It's Like a Cake

A party without cake is just a meeting. -- Julia Child

Sometimes, cake is just the very thing that turns things around.

After finishing my Slipstream Hat last week, I decided to cast on for a matching cowl, despite my unease about the suitability of the colourway to the pattern. In the end, the universe took charge and made the decision for me: I discovered about two inches into the pattern that I had twisted the cast on and was putting all sorts of energy into a completely useless moebius strip of wool. I thought about ripping it out and starting over, but I decided that it was time to put that yarn into another timeout for now.

That's rejected project #3 for this yarn. I'm starting to get a bit weirded out by it all. Maybe it's just not destined to be anything.

I'd had a hard week: lots of work piling up on me at the office, and a niggling cough that grounded me from my workouts was making me feel grumpy and unsettled. My messed up project tipped me over into downright depressed. I hit the sack early on Friday night just so I could keep my grumpiness to myself.

On Saturday, after a long night's sleep, I finally got around to baking a birthday cake for the hubby (his birthday was two days before that, poor man... at least he's patient). 

I made him a glorious cake: not much to look at, but oh my goodness is it good.

It's a cake I've made before. I call it the Orange Semolina Cake, but until I found the recipe again online, I really couldn't remember what it was called. I don't make it often, but when I do, it's hard to wait for it to be ready. In fact, the last time I made it, I yelled at the hubby for cutting a piece before it was ready to eat. I could hardly blame him: it's made from semolina and ground almonds, with dried apricots interspersed in the batter. It's heavenly as it bakes, but then after you take it out of the oven, you turn it into the most sinful treat by pouring over a syrup made from orange juice. 

It's slightly more photogenic as a cut slice. But seriously dudes, it's so good, I don't even care what it looks like on screen:

And then, after I ate my cake, I felt inspired. I sprang up and went to find a skein of Malabrigo Rasta that was gifted to me by my dear friend, dkzack. A day later, I had this:

It's a version of Breean Elyse Miller's Herringbone Neckwarmer. It was just the ticket to get me out of my knitting purgatory: thick needles, thick yarn. My needles weren't quite big enough, but I cast on extra stitches to make sure it was extra cushy and comfy. Even with the extra stitches it was just the kind of instant gratification I needed.

It even looks a bit like a cake, no?

We've had a very mild winter here, but even so, I'm going to make sure I get lots of wear out of this, even if it's only to keep the morning chill off my neck. And why not? Who wouldn't want a bit of cake every morning?

Ah, tasty goodness....