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Knitted Wedding Cake Tops

A few days ago I suggested I can embroider or at least was able to do so with good directions decades ago.  There is a reason for my needing to brush off those skills.  I've decided to knit cake tops; specifically wedding cake tops.  This was inspired by Knitted Yummies from StitchinKitsch.com   The basic pattern for the cake is found in this booklet but I did want to add the more appropriate decorations; the directions were too simplistic for this project.  My first attempt was based on this cake top.

Suzanne and Lex's cake
Rather than ask the couple to save the top tier for a year and then eat it, I knit a cake for them. Note the hydrangeas used to top the cake.  I thought if I'd find a sphere big enough and cover it with flowers I could get the effect that would be appropriate.  This is what I came up with in yarn:

Lex and Suzanne's cake top version
As you can see it isn't perfect.  I need to improve on the hydrangea; the petals on my version are far too small.  I used a styrofoam sphere and cut it in half.   Next I'll cut the sphere bigger so that it will be fuller and I'll make the hydrangea petals much larger.  But what really needs to improve is the embroidery.  I need to use a finer yarn and work better to get the delicate flowers that were done with frosting on the side of the cake.  (There is a 6 inch foam cylinder supporting the cake.  I've purchased a number of them at my local foam shop and that's why they give me the leftover foam for the fries.)

I'm also making one for Mike and Gen.  Here's what it looked like at the wedding:

Mike and Gen's wedding cake
Look at the lovely filigree-like design on the sides of the cake.  My embroidery skills will really be tested to make this cake and the orchids will be an interesting adventure as well.  The yarn is already purchased for them.  As though that wasn't enough I had to first find the right colour for the cake itself.  Mom had the perfect coloured yarn but not nearly enough to complete the cake.  So I asked about where to find that colour and was told it was old, aka out of fashion in yarn.  (It shouldn't come as a surprise to me, but it did. Of course, yarn colours come in and out of style like every other fashion item.)  I went with the colour that seems to best match although the varied thickness and thinness didn't match the smoothness of this cake.  So this is what I have so far:
My version of Gen and Mike's cake
As you can see I do have the border at the base done pretty well, but the embroidery needs to be added.  My start here is again too thick so it will have to come out.  Gen and Mike have been married for four years already.  Hopefully I can get this done for them before it is 5.  Cross your fingers (or do I need to cross mine), I want to take this with me when I see them next year.

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