Three socks, an OH CRAP and the best damn lemon cake I've ever had

Well, it seems that I thought everyone was crazily bouncing around like a pinball during the holiday season, but most of you already had more sense! GOOD FOR YOU! I'm loving my stress-free start to the season. So much so, that I'm knitting even more socks. Just because I want to. I finished the first sock wars sock I'm making for me. I'm making them longer than the original pattern and used up all but about a foot of the first ball of koigu kersti. I'll cast on the 2nd one later this afternoon.

I completed my daughter's 2nd sock and sewed in the ends RIGHT AWAY! And even sewed in the ends on Joey's 2nd sock that had been dangling there waiting patiently for the last few weeks. As I admired the pretty colorful future feet warmers, I noticed something. Not a little error, no, those don't bother me too much anymore. I tell myself those add to the personality. Those things are like when I forget to do a decrease on one side of the toe, I no longer frog back and reknit the entire round (yes, sadly I used to do this). No, I just sanely decrease on that side twice in a row. No biggie. I almost don't even see the uneven decreases. really. No, this WAS a biggie. I took a picture, but it doesn't do justice. I'll take one with Beth trying them on tonight.

I knit one sock about a month ago. I pulled it out to compare the length as I went along, but really didn't pay all that much attention to it. I knit one heel flap with just plain ol slip 1, knit across and then slip 1, purl across and the other heel flap with slip 1, knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, repeat across. So she has this beautifully textured and THICKER heel and one smooth as silk THINNER heel. nice. The anal knitter in me seriously considered frogging down to the heel and REKNITTING it. I convinced myself that would be STUPID. Then I actually started casting on for ANOTHER SOCK to reknit the entire thing, that way I wasn't frogging it. Since I only have enough yarn for ONE more sock, MAYBE, that wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. I forced myself to put the damn sock in the drawer and give it to my daugher, who noticed the sock heel immediately. I told her I did it on purpose because that way her one heel that she's always getting sore will be more cushioned. She was so impressed with her made-to-order socks. :) (My daughter drives me insane and instead of using the BRAKES on her bike, slamms one foot down, often resulting in a sore heel).

Jeez, I seriously didn't think I was that freaking anal. so sad. I've come a long way, baby. I used to frog entire projects down to the first few rows to correct some tiny little thing. Now it's just a part of the creative process. You know, you'd think my house would be cleaner if I was such a perfectionist, wouldn't you? cripes.

Jeff, sweet boyfried of mine, is turning FORTY!!!! We had his birthday party last night with his family over at our house and had a blast. I made the WORLD'S BEST LEMON CAKE...and I don't normally care for lemon cake. Here's the secret family recipe, shhhhhhh don't tell or they won't let me into the family!

CAKE:
1 pkg lemon cake mix (pick out one that has less oil than is called for in this recipe, one with 1/3 cup would work best)
4 eggs
3/4 cup veggie oil
3/4 cup water
1 small box INSTANT lemon pudding

GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons veggie oil

Put ingreedients for cake into bowl, mix on slow for 30 seconds, on med speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan (I use reynolds' wrap easy release foil and it's AWESOME), bake as directed on box and do the toothpick test to determine doneness.

Mix glaze a few minutes before pulling cake out of oven. WHILE THE CAKE IS STILL HOT just out of the oven, take a fork and poke holes all over the entire cake top. Pour glaze on and this way it will soak into the cake and be LUSCIOUS!!!

Unbelievably good. I just had some for breakfast. Hey, lemons are a fruit, right? Ok so lemon flavoring probably not so much.