Celebration cake

Yet again time has flown by.  I can't believe it's nearly That Time Of The Year again  (I REFUSE to say it out loud in October).

Anyway, my Mum & Dad have just celebrated their 54th Wedding Anniversary, and with a couple of other family things worth celebrating, I decided to have a go at a cake that was a technical challenge on this year's Great British Bake Off.

So, here goes, this is my first ever attempt at Mary Berry's Frasier Cake.  It tasted gorgeous and was light and fluffy, not at all heavy or stodgy.  Yum :-)  It took a good while to put together, but was well worth the effort if anybody wants to have a go.  I just need to work on my piping skills (and presentation too as I've just noticed the cake tin base and cling film showing.  Ooops).

Bits n bobs

Time really flies - I didn't realise how long ago I last posted.  It only seems like yesterday :-/

Anyway, while I'm stuck at home and busy job-hunting, I have to do something (other than much-needed housework) to pass the time. 

So, opinions please!  Do you like/dislike both the wristwarmers and the pincushion?  

And for no other reason than this little dog is very special soul, here's a couple of pics of Miss Dharma who came to visit while I was on holiday in Portugal.  I can't tell you how special this little dog is - she was rescued by my friend Isabel, and not only does she know it, she makes sure you know she's eternally grateful :-)

Why not...

It's been a long time since I've posted, but I've still been fiddling and faffing about with things.  Tea cosies seem to be claiming my attention lately and I've struggled with patterns.  I never knew there were so many different sized teapots around, so in the end I just came up with my own pattern.  For no other reason than "why not?" I decided that as we've a Jubilee coming up, I'd have a go and see what I could do in red, white & blue.  What do you think?  Enough roses, not enough roses, enough leaves, not enough leaves?  Decisions, decisions...

Does the basketweave stitch work?  I'm very unsure...I need help!  Should I make more?  How much would I sell it for?

I've made a lot of other flowers too which are really difficult to photograph, but here are a few.  I've got a lot of ideas floating around in my tiny mind, but working out how to press/stiffen/attach the things is proving hard!

And finally, just because....here's my beautiful house guest who's been a very poorly boy lately.  He's on the mend now which is a huge relief, but I'm really going to miss him when he goes home.

Aww, Reggie :-)

Off to stare at some more crocheted flowers now, to scratch my head and wonder how to bring it all together 

Erm...

For some strange reason, I got the urge to make an owl doorstop.  I played around and figured out a pattern and fiddled about  making feet etc.  Wasn't quite expecting him to look so sinister...I was aiming for cute but something went wrong.  More work needed on the finishing I think.

Boob hat

Inspired by something shared on Facebook, I was asked if I could make a boob hat for a baby girl. The original idea came from knitted boobs to aid new breastfeeding mothers, but there are a few boob hats around now.

So, I fiddled about with a basic pattern, but I'm not 100% happy with it.  Any opinions?  I think it needs to be made slightly differently so you don't get the holes on the increases.

FFOs

Finally Finished Objects!


My time stuck at home with Horrid Bug 2 hasn't all been wasted.  Yes, I've actually managed to get some bits and bobs finished at long, long last so here are a few pics (bad ones, sorry) of things I've had lying around just waiting for the dreaded ends to be sewn in.


This was the first ruffle cushion I did but never got round to finishing off

This one's a teaser - the recipient knows who she is and just a glimpse will be enough to drive her mad :-)

A lap blanket I made way back last year.  I'm not too pleased with the way I put the blocks together, but it's too late now, and it's only for me

I used to be more of a knitter than a crochet fiend, and for a change I picked up some needles and made quite a few cowls/slouchy neckwarmers/snoods or whatever you want to call them  for Christmas presents, and just for fun.  I'm sure I made more than this though but mustn't have taken pics before I gave them away




I know I took pics of a couple of other things too, but I can't find them anywhere on my computer :-(

So, that's the FFOs for now, but here's my house guest Reggie.  My sis is recovering after a knee operation so I've got this beautiful boy staying with me for a while.  There may be a custody battle when it's time for him to go home - he's my new best friend and has been dishing out lots of love and cuddles.  We think he's a Norwegian forest cat, but one of the vet nurses seemed to think he could be a Maine coon.  Whatever he is, he's a very beautiful boy and I'm more than a bit in love with him :-)

Time to find something else to do now after all that blogging.
TTFN!

Christmas cake 2011

I didn't realise I hadn't posted anything since July!  That's dreadful, but life has just kind of got in the way again.  I'll try to do better in 2012.  I've been making loads of crochet/knitted stuff, but I just haven't had the time to take pics or do any blogging (anyone using Picasa to upload pics having the same trouble as me?  It just refuses to work, I don't know why).

I wasn't going to do my usual cake this year, but I started out with the marzipan and a box of coloured icing, and about 5 hours later I'd forgotten I wasn't doing anything fiddly this year!  Here's the result - I try to make my family smile when I turn up with a surprise decoration on the cake.  I think this one worked......and I had fun making it :-)

Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year to all my friends out there in blogland.