MINISCULE is almost overstating how long it is, don't ya think?

hee hee hee.e... :)

I doubled the Alpaca Cloud and it was so much easier to knit. There is plenty of yardage to make a nice shawl if you have two skeins and can double it.

I have some alpaca cloud in the same color I bought to do the Flower Basket Shawl too. I had to rip it out after the first few rows because it was slippery to work with. I'm thinking I need to try some bamboo needles to start off with until I get the hang of it.

Lace knitting does take some getting used to. I started with working on that Airy scarf from Last Minute Knitted gifts. After a few more days, it'll become easier on you. Good luck!

Won't she feel silly when you surprise them? I'm sure everyone at least appreciated the effort on the cake, that caramel thing is pretty rough from what I remember from foods class. Mmm, ice cream :)

The last Barefoot contessa episode I watched involved a hot pink wedding cake like concoction. I could not imagine that one for Father's Day. But after the burnt caramel disaster, perhaps it would have been a better choice. LOL

Been there done that--unfortunately in the restaurant;( Had to throw that pan away. You know it's taking awhile might as well sit down and eat lunch. doh
As for the boy, I feel your pain. Last night the friends that are arriving home came by too. I just put in the earplugs so I could listen to a book as I fell asleep.
I hope you post a photo of MIL's face. She is going to feel happily silly about her anger:)

There is just something combustable about me and very idea of making a cake. No matter what I do, something always goes wrong. And apparently I can project this cake making defectiveness so don't invite over until after the cake is safely frosted and decorated.

well...at least you caught the carmel prior to the smoking point.

My kitty was diagnosed with kidney disease a few years ago. We changed her food, keep an eye on her (for changes in bathroom or eating habits), not let her get too hot or too cold, and she has been fairly healthy for 3 years now. She is OLD (14 or more) but eats, purrs, plays and SLEEPS (boy-does she sleep...)

Hmm...for the scorched pan, put enough vinegar in the pan to cover the scorchedness, and let it soak overnight. It will be a lot easier to clean. How do I know this? I have a twenty year old at home (as in 'not working', stays up all night too) who makes dirty dishes faster than I can clean them. I had to learn how to rescue his scorched pans.(PS Norma, my husband thinks this is perfectly acceptable, so I am outnumbered here.)
Poor Fig. It is so distressing for a beloved pet to be ill. My cat is on daily meds for asthma, and some kinda URI.
I LOVE laceweight yarn. I am drawn to it in the store. One of my very first knit projects was done with laceweight. I guess I didn't hesitate because I used to crochet with thread all the time, and was used to the eensy stuff!
Have fun at the party!

I am going to start Flower Basket on Thursday when I go on vacation but in getting the yarn ready (yes, I'm packing my knitting projects first, of course) I really wondered if I could do this with such tiny yarn!

Oooh, ice cream maker. I got in trouble with my Cuisinart table top. Too much ice cream getting made, being eaten, and being saved as fat cells in my body. I need some to say "Step away from the Cuisinart!". I have now vowed to never keep Sweetened Condensed Milk or Evaporated Milk in my pantry. Oh, and then a friend gives me a recipe for Milky Way ice cream. Plus a Vanilla recipe that takes milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Now what am I going to do? I can make it without all that fancy stuff? Well, um, gotta go, I need to do, um, laundry. Yeah, that's it, laundry! Hmmm, how much milk DO I have in the fridge?

Oh no--that scorched carbon that is burnt sugar is almost impossible to clean. I hope the soaking works! It reminds me, though, of the time I made a cheesecake in a water bath inside a Calphalon roasting pan . . . the cheesecake looked beautiful but tasted like smoked aluminum. Disgusting! And, lace weight yarn? It's not as bad as it seems--ESPECIALLY if you're using reasonable-sized needles. I've never tried laceweight on, say, size 1 needles, but on a 4 or 6? No problem--the lace just comes out more airy that way.

Yeah, it's known as the caramel time-space continuum. Stephanie could explain it better than I, perhaps.

Here's the salt, you provide the wound: My daughter took a week off to visit her boyfriend and his family in Colorado after college ended for the summer. She then flew back on a Tuesday night. Spent the day Wednesday with us. Then drove the 5-hour drive back to the college to work a three-day Reunion weekend at the college so she could net about $200. Then she drove home Sunday night. Started a job as a bank teller Monday morning. Plus worked last Saturday at the chocolate factory. Kick that son in the ass, I tell ya! I'll do it if you want me to!

Auntie Norma, at your service. ;-)

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty. (won't she always be in your eyes) I will say a prayer for you. HaHAHA I think its funny that shes mad at you for "forgetting" wait till she finds out whats happeneing?!

BTW- are you using the IK pattern for the shawl? What needle size are you using? The mag calls for the lace weight to be doubled on a hmm...7? If you are using single strand go down to a 5 and the beginning is a little wonky, with the crochet cast on and fiddly pick up sts thing, but it works itself out. I'm off to work, but will check later to see if you have more questions.

Whew! I'm exhausted just reading this post. Just know: party will be fine. Skinny yarn? You'll get used to it. Package winging its way to you as you think? I am here for moral support. You will love it! Cooking? I always leave that for others when I get the chance. College kids home for summer? Yeah. I get it.