Another cake

This really is the last cake before Christmas! No, I really mean it this time! I had a 'spare' Christmas Cake ready to be iced, so thought I ought to get it done. But as it was spare, I didn't know quite what to do with it. Naturally I would have sent it to you Clara, but with the post being what it is, I just didn't trust it. And then I thought of you, Monkee Maker but then saw the dreadful cruelty that seems to be going on at your house lately and thought again.

Eventually after much thought I have decided to take it to school (where I work for those of you who haven't read my profile) and offer it as a raffle prize. My work colleagues haven't been very forthcoming as regards the blanket raffles, so let's see what cake will do for them. The response was pretty good when I casually mentioned my idea earlier on today (oops, yesterday - it's now half past midnight).

So we shall see shan't we.

The American Blanket is coming along very well. Kay now has over 500 squares! Good luck sewing them all up! I can't wait to see it - it will be huge. Our Blanket Number 1 had 150 squares in and seemed big enough to me, but this one will keep lots of people snuggly warm! Oh how I wish it was heading my way! For your chance to win any of the blankets, go to Emma's blog and donate on Oliver's Fund.

Just a quick one

I've just Googled 'Oliver's Blanket' to see what came up. And I'm astounded, gob-smacked, speechless. Not only am I at the very top of the pile, but there are loads of people who have blogged about this. People who I've never even heard of (and plenty who I have heard of as well).

Thank-you all so much!

The blankets will be wonderful. The American one looks like it's going to be Kaffe inspired, which has left me very excited. For the chance to win this beauty, please donate some money to Oliver's Fund. We have sold over 600 tickets so far - even buying just one ticket will help to buy Oliver's new Flip Flop Blue wheel chair. I'm very happy that this simple idea has taken off so well. I bow down to your generosity.

A growth spurt

Well I've just about managed it - one block of Fair Isle a day. I have been determined - to the extent that twice I was up knitting at 5.30am. Not far to go until the armhole shaping so hopefully the rows should just zip along then!

A brief update on the squares situation. More keep coming in! Yippee! Blanket number 2 could well turn into blanket number 3 as well, thanks in no uncertain terms to Kathryn's mum who is merrily knitting her way through a knitters stitch dictionary. She's done even more than you have Emma! Thank-you Mrs H!

But thank-you everyone else too, it really is so much appreciated. The original dead line was set to the end of October. Then it was moved to the end of November, but if you want to keep knitting over Christmas, then I'm quite happy to sew the squares together in the new year. This is actually quite good fun! Bring them on people! The first draw for Blanket Number 1 will take place next week sometime - just as soon as I pick it up from Kerrie - so if you haven't yet bought a ticket or 2, now is the time to do so! Quickest and easiest way is to paypal on Emma's blog.

We have now raised over £550. I'm thrilled! And I've also had to buy a second book of raffle tickets!

Sunrise

The great thing about living in the Fens is the sky. Just look at this sunrise - the colours actually haven't come out as strong. The area that looks white was really deep turquoise. It has put me in a calm mood for the onslaught of today.

The man has come to fix the damp problem in our kitchen. All the kitchen units are outside and all the stuff from inside the units is in our dining room. It is chaos to say the very least.

He is using a big circular saw to slice through the 200+ year old walls to insert a waterproof layer. Or something like that. All I know is that it's very noisy and the dust cloud is as thick as any pea souper from Old London Town. It is quite, quite horrible.

So I must just keep looking at the pictures of the sunrise and think calming thoughts. It will all be beautiful soon. It will all be worth it in the end.

Perhaps I'll go and do some of today's 1500 Tipsy stitches. I didn't do any yesterday, so with my superb maths skills, I make that 3,000 stitches today.

Nervous breakdown approaching.

Tipsy Wednesday?

I've had a few enquiries as to the progress of Tipsy. Well here she is. This is the back and I'm now beginning to regret saying that on Christmas Day I would be wearing her. I've worked it out roughly, and I'll need to complete at least one band every day to stand even the remotest chance of finishing. That's on average 10 rows, equivalent to 1,500 ish stitches. I'm not sure if it sounds better or worse like that!

But I'll keep plodding along, grasping every chance I can to knit a stitch! I am a painfully slow knitter!

I am also beginning to realise that I ordered way too much cashmere. WAY too much! There's going to be nearly enough yarn left to knit another Tipsy. Not that I'll do that. Got any ideas what I can do with the 'leftovers'?

And on the subject of ideas, I need help please. One of our members at Knitting Club has now completed her first scarf - it's pale pink. long and is just garter stitch. Very good job she's made of it too! But she's now itching to get her teeth into a proper pattern. She likes the look of my cable and bobble scarf from Debbie Bliss, but I'm not sure if she's quite ready for the 12 row pattern repeat. Got any ideas for something simple, that a very keen 7 year old girl could follow? I had wondered about a feather and fan type scarf that would only involve 4 rows of pattern. Help? Kathryn? Anyone?

Oh and I forgot to say - I'm well on my way to emptying the kitchen cupboards as you can see from the picture. It doesn't always look like Old Mother Hubbard's place!

Some more squares have arrived today. And 3 rectangles! Don't worry, they'll be nipped and tucked and made into 4" squares very soon (just fold over an inch or so!) Kerrie has more squares over at the shop but we still need more, so please keep them coming. Officially you have only 9 days left to get them sent, but if you're a bit late, then I don't mind. I'll be sewing up blanket number 2 over the Christmas Holidays. Because Tipsy WILL be finished by then won't it?

And good news on the raffle ticket front - we have sold over 450 tickets so far. If you would like to buy some tickets, they are £1 or $2US each. Either cash or cheque (payable to Emma Magnago-Prime) or Paypal on Emma's blog . Many thanks to everyone who is joining in with this

I don't understand...

Sorry Kay, but I have tried to get my e-mail address on the side bar, but seem unable to do it. The link button won't work and when I just type in my address, you can't click on it and go straight to me. I have tried before to do this and hit a brick wall every time. As you all know, I am very useless on the computer, I try my best. Is there anybody out there who can tell me how to do this in very simple terms? Please? My e-mail address is in my profile should anyone care to contact me.

It's at times like this that I feel totally stupid and very frustrated. Think I'll just stick to knitting in future, and decorating cakes.




This cake is going to be my last for some time now. The kitchen is being ripped out soon, so I won't even be able to make tea let alone cakes!