It was a long week. Summers are like this. If I think I’m busy enough, it gets busier. Just when I think I have a handle on it, I need to hang on tighter. The store is busier every day (as it should be) and we had a pretty big event yesterday (the bookstore hosted Jill Zarin, who is a local resident and author, as well as one of the Real Housewives of New York City), so I really needed to relax today.
So what did I do? Made cake! It’s a delicious and simple Blueberry Coffee Cake from my ancient (1951) copy of the Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book. My mother and grandmother did a lot of their cooking using this book — most of our family birthday cakes began with the Take It Easy Two-Egg Cake —and the splotchy pages show it. A little bit of baking makes me happy, and that’s a good way to end the week.
I can’t wait to block it, wrap it up, and send it on its way! And since it’s off the needles, can I start another one? All this garter stitch seems to be keeping my brain from melting.
Not Plain Jane 
OMG Jane delicious! Both of them! I'm knitting away, out here in Berkeley for the summer. What is the name of your yarn? Gorgeous! How do you block something like that? Blocking isn't something I've attempted but once before and I wasn't very successful. Miss you! xxx
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Tasty cake and cushy shawlettes – what a lovely way to releax. 🙂
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I think that you can tell how good a cookbook is by how many splotchy pages it has! Both the cake and the shawl look yummy!
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I'll be right over!
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Mmmm that cake looks delicious! There's nothing like cake as a stressbuster!
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Jane-the cake looks great! I don't think I know where you got the Batkus shawl pattern. Can you help me out? I'd like to purchase it or download it if either is possible. It looks so restful-the yarn you chose is gorgeous!
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mmmmmmmm! yummy!I'm with Janell above. Where is the pattern from? Is it easy? I am not the world's most advanced knitter … 🙂 Looks wonderful!
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I think garter stitch is the best anti-brain-melt medicine ANYWHERE!! Lovely. And lovin' the blogged blueberry baked goods this morning.
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Oooh…baktus looks wonderful! And I've made that coffee cake before – delicious!!! Wish I had made it this weekend for guests instead of trying a new zucchini muffin recipe which didn't do ANYTHING for 20 minutes in the oven, causing and emergency Panera run 15 minutes before guests were to arrive. Oy! 🙂
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I'm loving my garter stitch project right now – and your Batkus is gorgeous.
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I love well-used cookbooks! You always know which recipes are the BEST, most loved recipes! I love the Batkus. I so want to make one, and yours may just be the inspiration I need.
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Both are Beautiful! I love the color in the baktus and the cake looks yummy.
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