Bakey, hooky, croapy and beady stuff

It's been a while since I blogged, but I've been busy doing other stuff.....

I'll start with some yummy Sunday baking - a tray of oaty bakes made with coconut, dried apricots and some white-fleshed necatrines which I whizzed up in my new gadget.  They smell gorgeous and I've had to sample 2 bits just to make sure they taste ok.  They're a bit squidgy in the middle but I'm not complaining :o)

Right, down to business.  This was a little lap blanket I made for my Mum.  I forgot to take a pic when it was finished, but you can get the general idea.  I edged it in dark brown with one narrow row of the other colours.  Mum loves it - now just got to make another for the other room.  Oh, and one for my sister, etc etc!

Then there's the slight flower scarf addiction I seem to have developed lately (Emily, I know you're with me on that one!).  The annoying thing is that ALL of these yarns claim to be "double knitting" thickness - look how different they all are!

Then there's a stash-buster lap blanket I thought I'd do for my niece who has splashes of bright pink in her bedroom.  Yet another WIP....

Oh, and there's a shrugelero thingy, just another WIP...... all those wonky squares have got to be sewn together and made into a curvy edging. 

Then, there's this luscious stuff lurking in my stash.  When my sis asked me what I'd like for my birthday as we happened to be sitting in a coffee shop next door to the yarn shop...well, I didn't physically drag her to the display, but you get my drift :o)

That's all the hooky stuff for now. There is a shawly wrap thing lurking too, but there are far too many of those offending loose ends to sew in yet.

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And so, after almost a year, I finally croaped.  Oh yes, my croap crown is safe, and I am indeed the Croap Queen.  I so want to be a decent soapmaker when I grow up.  They NEVER turn out like the image I have in my head.  Quite why I get such bad ash on the tops is beyond me too. 
The blue one is scented with "Blue Amberwood" which is a lovely spicy unisex scent, but for some reason the FO misbehaved and has left brown traces in the soap.  It's also going through the curing stage still so I expect that yellowish colour to change again.
The purple one is scented with Geranium & Lavender.  It's a new FO from Jo, and it behaved beautifully in CP soap, and is holding the scent well so far.
Neither soap has palm oil in, but is loaded with shea butter and other goodies.

This is the purple one before it went through the gel process.  Quite interesting how the colour changed afterwards.  Those "peaks" didn't last too well, but never mind.

And finally, how's a girl ever supposed to get anything done when they keep issuing mags like this, and she keeps getting reminders from people that they're waiting for the jewellery they were promised.  I'll have to have a beadfest when my poorly neck gets sorted out.  Yipppppppppeeeeeeee.

Well, I think that's me for now.  No doubt I've forgotten something and will get told off by Lizzie.  

Think I'll go and sit in the sunshine with a cuppa and a smallish chunk of oaty bake while my horrid neighbours are out and it's nice and quiet.

Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday.  TTFN.

Royal Visit

One decided it was about time to give One's crown an outing, and visit one of One's loyal subjects, and so yesterday One packed up One's carriage and made a visit to Hastings on the Sussex coast. (One hasn't quite got the hang of being in charge, as One had to lug a holdall full of beading and crochet stuff for the once-over as instructed by One's subject). So, orf I trundled in my ancient carriage down the A259 - what a journey One had! Tractors, road works, every pensioner on the planet heading towards Eastbourne.....and an idiot in a van who tried to kill both One and the poor soul driving the articulated lorry in front. (He has since been reported - what a berk driving like that with the name of the company he works for plastered in 3ft high letters all over his van).

On arrival in Hastings, One was very unfairly accused of oversleeping being the reason for One's late arrival. Hmph, One was not amused. One's subject did however make One a very welcome mug of coffee to revive One's spirits and my subject and I then spent a very happy couple of hours oohing and aahing over beads - One's subject does however have the ability to cheese One orf by collecting amazing beads for bargain prices at boot fairs. Hmph again.

Then came the biggest indignity of all. Brace yourselves, loyal subjects. One was involved in a soap experiment. Nothing wrong with that, I hear you cry. No, nothing at all.....except for the fact that One's subject ordered One to wear a bright blue hairnet, red plastic sleeves and white latex gloves. (One supposes it was at least an attempt to be patriotic with the red, white and blue, but One is still miffed). The experiment was however a success - it has taught One that One's soap recipe is not up to scratch and needs some serious tweaking - no wonder One produces so much croap. Oh, and One's subject knows that she will be sent to the tower for immediate execution should she even consider posting pictures of the get-up One was forced to don. You can read about this experiment here if you're interested, and there are updates too.

Following that, One's subject helped One to make some jewellery for One's Mum. (One has had these beautiful semi-precious stones lurking in One's beading box since January and thought it was about time something was done with them). One's subject produces gorgeous jewellery herself and so One was very grateful for her subject's advice. Here are the results, and One hopes One's Mum likes them - if not, they will be reassembled into something else.




After an exhausting day (including a visit to a building One is told is called a "supermarket", where One's subject bounced (literally) down the aisles and One had to announce that shoppers were not to worry, but One's subject was only allowed out once a week, and only then under supervision), One packed up One's carriage and headed back to the safety of Brighton. Thankfully One had a much easier journey home but went to One's boudoir absolutely knackered. One did however have a very pleasant day (but One's subject needn't know that or it'll just go straight to her hairnet).

Last soaps for a few weeks

I got a new mould recently and decided to risk it for cold process soap. It's worked really well so I'm chuffed to bits. The only thing I can't decide - whether or not to brush the pattern with mica. Not sure which I prefer.




This one is a plain vanilla FO, uncoloured. It's a beautiful creamy colour and I'm hoping it'll stay that way! It looked like a big block of vanilla ice cream before I cut it.

Chocolate cheesecake

This one is supposed to be a chocolate cheesecake! I tried to do a whipped top but when I added the FO it made the whipped soap go runny so I couldn't pipe it as I'd planned. In the end, I just slapped it on & poked at it for a while (technical terms). I'm hoping it will hold its shape & not disintegrate overnight. Fingers crossed as it smells gorgeous!

This is it before I covered the top with the "whipped" soap. Interesting how it's discolouring - it's supposed to go a chocolate brown so it was a bit of a shock when I cut it & it was a fudge colour in the middle.

Why the croap crown is mine.....

I wanted to have a go at a "round" soap and finally managed to find somebody eating Pringles, so I stole the tin and had a go. Eek! - I've no idea what went on in that tin during gel, but it's a very weird- (and rude-looking) soap to me. Or is that just my dirty mind? :-) It smells good though - a mix of strawberry-coconut with milk.
I suspect it got too hot during gel - anybody knows the answer, please let me know!
It doesn't look too disgusting cut, but I might have to set the cookie cutters on it. We'll see.....

First funnel soap!

I discovered this fab new technique and thought I'd give it a go. I'm gobsmacked at the result, to say the least. It looks completely different cut than it does in the mould, and no two slices are the same. I scented this one with "Blue Amberwood" and as it's a discolouring FO, I'm hoping the "cream" swirls will eventually go a browny colour. So far it's gone a bit of a strange yellow but we'll have to wait & see.

In the mould

Cut!