Tea-ing It Up

What-ho chaps! So I'm using this blog as a bit of a skive tonight, unfortunately. My friend is having a baby, and I said I would knit for her (I've made it sound like she asked but she didn't - I FOISTED myself upon her Chums, FOISTED! I don't know if you've ever been foisted upon. It is unpleasant, but my friend didn't seem to mind). Anyhoo, turns out she's having a lady baby! Now, you might not remember, but I was convinced that Perfect was going to be a lady baby. So I, in an uncharacteristic burst of madness, bought what could only be described as a 'room full' of girls' knitting patterns. Perfect, as you will remember, is a gentleman baby. So sadly, I room-filled in vain (but fear not, Chinas, we've now got what Husband calls 'a house-full' of gentleman baby patterns, so all's well). SO when my friend said she was having a girl, I leaped at the chance to knit a pattern of the lady persuasion. LEAPED! And that's not easy after having the Perfect, let me tell you.

Sadly, I have picked a very complicated stupid, lacy, ass-face pattern, and I've just had to rip it back for the fourth time. 'Right Eilidhbelle, girdle your loins! Start again!' said my Heart. 'Don't Eilidhbelle, there's internetting to be done!' said my Soul. 'Have we got any Ben and Jerry's left?' asked my Chins. 'I think we're standing on a piddle-patch left by the perfect...' said my Feet.

And that's how we got to this point.

So instead, I thought I'd tell you what I got up to today. Not too far from McDonald Mansions is a brilliant place called the Tilly Tearooms (not too far, but far enough, Burglars) - and it's the best place in the world. Now before we start Lads, I'd just like to say that 1) my photography skills are, at best, sketchy 2) I never want to be that person who is taking pictures of their surroundings instead of living in the moment and d) I accidentally ate my cake immediately. Here's their website (Tilly Tearoom) where, believe it or not, there are some better pictures!

Now, as you know, I'm not prone to flights of fancy but Tilly Tearooms is a cavern of WONDERFULNESS, and that's not an exaggeration. It's not the biggest, granted, but it's cosy - and how could you resist anywhere with a gingham tablecloth? Not easily, that's for sure.

And if you order tea, it comes with its own knitted tea cosy!

and with a little cup and saucer (and none of them match!)

 and with a little dainty silver spoon! I didn't get a picture of mine, because I lost it. I had a lot of Perfect's junk with me. And the other best thing about the Tilly Tearooms is....they have the best cakes in the universe. Here's the Hummingbird cake (again, sorry about this):

(I think Hummingbird cake is made with pecans and magic, but I wasn't really listening when the waitress was describing it. I DO know that it's three tiers of delightfulness that disappear surprisingly quickly). They have a LOT of cake:

And the other best thing is - the lady who owns it is lovely if you go in with your twenty week old baby who screams BLUE MURDER for no reason. She even offered to hold him for me while I ate my cake! But the Perfect is like that, people are drawn to him because he's wonderful. But still. Total legend. Oh man, it's just  the kind of place where you want to take your knitting and sit all day and drink tea, and eat cake, and knit, and it's brilliant.

Go! Go now! Phone me first though, I'll meet you there.

And finally, because it wouldn't be worth it otherwise, here's a picture of the Perfect. Chin chin!