Very excited. See you soon.

Something That Has Gone Well

When it comes to cakes, I don't do icing. I don't eat it; my attempts to make it leave much to be desired; and as for doing anything pretty with it... you're having a laugh aren't you? However, I've baked a fruit cake for my Auntie as it is her 60th birthday on Saturday.

(She and my Mam are twins and, no, my Mam ain't getting a cake 'cos she's getting married so I've bought that from these lovely people www.slattery.co.uk and I'm taking her to Italy for her birthday).

The BF has spent all of this week pointing out that all I have made is a Christmas cake and, as it is March, this must be unlucky. Therefore, he could help me out by eating it. He's so self-sacrificing.

This led me to think that perhaps I should do some sort of birthday icing. Hmmm.

Several years ago I solved my icing problem by always buying ready rolled icing. It's like putting a table cloth over a table. Fantastic.

And, yes, I am so lazy that I won't just buy a block of the stuff and use a rolling pin to foll it out. So, that's the covering sorted.

It still looked liked a Christmas cake so I bought some writing icing. That stuff is brilliant. It's so easy to use. So, my Auntie's cake now looks like this...



...ok, it won't win any awards but it beats the offering off a few years ago where the icing I made was so runny it slid off the cake and pooled on the bench.

Deep Doo-Dah

Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks.



How annoyed am I? Very piggin' annoyed.

Why?

Rowan 39: "Deep" for my Mam for Mother's Day.



It doesn't bloody fit her.

Socks for Liz (and Some Socks for Me!)

I can stop grumbling now - I've started a pair of socks for me! Actually, at this stage, nearly finished them.



These beauties are "Colinette Jitterbug - Lapis". I've no idea what has happened to this photo but I am going to pretend I was deliberately taking 'arty shots'. (Oooh, is that the band playing "You Can Believe It If You Like"?). The colour really is this lovely royal blue but the shading doesn't look that fuzzy.

And here are the socks for Liz - I think she'll like 'em.



They're the first pair I've knitted with "King Cole - Zig Zag". It's a really nice yarn - has a higher nylon content that "Opal" or "Regia" and as a result, I think, they're softer. I'm quite impressed. I certainly enjoyed knitting with it more than the "Wendy - Happy". The stitch definition is pretty good too.

Deep Done

Is finished. Is blocking.

Has died the white stripes pink. Very annoying. Not in keeping with the colour scheme at all.

My Mam will be pleased - she loves pink.



NB Over-exposed piccie and soaking wet yarn - it's not really blue.

Sock It To Every Other Bugger 'Cept Me

Can I just remind you that I have made one item for myself this year? I finished off a pair of socks that I started last year. Starting to feel like I'm on a treadmill which is not good when this is supposed to be a hobby. Contrarily, I don't really mind and the peeps I make these things for are always delighted and that's nice.

So, updating on the Sock Front.

I ran out of wool for Thomas's socks. (Yes, I've decided they're for Thomas).



The phrase we are looking for here is, "Bum". So, I raked through the orphan box and found these two.



(Poo - Blurry pic). So I spent the next hour 'cutting and pasting' coloured sections to do a rough match, to finish it off.



Not bad, but not as good as the match I did on a pair of socks for Neice No 1. That was invisible. This looks looks like a grubby toe. And I did manage to drop them in my Weetabix the following morning. Don't ask.



Here's the start of a pair of socks for my friend Liz. I think she'll like them.

New Sock Wool

Yes, I've been shopping, again. However, in keeping with my resolutions...



...this is for a gift. It's my mate Liz's birthday (on the same day as my Mam's and my Auntie's) and she has hinted that she would like some stripy socks. Her favourite colour is purple so hopefully, the "King Cole - Zig Zag" will knit up to requirements.

I should get those done for the 29th. Got a lot on this month. My Mam's Hen Night is on the 14th. She gets married on the 28th which is the day before her 60th birthday, and she's a twin. And I've nearly knitted "Deep" for Mother's Day. On the 31st, as has been planned for the last eight years, I'm taking my Mam to Rome for her birthday. Feels like I'm gate-crashing the honeymoon but my Step-Dad reckons the birthday trip takes precedence... and besides he's taking her to Scotland and reckons it will be warmer in July.