Indie knitting - with lots of pictures!!

Because it's the day of the big race....I'm making an effort to get this posted! I have been a bad blogger for quite awhile (this is Lolly, by the way) even though I've been knitting more than ever! After all, there's been Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's, Easter, arrivals of new babies.... one has to prioritize their knit-worthy occasions, that's for sure.

So...here's my story.

Waaaay back, toward the end of last summer, a friend at work was pregnant with her second child. Being her second, she and her husband decided to NOT find out whether the baby was a boy or girl. So, I made her a couple of receiving blankets which I managed to finish for the shower (but did not manage to take pictures.) The baby sweater? No such luck.

For some reason, I got creative (it's happening more these days, in my old age. :) AND the LYS was having a class on steeking a sweater....

Of course, I could have steeked a plain, simple little sweater. But my co-worker and her husband are race fans and I knew them to actually have gone to the Indy 500 several years back. So I got the bright idea of knitting little race cars...

That's right, those red things are race cars.

The bigger ones on bottom have a number 1 on their side. I know I could have made them look more identifiable by using more colors, so I could outline the wheels, etc. Yeah, maybe on Race Day sweater, version 2... (Don't hold your breath.)

Actually, this was very fun. I loved the challenge and I loved making up my patterns as I went. Some turned out looking like flowers, which is nice because my friend had a baby girl. No, that's not her in these pictures. The pictures are my great nephew, Logan. Before I had totally finished the sweater (notice the lack of buttons) he was around for me to try it on. He is a BIG four-month-old in these pictures; so the tiny little girl of my co-worker should be able to wear the sweater this fall, when she's almost one year old.

Logan's mom really wanted to keep this sweater; but the name on the back meant it was destined for another baby.

I used Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool and still have plenty to make another sweater; so Logan may possibly get his own later this year. Or next year. I make no promises.

It all depends on how much blogging I do between now and then. Geez, I think the Indy has started, so I'll have to post the rest of my pictures on Ravelry....one of these days... when I get a round toit.

Progress!

The Man Room conversion was actually a bigger project than I had first anticipated.

However, it is *almost* complete.  All that remains is to sew and hang a decorative valance.

After Christmas, I moved my little sewing operation from the dining room into the husband's Man Room, which was just some carved out attic-like space.

The first to go were the dead animals.  Thereafter, the real work began:  5 gallons of Kilz, 3 gallons of wall paint, and 1 gallon of white ceiling paint.  It is not lost on me that the word "pain" comprises most of the word "paint."

However, the results are lovely, I think.  Even though, I would have preferred to replace the flooring, as well.  I am hoping cork is somewhere in my future.

This is a multi-function room, to say the least.  The husband retains a corner for his gun safe, skull with antlers, duck stamp print, and locker full of hunting clothes, not to mention his fly-fishing rod rack.  In addition, we needed an overflow guest room, too.

So, what I now have is an office/sewing room, personal yarn shop/guest room/man corner.

Last weekend, we had the unenviable task of helping to square away the last of my mother-in-law's estate.  It was a mess; however, the antique mirror with the broken frame and plates, as well as the large blue chair came from there.

Surprisingly, the fabric on the blue chair is very similar (albeit in a different color way) to the fabric I chose as inspiration for the room.  

When I have a spare moment, I will make the curtain and a few accent pillows from it.  There may even be enough of it to make a bed skirt...

Of course, no room would be complete without the ever-faithful and loving Remy.  He will be six months old in two days!  He is already 52 pounds.

He can usually be found lying next to my desk...

or underneath it.

Now, I have a ton of knitting, designing, and sewing to do!

Has anyone else been busy?

Fabric Selections for Messenger Bag

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