Ovens and Banners and Sales, Oh My!

So, my trusty tabletop oven, a little thing of only 20 litres capacity and bought ten years ago in France, has given up the ghost.  Grilled its last tuna melt.  Roasted its last red pepper.  The lamp inside illuminated its final casserole when there were still two zeros in the year, and the glass stopped being completely see-through after The Great Baking Disaster of '11.  But it was loved. And now it is missed.  (Well, I say it's missed, but it's still sitting in the kitchen because I can't bring myself to throw it away.  Yet.  But once it has its replacement, then I will have a teary and fond farewell.)

And so we come to this:

Rather self-explanatory, really.  A third off everything, including the free stuff!  Oh yes!

But not everyone is enticed into partaking of a wonderful sale opportunity by mentioning ovens in the title, so I thought this could be better:

But given the dates for the sale, starting on Valentine's Day, it was perhaps a little too on the innuendo-ey side.  (Which, of course, was fully intended, but still...  Not everyone appreciates a little euphemism with their sales banner.)

A reference to the 'Say It With Flowers' slogan that originated with the UK flower delivery company 'Interflora', but may have been considered too obscure., even though Interflora were taken over by an American company.  (Sobs.)   But better safe than sorry when it comes to intelligible sales banners...

And lastly, a cute banner that suddenly made me think of margarine just as I was setting the final type.

I think I need to get out more...

p.s. click on any banner to take you to the pattern page!!

Lovely Bubbly!

Champagne - the most decadent of alcoholic beverages, and usually so expensive to prohibit it's consumption except in the most celebratory of circumstances.

So until you can get your neck around a glass (or indeed a bowl) of the good stuff, help yourself to some free bubbly socks instead!

champagne tower socks by yours truly

Champagne!  And what's more decadent than a glass of champagne, but many glasses of champagne, of course!

My Champagne Tower Socks are made from the top down, with a short-row heel, and were inspired by watching a 'how do they do that' TV programme that included the proper (or at least a successful) method of pouring champagne down a pyramid of champagne bowls!  I love the idea of champagne and froth carrying on down the sock in luxurious stripes - a gentle froth topping some over-the-top twisted rib - the epitome of luxurious ribbing in my eyes!

I did two versions, one a straight champagne and froth, the second a slightly more frivolous kir royale (crème de cassis, or blackcurrant liqueur and champagne),  

kir royale tower socks
araucania ranco solid in 'PT485'
kartopu kristal in 'white'

but the options are not few - there are a good many cocktails that include champagne that could inspire you to any number of colour combinations!

I think my ultimate favourite champagne cocktail is the Black Velvet - champagne and Guinness.  Delicious!

And how often do you get offered free champagne?  They're just one click away...  Either HERE, which goes straight to the Ravelry pattern page, or...

(It says buy now, but the button just takes you to the paypal download page, but you pay nothing!)