The answer to the ultimate question (not 42 by the way).

The question I mean is "what to have with a cup of tea when there are no home bakes at hand?"

For me, it has to be...

How about you?

X

Nearly Headless Nick...sorry I mean Nearly Wordless Wednesday!

Some days...

It feels like I live in an apron.

X

The difference a day makes-surrounded by Christmas!

If Monday was a day of avoiding and in the end, completing dreaded domestic chores
- by the way how can people not have to iron?  Tis like some kind of  magic if you don't have to -
then yesterday was a day of comforting sewing and being surrounded by Christmas.
Deliveries making my insides jump and twirl, yuletide potential in button and recipe form.

It was a good day my friends!

Felt candy cane decorations  - tutorial from the amazing Lupin found here.
Christmas 'elf' buttons and ribbons can be found here  and at lovepaperfish.com/
Red Wool Coat pattern or craft kit found here.

 "First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice-skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie-dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle."  Buddy.

X

Feck that for a game o' sodgers!

I wish I could...
But I can't.....
I have tried...
I have dithered about decorating windows with fake cobwebs and the like.
I have procrastinated drinking coffee and now I am even writing a post about it, big *sigh*.

I feel like Hamish in this photo...

 because of this...

I am hoping, rather than bemoaning this outrageous mound dear friends, you all agree that this is the size an ironing mountain should get to before being embarked upon.  Please say it is so, I'd hate to look like a failure in the housewifery department!   *takes tongue out of cheek*

Feckity feck feck feckity feck feck!!!

I better get these out then, my ironing companions, the 10th Doctor will ease my pain!

 Sort of.......no he won't, who am I kidding???  Yet more *sighs*!  I am proper huffing now by the way!

X

I've been a busy wee bee with birthday business!

For us, the last two weeks of October is abundant in birthdays which is fabulous really - love a birthday - but bugger it's exhausting!  I feel sorry for Mr Biscuit too as inevitably we spend his birthday preparing for Youngest Biscuit's the day after so we never go out or celebrate much.  I did make him Lamingtons which has scored me many many tens of points in the Good Wife department.  Just as well as I barely had a second to send him birthday wishes.

Traditions were kept, birthday age biscuits...

...made every year of both of my Biscuits lives and now, always decorated with a brother at hand.

And of course there was a cake...

...based on the PS3 game Driver: San Fransisco, Youngest Biscuit's favourite game.  I had to edit this photo in cinemascope to match the feel of the game's opening sequence, very dramatic!
My amazing friend from the States who lives near to SF got me the Golden Gate Bridge which we spray painted red and really makes the cake, don't you think?  She sent over oodles of chocolatey pretzels too, the star that she is!
The Dodge Challenger (hark at me with the car names) was made from Sculpey clay so it could be kept.  I have to say it's a lot of fun making cakes like this but the sugar paste was so soft it was a right pain! I was tired after I admit. It was a cake four days in the making and I think all that creativity and organizing is exhausting!  I get very sick of baking too which I really do hate to admit.
After all this effort I will be terrorized with a remote control tarantula and Nerf Guns, such is life, with boys!

 It was my friend's special day yesterday and I got to be girly...

...which I don't get to do very often!
 It had been a busy old time and I really did deserve this...

Two more birthdays this weekend and I have just had my two year blogging anniversary, which is just a bit mad.  I think my second post ever included Youngest Biscuits birthday.

I must be off, Biscuits are back at school today, beds are stripped and Stormy (my Dyson that 'looks like a Stormtrooper') wants to come out and play.

X

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Weekend baking: Cinnamon Buns.

On Saturday I was up early doors so I could make Mr Biscuit Cinnamon Buns for elevenses, from my newest baking book.  I have gone on many a time about my love for Cupcakes from The Primrose Bakery and now there is a new one filled to the brim with deliciousness after deliciousness.  I want, no need to make lots from this book.
The recipe was actually really easy to follow ( I've made lots and lots of bread dough in my time) with helpful images to aid me along but as always, my inability to roll out dough neatly led me to have to try three times for the rectangle needed.  This added lots to the prep time but I got there in the end.
 

The icing was Mr Biscuit's idea as the recipe didn't call for it.  I have to say the bread like texture of these was somewhat strange (they looked a bit like a pork pie too!) but lovely all the same with the sugary cinnamon flavour.  I didn't do the apricot glaze as Mr Biscuit isn't keen on it.  Also I'm not sure if it was my lack of tight rolling, but masses of the filling leaked out all over the oven, coating it in toffee.  I don't think they were tasty enough to justify having to clean the oven afterwards!  Is anything??
In the end we decided that pastry cinnamon whirls are better.

We ate some none the less and froze the rest.

If you'd like a looksee at the book go on over to Amazon.co.uk

Happy Baking!

I've got a birthday cake based on Driver, San Francisco, lamingtons and miniature coffee & walnut cakes this week!

X

Unbrushed hair and a poorly look on my face!

The reason for Monday's clumsiness became clear when I woke up yesterday feeling ill.  Y'know aches and pains, sore head and awful nausea.  I determinedly kept down my morning porridge and cappuccino but was indeed sick sometime after lunch.  I shouldn't have ate it really but I thought the sick feeling had got worse because I was hungry but no, the sick feeling got worse because I was going to be sick.  Yuckity yuck yuck yuck!!
I spent the best part of the day on the sofa, on and off with my laptop and TV wanting and waiting for everyone to come home and accumulatively feeling sorry for myself.  I did get some sewing done....
Today I still feel pants so will try to rest I guess.  Having to miss my 'pretending to be a librarian' morning at nursery but what can you do?

So here's what my day will look like for the best part.....

 

Dirty dishes and Hortensia on my knee.  I even used my iPhone to take a photo so I wouldn't have to get off the sofa.  Better to embrace the sofa that fight it I figure.  I've started sneezing now so no doubt in a bit this photo would have skanky squished up tissues too.

I am grateful though.  At least these days, with not being required to walk my Biscuits to and from school, I can stay in my jim jams with unbrushed hair and a poorly look on my face.

X

Monday morning and being clumsy!

 Seriously....

I genuinely almost fell out of the bed and no one wants to start their day suddenly finding themselves having to be agile.   I took it for the bad omen it was.  I am indeed in for a clumsy day.  I can sense it.  I made it through getting ready, got downstairs, did not burn toast because I concentrated really hard on the time and then, then, like a fool, I dropped the lid of the orange juice and watched it roll under the freezer.  Aahh!
Youngest Biscuit did his best to retrieve it but in the end I had to go outside in the rain, in my slippers (again FOOL!) to rake about in the recycle bin for another lid. (Notice it doesn't even match!)  I dropped the butter tub at that point and spilled jam everywhere getting it out of the jar.  That was my own fault as the raspberry jam we made looks like Wallace and Gromit jam.  Now don't get me wrong, we don't have manic, stressed out mornings in our house.  We give ourselves plenty of time and don't have to rush about so I have no excuses.  I made a right old drama out of breakfast.

Mr Biscuit has a theory.  He doesn't think I am clumsy at all.  He suggests I don't give my full attention to the job at hand but am thinking of the next or the one after that. 
I have nothing to say about that.
I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

I'm off for this...

and to write a list of cake ingredients etc for Youngest Biscuit's birthday in less than two weeks.  It all kicks off birthday wise the last week of October round our way.  I like writing a list though and I figure I can't really be clumsy doing that.  May be safer to stay clear of the iron too.  Shame!  I was really looking forward to that today.....

X

Nearly Headless Nick..sorry I mean Nearly Wordless Wednesday!

Yesterday afternoon...

I didn't know I had nodded off until my phone beeped and with a thudding heart, my arms flew into the air, my book went flying onto the floor and my mouth went "aarrrhhhhh".

X

Nealy Headless Nick..sorry I mean Nearly Wordless Wednesday!

still hexed!!

X

Today...

I decided to print off some of the patterns accumulating on my laptop and boy now I'm feeling a wee bit....forget that negativity.  Let's just say rather than looking on it as lots to do, overwhelming and a long long list, I've decided that it means (poor, poor unfortunate me!) lots and lots of necessary sitting on my bottom watching box sets and films whilst sewing and knitting.  

It's important work I tells ya! 

*sigh*  

I loves a homemade Christmas!

I confess though the first thing on this printed out pile that will be made are for me... 

 Surely if I am to work so hard [??!!] for Christmas it is essential for me to be comfortable and cosied up in the feet department.  I found the wool recommended for a bargain price of 12.95 instead of 36.00 for a ten pack.  Shocking for 100% undyed virgin wool!  Not that I need ten balls but everywhere else would have sold only the four required for the same price.  Now I could knit another pair for someone else and have two balls left over for a pair of socks.  Not keen on the word 'smug' but if the feeling fits...

What is on your crafting 'to do' list?

X

p.s the pattern for the bunny slippers can be purchased from here.  If you'd like to see more of my knits, I am on Ravelry as cupcakeandbiscuit.  You do have to be a member or join to have a looksee  but it's easy to do so and is an amazingly helpful and fun site, lots of available patterns etc.

An out of body experience??

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

It's not my fault!  I couldn't  help myself!  Effing Amazon!  It made me buy books I didn't 'need'!  I don't know how I even arrived at the craft book section, let alone the whole site.  

I was hypnotized.

Brainwashed.  

Led by the hand like a distracted toddler unaware that Mummy is going to 'her' bit of John Lewis.

It clearly was not my fault.

That is my story and I am sticking to it I tells ya!!

I'll be telling Mr Biscuit I needed them for Christmas presents that he need not be involved in even a teeny bit.  He'll roll his eyes and hope I won't be asking his opinion (I say opinion, I really mean 'let me discuss this with myself out loud until I come to a decision') on fabric/wool/colour/size/recipient etc etc.  

Besides he'll only find out if I tell him mmmwaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaa!

*shakes fist at Amazon*

*gets excited at thought of new books*

Here's what I bought and of course I am slapping my wrist for the utter lack of self control, sort of, well pretending...

 and

(images from amazon)

Not content with getting a fix myself, I am going to be a 'pusher' and encourage you too.  

Click here for the first, here for the second and you will be taken to the land of temptation otherwise known as Amazon.co.uk.

Surely I am not alone in this, I cant' be?

X

The 'pet me' punch!

 

And of course, I did.

X

They've all got knits!

Knits in abundance!

Everywhere I look I see AMAZING knits I am simply chomping at the bit to have a go at.

An email from Loop had me smiling and drooling over these..

 deer with antlers hat

woodland hoodlet

(images from Loop)

The patterns are available here at Tiny Owl Knits and here at Loop.  Loop is a fantastic shop and used to sell the amazing Swallow coloured milk casein knitting needles that I love from Australia.  They've not had them in a long while which is such a shame.  I keep meaning to get my brother-in-law to send me some over.  There are many many 'salivating on chin' patterns available and gorgeous yarn, really gorgeous yarn.  It's also one of those mail order shops that wrap your purchases with such care that you almost don't want to open them.  Of course you do.  No amount of well wrapped tissue is going to keep from my new yummy yarn for a squeeze.  I love a squeeze of a ball of yarn.  One of the many reasons why I like a good quality yarn; acrylic doesn't lend itself to an enjoyable squeeze!  If you have never had a look at Loop, I urge you to do so.

The latest post from the purl bee is full of more temptation...

(images from the purl bee)

These images encompass warm tummy favourites of mine; socks, wrist warmers, blankets, stripes and rib stitch.  I love ribs in knitting, ribs and moss!  As the leaves start to turn I find myself day dreaming about yarn, Brittany crochet hooks and knitting needles.  Does anyone else?

If you have never visited the purl bee, please do.  It's very inspiring , full to the gunnels with crochet, knitting and sewing patterns.

 

Lastly, this blanket.  Again with the hexes!!  From Tiny Owl Knits:

The Beekeeper's Quilt...

  (images from Tiny Owl Knits)

Are they not gorgeous?  Is the blanket not gorgeous?  I am waiting to see if I am lucky enough to win the pattern from a competition at the mollie makes blog, if not I am so so so buying it here or here.

My heart lies on a hexagon blanket!  

So much temptation...

What knits have you spotted?

X

To everything - turn turn turn. There is a season - turn turn turn. And a time for every purpose under heaven.

Boy is it getting chilly of an evening!  Blankets are coming out and my need for knitting socks is abound.  Luckily that is exactly what I am knitting, therefore contentment follows easily.  I am looking forward to dark evenings cooried up on the sofa with my cats and my man, listening to their snores.  My hard working Mr Biscuit nods off, as often as not, as soon as he sits down.  Hence why I get my nightly cup of tea before his lovely bottom touches the comfy sofa!  

Today it is so dark, I am considering putting a light on.  The Autumn is here.  I've felt it coming for a wee while now.  I realized too that this is to be expected when my boys are three weeks back at school and a lot of you folks out there are ending the summer hols right now.  It is time for the garden furniture to get packed away in the hut for the winter, it's unlikely we'll be using it again so no need for it to sit neglected out in the garden.  That makes me feel bad.  When it's gone my body knows it's past the point of being out there relaxing soaking up [any?!?] sun. It's also time for delicate herbs and flowers to get put in their little plastic greenhouse as frost can come at any point now.  I am craving hearty soups and hot jammy puddings.  I have taken to wearing socks indoors, feeling the need  for cosy toes, and cardigan centred comfort.  Am reading more too.  Finding it easier to not move around so much and to simply sit without necessarily making something with my hands.

I am heart glad the weekend has arrived.  I like getting my men folk around me.  Mr Biscuit is planning a hilly Highland walk on Sunday with a friend though. My boys are still desperate to see the Smurfs film.  Maybe this weekend.  A canal walk for brambles?  I was still picking them at the end of September last year. Cake, in some form or other, is a definite condition for a good weekend, this weekend.

Hope yours is a happy one!

X

Nearly Headless Nick..sorry I mean nearly wordless Wednesday!

decisions,

decisions...

X

Have yourself a very squeaky Christmas!

I am unapologetic, Christmas is on it's way and I, for one, am jumping up and down.  Skipping and a' twirling because I lurves it so.  No, I am not wishing the time away, nor have any desire for songs or decorations yet.  Simply, for me, the build up, the anticipation of Christmas is as important as the day itself.

Autumn is starting to poke it's head out and I've spotted his forehead and that it all it takes.  My body is reacting.  I am thinking about socks, warm stews and crunchy golden leaves.  I am thinking that not so far in the future winter is coming and it makes me happy.  Happy because it means jingly jangly bells and fairy lights, gingerbread and cinnamon.  Let's not be ashamed to mention Christmas like it's a swear word!  We are about to enter the 'bers' and that folks ends in "the most wonderful time of the year"!

Also Christmas needs a bit of planning.  If, like me, you enjoy a good session of list writing, Christmas calls for that in abundance.  If, like me, crafting is a fundamental part of your Christmas, then really it's best to get ahead and not risk spending any part of December in a panic sewing, knitting or making (not this year, I swear!).  I confess I am not a lover of shopping *bows on knees to the internet* and my idea of hell is a shopping centre but will do if for small necessary things.  I don't want to be doing it for main presents.  I also don't really want to do it at any other point in the year.  I sometimes buy cards and wrapping paper in the new year sales but I never look at anything else, not until the days shorten.  If I have to shop then I want endless rounds of Wizard and puddles on all the shop floors.  I want the atmosphere, though not necessarily the crowds, and I want to feel Christmassy.  

So this week I have started ordering craft supplies and yesterday I made my first present.  I was itching to make this.  Do you get that way??  You see something, are inspired by something and you are restless until you give it a go? 

Isn't she cute?  

Watching the rain.

I saw her in this book by Tone Finnanger who designs the Tilda range of fabric etc.

I do love Tilda fabric although, like most designer fabric, it's quite expensive so I tend to buy charm packs and the like so I can get a wide range of patterns without breaking the bank.  I've had this book for a while but never really felt at all inclined to make anything from it until now.  

The mice 'spoke' to me, as it were, their squeaky wee voices niggling me so off I went to my fabric stash.  It was very easy to make but still took me all day.  Forever up and down to the ironing board all all that stuff.  Pushing the fabric the right way out was a bit fiddly and I changed the face by embroidering the eyes, nose and whiskers.  I couldnae be bothered faffing about with paint and ironing on the nose. I didn't make it Christmassy either.  I went for pinks and other Tilda fabrics.  Even though it took me hours and hours I am very pleased with myself.  I don't tend to make sewn things like this and my confidence has been boosted no end with a successful time in front of my machine.

One down and many more to go!  I'm off to carry on with another...

Can you tell how driech it was when I took this?  The sun has come out to play as I type but is anyone else freezing?  Autumn is coming but it's still a shock to consider putting the heating on in August!

Take care lovely peeps!

X

A richt ol' blether!

...to you all and thank you to those of you who left a comment on my last post.  It is a common query as to posting about such sad things but life is sad at times so thank you for your kind words.

Our new - above - phone arrived today.  I knew I could have probably found a 'real' one of these but time was short and I am lazy shopper so characteristically hopped over to Amazon.  Our old one's internal battery had died again and it seemed a waste of money always replacing them (rechargeables are expensive!!).  It was under thirty squids so I'm not complaining..  I like it and yet, I will still ignore it ringing, it's quite gorgeous ringing, most of the time.  Don't want to hear voice recordings and have people 'fishing' about possible PPI's.

I am still hexed and planned a long loving post waxing lyrical about the joys of hand sewing but I thought I'd show you how I am getting on...

It really is a labour of love because it hurts, a lot!  Not my sewing hand but the other pressing two hex's together.  I'm about a third of the way there, it's only - did I say only? - for the bottom half of a king size bed and am very VERY addicted.  I can be found wandering around the house, hex's and needle in hand.  I am going to want to make another I can tell.  Also I am finding the irony in shouting at my cats to "keep off" when I have throws on our bed for them to sleep on.  It's easier to deal with hair and any mess on a throw than on a whole duvet.  Do you like it so far?

We have also been making jam, emergency jam. 

So called because at a recent sleepover at their grandparent's house we got a phone call from Youngest Biscuit saying "We picked too many strawberries by accident, do you want some?"  "eh....okay".  In fact they went for 4lbs and ended up with twelve.  We gratefully received four of them and got to work. Youngest Biscuit devours jam and was thrilled to make some. Can I mention again the joy of a huge wooden spoon in a huge, in this case 'jeely', pan.  Oh and it tastes wonderful.  Today it will be lavishly spread on a Victoria Sponge.  I need cake.  Part celebration/relief and part comfort food.  My period finally arrived today, a week late, and although I doubted a vasectomy reversal I wasn't finding Mr Biscuits round tummy jokes funny.  The VS will taste all the sweeter today.

I'm in a right blethering mood today, shame I've no friends to chat with!!  Also world war three is happening again next door.  They're loopy mental, always arguing, but luckily one or the other storms out so there's usually a ceasefire. Tis all quiet at the mo.  Cannae be doing with all that negative energy when I'm in a mischievious mood.

I shall leave you with my take on a harassed Woody running from the paps. 

 
I cannot resist taking photo of Youngest Biscuit looking cross in his Woody outfit, it makes me laugh so so much.  He, on the other hand, does not like it!!  Not one bit.

X

...unexpected grief.

All at once you are looking for your favourite recipe for cream of mushroom soup in a book that you cannot remember not being there and then, suddenly the wave of grief hits. 
This books once belonged to your Dad, it's 80's images conjuring up memories of old houses and innocent days.
My stomach suddenly turned, my eyes suddenly filled and all I wanted was to close the pages and turn off the pain.  Run away and forget.
Grief never fully leaves you.  You smile through your days and suddenly sadness comes and it hurts.
September hurts.
September 18th kills me. 
Fourteen years ago I watched my Dad die of a heart attack.  Literally in front of me, noisy ambulances, defibrillators and speeding hospital beds in the A&E with doctors sitting on my Dad trying to bring his body back to life.  It didn't work.  Being sent to the room I knew was the 'death' room and it was the room where they came and declared the obvious.
I try not to dwell, try not to feel the awful heart wrenching pain of him dying, of never knowing my boys and then in my kitchen it hits me so hard I could fall over and roll into a ball and weep.  Never wanting to feel anything but this pain that brings him back to me.

Life goes on.  You bake bread to go with the soup that made you think of him and try not to think too much.

My Dad...................

It's probably pathetic but.....

on a rainy day, when requested to play this with my Biscuits...

 winning tastes very sweet indeed.   Wiped the floor with them I did!!  I even impressed them which is a huge deal in itself.  *dances around*  I get my thrills where I can!!

Less than a week now till school goes back, necessary purchases made (well except for gym rubbers for Eldest Biscuit who has gone up a size and a half in the last six weeks!), questions of how on earth they will be able to be up at seven am, etc. Equally looking forward to and dreading the quiet.  

Tis the same every year.

X

The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Weeks 45 - 51!

Tis done and dusted.  Finis, the end.  A whole year of weekly makes....almost.
 I must warn you this is a long one.  There was one very good reason why each of my school report card said 'talks too much'.  I do.
You will have noticed there is no week 52, I've saved it for it's own post.

Week 45

lemon poppy seed cake

It's one of our favourites and I have made it more times than I can remember.  A variation of (rather mediocre in my view) madeira cake to be found in Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess.  I made the madeira cake once and since that particular disappointment, have made the lemon version ever since.  It's very good, very satisfying even in teeny pieces.
In fear of repeating myself; I would choose a lemon cake over all others.

Week 46

  teapot needle book

I made this because I wanted a small needle book to hold my teeny quilt needles (for the hexagon quilt I am making).  I looked all over Folksy and Etsy and to be honest (and hopefully not sounding too big headed) I came to the conclusion it would be better to make one myself for two main reasons.  Firstly, a lot were simply too big for my needs, beautiful, well made books but too big.  I needed something small, only to hold a half dozen needles or so.  Secondly, so many square and rectangle books are skew-wiffy and it winds me up.  If something is going to be skew-wiffy it should be by my hand and not as a thing I have paid good money for.    I suppose what I am saying is that sometimes hand made can mean it's not very good.  Of course there are amazing, truly amazing makes out there but there is also a big ol' pile of crap.  Badly sewn, messy stuff that I for one would be unhappy with if I had made and certainly would not have the nerve to ask money for.  

I could, though, have one of this lady's in every colourway and design.  The simple, easy way of turning the pages is a wonderful design.  When looking for a new needle book very few came close to Fishy's designs but again they were too big, having too many pages of felt for my requirements.  

Alix too, from Used-to-bees, makes an amazing Little Red Riding Hood book that is simply gorgeous and I am still sorely tempted by.

Maybe I am being harsh and I really do appreciate maker's effort but I am being real too.  There is plenty of naff stuff being sold out there along side the really truly good stuff.

I think I used a Tilda fabric. I tend to buy charm packs of expensive designer fabric.  Perfect for wee things without hurting my purse too much, along with my much loved acrylic [Fishy] felt.  I used a cookie cutter as a template and I am pleased with how it turned out.  By using  bondaweb to attach the fabric to the felt on each cover, it's very sturdy which means I can stick my needle into it when I need to put it down to turn my top layer pieces around or when newly threaded.  Quilting needles are teeny so very easy to lose track of.
It's cute too and makes me think of tea rooms and, of course, cake.

Week 47

hexagons

I made these for about three weeks actually.  Nearly two thousand of the buggers and will probably have to make more white ones.  I am usually always in the process of a 'big' make meaning one that takes a long time.  Something to be picked up and put down whenever the moods suits. In a put down time I make other, smaller things.  This week all I did was wrap two inch square pieces of fabric around a one and a half inch paper hexagons, over and over again.  I loved it though, the obsessive numpty that I am.  

Expect much more on the hex's.  I have, as it were, been hexed!  Big time!

Week 48

 mint, milk chocolate truffles

(just remembered in time to take a shot)

OMG!!!  Right two things.  They are not cheap to make for their yield and two, I warn you, they are irresistible.  If you hanker after mint Aeros, whether in bar form or divine 'bubbles', these are for you.  From a recipe in Good Food (please feel free to request the recipe although it's probably on the web site) I first made at Christmas (I think from the December issue) for my parent-in-law's hamper.  These ones were for after dinner when friends were over.  They are so good.  They look a right mess I admit.  My take on truffle making is taking a teaspoon full and squishing a bit then rolling in whichever casing you care for.  Any kind of insistence on ball forming leaves too much of the ganache (God I love that word, so dirty, love it and it reminds me of Rab C Nesbitt) on your hands.  I will happily lick from my own fingers but even I draw the line at [excessive] palm licking.

Week 49

 chocolate chip and fudge cookies

I like to keep my men folk happy making batches of biscuits.  I don't know why I feel the need to do this, they already have me as a slave for their every whim.  From, I think, Nigella's Kitchen book.  I followed the recipe knowing full well they would be masseeve, next time I will make more, smaller ones.  Oh I did add fudge pieces I had in my baking drawer well, just because I had them.  Good, good cookies.  Easy to make too, not too fiddly and I got to use my beloved Kitchenaid so happy days.

Week 50

 iphone sock

This week was supposed to be the four felt flower brooches (based on  the mollie makes issue 2 flower) I made for the end of the school year gifts, for one teacher and the three ladies I help out at the school nursery.  I did a different colour for each and put them on labels etc, they looked gorgeous and then forgot to take a photo.  Dagnammit!  Just like the planned week 51 of cupcakes my biscuits helped with for them all.  Pants and poo!!!

So......this week I also quickly knitted up a felt lined sock for my iphone and because it's still here I can photograph it for this.

I like it, it's stripey which is always good.  Not as neat as I would have liked as I haven't picked up my needles in a while.  I used Debbie Bliss 4 ply yarn with ' punk pink' (not that you can see that from the photo) felt inside for extra protection.

Week 51

 granny squares

This week was, as I said, supposed to be cupcakes amazingly decorated by my Biscuits for their teachers.  Someone batter me with a baguette for my failings at remembering to photograph them.  What is it about gifts that I forget to take an image?  Maybe because they are not for me, or us but for others.  Who knows?

This week I also was [still] beavering away at the [endless] crochet blanket, trying to get it completed for our camping trip.  I stopped at 150 squares because I was sick to death of them, they were a good 5 inch/13cm each which is quite big, not easily seen from the photo.  So not quite the double I was planning but a largish single is fine enough because it meant I could stop making the effing thing.  The sewing together was much quicker I am glad to say.  I admit the only reason I got so fed up with the thing was because in order to finish it I had to keep at it even when I had had enough.  I couldn't put it down even though I desperately wanted to.  Also I was hugely resentful at not being able to carry on piecing my hex's together.
I was going to do the post I had planned on this blanket today but Eldest Biscuit is using it on the sofa as he has a bug.  Sick twice etc etc.  My poor wee man.  That post will have to keep for another time.

This post is EPIC......do I need to apologise?  I do, don't I?

Just week 52 to go.......very soon.  Picture me on my boat, Brinkley at my side, saying it needs tweaking.

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