Re-Do's

We are having our chimney re-done.  Every year, a few more bricks would break off and we finally decided we needed to address the issue.  We didn't realize we'd have to practically sell all of our possessions and take a second and third mortgage out on the house to pay for it.  Ok, so I exaggerate.  But just a little.  Of course, if we waited, it would be 10 times more expensive because terrible things would happen to the chimney liner and the whole rest of the house (again, slightly exaggerating).

Today is day two of trying to take off that big cement piece at the top.  It's taking MUCH longer than they anticipated.  I think that guy was in that same position all day yesterday and today.  Ugh.  They now have 4 guys working on it.

On the inside of the house is the crap craft room re-do.

This is only a portion (maybe a fifth) of what I took out of the room.  I was debating whether to show you the "before" of the room itself, but here it is.....

And that is AFTER I took a bunch of stuff out of it and set up those wire cubes.  I wouldn't dare show you what it really looked like "before".  It was awful.  A few years of neglect when one is busy running a yarn shop and oh-my-gosh.  This is actually in-progress.  It still looks like this.  You'll have to wait a little while for the "after".  Especially if I decide to learn/practice installing wood floors in here!  Yay!  Wouldn't that be fun?  You'll definitely get to see that process.

Mandy and I took our usual walk around the yard today, sniffing for interesting things to take pictures of.  We scared the HUGE frog by the pond before we could get a picture so we were left with the pictures of the chimney guys and this sign of fall:

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It's cloudy out and a little chilly so..... we came inside, had some tea and lit my most very favorite candle ever:

Yankee Candle's Cranberry Chutney

Click here if you'd like to get one!: Cranberry Chutney - 22 Oz Large Jar Yankee Candle (See all Scented Candles)

LOVE. IT.  It's so fall-ish and home-y.  Makes me want to go do some knitting!
I'm working on the Baby Surprise Jacket:

(phoebe just can't resist)

This is a pattern from the late 1960's by Elizabeth Zimmerman who was a famous knitter, known for her outlook that knitting should not bring one to tears.  So she set out to write some books and patterns that would help people learn easy ways to make knitting intuitive.  By the way, the "surprise" is that you don't really know what parts of this one- piece sweater you are knitting, but at the end you just fold it up, sew two short seams and voila, a sweater. You'll see.  It will be done soon.