Cloves!

Annie is the best! She bought me this box made out of cloves. I keep trying to figure out how they made this but can't figure it out. It is so cool. Thanks Annie, you are the best daughter. You rock (am I not suppose to say rock?).

Anyhow, now that I can knit on what I want, I am working on "Birch". I don't have enough to show you but you can see it here.

Peace

See this? It is my living room. Soon I will have it back without Fox News running, or storm watch of Texas, or endless football. I will be sitting in that chair back there that I haven't sat in for almost two weeks. I love my father in law, but I want my living room back. Saturday as Mr Yarn and my father in law are on planes one to Texas and one to India, I will be sitting in that chair with a drink bigger than my face and knitting.

Free at last

All I am going to say is I finished the sweater. Thank god.

No pictures

I don't have anything to blog about today. I guess I always can find things to yammer on about but I don't really have any pictures to show. I could show you a picture of my father-in-law that is still visiting but that just doesn't seem too exciting. I could show you the sweater I am test knitting for a yarn company but you can see that here (click on September on the left and then scroll down to the bottom of the window). So, the party went fine, the backyard is done, and everything is about back to normal. Well not quite. Mr. Yarn still goes to India and Dad leaves on Saturday. That is about the time I go out onto the new patio and have a few drinks.

I am a sucker

I bought a new Halloween toy. He is my new butler. He moves his eyes and he talks. He also moves his head and you can see his chest move when he breathes. I am going to bring him to the shop for kicks. I am the biggest sucker in the world when it comes to Halloween. This is my favorite of all though.

Fluff-o-rama

Other gals get flowers. *I* get cotton. My father-in-law is here and instead of bringing me flowers he brought me cotton. Does he know me or what? I think he wants me to take it to the shop but I love it too much and don't want anything to happen to it.

Don't touch my cotton.

Ta Da!

The yard is completely done. Mission accomplished. They finished it before the deadline (ok, except for the lights which have to wait until next weerk). The only thing left is the table and umbrella to be delivered tomorrow. Now what am I going to obsess on? Hmmm, I have to come up with something.

On the knitting front, I am almost done with the secret sweater. This is a good thing. If it weren't almost done I am afraid that I may have had another burning.

Ghost knitting

The sweater that I am ghost knitting for a friend that is suppose to be knitting it for a friend is almost done! I love it. I actually would like to keep it. Oh well.

So Mr Yarn turned 40 yesterday. Funny, he doesn't look any different.

Animals gone wild

Well it has happened. The animals have taken over the house. No, they haven't gone for the liquor cabinet or wine yet, but now they just seem to help themselves to other parts of the kitchen. Who would have thought that I would be living in a zoo. Granted I only have 1 dog and 2 cats, but the dog weighs 190lbs and the two cats may as well weigh that much too for how they get into everything.

Almost finished!

As you can see the backyard is almost done. Still some stuff to do (like sod) but it is almost there. Notice that Mr Yarn got his BBQ in a place of honor. After putting it together (only took 4 hours) it is a thing of beauty.

The sky is falling

When Evan came to visit he brought his mom a toy. I guess that since I have hung on to Hulk Hogan he thought he would give me a new one.



Evan gets promotional stuff for upcoming movies for his job. This one is Chicken Little. I hope that it isn't porno (just joking ya, Ev)

I've thought of that...

So Rabbitch suggested that I bring in some liquor to survive the next few weeks. That was the plan. I think that her plan is a good one. Just keep guzzling California's finest. Mr Yarn and I have reinforcements beyond my drinking capabilities. No, I don't share. Emergency supplies and all that ya know.



And there you have it. I called on Lily to help with this mornings public annoucment but she really has turned her back on me for good.

Hulk and the Burl

An update on the Redwood burl that is growing in the living room. You know my obsession with one day having a drive thru tree in Alameda. I am sure that the planning board will approve it.

The Hulk Hogan is there for point of reference of scale. Hulk is another one of those "Janis can't let go things". Evan gave me Hulk when he was about 6 years old. I have had hulk sitting either on my computer or next to my bed hanging off the light since then. Hulk has traveled far and wide with me.

On the knitting front...
I am almost done with the sweater that I am knitting for a friend. I am also almost done with the "secret" knitting project. I have the sleeves and the shell left to do. I would love to be knitting on something for myself but that isn't going to happen for a while. Mr Yarn's dad is coming to stay with us for 2 weeks. Heh heh...yeah, 2 weeks.

Goodbye roasted chicken

I use this showtime rotissierie like you can not believe. In case you didn't know this, I love to cook. I have lots of gadgets and kitchen goodies, but this is one of my favorites. My old boss Peg (who thought I was joking when I said I wanted this) got it for Mr. Yarn and me when we got married. It is almost 5 years old and it has bit the dust. Not surprising with how much I use it. So, we will have to bite the bullet and go get another one. Then again, with all the backyard stuff and the cost of that, maybe we should just BBQ everything from now on. BBQ sugar cookies! I may be on to something.

More yard!

Hey, notice the yarn and yard are only one letter away from each other and those are the two things I have been obsessing on. I am getting nervous that the yard will not be done by the 24th. I am also nervous that the "secret" project that I am working on is giving me trouble. Hmmm. Ok, so here is the progress on the yard and the plants sitting there waiting to get planted. Mr. Yarn and I bought Teak garden furniture yesterday. It is beautiful. For what it cost we better be sleeping on it as well.

Um, now the internets are against me

So, I tried to post a blog entry and picture from home this morning, and no such luck. My internet connection has decided "September has started off crappy for her, why don't we just jump in here and contribute". So here I am at the shop with no pictures to show you.

Wait, here is one I stole from Evan on Flickr.



He took this when he was here visiting.

I think the moon is out to get me

I was minding my own business when I glanced on over to my Clapotis (100% cashmere no less) and I saw this:



A honkin snag. Ya know, I can still wear it. It is still soft and beautiful, but it summed up how this month has been for me so far. The fact that I am calling it "this month" and we are only 7 days into it is not a good sign.

Changing the subject. . .

I knitted this 40's top while I was working for a Yarn shop. It was around 4 years ago. We used it as a sample for the shop and then I gave it to a coworkers granddaughter.



This sweater looks way cuter on than it does off. Also, I would do it in one color. We were trying to show off the yarn so I did it in two for this one.

Secrets and such

Yup, this is my knitting bag. I can't show what is in it because it isn't for me. I am knitting for someone else. I am almost done with one part of it which means that I really have been knitting.

So, "Mr. Yarn!" dropped the news on me that he has to go to India for work in a few weeks. Yeah, India. I was bummed out so Brigid brought me a "Oh, forget about it and cheer up gift"



How cute is that?

Evan is leaving

Evan was here this weekend. He is leaving today. I am sad. I hate that he only got to stay a couple of days.
Anyhow, we went to the race track (where else does a good mom take her son?) and we went to MoMa. Hey, culture and gambling go hand in hand.

Anyhow, not much to blog about for the last couple of days. Here is the backyard.

My house is the office now?

"Mr Yarn" came home safe and sound. So I get up this morning and my house has turned into "the office". "Mr Yarn" better known around some parts as "Mr Medicinal Chemist" is on a conference call and has my computer hooked up to his laptop. No blogging there. I am blogging from the Yarn! empire. No camera's, no tricks, no nothin to amuse you with from here. It is ok. I didn't have much to say or show you anyhow.

I really am knitting

I got the back of the sweater for a friend done. This sweater goes really fast and is really fun to knit. I am also knitting on "other" things and that is going well too.

Mr Yarn! comes home tonight. Thank god. The house is crumbling around me and the dog (right now she isn't Lily she is DOG) is getting on my nerves. I am sick of the dirt outside which isn't "the beautiful new backyard, but "the DIRT". Welcome home Mr. Yarn! I missed ya.