In Cake We Trust

"Cheesecake cupcakes: the traditional way to celebrate an *arbitrary*-numbered pound loss. (Little know 'fact': Much like anniversaries, pound loss has items connected to them. For example, 51 is cheesecake cupcakes, 59 is red velvet cupcakes, 65 is a tray-ful of brownies.)"

Fifty-one pounds gone. So much work and patience and blood, sweat and tears. But yes, it's worth it, just for the cupcakes alone!  

I'm totally in it for the long haul and am of the mind that these milestones, arbitrary though they are, should be celebrated in a way I enjoy! So thank goodness for Bettie Crocker and her cupcake mixes, because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't manage to bake this plate of gorgeousness on my own!   

I hope there's room in the freezer...

Sterling Effort

"Nic can finally get her all-time favourite ring back on her finger... It's been what? at least 7 or 8 years since it fitted!"

The simple act of trying on that silver band, and finding it fit back on the finger it was worn on for years prior to the last weight gain, has made my day. No. It's more than that, it's given me more proof that whatever I'm doing is working. It may just look like a simple silver Celtic knot ring to you, but to me it's a promise ring for a healthier future. It hasn't made my day, it has made my life!

A Thigh Of Belief

"Nic decided, seeing as she has lost a fair amount of lbs, that it was a good idea to start using her cross trainer again; and instead of suffering a measly 5 minutes before falling down in a quivering heap like she used to, she can now manage 30 minutes before quivering heapage is attained.

On the other hand, her thighs are never going to forgive her.

Never ever."

And to add insult to injury, I still had to wheel the monster back to its lair in my bedroom from the living room (where there's more space to use it), where it nestles in the gloom of my makeshift wardrobe.

I'm reminded somewhat of an advert for an egg-shaped toy that was around when I was young, Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down, partly because a friend of mine used to call me Weeble, (Not a mean girl at all, just lacking in empathy a bit at times) but also because I really was wobbling there for a second or sixty, however, I decided that falling down on the couch would probably leave my protesting muscles in a worse state.

I just have to hope that by tomorrow my lower extremities will have absolved me of my rotary sins against them.

edit 21st September 2015:  I come back to this post two years later to say that I've just started up again with my rather decrepit, slightly falling apart, but still just about working cross trainer. After discovering walking workouts on YouTube about seven months after I first started bobbing up and down on the cycle, and worrying that the it was starting to wear out having to put up with my extra poundage (something that seemed within the realms of possibility because if it was used more than two consecutive days it started to clunk a little with each peddle turn) I decided it was time to put it out to pasture. Or, in reality, turned it into a clothes horse.

But talking to a friend today about all the things I do to try and lose weight and get fit and healthy, I remembered my trainer-horse and decided to take it out of retirement. It was unsurprisingly dust-free, being buried under too-big concert dresses as it was, so I just needed to spray a little WD40 in pertinent places to convince it it was all going to be okay (and I love the smell, which is always handy), find my MP3 player, and set up a pile of eighties hits. Oh yes, there's nothing like a stationary cycle down memory lane to get the sweat flowing! A Town Called Malice, Lessons In Love, Atomic, Centerfold, Abracadabra, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record), Take On Me, Temptation, It's A Sin...  

My thighs, needless to say, haven't changed their record, though...

The Luck Of The Irish

ish ale shawlette by yours truly
guinness version in ice yarns kid mohair 'black'
and rowan kidsilk haze in 'ghost'
green beer version in yarn chef minestrone in 'spring vortex'
and bbknits prima superwash merino nylon in 'innocence'

The Irish Ale Shawlette is a companion piece (as they say in the art world) to myIrish Ale Socks.  I love these socks so much that I've been thinking about making something with a similar pattern for yonks...

The stitch pattern always makes me think of settling ale, swirling, newly poured, in a pint glass, and the bubbly head at the top (or in this case, the bottom) just cries out to be made out of such a pretty (if I may say so) ruffled edge - a somewhat stylised form of the main stitch pattern. 

And so this little shawl was born. Or perhaps poured...

The Irish Ale Shawlette is worked from the top down and knits up well in most lighter-weight yarns, as long as you finish the body of the shawl after one full repeat, as the froth is calculated to work with that specific number of stitches.  

My Guinness version was worked in lace-weight, and the Green Beer in fingering-weight.  They both look extremely tasty and the stitch pattern is well defined in both weights.  Try in sport-weight, or DK for something a little more substantial!  Gauge isn't important, and as long as you have enough yarn, you're guaranteed of a darling little shawl, designed to keep the Autumn (or Spring) chills from your shoulders as you partake of an Irish Ale down the pub!

Further details can be found HERE on the Ravelry page (available to members and non-members alike).  You can also click the button below, which will take you immediately to the paypal page.  

Goan - you know you wanta!

The Meaning Of Cake

"Nic reckons even she can have too much awesome, so isn't too sad to see that 3rd stone go... There are now 42 fewer Awesome Nic pounds on this planet, but she reckons everyone'll manage just nicely without them!"

No cake, though, because this number is much too easily celebrated. There's nothing arbitrary about three stones, or forty-two pounds. Forty-two is, after all, the meaning of life according to Douglas Adams.

Wait though. Life is nothing if not arbitrary, and did I not say some time ago No Cake, No Life™, or something along those lines? I should have thought this through better. Perhaps once I lose eighty-four pounds I can have two cakes instead...

Keeping Your Martinis Dry

cocktail umbrella shawlette by yours truly
madelinetosh tosh sock in 'grapefruit'

I'd like to introduce something to you that I've been working on for a while...  TheCocktail Umbrella Shawlette.

In keeping with my main alcoholic beverages theme (yes, I am indeed that clever... or fortunate that that I have a one-track mind) this shawlette is a celebration in little shawl form of that ubiquitous little paper drink accessory you find shading all your favourite exotic cocktails.  (I have to admit to liking them on non-exotic cocktails, too...  I find, for example, a cocktail umbrella balanced on the top of a pint of Guinness rather endearing, in a beauty and the beast kind of way...  But I digress.)  

Of those non-edible garnished for your alcoholic beverage of choice, none can come higher in the estimation of all (i.e. me) than the festive cocktail umbrella.  It adds fun and frivolity to the most austere of drinks (and now I'm picturing a traditional spot of sherry in an old-fashioned sherry glass, adorned with a bright paper umbrella...  I digress again.) and nothing else says 'this booze is FUN' any better than this little paper firework!

The Cocktail Umbrella Shawlette is made from the lace edging upward, and the body of the shawl is worked using short rows to give it that classic crescent shape. Adapted from my Piña Colada Socks and initially inspired by Barbara Walker's parasol lace, this shawlette is the perfect companion to watching the sun go down whilst sipping on your favourite cocktail!

So inspired was I by this little bit of yarny engineering, that I went straight on to make another one...  It took 4 days.  I may or may not have been obsessed.

april showers version
zagroda sock in 'gray'

424 little stitches, 6 rows in,
finished lace swirl,
short rows take shape, nearly done.

Considering this is my first attempt at putting a little shawl together, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results!  You must, if you have the time, take a peek at the other versions of this shawlette you can find on the pattern page (which I'll link to in a bit) as the colours my testers have chosen to make this are truly reminiscent of cocktail umbrellas - they look so festive and happy!

And because I am so proud of this little cracker, I'm offering it for €3 ($3.87, £2.55) until the end of June 2013 to all-comers, then will put it up to the actual price of €4 ($5.16, £3.40) after the month is up!  You can't say I'm not good to you! :)

You can find the Ravelry pattern page HERE, or if you want to cut out the middle man, you can click on the button below which will take you straight to paypal.  All mod cons here, you know!

To make this shawl you need: size 3.5.mm (US 4) and size 3.25 (US 3) circular or straight needles, 380 - 400 yards of fingering-weight yarn, strong thread or similar for lifelines (optional but recommended), and around 20 stitch markers.  The size is roughly 75" wingspan by 15" depth but it depends on how rigorously and aggressively you block it.  I blocked both of mine to create scallops on the top edge, but it's just as simple (if not more simple) to block it straight.  I liked the added tension on the lace created by the scallops, but YMMV!

(you can click on any of these photos for a larger look-see!)

A Shot In The Dark

b-52 sock by yours truly
schachenmayr nomotta regia uni solid 4-ply in
'borke', 'natur' and 'jaffa'

I believe it's about time a classic shot drink was immortalised in sock form, and the B-52 is perfect for the job!  Basically a layered shot cocktail comprising of coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, and an orange liqueur, this little devil should, when prepared properly, separate into 3 distinct layers.  The B-52 Sock has layers, too - 3 cabled layers of stylised coffee beans, Irish knots, and orange segments running in nearly worked striped from a toe-up cast-on, up the foot and onto the leg, with an afterthought heel and round toe.

the top layer - orange liqueur - stylised  orange segments

the middle layer - irish cream liqueur - a simple irish knot

the bottom layer - coffee liqueur - stylised coffee bean

The cuff gives you two options - the first gives you a ribbed cuff that carries the pretty cabled separator up to the top, and the second is inspired by the Flaming B-52, where the top layer of the shot is ignited.  (If you wanted to truly make a Flaming B-52, you could add blue to the mix, as the flame burns blue!)  Both are equally suitable to be the top to such cute socks!

Of course, you don't need to stich to these three colours - there are many variations of the B-52 to inspire your colour choice, including (and here I quote Mr Wikipedia):

B-51: a B52 with hazlenut liqueur rather than orange liqueur.

B-52 with Bomb Bay Doors: A B52 with Bombay gin.

B-52 in the Desert, or a B-52 with a Mexican Tailgunner: a B-52 with tequila rather than Irish cream.

B-52 with a Full Payload: a B-52 with a 4th layer of hazelnut liqueur and a 5th layer of rum lit on fire.

B-52: a B52 with Sambuca rather than Irish cream.

B-54 - a B-52 with almond liqueur in place of orange liqueur.

B-55: a B-52 with absinthe rather than orange liqueur - also know as the B-52 Gunship

B57: a B-52 with peppermint schnapps instead of Irish cream..

And if that's all too much, then how about one colour throughout?  One of my testers made the whole sock in one colour, which adds a real wow factor to the cable designs themselves!  So really, the options are endless!

You can see all the other versions HERE, which links to the main pattern page on Ravelry, or alternatively you buy it by clicking on the button below which takes you straight to paypal!

And the price?  You can get this gorgeousness for only €3 (£2.57, $3.88).  Go on!  You know you need to!