tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35645692436072301632024-03-15T12:42:17.221-05:00The Wayward KnitterHi, I'm Kat! I'm a knitter, designer, color enthusiast, and avid puppy snuggler. I like to read books, too. I firmly believe that knitting should be enjoyable, and that your knitted garments and accessories should be able to fit into your existing wardrobe, so I try to make all my designs fun, charming, and easy to wear.
Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789165295554082597noreply@blogger.comBlogger883125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-31914002646638587602024-03-15T09:35:00.004-05:002024-03-15T09:35:35.841-05:00Tale of a Sweater, or, Kat Can't Count<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKhY4bl6lj8TdNtGGlUQ4maBkgE3jWy85koN4ecZrfMGW3EEZHQrJSOXk7JxJCWRzOnuHT4BRNPQe2mMSm9Onu_RcgNR1SizaI1xU5gUyxzaT9CwUUjel2PrNs9R5jGkPJ7KqvDpd5fqxbf88ZLi5UESsbNc1qS0E2Pc9AD5wi7lguSAtNB7aJWYw6mE/s4032/IMG_5961.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKhY4bl6lj8TdNtGGlUQ4maBkgE3jWy85koN4ecZrfMGW3EEZHQrJSOXk7JxJCWRzOnuHT4BRNPQe2mMSm9Onu_RcgNR1SizaI1xU5gUyxzaT9CwUUjel2PrNs9R5jGkPJ7KqvDpd5fqxbf88ZLi5UESsbNc1qS0E2Pc9AD5wi7lguSAtNB7aJWYw6mE/s320/IMG_5961.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Last summer I started knitting a pullover out of some vintage wool I'd picked up at a church bazaar a couple of years ago, and back in October I finally finished the back and almost immediately realized...I hadn't counted the stripes correctly. </p><p>I have one skein of the brass, two skeins of the orange, and five skeins of the yellow, which means I need to use twice as much orange as brass and twice as much yellow as orange, and then use the rest of the yellow for the ribbing and collar. Pretty straightforward. So I thought and thought and thought and decided that I could do two rows of the brass on either side of four rows of orange, because four is twice two, and then twice four is eight rows of yellow (except for some reason I decided to do twelve rows of yellow?? I don't know what Past Kat was thinking).</p><p>Except if I'm doing two rows of brass on *either side* of an orange stripe, then that's actually four rows, and the orange stripe needs to be eight rows. Which means the yellow stripes need to be sixteen rows. </p><p>(I am famously bad at arithmetic. One of my sister's favorite things is asking me things like "what's eight plus five" and watching me get more and more flustered.)</p><p>The good news is, I am much happier with how the new back looks. I love the wider stripes, and it's really matching the vision that I had in my head when I first came up with this sweater. </p><p>In non-knitting news, I finally got a spot in the Rancho Gordo Bean Club after about two years on the waitlist, and I am thrilled. I eat a lot of beans, and while I've ordered Rancho Gordo beans in the past, they've always been treated like a special treat instead of a pantry staple, because I absolutely cannot be counted on to remember to place a regular order. </p><p>Upon securing my spot I immediately dove into my remaining stash of beans to make a batch of red beans and rice and a batch of white beans with diced tomatoes, roasted garlic, and Italian spices. Truly, I have been eating like a king for the past week and a half, and earlier this week I got my first Bean Club shipment. I am so excited to try some new beans and explore some new recipes!</p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-12593273710055244142024-03-04T09:55:00.001-06:002024-03-04T09:55:22.542-06:00Antiquing and HeirloomsLast week my dad came for a brief visit. It was good to see him (and great to see him give Coleslaw lots of loving). As it was a short visit, we didn't do a lot, but we did make it out to an antiques mall that a former coworker had recommended to me, and we had a blast looking through all of the treasures there. I am, of course, powerless in the face of antiques, so of course I brought some things home.<div><br /></div><div>My first find was this dimetrodon figure. I love dimetrodon, and I have a small herd of them on the kitchen counter in my beverage corner. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHm-WBpCDIzAdb3qbtxpUhYiptP_B-5aM4cQNpdaTw-8t7wHLaKPtnW7fUUCkW4ZAneF6g7O8Y_LBBbDjlwXyUAF7IjXmIpFm4O9u85WyWM4MXT5Gf8D9Pvp2Iix-2_OkS_8aD0mYv8HiFyFGA8FaYcMGlzNLTpkvka8kaYuM5butIglKrSLwixrdDwZc/s4032/IMG_5720.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHm-WBpCDIzAdb3qbtxpUhYiptP_B-5aM4cQNpdaTw-8t7wHLaKPtnW7fUUCkW4ZAneF6g7O8Y_LBBbDjlwXyUAF7IjXmIpFm4O9u85WyWM4MXT5Gf8D9Pvp2Iix-2_OkS_8aD0mYv8HiFyFGA8FaYcMGlzNLTpkvka8kaYuM5butIglKrSLwixrdDwZc/s320/IMG_5720.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQk4vymiksDmb-cCRZG95jMvqYbRxcV1_u7QDjQcQEhWZtJdEsShfrg5Mcn38UAf4s2ZcBK2fK8ls7N-FQr4AQ70EMHlndH8uD3djAmWUyPUrS6Bk2w7i1TJVldrTZ7zlXlKnVNXKrRdGALJVuQHNqXbQzcIVVGr3-1civ7O48AFFv6oyNjFSxeU_AcM/s4032/IMG_5741.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQk4vymiksDmb-cCRZG95jMvqYbRxcV1_u7QDjQcQEhWZtJdEsShfrg5Mcn38UAf4s2ZcBK2fK8ls7N-FQr4AQ70EMHlndH8uD3djAmWUyPUrS6Bk2w7i1TJVldrTZ7zlXlKnVNXKrRdGALJVuQHNqXbQzcIVVGr3-1civ7O48AFFv6oyNjFSxeU_AcM/s320/IMG_5741.HEIC" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>My second find was this raccoon hand puppet. I have a fondness for puppets, and I think this guy has a lot of personality!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvhjw0sxB2ecj1ieMEmQ2N-tXZ8z8PD6ACxuxZkh8licM8mBXd3LnnMPElzRBJAPORrbH7rXdy9F3t4b-GNkMOljVZ1VrGqWPHrXy9Mo8uyiaipfpnu_98k3rh-rWq4iBieqf14USLCwUTJFusScPr9PTrKKNjDEk9UssHY1zfduzhGc_guqGBM9k6og/s3088/IMG_5716.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvhjw0sxB2ecj1ieMEmQ2N-tXZ8z8PD6ACxuxZkh8licM8mBXd3LnnMPElzRBJAPORrbH7rXdy9F3t4b-GNkMOljVZ1VrGqWPHrXy9Mo8uyiaipfpnu_98k3rh-rWq4iBieqf14USLCwUTJFusScPr9PTrKKNjDEk9UssHY1zfduzhGc_guqGBM9k6og/s320/IMG_5716.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>I also found two new dolls for my doll collection. They are porcelain, which I usually don't collect, but they really called to me, and I'm excited to add them to the family.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OUKEkcNSYXOSFReNyd9lbm9kzSwHeK6Ir-o1VF4uYRGggiAzxVtf0UqelUwKsGOgX2BvppvjXPg2eWbWj3NmDXL1trWRelu8La0nJz3UBn7LP1CbBqrhy6fXeGWXaVrVIT9gm0jv4RyWCb-NfzGiTx9khkLOOO-0pqrTOn6RLKHNWNsYIbrPssxbXH8/s4032/IMG_5719.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OUKEkcNSYXOSFReNyd9lbm9kzSwHeK6Ir-o1VF4uYRGggiAzxVtf0UqelUwKsGOgX2BvppvjXPg2eWbWj3NmDXL1trWRelu8La0nJz3UBn7LP1CbBqrhy6fXeGWXaVrVIT9gm0jv4RyWCb-NfzGiTx9khkLOOO-0pqrTOn6RLKHNWNsYIbrPssxbXH8/s320/IMG_5719.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Aren't they just darling? I hope they'll be happy here. </div><div><br /></div><div>My final find was this beautiful antique crazy quilt. I love crazy quilts, and I was so pleased to find this one in my budget. It's certainly seen better days, and I've found a couple spots where it's already been repaired at least once. I really love repairing old quilts and extending their lives, so I'm excited to get this once cleaned up and back in snuggling condition. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTDGLq1LKCl-BnvwTH90I30HWe0C5vNz_Yp0D_NCNhY2itmV-k7CX9O2EmUujktQ4WgdteW4t78V7nVUaeiSl-Xbxp62WUsf37rrIw5q_vGpx_J8SsDeCYefGWBCJy5RMWY0mRQqyTPPgbCMJ3aVzLiVkJBL6UJoBwzF9eoR51QpOCK2Hqi7_xQzbWGs/s4032/IMG_5722.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTDGLq1LKCl-BnvwTH90I30HWe0C5vNz_Yp0D_NCNhY2itmV-k7CX9O2EmUujktQ4WgdteW4t78V7nVUaeiSl-Xbxp62WUsf37rrIw5q_vGpx_J8SsDeCYefGWBCJy5RMWY0mRQqyTPPgbCMJ3aVzLiVkJBL6UJoBwzF9eoR51QpOCK2Hqi7_xQzbWGs/s320/IMG_5722.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can see one of the old repairs here, though this patch clearly needs more love. A lot of the big holes I've found so far are in this blue fabric, which appears to just be weaker than the other fabrics—most of the other patches are in great condition and I haven't seen any major weak spots yet. I'm also obsessed with the fabric used for the back of the quilt, and I'm thrilled to report that so far the backing appears to be in excellent condition! Of course, knowing more will have to wait until I can get this thing in the tub and cleaned and spread out for closer examination. It'll certainly be a big project, and I hope that I'll be able to find the time to start before too long!<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP0wZODnNx90Ej0RQgXDKGOj6aSIKxCFPWEbUq4rN4DSBEEF_fev6b53LKIxXs4Jw8cO4-ellS2izMJIhcCJCZgPaf9BcZWXnUv0nsRcDxS_ff6xjncoAsG9LBEGrFGmwRlzEnHJT3OWkiHCXWzXa6PKriPjgifIl4OEx7svBoAv5Upf9l6VPEj-3l8I/s4032/IMG_5724.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP0wZODnNx90Ej0RQgXDKGOj6aSIKxCFPWEbUq4rN4DSBEEF_fev6b53LKIxXs4Jw8cO4-ellS2izMJIhcCJCZgPaf9BcZWXnUv0nsRcDxS_ff6xjncoAsG9LBEGrFGmwRlzEnHJT3OWkiHCXWzXa6PKriPjgifIl4OEx7svBoAv5Upf9l6VPEj-3l8I/s320/IMG_5724.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDel6fZkO-wxIzFYKA68D14cmfCy6C-yNDiXdwmjaeLShfEgnkU89RzWEE6IvpgWrtMajTWBJqr7WoSWSUWNQhQ0tq65ybTaDYEGUVKPAUziUImVN00byJyKu7mTJlWxmOFNr46b4WJIoQn906KMtKy_V5Rvc354jeZjhxZ1ROiywXQair_tWK1rq_0Mc/s4032/IMG_5723.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDel6fZkO-wxIzFYKA68D14cmfCy6C-yNDiXdwmjaeLShfEgnkU89RzWEE6IvpgWrtMajTWBJqr7WoSWSUWNQhQ0tq65ybTaDYEGUVKPAUziUImVN00byJyKu7mTJlWxmOFNr46b4WJIoQn906KMtKy_V5Rvc354jeZjhxZ1ROiywXQair_tWK1rq_0Mc/s320/IMG_5723.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br />My dad also brough me several boxes of things from his side of the family, including a baby quilt that had belonged to his sister and several figurines, but the main thing he brough was an incredible collection of glass that had been displayed in his house growing up.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYn7dPgarMJEyJvfyxDeelMoC46dp5CH6dh4ArVDQjuu6vjH3UUPpBf8rjoXdoGG0hDC55MWXXwTbVCVgR-d3WF1Dw_1DHpa5i6JZMKIzHhvUO7WRpjlYIWxB7WODRqMyp53K49zD9c6RJuQ43alfejHI1F4Y4AYcyHkXuPN_kkxPySKheZOByVlKPyug/s4032/IMG_5729.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYn7dPgarMJEyJvfyxDeelMoC46dp5CH6dh4ArVDQjuu6vjH3UUPpBf8rjoXdoGG0hDC55MWXXwTbVCVgR-d3WF1Dw_1DHpa5i6JZMKIzHhvUO7WRpjlYIWxB7WODRqMyp53K49zD9c6RJuQ43alfejHI1F4Y4AYcyHkXuPN_kkxPySKheZOByVlKPyug/s320/IMG_5729.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGv39Ls15Mxx_TwNWScJZmFoEtAQm6BKJolK_IYpFINWjR2OcH_OM4f8vuRfgWztBGu_HL-3VMenkLENbX_z9qwUMCekpUMprw1d-DVRxSePo1jk-SI4HtZHiwVVS5Q0wQ_zW_IyM7mZJfldc4KZclYGBqmTwQT9x8odUGww8mJ6Yp57m6AUmfLjV3DI/s4032/IMG_5730.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGv39Ls15Mxx_TwNWScJZmFoEtAQm6BKJolK_IYpFINWjR2OcH_OM4f8vuRfgWztBGu_HL-3VMenkLENbX_z9qwUMCekpUMprw1d-DVRxSePo1jk-SI4HtZHiwVVS5Q0wQ_zW_IyM7mZJfldc4KZclYGBqmTwQT9x8odUGww8mJ6Yp57m6AUmfLjV3DI/s320/IMG_5730.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br />Yes, that's Federal Glass. Yes, I cried when he first told me about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The purple/mauve glass pieces are Fenton, which I have a small collection of. I normally focus my Fenton collection on amber hobnail pieces, but I did love these pieces when I first saw them, and as they're family pieces, I'm glad to give them a home. The crystal jar in the front of that bottom photo is actual crystal, and it has my aunt's initials etched on it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've known this Federal Glass collection was coming to me for a couple months, so I ordered a shelf from IKEA a few weeks ago to display it in a manner worthy of its status. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5av8jnlqo9qv3KUEZzFK9wNGp9skDULYcok2jodiUPfQrJ478jRrBAS8P84Gtxu79xxg4Tzph8CWsYCrQaCUbidsrAMgrSh21az872ijKRdiGzi1TKhdMdOcxTDXS3RTSjM053mxiRCdkHZKXJDcLVXynfr0m7H2adFlRber2Dz2ZDt_iDH9x5K6lb4M/s4032/IMG_5747.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5av8jnlqo9qv3KUEZzFK9wNGp9skDULYcok2jodiUPfQrJ478jRrBAS8P84Gtxu79xxg4Tzph8CWsYCrQaCUbidsrAMgrSh21az872ijKRdiGzi1TKhdMdOcxTDXS3RTSjM053mxiRCdkHZKXJDcLVXynfr0m7H2adFlRber2Dz2ZDt_iDH9x5K6lb4M/s320/IMG_5747.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUmWQdn5Lg97MqGnZS5PcO5GFBwFdO1jDaF4ZxlJZZ-lvnfxX6uXA_vSmHj_VUm4RjU_Ng4FjXEtAC2drCOluqDb9WZMTlwsnJ6Rw_MB_NTO90YG9u0-OcF1nklO5L9AYD0TspWp-HvflFZMj-4DYBPi9B4F0M4lD51xRENSWJ4Zkbf0Z4WUYCVHOoMA/s4032/IMG_5746.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUmWQdn5Lg97MqGnZS5PcO5GFBwFdO1jDaF4ZxlJZZ-lvnfxX6uXA_vSmHj_VUm4RjU_Ng4FjXEtAC2drCOluqDb9WZMTlwsnJ6Rw_MB_NTO90YG9u0-OcF1nklO5L9AYD0TspWp-HvflFZMj-4DYBPi9B4F0M4lD51xRENSWJ4Zkbf0Z4WUYCVHOoMA/s320/IMG_5746.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I mean, just look at how beautiful it is! Look at how the light passes through them!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmrAHY_hZB2TdMSNLbcJagO0l5bde7GcXYMhqm3inAjkL-1X-oxBpyaKEG4c74WavnwyBZZFLWtMHeOF2_XVXCrmh3_uu15WG0TdqVOZVwIKwxruUiAo0HQZfkef9WhmkWL2ZPK9gjR0830J1LFSAc7y8gRjJ5l1uhDDxK-b-m47G4Fyq4zjgxbHZxH0/s4032/IMG_5748.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmrAHY_hZB2TdMSNLbcJagO0l5bde7GcXYMhqm3inAjkL-1X-oxBpyaKEG4c74WavnwyBZZFLWtMHeOF2_XVXCrmh3_uu15WG0TdqVOZVwIKwxruUiAo0HQZfkef9WhmkWL2ZPK9gjR0830J1LFSAc7y8gRjJ5l1uhDDxK-b-m47G4Fyq4zjgxbHZxH0/s320/IMG_5748.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXPTRBbdhdeM6UMno_bxbnXj7G7jd9EigStOYmtSJZfZvresoXkws5RuaOptvZoiwxiJulwbzRxcJp7MDpdyrnu3_Z0deo3SlQfovj4vJZ1JnBMDcT6QfNGihKXPzMLGj4JkJWCan8jHrSzCmZUXVQOQOa7_onkMuPlpbb1do6wkOxA4liIYYZYirJMY/s4032/IMG_5749.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXPTRBbdhdeM6UMno_bxbnXj7G7jd9EigStOYmtSJZfZvresoXkws5RuaOptvZoiwxiJulwbzRxcJp7MDpdyrnu3_Z0deo3SlQfovj4vJZ1JnBMDcT6QfNGihKXPzMLGj4JkJWCan8jHrSzCmZUXVQOQOa7_onkMuPlpbb1do6wkOxA4liIYYZYirJMY/s320/IMG_5749.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm so pleased with them. Someday I'll have space for a proper display cabinet, but for now I'm thrilled to have them out and able to be enjoyed, and I think having them on display here really ties that corner together!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0giLXWI9mGSasnPo1lYVdw_LneM_6-O3Rle5FS6JqrxGdT5c2D7LXWKqmkfPS-MoTEL_XdVxhXdkCl1I9gb0jGxrtMtEfg-TeOfg_8eP1kbV0WHOniXs9xOd5cgJvbVMQ27T1tj7NEgvQ5fmFm3DM16psUBOvUBTmYmZ7V1V-fMw95DtMP4ITcLsxG0/s4032/IMG_5750.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0giLXWI9mGSasnPo1lYVdw_LneM_6-O3Rle5FS6JqrxGdT5c2D7LXWKqmkfPS-MoTEL_XdVxhXdkCl1I9gb0jGxrtMtEfg-TeOfg_8eP1kbV0WHOniXs9xOd5cgJvbVMQ27T1tj7NEgvQ5fmFm3DM16psUBOvUBTmYmZ7V1V-fMw95DtMP4ITcLsxG0/s320/IMG_5750.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-21163977789198566712024-03-01T09:57:00.006-06:002024-03-01T09:57:51.439-06:00A Sweater, a Quilt, and Several Mugs<p></p>I got it into my head that the next time I blogged would be to show off my finished Dziadzi, and then it took me a while to track down buttons, and then it took me a couple weeks to actually find time to take pictures of it, and now here we are, in March. Whoops.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GkI0ZGAr08O8-IiLgCAVoIHV13KjGDwieFOvq7uRcrZaYcNT7fDi8Fb7dGYZsTQC0CVKDu13HLy-rwz4KS0b4dCHj1JrdUmoZUJZqEU38RquQisfIfolZWypokhBmV_78kEfzmTz2qF2KdZNmCrgLGofAj2_9m4YYBChXGKy4NGEi-tEmZzPtxeI84/s640/IMG_5707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GkI0ZGAr08O8-IiLgCAVoIHV13KjGDwieFOvq7uRcrZaYcNT7fDi8Fb7dGYZsTQC0CVKDu13HLy-rwz4KS0b4dCHj1JrdUmoZUJZqEU38RquQisfIfolZWypokhBmV_78kEfzmTz2qF2KdZNmCrgLGofAj2_9m4YYBChXGKy4NGEi-tEmZzPtxeI84/s320/IMG_5707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Anyway, Dziadzi (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/dziadzi">Ravelry project link</a>) is done, and I'm smitten. I really enjoyed knitting this, and I'm very excited to have a neutral wool pullover to add to my wardrobe. This was also a pretty quick knit, once you set aside the month and a half break to work on xmas knits and the days I lost when Coleslaw got her mouth on it and ate the needles, forcing me to wait for new ones to arrive. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQik-w5KPHaSsgW0xFfM2vNLsgZ9CmM9l-R9_DNhBwA0TB_VMT-kqPGzeZMVr4uvhlg5RaEVEhQl9jfjDnbHkC0SpP8eh85B6P1gtj1uUeOy4EydUFFZBNZcjfy-dNrTmal8iYlTxBIi1O3U3WCvoP8CfpjsQDIgU520P5bWJ56Qzv-ExyJAAjlonxd30/s640/IMG_5711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQik-w5KPHaSsgW0xFfM2vNLsgZ9CmM9l-R9_DNhBwA0TB_VMT-kqPGzeZMVr4uvhlg5RaEVEhQl9jfjDnbHkC0SpP8eh85B6P1gtj1uUeOy4EydUFFZBNZcjfy-dNrTmal8iYlTxBIi1O3U3WCvoP8CfpjsQDIgU520P5bWJ56Qzv-ExyJAAjlonxd30/s320/IMG_5711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>(I have lost count of the number of sets of knitting needles she's eaten. It's at least thirteen. She is a menace. I love her.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpq0WB381E-KaM5d7lgfdvhsMvo5J-Enx_LBiXaNJLcJt6_W6uVDnDKQQrWGbPxIeo-Wr_qMYyIpqRH5kUjXvsYRYCHXPADwAE_52UAqhbvTmPvJ-x_lyvcPgdiaU3_z6lqOFKhc74vygR1yYKLvvxzqj3t8BVNfF4LOefySuh4Esp2IGefmsOK-dc10/s4032/IMG_5737.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpq0WB381E-KaM5d7lgfdvhsMvo5J-Enx_LBiXaNJLcJt6_W6uVDnDKQQrWGbPxIeo-Wr_qMYyIpqRH5kUjXvsYRYCHXPADwAE_52UAqhbvTmPvJ-x_lyvcPgdiaU3_z6lqOFKhc74vygR1yYKLvvxzqj3t8BVNfF4LOefySuh4Esp2IGefmsOK-dc10/s320/IMG_5737.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>In other news, I finally had the money to order mugs for my beloved mug collection and I got them all unpacked and set out. I love my mug collection, and it's been very difficult to have them packed up and stashed in a closet for the past year. (Since unpacking them, there is now room in said closet for my mops and broom, so they aren't just leaning up against the wall of my living room anymore.)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp6BXo7KnfRiz6kqGt9GO78sJaUHJv7yfBGWBcuTjDgOSTGiesObpXMDR6gu9sH2BpBdIrihvrRNmpYtPU4f87s0iZuvmI4H4NkUaFaVbFkocu8AVjgrfGMVmkxC6vwgb3rxTKOxp4TbAQLLEo3o3IO0xIe9-EL89qGRbH4Bs7zQ5yvgC7Oe7HEZcgtI/s4032/IMG_5738.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp6BXo7KnfRiz6kqGt9GO78sJaUHJv7yfBGWBcuTjDgOSTGiesObpXMDR6gu9sH2BpBdIrihvrRNmpYtPU4f87s0iZuvmI4H4NkUaFaVbFkocu8AVjgrfGMVmkxC6vwgb3rxTKOxp4TbAQLLEo3o3IO0xIe9-EL89qGRbH4Bs7zQ5yvgC7Oe7HEZcgtI/s320/IMG_5738.HEIC" width="320" /></a> </div><p></p><p>I was afraid that hanging the shelves would be difficult—I really struggle assembling flatpack furniture, so while I do order a lot of things from IKEA, it always fills me with a bit of dread. Fortunately, these went up incredibly easily, and I actually had a lot of fun hanging them. The shelves are the Mosslanda picture ledge, which I chose because of the lip along the front edge. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3Hwur17XAeOzcDlEe2po-TscFZR-vrS24tuXqQijczKmwKgOfj9jPtSRJfLpjzkBRYUfOKSvageTo7u5wllF_BfO1jZvwivrM-jq5HA1Jobrs9oIiFz407l2mcf1TP4sDVXVXSP9Ms8LGaGsewepJ62ha37nz0l6fiG2uQtGr7s6BgmpRku57_W-Few/s4032/IMG_5740.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3Hwur17XAeOzcDlEe2po-TscFZR-vrS24tuXqQijczKmwKgOfj9jPtSRJfLpjzkBRYUfOKSvageTo7u5wllF_BfO1jZvwivrM-jq5HA1Jobrs9oIiFz407l2mcf1TP4sDVXVXSP9Ms8LGaGsewepJ62ha37nz0l6fiG2uQtGr7s6BgmpRku57_W-Few/s320/IMG_5740.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another thing I did this week was pull my current quilting project out! A couple months before I left South Dakota, I tripped over a chair and fell on my quilting frame, breaking it, so for my birthday last September I asked for a new one. The past few months have been crazy, so I only just unpacked and assembled the new frame this week, but it's been so nice having a quilt out to work on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_S1v1hLs2qzPRKyVyRULa2FuC02T7fE8B65gzGtpq-hyP6Fg3i8YQb7RnJB7-au3vDVmsyo_tgb3eVtwLFhCJBOxrEv1dtOg2sQRyjEb2msNgOaQpxKMAJwBX2M7wSeQw7wNnyf2Wpb7MOIfOWs8_4w6esWo1aI5Z23YY9xaGQRwEaYVpzW3CQwFx35I/s4032/IMG_5643.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_S1v1hLs2qzPRKyVyRULa2FuC02T7fE8B65gzGtpq-hyP6Fg3i8YQb7RnJB7-au3vDVmsyo_tgb3eVtwLFhCJBOxrEv1dtOg2sQRyjEb2msNgOaQpxKMAJwBX2M7wSeQw7wNnyf2Wpb7MOIfOWs8_4w6esWo1aI5Z23YY9xaGQRwEaYVpzW3CQwFx35I/s320/IMG_5643.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-86052786815100427782024-01-23T11:08:00.000-06:002024-01-23T11:08:05.403-06:00Xmas Knits, FinallyI finally mailed out my family's xmas presents last week, and everyone has now received and opened their gifts, so I can finally share my two xmas knits with you all! <div><br /></div><div>Up first are my mother's socks (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/book-stash-socks">Ravelry link</a>), which I knit for the GAL on Ravelry. The pattern is Book Stash Socks, by Nailya Plaskey, which was a really enjoyable knit! The colors are brighter than what I tend to use for myself these days, but they sure were fun to knit up (Zwerger Garn Opal Sweet & Spicy in Fruchtgummi). I did modify the pattern so I could knit them top-down, as is my preference, and, as always, I swapped in my favorite heel and usual toe. I definitely plan to knit another pair of these for myself sometime, but I already have at least three socks on the needles for myself, and I am, admittedly, terrible at focusing on knitting socks except for my mother's xmas pair, so who knows when I'll actually get around to them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3HduGs3n7OuuzlFfhJaTQubSnrvsjOz0J8POpOGdLAhXmJ0qvg3sDQ5cZE7nvvjkJQGUMLpCZGdEQUvKoZKRQCEwTpqcce1L2-HudqSqoCXLRynt0kKO6O9pCzYKa-HmqTgaz8UevIpbyH5M86u9TA7VHq1Q624JIV9T_y7_C_t7EyxcPK24Uh8ejfM/s4032/IMG_5156.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3HduGs3n7OuuzlFfhJaTQubSnrvsjOz0J8POpOGdLAhXmJ0qvg3sDQ5cZE7nvvjkJQGUMLpCZGdEQUvKoZKRQCEwTpqcce1L2-HudqSqoCXLRynt0kKO6O9pCzYKa-HmqTgaz8UevIpbyH5M86u9TA7VHq1Q624JIV9T_y7_C_t7EyxcPK24Uh8ejfM/s320/IMG_5156.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSXnoMT4cL_vmTjw6oRyadq5TLRCWWPtg9cGWy5i9xwWTi9d3FczcXwWXtg-ZqqM_R7BQUD7pqj1uML8W_i8aPZOXxTCKJT4IJq4vCDw0t7Z9e66r44pqi-cLKV9YKTvu8rgb9FktCcBt_OFd9HR0CGNo_gMJabWVvdLHLPz3tH2QLLrzaWUktwPH9JE/s4032/IMG_5157.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSXnoMT4cL_vmTjw6oRyadq5TLRCWWPtg9cGWy5i9xwWTi9d3FczcXwWXtg-ZqqM_R7BQUD7pqj1uML8W_i8aPZOXxTCKJT4IJq4vCDw0t7Z9e66r44pqi-cLKV9YKTvu8rgb9FktCcBt_OFd9HR0CGNo_gMJabWVvdLHLPz3tH2QLLrzaWUktwPH9JE/s320/IMG_5157.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Next is my brother's hat (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/musselburgh-2">Ravelry link</a>)! I knit him a Musselburgh for xmas a couple years ago, and when I asked him this year what he wanted, he said, "I like that hat you made me," so it went right back into my queue. He gave me three color choices to choose from so I'd be confident he'd get something he liked and so there'd be some element of surprise for him, and I chose my favorite (honestly, I love this green so much that I was tempted to keep the hat for myself—Knit Picks Palette in Larch Heather). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydo8iHL7s9-RfC6NgPrYCjfXu1vdWoDX3ITs-Q3cF78KVa7MLb_bVEF6C17en3Hef4zJrFQyQMtMaIUJKvFYKtY0_zfkH_R8lIpKFvW-Eeq9-qvSovPPpXFRGn8Kea-phcJeUBlSmI-M5kildq_ORQ2KrV3ZsN5m7VC18ZHj1lqpwWyyTWXySJdGtwkA/s3088/IMG_5261.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydo8iHL7s9-RfC6NgPrYCjfXu1vdWoDX3ITs-Q3cF78KVa7MLb_bVEF6C17en3Hef4zJrFQyQMtMaIUJKvFYKtY0_zfkH_R8lIpKFvW-Eeq9-qvSovPPpXFRGn8Kea-phcJeUBlSmI-M5kildq_ORQ2KrV3ZsN5m7VC18ZHj1lqpwWyyTWXySJdGtwkA/s320/IMG_5261.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcNgFoI-5Bdf55JFxbLzAvYohqloE9jQaDpExSUcauBoLNpo3wBQMkrUdpKNyt9Rm110g00pKKWbgBM6G4_RjPSMPmgUp0rmTs1FURiXjdVhUcLMUhy0HMW8TlG4CKhC10fdASkMY0vphNQKAPa4nrK5cBwCo-DJEpHw6dkYAFma-NVU_9C6jxACwFQs/s3088/IMG_5262.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcNgFoI-5Bdf55JFxbLzAvYohqloE9jQaDpExSUcauBoLNpo3wBQMkrUdpKNyt9Rm110g00pKKWbgBM6G4_RjPSMPmgUp0rmTs1FURiXjdVhUcLMUhy0HMW8TlG4CKhC10fdASkMY0vphNQKAPa4nrK5cBwCo-DJEpHw6dkYAFma-NVU_9C6jxACwFQs/s320/IMG_5262.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjFw_GRyuuqB1vGLXCvm-rg1CGJ6vlmb1IvcBNhKJYVbZzd5DIfZpICrW57l8MxODhgHP-FFr6LxSaSyBTgyU2fJ5EfrhUU5YnmFxrUx8xYAWLA_1nIhfJ9LR63-1NcOxwjeeS9BK76yjCcR6fr82i94zlMsLdB7AI78SiCdznUHSpRuz-AUCixXDzvk/s3088/IMG_5264.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjFw_GRyuuqB1vGLXCvm-rg1CGJ6vlmb1IvcBNhKJYVbZzd5DIfZpICrW57l8MxODhgHP-FFr6LxSaSyBTgyU2fJ5EfrhUU5YnmFxrUx8xYAWLA_1nIhfJ9LR63-1NcOxwjeeS9BK76yjCcR6fr82i94zlMsLdB7AI78SiCdznUHSpRuz-AUCixXDzvk/s320/IMG_5264.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Since finishing my gift knitting, I've been back to work on my Dziadzi, which I'd started for NaKniSweMo. I only managed to get up to the front and back divide on the body before having to switch over to xmas knits, but since picking it back up I've finished the body and one sleeve, and I'm hoping that I can bang out the rest of the second sleeve this week. </div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-78000213451563727502024-01-05T10:23:00.001-06:002024-01-05T10:23:04.790-06:00Goodbye 2023<p>Hello friends! When we last met, I was gearing up for a very busy three weeks, but between work and some things in my personal life, it was nonstop crazy up until Christmas. I'm just finally pulling myself out of the fugue I've been in for the past couple months and trying to find some kind of feeling of balance.</p><p>Coleslaw continues to be a perfect puppy, and everyone adores her. She'll be seven months old tomorrow, and I can honestly say the past four and a half months with her have been a nonstop adventure. She continues to be intelligent and curious and excellent at finding and chewing on things she oughtn't. We celebrated her first Chanuka and I managed to get one (1) decent non-blurry picture of us:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6Tstwu7OdUK_rSfbC4_rfMfbvSB6ENhozB3ew6Y_0OSvPOaJuXAzNekQ48tfEQ9uv_KISrF_uDsLEwiED8e4s7WqEWrFRXVmp-ZW5iw97KITyxcZRNRNbAro42OrWVUtehZ1rfLLpE7EkxoLkDEdVnCKm-Sm13i3g6IzA821Jnv9He2qNsZ274RFiCs/s3088/IMG_4915.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6Tstwu7OdUK_rSfbC4_rfMfbvSB6ENhozB3ew6Y_0OSvPOaJuXAzNekQ48tfEQ9uv_KISrF_uDsLEwiED8e4s7WqEWrFRXVmp-ZW5iw97KITyxcZRNRNbAro42OrWVUtehZ1rfLLpE7EkxoLkDEdVnCKm-Sm13i3g6IzA821Jnv9He2qNsZ274RFiCs/s320/IMG_4915.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Because of the things in my personal life I alluded to above, I was traveling for most of Chanuka. We celebrated Night One on time, but then I decided to pause and we celebrated nights two through eight when I got back home. </p><p>While I was out of town, her groomer/boarder/daycare did Christmas photos as a fundraiser for new playground equipment, and they are the best fifteen dollars I've ever spent:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIvNFTVCO98iM7FA2CX6L-xz3MBOidxdrwZz_3spWI0IHfOKLsiKK-E6W07WhRMQ-iGaiC5fdAcTQ3aYiFJXJxKlBfq4ywa2LSstMJ0dWbRSQTXJ8OLocvKoyud2qpy3-qBXCgmopT7yV8UvV4u4OTJPXG1Gap6uUagopE5PhyphenhyphenL8PqrDcOV_zdwSPkQY/s4500/IMG_5016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="4500" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIvNFTVCO98iM7FA2CX6L-xz3MBOidxdrwZz_3spWI0IHfOKLsiKK-E6W07WhRMQ-iGaiC5fdAcTQ3aYiFJXJxKlBfq4ywa2LSstMJ0dWbRSQTXJ8OLocvKoyud2qpy3-qBXCgmopT7yV8UvV4u4OTJPXG1Gap6uUagopE5PhyphenhyphenL8PqrDcOV_zdwSPkQY/s320/IMG_5016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjti17Dt0o3Y5quq8UZclg2w2OKVn3w75DD7oguYjYgNql8wLSKpwa9TBkmUl30PgYWZeEexNnpKVqzyyzGkW9orK_wlr4sv-mV7jeUr_VC_Y0PzXcxPbB5FuGBhcshShag5l-ghuUsAbMvZugR5hTNuNnKlgJP4L_oyhCaDDYWqmiYocoj_ZAUyN262xg/s3597/IMG_5015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3597" data-original-width="3049" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjti17Dt0o3Y5quq8UZclg2w2OKVn3w75DD7oguYjYgNql8wLSKpwa9TBkmUl30PgYWZeEexNnpKVqzyyzGkW9orK_wlr4sv-mV7jeUr_VC_Y0PzXcxPbB5FuGBhcshShag5l-ghuUsAbMvZugR5hTNuNnKlgJP4L_oyhCaDDYWqmiYocoj_ZAUyN262xg/s320/IMG_5015.JPG" width="271" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRsFHMMz7Jaq4QoMTGRy4k3Hx7zXD6rP5aexTqa1LBCnX80wdd1ZNGS4-dtqsZFiJn_5LcXWx-U334pCIFu6aufwXn4SiQ9qf70DKqbwCCvcKEhjGQUjO2X7AWtcjZBndMU_mN5szcJqkboREDEbZYHJ9esN35JICiy7sZKz6wmTnWQboZXVGWsonrXA/s5048/IMG_5012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3341" data-original-width="5048" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRsFHMMz7Jaq4QoMTGRy4k3Hx7zXD6rP5aexTqa1LBCnX80wdd1ZNGS4-dtqsZFiJn_5LcXWx-U334pCIFu6aufwXn4SiQ9qf70DKqbwCCvcKEhjGQUjO2X7AWtcjZBndMU_mN5szcJqkboREDEbZYHJ9esN35JICiy7sZKz6wmTnWQboZXVGWsonrXA/s320/IMG_5012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh61sOExfNNeH6IwASTzGvys8GZupyVUMQpYpN3iaNO-FVEn74PGkWmbP1iRwEn9bDesF1CA4xFWoKlxbNtVedKJIhI-hwYmIAoH0moxAkPM9yGXR7tgozIBouHrwA6JT_ddqtpPg6pJiGWDREm3fVPbtqgntL6WA5I3cl2lwaQrVex_Nqmz7mB9qeofw/s4152/IMG_5009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3172" data-original-width="4152" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh61sOExfNNeH6IwASTzGvys8GZupyVUMQpYpN3iaNO-FVEn74PGkWmbP1iRwEn9bDesF1CA4xFWoKlxbNtVedKJIhI-hwYmIAoH0moxAkPM9yGXR7tgozIBouHrwA6JT_ddqtpPg6pJiGWDREm3fVPbtqgntL6WA5I3cl2lwaQrVex_Nqmz7mB9qeofw/s320/IMG_5009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Probably my favorite one is of her doing a perfect Kubrick stare:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPoYuZECHG8CrWQm0lsHkQiOPAwF09Ws44ztl-9yTeeYm0U1D4od3TSU4m_yf67CLfc4Y_GeoOMooUPNFI5gbtWoHuSBjLDhEnVwTl8u-XwjwY9R0eogdstAnWl8OdxfN68DPrCe-MOwq-pSm_ML928v19rsh4a1O4HO00ljCNaIN2zMsbhsh71WuozU/s3292/IMG_5013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3292" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPoYuZECHG8CrWQm0lsHkQiOPAwF09Ws44ztl-9yTeeYm0U1D4od3TSU4m_yf67CLfc4Y_GeoOMooUPNFI5gbtWoHuSBjLDhEnVwTl8u-XwjwY9R0eogdstAnWl8OdxfN68DPrCe-MOwq-pSm_ML928v19rsh4a1O4HO00ljCNaIN2zMsbhsh71WuozU/s320/IMG_5013.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Christmas itself was a little weird. It was the first time that my family hasn't been all together, and I also had to work at my retail job on the 23rd and 24th, which was exhausting. We did family video calls on Christmas Eve (to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol) and on Christmas morning (to open presents), and while it was different than years past, it was good to be together that way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Coleslaw got tons of new toys, which she loves, but within an hour of opening them she got very overstimulated and needed a nap, so we napped for most of the rest of the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNi__a7V5EqsxFsaAqwpfMxcUk4vdRqzpJfzz-MrHwsuW7MIT7IBrep2YPPFLnGDVVs_-ylfQIHh_AZ19Gkg3aDdkTiUSypMKGGkdSu01BA8aAmL3Z9qYZzh4sqYc-xFdvU7HRxcnPl9eg2LWCRfk1XmkRYP79lM7oZ3gHizH2SYsuMl-wc08j5tS2RI/s4032/IMG_5090.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNi__a7V5EqsxFsaAqwpfMxcUk4vdRqzpJfzz-MrHwsuW7MIT7IBrep2YPPFLnGDVVs_-ylfQIHh_AZ19Gkg3aDdkTiUSypMKGGkdSu01BA8aAmL3Z9qYZzh4sqYc-xFdvU7HRxcnPl9eg2LWCRfk1XmkRYP79lM7oZ3gHizH2SYsuMl-wc08j5tS2RI/s320/IMG_5090.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also managed an obligatory family Christmas selfie, again managing only one (1) decent non-blurry shot:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ89AFiLuxEqexm1n9R_tTkR-Vb72ThW7X8Y57U21tuFNpAO3ahceXdtfJMNP40zXkPW68IRH0GXsEAjZTK7xVfQoknTXWiYX4sUAU10LEaJZe68OBEZB0dlrnzLWzyBHnV_4ql_BxG2eXB38NMSLxadm2di-EZuFBupf7QPLYR6Vp5tVdrRI7Q6ygPNY/s3088/IMG_5105.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ89AFiLuxEqexm1n9R_tTkR-Vb72ThW7X8Y57U21tuFNpAO3ahceXdtfJMNP40zXkPW68IRH0GXsEAjZTK7xVfQoknTXWiYX4sUAU10LEaJZe68OBEZB0dlrnzLWzyBHnV_4ql_BxG2eXB38NMSLxadm2di-EZuFBupf7QPLYR6Vp5tVdrRI7Q6ygPNY/s320/IMG_5105.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because of all the craziness that took over November and December, I have still not managed to send my family their Christmas presents, and, in fact, I am still not finished knitting one of them. Fingers crossed that I can get that done soon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got a couple days off from my library job for Christmas and New Year's, which I mostly spent sleeping, since the past few months have been exhausting and draining. I'm glad I had those days, and I'm hopeful that I'm starting to feel like a human person again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Monday I noticed that the bag of veggie scraps in my freezer was full, so I made broth in the 1970s CrockPot I found at the thrift store several weeks ago:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw1LQfBHYK0OWGpNnOdckNHs14P5R_FkH4yGrIiV01g225JJG_-zRfy1BjSiw0savNjH5uLKlaAbLddeNsId_LvcEKEcYh1oyh0IxYvSPT5MZrl_r27vwpyBDHU-VL0Fkp3EC9dSXzP8UDVtW5tCWqZhVODP8pISmrJNhxiYR-N8Iazg7bGRfOW6Qcm8/s4032/IMG_5183.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw1LQfBHYK0OWGpNnOdckNHs14P5R_FkH4yGrIiV01g225JJG_-zRfy1BjSiw0savNjH5uLKlaAbLddeNsId_LvcEKEcYh1oyh0IxYvSPT5MZrl_r27vwpyBDHU-VL0Fkp3EC9dSXzP8UDVtW5tCWqZhVODP8pISmrJNhxiYR-N8Iazg7bGRfOW6Qcm8/s320/IMG_5183.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4s6P15c-oAF3o0RaUjEWLNCOCO2HQmuwYRK1KomvsHKf6uX218P-59VyUJpgTAqBwxFWT0Ca4h2OU_CqUn6YISpdb8xmsbRkZj5JyVgMnuFGmNkHEh7TynNjCMTq2WZ8AFgok39FBwe_F7xd_QILAkJvXCmvknF74dw_6nDA0BKS86SbDVS-OyEJKcg/s4032/IMG_5188.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4s6P15c-oAF3o0RaUjEWLNCOCO2HQmuwYRK1KomvsHKf6uX218P-59VyUJpgTAqBwxFWT0Ca4h2OU_CqUn6YISpdb8xmsbRkZj5JyVgMnuFGmNkHEh7TynNjCMTq2WZ8AFgok39FBwe_F7xd_QILAkJvXCmvknF74dw_6nDA0BKS86SbDVS-OyEJKcg/s320/IMG_5188.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPsfw67IbCP_IPvQuJ_LrUIlv8kDKA24EPbHJ2fyVfDbH1gP_8QvVKf9pBdWURcZO1xuV0tKPub5ACiAUf8qIyiD_u5LX_9scGpaV_zdf0BXhTsCgphSrvmXGfdXMEX5eqjDeLBady3g-wvlRY_Ijqr1tG8bxLTQa9zsUiqK6g45F6AMKdu_r_6VhrTY/s4032/IMG_5189.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPsfw67IbCP_IPvQuJ_LrUIlv8kDKA24EPbHJ2fyVfDbH1gP_8QvVKf9pBdWURcZO1xuV0tKPub5ACiAUf8qIyiD_u5LX_9scGpaV_zdf0BXhTsCgphSrvmXGfdXMEX5eqjDeLBady3g-wvlRY_Ijqr1tG8bxLTQa9zsUiqK6g45F6AMKdu_r_6VhrTY/s320/IMG_5189.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDcreXHqOy6X1Bz2a3Ge3T-j9pIJd9Id6egMx9rb6MfiC4gN_9mQvblGOJNleF-NzlTDK7csUdGecuMLhaLCfDZa0EMyn50CVL_sgZhl3aQLPVMFrLLazinChI-qwykW9tFZC5zXHcGTxCx7tmPB2_IsVuI_R7l0Cv20CxFh7bHrFvsMydjOsPPUaA68/s4032/IMG_5192.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDcreXHqOy6X1Bz2a3Ge3T-j9pIJd9Id6egMx9rb6MfiC4gN_9mQvblGOJNleF-NzlTDK7csUdGecuMLhaLCfDZa0EMyn50CVL_sgZhl3aQLPVMFrLLazinChI-qwykW9tFZC5zXHcGTxCx7tmPB2_IsVuI_R7l0Cv20CxFh7bHrFvsMydjOsPPUaA68/s320/IMG_5192.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For many years I said I didn't need a full-sized CrockPot since I am only one person, and I have a little Crock-ette that works for most things, but when I saw this one at the thrift store, I just knew I needed it. Antique appliances for the win.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday was my fifteenth Diaversary (anniversary of being diagnosed with diabetes), so, as always, I made a cake: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRVOaIpPna5pVux-GFkHL9DjpVFxG3PVbP4l4RtYWSQIMXGr2EzotL8axuVpT6WC6RgNAQRKLt-PqsD33_DAWeFznoVpNQtCHTSPVT4ihnFczTWdNUdLAnssMSK9f3XrAj0mfYMk7bNln6PKQW2ZhtS29ghvPPl6N3zeqPZgpxB6R6fjlgLBfgNNGH5s/s4032/IMG_5206.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRVOaIpPna5pVux-GFkHL9DjpVFxG3PVbP4l4RtYWSQIMXGr2EzotL8axuVpT6WC6RgNAQRKLt-PqsD33_DAWeFznoVpNQtCHTSPVT4ihnFczTWdNUdLAnssMSK9f3XrAj0mfYMk7bNln6PKQW2ZhtS29ghvPPl6N3zeqPZgpxB6R6fjlgLBfgNNGH5s/s320/IMG_5206.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVas-ORMIakgEaaH3QYbgt_wzF5tejWR-KnRbzmoEoMl5J1hXSRA-Q8eWwM-sqDxJJFwhzIt25ghBFCqDDRfeQurlJE02pToEdJoujTWrGiTzNCabiD9CGSPS5FcYMZACOsRfA-ikGS2OxSeIGFLaQafVq1NdkJw074KGIg-ck1VlhcUulM6oUEc2MQM/s4032/IMG_5207.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVas-ORMIakgEaaH3QYbgt_wzF5tejWR-KnRbzmoEoMl5J1hXSRA-Q8eWwM-sqDxJJFwhzIt25ghBFCqDDRfeQurlJE02pToEdJoujTWrGiTzNCabiD9CGSPS5FcYMZACOsRfA-ikGS2OxSeIGFLaQafVq1NdkJw074KGIg-ck1VlhcUulM6oUEc2MQM/s320/IMG_5207.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a very good cake, and I'm very glad that diabetes hasn't taken me out yet, and I'm very grateful for my incredible care team and my insulin pump and glucose sensor (even though the alerts sometimes piss me off). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best wishes for 2024, friends. 2023 was hard in many ways, and the last couple months really kicked my ass. I'm proud of myself for handling the challenges that 2023 sent my way, even though they were hard and dealing with them really sucked. I'm hoping that this year I can feel more balanced and get back to doing more of the things that I love that I didn't really have time or energy for in 2023.</div><p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-47276538007739849592023-10-30T13:48:00.004-05:002023-10-30T13:48:27.080-05:00Post-Covid Catching Up<p>Oh, we have quite a bit to catch up on! I finally tested negative on Day 14, which was just in time for me to go to a conference for work last week. The next three weeks are pretty busy for me work-wise, but I'm giving myself a five day break over Thanksgiving to just read books and play with Coleslaw and knit, and it is the perfect light at the end of the tunnel for me. </p><p>As I mentioned way back on Day 13, I managed to finish two knitting projects while I was sick! Up first is a (Ravelry Link) <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/my-little-secret-crop-2">My Little Secret Crop Top</a> out of leftover Cotton Fleece from my Rhys sample. This is my second My Little Secret, and it was just as enjoyable the second time. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgARPJOKI7xWWc0KtLWq5MUs60if2xlEHmmwYmIfvL1IuOArLuRemkQD6Xgxwx_Nv14F8Q8JYrzaLcnWZT2oz6Z8vpHNdSQTxZy7ZtX9fhdcXC8Fqk1cyhK4l2Kz20g_nhrSEg8rZ6v26tO2FlQHCQ0BzLiT5GuqdS4FfyRa6tZMLLEVRwvVEcdkoYcKkI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgARPJOKI7xWWc0KtLWq5MUs60if2xlEHmmwYmIfvL1IuOArLuRemkQD6Xgxwx_Nv14F8Q8JYrzaLcnWZT2oz6Z8vpHNdSQTxZy7ZtX9fhdcXC8Fqk1cyhK4l2Kz20g_nhrSEg8rZ6v26tO2FlQHCQ0BzLiT5GuqdS4FfyRa6tZMLLEVRwvVEcdkoYcKkI" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkFQYGPVAWUXO3fI2kuMoNkKOlUuyC0qgwud8DT9gv9u_bi-HM2886Orhvw5hnGt_MU_J4PTe30L9ayOyr5T07ZZvULDaialX62JtGQXN0MVeb35PBc2UIwdE9bErK-uezO5KxYM1mcKC9la3lWdTcbncebI2ZL6dYjJhizKFN_Qaf99LlE8BYg-w3J2I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkFQYGPVAWUXO3fI2kuMoNkKOlUuyC0qgwud8DT9gv9u_bi-HM2886Orhvw5hnGt_MU_J4PTe30L9ayOyr5T07ZZvULDaialX62JtGQXN0MVeb35PBc2UIwdE9bErK-uezO5KxYM1mcKC9la3lWdTcbncebI2ZL6dYjJhizKFN_Qaf99LlE8BYg-w3J2I" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started this way back in summer of 2022 and it languished over the course of moving and getting settled in Illinois, but I really wanted to get it off the needles and having lots of time to sit in front of Star Wars cartoons gave me the chance to do so. </div><p style="text-align: left;">The second project (Ravelry link) <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/stormborn">Stormborn</a>, which I started back in November because I thought it would be a quick knit. I was right, but again, this got set aside almost immediately as I started packing up my old apartment. I also don't usually use needles this big for large projects, so it took a while for me to find my rhythm with them. I fell in love with this sweater back in 2018 when it was first published, and the finished thing is just as cozy as I hoped. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8HnMNaXG_pcsxzqRutHkh6H4BvS2W2AjdEqITgTQFCgQaJPmFLmjKVP4iX6nWCgoA03h1HWYzw1fRR7jUMNwbAzMrKWjZwZW9YpB8stnyK4_A2zZfNXpJSEbAX-HeYogXS1OUTUWqui6NkIyTGOq5QHVHlW_rAdPKDCVBKqlwx2EnE9IV1OqSS-QQRc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8HnMNaXG_pcsxzqRutHkh6H4BvS2W2AjdEqITgTQFCgQaJPmFLmjKVP4iX6nWCgoA03h1HWYzw1fRR7jUMNwbAzMrKWjZwZW9YpB8stnyK4_A2zZfNXpJSEbAX-HeYogXS1OUTUWqui6NkIyTGOq5QHVHlW_rAdPKDCVBKqlwx2EnE9IV1OqSS-QQRc" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXecLr_-gWK2mSr4Y-3e7NLp7sw_kjm_4b1EdCJRhKmKFw7aHo0PuBIGXSPw2qYK2MUXNCOc2c5l0X6UBcIG7q9LZ1Zw26_fV49_-JNBy-jeOvYqFACtjtv4URmhqo6uhzbcjsA33-AK29lgXBizL7Y-md4xoGH4qEJ4narqJM3cLBNchlPnBI6FEa0Ks" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXecLr_-gWK2mSr4Y-3e7NLp7sw_kjm_4b1EdCJRhKmKFw7aHo0PuBIGXSPw2qYK2MUXNCOc2c5l0X6UBcIG7q9LZ1Zw26_fV49_-JNBy-jeOvYqFACtjtv4URmhqo6uhzbcjsA33-AK29lgXBizL7Y-md4xoGH4qEJ4narqJM3cLBNchlPnBI6FEa0Ks" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After taking several years off from NaNoWriMo and NaKniSweMo, because of grad school and moving, I've decided to try jumping back into both this year. Over the past few weeks I've been really craving a henley for my wardrobe, and I remembered some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed in Dove Heather in my stash that I think would look great knit up as a (Ravelry link) <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dziadzi">Dziadzi</a>, which has been in my library for a while. </div><p style="text-align: left;">I had to order new needles for it—Coleslaw is obsessed with yarn and needles, and she's eaten four sets of circular needles so far. I'm getting better at keeping things out of reach, but she is very smart and very crafty, and I've only managed to find a few spots that remain puppy-proof for longer than a couple of days. The needle I need should be here Wednesday, which is just in time to cast on for the month, so I'm crossing my fingers to avoid any shipping delays. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-44492209771128023112023-10-18T09:43:00.001-05:002023-10-18T09:43:22.713-05:00Day 13<p>Yes, it's Day 13 since I tested positive, and yes, I'm still positive. My symptoms haven't been terrible, but I do have a sore throat and a cough still, although the fatigue seems to have passed. I've been hoping I'd be negative by now, but ALAS that wasn't in the cards for me. </p><p>I have been reading a lot, and watching lots of tv. I've been on a Star Wars kick for several months now, and am watching through The Clone Wars and reading a bunch of Star Wars Novels. I also finally watched Cunk on Earth, after seeing clips of it shared on Instagram for ages. </p><p>I've also finally gotten back into knitting regularly, and finished two projects that had been on the needles for a while. No photos yet, because my tripod is broken and I need to figure out how to fix it.</p><p>Coleslaw is loving having me home full-time—it's going to be a rough adjustment for us both when I'm (finally) recovered and can go back to the office! </p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-46269587065418457982023-10-09T08:57:00.002-05:002023-10-09T08:57:24.894-05:00Covid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF_tNlt0MHA32nJeJ6ONBxo4kt6cFz7hUe7UK2GmOryYga9NressBXqt24LS5624gO_SlJIpZ5H0dQ791IjYLLLCbRk10iKv1mzcm3LPfHnVaenHbxNkm0j9_B_BpDmcfrSSSUFdLGFWQSl-cu10vIMWw8zJjppip6-zhqDePgbk4k8Iv4GPKchCpzKw/s4032/IMG_4367.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF_tNlt0MHA32nJeJ6ONBxo4kt6cFz7hUe7UK2GmOryYga9NressBXqt24LS5624gO_SlJIpZ5H0dQ791IjYLLLCbRk10iKv1mzcm3LPfHnVaenHbxNkm0j9_B_BpDmcfrSSSUFdLGFWQSl-cu10vIMWw8zJjppip6-zhqDePgbk4k8Iv4GPKchCpzKw/s320/IMG_4367.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Well friends, it finally got me.</p><p>I felt like I was getting a cold on Thursday, and on Friday afternoon I thought, "I should test before going to my retail job this weekend, just to be sure," and sure enough, it wasn't a cold.</p><p>Fortunately my symptoms have been mild—a sore throat, a cough, some additional fatigue. I spent the weekend sleeping and reading, and this week I'll work partial days remotely. I've been drinking lots of hot water with lemon and honey and eating lots of breakfast sandwiches (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Breakfast-Sandwich-Maker/dp/B08C3M7M9M/ref=sr_1_3?">this</a> is the greatest thing I have ever bought for my kitchen).</p><p>Coleslaw is having trouble conceptualizing "being sick," and she is Very Begrudgingly giving up some playtime so I can get enough rest (read: she is finding New and Exciting Ways to Get in Trouble in the hopes that it'll make me play "run around the apartment" with her). Fortunately, between bouts of energy, she is still very cuddly, although we are both disappointed that play time is strictly limited to "fetch," "tug," and "tappy paws." </p><p>I have been feeling better since Saturday, so hopefully I'm well on my way to being recovered and will test negative after my five-day quarantine, though I do have <a href="http://paknitwit.blogspot.com/2023/09/finally.html">Sarah's fourteen-day saga</a> haunting the back of my mind—fingers crossed that I don't have such a stubborn strain! </p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-8196506873846528372023-09-13T11:45:00.004-05:002023-09-13T11:45:54.625-05:00Teething and Mending<p>It has been a busy couple of weeks! Coleslaw is settling in great, but I perhaps underestimated just a little bit how much time puppies take up. Right now we're in a routine of three walks per day, plus indoor playtime (and lots of cuddles!). She is definitely feeling comfortable and at home, and she has taught herself how to climb on almost every surface in my apartment. My floor is absolutely littered with her toys, and it's incredible how much life she brings to my home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E8r4P6WBDgeyu64Z6_LjioDSJLiiExJnB2fONvfeYVQZVLhMiynT6RrbskyfUEwLns2HtEq6sVnDJ0ws43vkvwaNwoEmU2wAmdDKPljPxDefXJKQ4fyXqW1k67Y-rhursHZv7-v0vuzRRD7TVpwoYV30WdIMpv7fA068_LULpNVXA7le86xGqOR6Uhs/s4032/IMG_4089.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E8r4P6WBDgeyu64Z6_LjioDSJLiiExJnB2fONvfeYVQZVLhMiynT6RrbskyfUEwLns2HtEq6sVnDJ0ws43vkvwaNwoEmU2wAmdDKPljPxDefXJKQ4fyXqW1k67Y-rhursHZv7-v0vuzRRD7TVpwoYV30WdIMpv7fA068_LULpNVXA7le86xGqOR6Uhs/s320/IMG_4089.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>(Teething is going about as well as can be expected.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FiCqf_nzXN_NtDS8zd0ReJHe1EvZZ_Yd535Nh4c5GXGrC9E0-lt7Urvy_lnmzWcKEF3kTJyZdXKXRAOadHaeZVmYUkRisqe466cu6Alv2QTERr6BNVbz1Ga6LYRPWTlSTur2Js8mhTeal37xEroCD9rRDHBgvx5Mi21MIVVeH7DLAFmNm_ofgIIXqso/s4032/IMG_4083.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FiCqf_nzXN_NtDS8zd0ReJHe1EvZZ_Yd535Nh4c5GXGrC9E0-lt7Urvy_lnmzWcKEF3kTJyZdXKXRAOadHaeZVmYUkRisqe466cu6Alv2QTERr6BNVbz1Ga6LYRPWTlSTur2Js8mhTeal37xEroCD9rRDHBgvx5Mi21MIVVeH7DLAFmNm_ofgIIXqso/s320/IMG_4083.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br />Over the past couple weeks I've managed to blow out the inner thighs of three pairs of jeans that I wear to my retail job, so this week I started tackling the mending pile. I have the first thigh of the first pair done, and I'm hoping that now that I've figured out my plan of attack the rest will go smoothly. I cut out a large patch from a dollar store fat quarter of quilting cotton and pinned it to the inside of the thigh. I then went in with dark blue sashiko thread (so it would blend in with the denim on the outside) and did a very quick and messy running stitch along the grain and both biases (I didn't go along the cross grain because I didn't want to compromise the stretch in that direction more than necessary). <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIJvN_1uIur8GgyNRyUqb6FqOIGjuhYvBBsjms9BoEUrMahnuskWs21_ryKJHI5_UNac2j30uivOohd3qkykaBcIRdd_d37I1i8AKJs8t2t4A-wfUCtKpKfVBoeE7iLleXEVBEYlikEDVoL3RjxiMBK-Y146OIwrvBLEcV-Tkp0w4mxRAh8L4FLOMZ4w/s4032/IMG_4082.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIJvN_1uIur8GgyNRyUqb6FqOIGjuhYvBBsjms9BoEUrMahnuskWs21_ryKJHI5_UNac2j30uivOohd3qkykaBcIRdd_d37I1i8AKJs8t2t4A-wfUCtKpKfVBoeE7iLleXEVBEYlikEDVoL3RjxiMBK-Y146OIwrvBLEcV-Tkp0w4mxRAh8L4FLOMZ4w/s320/IMG_4082.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's a thick patch, but quite comfortable, and hopefully it will hold up for a while before it needs reinforcement again. Coleslaw kept trying to get a hold of the thread while I was working on these (she is obsessed with string, and she's constantly tracking down yarn that isn't quite out of her reach) but hopefully I can tire her out enough that she'll just lie down and let me get the other thigh done before I work on Saturday!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnH-aextRnXFdqXdWnD9JVRsw4XbEq790zSrQqXutITC3l1A-jTCZp9btbyYnZ7e0gtNUWMe9nds_reTj7ey9pwJtRwIeHdLmYXclPp8vxUtOaGBcQW01tv7jnadorAeogulXKEdXubwKmYIIrv5ZJSxSyn10AIJ15SpXpj1p0HeFz4zXJ-eusjG_GIk/s4032/IMG_4084.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnH-aextRnXFdqXdWnD9JVRsw4XbEq790zSrQqXutITC3l1A-jTCZp9btbyYnZ7e0gtNUWMe9nds_reTj7ey9pwJtRwIeHdLmYXclPp8vxUtOaGBcQW01tv7jnadorAeogulXKEdXubwKmYIIrv5ZJSxSyn10AIJ15SpXpj1p0HeFz4zXJ-eusjG_GIk/s320/IMG_4084.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-45244321869912722792023-08-23T11:11:00.001-05:002023-08-23T11:11:35.515-05:00Meeting ColeslawI got a puppy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfAZKhJLtkCA9_sNZklnfAkE6EOSI8CkVg3EeMNncOusQ2tefdFRje9v9LN2sIUIodJW-LYVaG40mIpw0y0YXNb3C8mJ6dLVJoweXKsulco1htenattFiUp9e42guN8SRIkgY32-_KFhLTxgKl29Ok0FsIq-CuuQgyKtQt8-EHMfCWvVqzmDQsUJp8Co/s4032/IMG_3753.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfAZKhJLtkCA9_sNZklnfAkE6EOSI8CkVg3EeMNncOusQ2tefdFRje9v9LN2sIUIodJW-LYVaG40mIpw0y0YXNb3C8mJ6dLVJoweXKsulco1htenattFiUp9e42guN8SRIkgY32-_KFhLTxgKl29Ok0FsIq-CuuQgyKtQt8-EHMfCWvVqzmDQsUJp8Co/s320/IMG_3753.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Meet Coleslaw! She's a two and a half month old terrier mix, and currently about four pounds. So far her favorite things appear to be climbing and chewing, although "jumping in the grass" seems to be moving up the ranks. She is so small—her entire head is smaller than my fist—and endlessly curious.</div><div><br /></div><div>I sent an application in to the shelter last week, and on Friday her foster mom contacted me to set up a meeting, so yesterday I took a personal day to drive out, and she wriggled into my heart pretty quickly. (She actually wriggles a lot. It's the puppy energy.) (Yes, she picked out her own stuffed toy, and yes, she chose the octopus that's as big as she is.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu8zqPeEcJVsKrOUxCyVjbUO_xXpm61CMHF6AfIDpgPTi7jXSle4TvxP64c6VRT5xLLXwkYfpDtJ8kdDcumzxr7IWsMavbnw1cpgcxK8oRDoz1xEkvPBP3j6vROqKma9LAtJEiaC9XewmmjPIOooUV3CQVoS2ApltzXrTX8sknbX8JCjIPhBHsxmoHwk/s4032/IMG_3741.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu8zqPeEcJVsKrOUxCyVjbUO_xXpm61CMHF6AfIDpgPTi7jXSle4TvxP64c6VRT5xLLXwkYfpDtJ8kdDcumzxr7IWsMavbnw1cpgcxK8oRDoz1xEkvPBP3j6vROqKma9LAtJEiaC9XewmmjPIOooUV3CQVoS2ApltzXrTX8sknbX8JCjIPhBHsxmoHwk/s320/IMG_3741.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't really planning on a puppy—my mum had brought it up as a possibility, and I was initially hesitant about taking on all the work of training and socializing a puppy, but Coleslaw seemed like such a good fit. It's been so fun watching her explore so far, and I can't wait to see how she grows up. I'm already planning on enrolling us in puppy classes once she's gotten all her shots, and in the meantime we're working on name recognition (the shelter named her, so her foster mom has already been working on that with her) and getting used to the leash right now, as well as "come here." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfHn9web8lgB6_2Airsvqn8bY9jt_tcpMd97wMe8oLvn9F4c5BOrlPMrG7cHPoxeBHd4ZgNK4NJYzNIUuA9FckvZaPt6azEJTfwEaKxwXqVu16uWyf1YKMfbjI5o1-lLJRLQk5p-OSveldlwPybxDnMvIBghb7zBfDKFLqkTnbaUFvx4R4b-e1UrgmOk/s4032/IMG_3758.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfHn9web8lgB6_2Airsvqn8bY9jt_tcpMd97wMe8oLvn9F4c5BOrlPMrG7cHPoxeBHd4ZgNK4NJYzNIUuA9FckvZaPt6azEJTfwEaKxwXqVu16uWyf1YKMfbjI5o1-lLJRLQk5p-OSveldlwPybxDnMvIBghb7zBfDKFLqkTnbaUFvx4R4b-e1UrgmOk/s320/IMG_3758.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>Coleslaw is such a tiny joy, and I'm so excited that we found each other. We got Mystic as a puppy when I was a teenager, and I'm really looking forward to sharing that lifelong relationship with Coleslaw as well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4GCBxxuHDU1ePXv-0p0jRFmc8UFAPB-q9YGY3HtGYaz_79QPzSuuMYo6hW8XY8b7p9SGUbdhIcHDrLnZ_5O-U_aOjVXo-p3wcuQZwrYJe2bBZbFQeTYHO38mUuFX09SXloJ7GGN0kUa0YlmoRG1tT7pHYH5J4A_tSY842JZSmtN-9BeK7lzUdHQhv90/s4032/IMG_3774.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4GCBxxuHDU1ePXv-0p0jRFmc8UFAPB-q9YGY3HtGYaz_79QPzSuuMYo6hW8XY8b7p9SGUbdhIcHDrLnZ_5O-U_aOjVXo-p3wcuQZwrYJe2bBZbFQeTYHO38mUuFX09SXloJ7GGN0kUa0YlmoRG1tT7pHYH5J4A_tSY842JZSmtN-9BeK7lzUdHQhv90/s320/IMG_3774.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-63971522574675211032023-08-17T09:43:00.003-05:002023-08-17T09:43:25.784-05:00A Sweater and Organization <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS_eyl8NZZNyrjPgqf4lA3tom47KzvE_Zc0xYkgV7fA7Z89PGczI_r3NGR30wyfDApdXI07-wmK1mjqAcfLHqNJKONCaX_q4RNbXxM23ypUwXy5jQTbf3h8by0Gi7Ej3MkYxgxeBakJhHxmffuHv7kaO1jnGtriIRoiGI6MUyzYGj9lqfDDgB9WOmm44/s4032/IMG_3679.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS_eyl8NZZNyrjPgqf4lA3tom47KzvE_Zc0xYkgV7fA7Z89PGczI_r3NGR30wyfDApdXI07-wmK1mjqAcfLHqNJKONCaX_q4RNbXxM23ypUwXy5jQTbf3h8by0Gi7Ej3MkYxgxeBakJhHxmffuHv7kaO1jnGtriIRoiGI6MUyzYGj9lqfDDgB9WOmm44/s320/IMG_3679.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I hinted at this sweater last week, and here's proof of life. I love these colors, and I'm really hoping I did the stripe math correctly—I have five skeins of the gold, two of the orange, and just one of the darker mustard-ish color. My plan is a very basic drop-shoulder crew neck. It's not going super quickly, but I am enjoying the process. I've been doing a few rows in the evenings while watching tv—I'm on a Star Wars kick right now—and it's been a nice routine to get back into.</p><p>I've also been working on some organization in my apartment. My front closet has been a disaster since I moved in, with things just thrown in there. I got some storage bins to hold old knitting samples, so those are put away nicely, and I got my Christmas and Hanukkah decorations put away in there as well. The closet shelf was missing, so I had Lowe's cut down some six inch planks for me to replace it, which makes the closet so much more functional. There's still plenty of room for other things that I'll need to store in there, so I'm taking my time to make sure I'm making the most effective use of the space. So far I've freed up some space in my bedroom closet, which was very cramped, and I'm glad my clothes have some breathing room now! </p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-79457681636613761832023-08-09T13:47:00.003-05:002023-08-09T13:47:51.300-05:00Lake Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVisgXkQBe15MR--7H23dDMDwcCENHsNNkK-Gd47Rz1nPRI5uJ_HcMtDxCiaUuND4ZVf9RQnY7gZAnfTWzmd1DWlZ_qsQN6qF2E0G1zmf_M0F465eK3z_YezzvxUwRuXbXOLIp8er1tiKIe9nUGT-W-9EuYjog0un8NmyiOc9SWyqlJL0NUhgY60XRvY/s4032/IMG_3557.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVisgXkQBe15MR--7H23dDMDwcCENHsNNkK-Gd47Rz1nPRI5uJ_HcMtDxCiaUuND4ZVf9RQnY7gZAnfTWzmd1DWlZ_qsQN6qF2E0G1zmf_M0F465eK3z_YezzvxUwRuXbXOLIp8er1tiKIe9nUGT-W-9EuYjog0un8NmyiOc9SWyqlJL0NUhgY60XRvY/s320/IMG_3557.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Well, it has been a few weeks, hasn't it? I spent most of last week at a lake cottage with my family—I read five books, did a puzzle, and watched lots of waterfowl! </p><p>It was a great getaway, and I was able to unplug and leave my phone in the other room a lot of the time, which was really nice. The cottage was perfect, and the lake was beautiful. It was a no-wake lake, so it stayed nice and quiet, and I saw lots of geese and ducks and even a few blue herons. </p><p>I also started a new sweater with some vintage wool I picked up at a church bazaar (maybe last year??). I'm really loving it so far, but I don't have any proper pictures of it yet. I was hoping that starting something brand new and low-key would help me get my knitting mojo back, and I think it's helping. I'm certainly not knitting as much as I did three and four years ago, and I don't know if I'll get back to that level, but I'd like to knit a few times a week, at least. </p><p>Hope August is treating you all well!</p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-14256328339586429322023-07-12T09:04:00.002-05:002023-07-12T09:04:28.909-05:0012 july 2023<p>So. It's been a rough week. I don't do well without something to take care of, and the truth is, my fish doesn't actually need very much. I keep expecting to see Lee Lee underfoot, and I know it's going to take some time to get used to her being gone. </p><p>Lee Lee required a lot of attention and energy the last several months, and it's weird to turn all that back towards taking care of myself. I've been making burrito bowls and focusing on deep cleaning my apartment, which help some. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Kn6Ne9jrW39jlwg1gZRSHbaPPZ9mczh5VRlgVOU3uk2yfku9JeUeWtIhilmbayTyDF9xRvH2qVFZ7O0HYh5GjOsfmUgqXiqgyh4ahsG8vEyyXW4tuHbh4ntUlGJZkIlQHrB6gv36gF0Ctc7LZZWFWlSKZJOC-TN4-Uf1r-ZyQnHdKEirQ0GMzHlKLgk/s4032/IMG_3254.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Kn6Ne9jrW39jlwg1gZRSHbaPPZ9mczh5VRlgVOU3uk2yfku9JeUeWtIhilmbayTyDF9xRvH2qVFZ7O0HYh5GjOsfmUgqXiqgyh4ahsG8vEyyXW4tuHbh4ntUlGJZkIlQHrB6gv36gF0Ctc7LZZWFWlSKZJOC-TN4-Uf1r-ZyQnHdKEirQ0GMzHlKLgk/s320/IMG_3254.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I'm also trying to make myself pick up my knitting more—I started this My Little Secret Crop from Jessie Maed Designs (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-little-secret-crop">ravelry link</a>) a year ago, and it just needs straps now (the worst part). I'm using the leftovers from my Rhys sample (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/katriddell/rhys">ravelry link</a>), although it looks like I'm still going to have a chunk of leftovers still. </p><p>This week I'm planning to start a new sourdough starter—the one I started a couple weeks ago hadn't quite fully established and didn't survive the stress of the last couple weeks. In its early days, it was looking great, so hopefully as long as I can stay on top of feedings I'll have a solid new starter soon! </p><p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-75775035661874515552023-07-05T09:40:00.000-05:002023-07-05T09:40:21.785-05:00Lee Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhTBEd69KP4gobOSx1I9xDwo-oTYf1Vxgx3wLPFKowEOD-8HtdJ2xwHEVGxdiMPwVO2CRPDiowvAeZYidUzIK55hcUqTgG_8aHXqFK_0F3h-4NuacAl4Z5uHbaRQ1YXq-n1aRSWFy0noNr8f3TN7heSqgjxAwkvy3XCqjDIW-TH_M90E4-7ogokFXOyZg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="973" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhTBEd69KP4gobOSx1I9xDwo-oTYf1Vxgx3wLPFKowEOD-8HtdJ2xwHEVGxdiMPwVO2CRPDiowvAeZYidUzIK55hcUqTgG_8aHXqFK_0F3h-4NuacAl4Z5uHbaRQ1YXq-n1aRSWFy0noNr8f3TN7heSqgjxAwkvy3XCqjDIW-TH_M90E4-7ogokFXOyZg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I first saw Lee Lee on the humane society website about two months after Mystic died. I wasn't quite ready for another dog, but I was so drawn to her. Her description said she liked sleeping on the couch and long walks to her food bowl. I was smitten. I kept an eye on her listing—something in me said I needed to meet her, that she was the one. A month after I first saw her online, I finally went in to meet her in person. I brough her home that day. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn2bsBMOo-1rJ-3yvA2zY9ulz007bdFpmiTV7cUMW6-2rGIqrN9joaNr8ORimuv_Rz2dDVUz-tlwn4bBSEvtFaKuEt2BtRiqZHe9os9_dx2DTQ9EItQ9GcUfbVfRiGw8EnGdPE7fiv3ePtA96Y1k3kVd7iSYAOvwJxnmXAAjaSM1_Vvr0HzP0fezrmLlA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn2bsBMOo-1rJ-3yvA2zY9ulz007bdFpmiTV7cUMW6-2rGIqrN9joaNr8ORimuv_Rz2dDVUz-tlwn4bBSEvtFaKuEt2BtRiqZHe9os9_dx2DTQ9EItQ9GcUfbVfRiGw8EnGdPE7fiv3ePtA96Y1k3kVd7iSYAOvwJxnmXAAjaSM1_Vvr0HzP0fezrmLlA" width="240" /></a></div><br />Just a couple days after she came home, she climbed on top of a table and jumped off it, giving me a mild heart attack. Within her first couple months, she climbed on another table to eat a bowl of chocolates. She was fine, and chocolate remained her favorite food (I would sneak her tiny crumbs of it for her birthday and xmas). </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl4lrwHl-6nnmyvwJVurS64gmNISuxXjxfserTXGXWJz9Z_KuHYDPFIJISOur9UXIspIlwCOPhGEID8tSY7AQvbXfXYg638t9Yw6ZvzVa7kI_A1LN3r1nPKVEiQsyGBvPM4fkG23yCHq1b8jJ892Uz0aRX-wk_1hWscxwyaNW7iOSwQLFsIQ0IJR0092g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl4lrwHl-6nnmyvwJVurS64gmNISuxXjxfserTXGXWJz9Z_KuHYDPFIJISOur9UXIspIlwCOPhGEID8tSY7AQvbXfXYg638t9Yw6ZvzVa7kI_A1LN3r1nPKVEiQsyGBvPM4fkG23yCHq1b8jJ892Uz0aRX-wk_1hWscxwyaNW7iOSwQLFsIQ0IJR0092g" width="240" /></a></div><br />Lee Lee loved being outside. She was all nose, and would happily spend hours sniffing around the garden at our old apartment. She was a huge cuddlebug, too, frequently burying herself in piles of pillows and stuffed animals. She loved having her ears scratched, especially her left one. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii_ab50UBWg7edu5jLUVnLRSQgGWhqUi0X5KwFyxAbqrAdeKdolceeZE1FzsVa-kuxjR9TfrpSjidFrgmqpzjRMojsdAc5Sb6Z-0wJgCFhn-J3t0MEkPCLzMlb-eI7sAWkV0K0m1QHXLQeVj_rUdlwksYBLTs6CD7cH-G8cXbh6C1y1tCHVyjg0ds8FjA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="971" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii_ab50UBWg7edu5jLUVnLRSQgGWhqUi0X5KwFyxAbqrAdeKdolceeZE1FzsVa-kuxjR9TfrpSjidFrgmqpzjRMojsdAc5Sb6Z-0wJgCFhn-J3t0MEkPCLzMlb-eI7sAWkV0K0m1QHXLQeVj_rUdlwksYBLTs6CD7cH-G8cXbh6C1y1tCHVyjg0ds8FjA" width="240" /></a></div><br />She hated baths. Once she jumped out of the sink while I was bathing her. Whenever I took a bath, she'd anxiously check on me, making sure I was okay. It was extremely concerning to her that I would willingly sit in the tub. I don't know how many baths I took while we were together, but it was a lot, and she never came around to the concept. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGCL118Gcw1qOxV7SU3bCrqHoftUmO5TAqnvenIMY4HmcyeJBA3dLGWaLFMWpFcSykETJ7ma1d6_uDJGHKcvVrFO1wqjtWLUnuBWwSYdAjyQUJmdGbX5VZE2gXzoy4zR6_9RdBoO9AOjD_Eutw-Z23V9YAfQyLCdLeWUhld90cm_Jt2MdVXafmDPAmQQc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGCL118Gcw1qOxV7SU3bCrqHoftUmO5TAqnvenIMY4HmcyeJBA3dLGWaLFMWpFcSykETJ7ma1d6_uDJGHKcvVrFO1wqjtWLUnuBWwSYdAjyQUJmdGbX5VZE2gXzoy4zR6_9RdBoO9AOjD_Eutw-Z23V9YAfQyLCdLeWUhld90cm_Jt2MdVXafmDPAmQQc" width="240" /></a></div><br />She tolerated her sweatshirts and pajamas, but her winter coat was beyond the pale. As soon as I put it on her she'd lie on her side with her legs straightened out stiffly. Unfortunately for her, I remained unmoved by her protests, especially when it got down to twenty and thirty below zero. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAvsj4EhztOZXCmcEr-aooZJbZx1OHn4UAw9TpWlzbH4eRkxDoUC8rx9TI5Q3fFXf3UawsqvbyoBYYmw93Npw__NPxa6n2s2YPEpBkEntBajIPcbMAwTUpxMa-0-msdPdfi_wcEIWL9dLmWQ2-zKxOev9g4JwElKZFdxKENWPfvlfkp-EMqmjKAVugkVg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="967" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAvsj4EhztOZXCmcEr-aooZJbZx1OHn4UAw9TpWlzbH4eRkxDoUC8rx9TI5Q3fFXf3UawsqvbyoBYYmw93Npw__NPxa6n2s2YPEpBkEntBajIPcbMAwTUpxMa-0-msdPdfi_wcEIWL9dLmWQ2-zKxOev9g4JwElKZFdxKENWPfvlfkp-EMqmjKAVugkVg" width="238" /></a></div><br />I often say that Mystic taught me how to love, but Lee Lee taught me that I could love again. I was constantly amazed at how deeply she embedded herself in my heart, and I feel so blessed that I was able to exist in the same spacetime as her for the past few years.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiY1-6Iz3AEJ3nB2EH9ODKXPfF9rWk2_b6WvMI_ijn1pbsgj17HJ-sp014Y67EVvE6K4nJ5hlAcaIx4pCW_0d26e1BaacQ-idS9o-tNJt6MOsSlTpWhdn6YKN2uFG-nO0IO-GYm935sGfaoDv9l84LLWemilKnFknGATTCPOjW8jhzc10UGIShi_0USb8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiY1-6Iz3AEJ3nB2EH9ODKXPfF9rWk2_b6WvMI_ijn1pbsgj17HJ-sp014Y67EVvE6K4nJ5hlAcaIx4pCW_0d26e1BaacQ-idS9o-tNJt6MOsSlTpWhdn6YKN2uFG-nO0IO-GYm935sGfaoDv9l84LLWemilKnFknGATTCPOjW8jhzc10UGIShi_0USb8" width="241" /></a></div><br />Last week her back legs started bothering her a lot. I thought it was her arthritis flaring up. On Thursday, she'd been pretty much stuck on the ground, unable to stand, and on Friday I took her to the emergency vet for some pain relief. The emergency vet said there was something wrong with her spine, that it could be something like a herniated disc or cancer pressing on her spinal cord. I declined imaging and surgery, taking home meds to keep her comfortable, hoping that whatever was pressing on her spine would resolve itself with rest and time. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjllBKXpGrSAFnZJ7R4i_F4lsmE26GIjlu_hxvkAe5sBu9mozBQFERW0WNqzQtgodQxcHDKcxz61tZEDNfoAL6UN56kNQ7jpt6H04DiXoWjoMRY8m7a8v2LvhAzJH3SwiycyOKZMI317MCGMBiHgWAg3jv8g950jcwU2QGqOCqD2EEC_1DbDR-UsXNpKOs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="970" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjllBKXpGrSAFnZJ7R4i_F4lsmE26GIjlu_hxvkAe5sBu9mozBQFERW0WNqzQtgodQxcHDKcxz61tZEDNfoAL6UN56kNQ7jpt6H04DiXoWjoMRY8m7a8v2LvhAzJH3SwiycyOKZMI317MCGMBiHgWAg3jv8g950jcwU2QGqOCqD2EEC_1DbDR-UsXNpKOs" width="240" /></a></div><br />She declined very quickly over the weekend, and the last time I saw any hint of her personality was on Saturday morning. On Monday morning I called our regular vet, and they got us in just a couple hours later to say goodbye. We both knew it was time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm so glad I got to hold her as she died. </div><div><br /></div><div>She was such a good dog.</div><div><br /></div><div>I miss her. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Y4naEElxTNOaZ_GhoRHu3LvaLZyn4lxhXk9g6-Dzb-cbMDWzqJkiHSjzj722l9nFzvtqxJrSb652Z97H4p9uyRw6E8CaspgymCaBE4TJ18p63wdIUh_qewijlrLbDQDrr6seThlhh8Xa-jvwRGPxqQkRp5gtmShxif9lqyJ0sltFB1yV8FEelSomLyc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Y4naEElxTNOaZ_GhoRHu3LvaLZyn4lxhXk9g6-Dzb-cbMDWzqJkiHSjzj722l9nFzvtqxJrSb652Z97H4p9uyRw6E8CaspgymCaBE4TJ18p63wdIUh_qewijlrLbDQDrr6seThlhh8Xa-jvwRGPxqQkRp5gtmShxif9lqyJ0sltFB1yV8FEelSomLyc" width="241" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-53623676045952112952023-06-21T10:45:00.002-05:002023-06-21T10:45:31.533-05:00Catching UpIt has been a crazy couple of weeks, but hopefully (fingers crossed) we're on an upswing now. The flooding is now resolved (hopefully permanently—knock on wood!) after several visits from maintenance and some work in the pipes behind my dishwasher. It's been about a week and a half since "the big fix" and I haven't had any more problems yet.<div><br /></div><div>At the beginning of last week I came down with some kind of bug—thankfully I caught it quickly enough that I was only down for a day and a half, and Nurse Lee Lee stepped up to offer cuddle therapy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9NNIoBG146M0d8co3N_y0uPLHGL1Vzp296WREkbs7uTJErM6T3vkKK0pIV_jE2ZjKKXkwyT5X7Bj-VxsGE_FDFImB4AJjHOe438nXoVnkFfLmXFloEoyDTZlABys-JdO3qXZYW1tSGIBGhSKKH6p0xAAQ88y7nuEMZbdKUzwsACoeOR7Pdhs-r7hvck/s4032/IMG_2763.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9NNIoBG146M0d8co3N_y0uPLHGL1Vzp296WREkbs7uTJErM6T3vkKK0pIV_jE2ZjKKXkwyT5X7Bj-VxsGE_FDFImB4AJjHOe438nXoVnkFfLmXFloEoyDTZlABys-JdO3qXZYW1tSGIBGhSKKH6p0xAAQ88y7nuEMZbdKUzwsACoeOR7Pdhs-r7hvck/s320/IMG_2763.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As soon as I was feeling better, the coolant leak in my car reached the point where I really oughtn't drive it anywhere but the mechanic, so the past week has been an adventure of learning the bus system and nervously waiting for my car's appointment at the shop this coming Friday. Hopefully it's a quick (and relatively inexpensive!) fix and I'll have my car back for the weekend. </div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously this has all been a little stressful, so I decided to unpack a few more boxes and get myself feeling a bit more settled in my apartment. I have a collection of large ceramic and plaster cats that hadn't been unpacked, and it's nice to have them out in my living room now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttIoc72Zlm0UkByf5KJLNXQ1SB2pTSZt_qPjx3TzZzrFw12W2Om18wJqGj5GXzY6--xu-LpTKrFx6euPVs2c2zJykqJ48T4eJwZKrF3QHbd4wTbwnClJBmw3uD7xj49a5jz9CG93PQwqFMDlrU7M-Nkx71dXiaa7GciyunaSIKyKrwmID-7AHNBj0slA/s4032/IMG_2825.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttIoc72Zlm0UkByf5KJLNXQ1SB2pTSZt_qPjx3TzZzrFw12W2Om18wJqGj5GXzY6--xu-LpTKrFx6euPVs2c2zJykqJ48T4eJwZKrF3QHbd4wTbwnClJBmw3uD7xj49a5jz9CG93PQwqFMDlrU7M-Nkx71dXiaa7GciyunaSIKyKrwmID-7AHNBj0slA/s320/IMG_2825.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDc_I4pdlL-uSzUcMbA5AqJxI8IIp1hyKMzA5N4NJ6CrHrzDp-dh0Kfe_Yd_VxtWII7wn3PFTye3aYVIaEttTsWdzZgkjOwfam7eI4S-suIQ9Y2KJBDQLwq69W-EGDwWWuC3VEpV3b2Br0KiyxST25C0tfT0_v7p6BU04WI_Bf0FfHxa5NnOQ8Om7I2Q/s4032/IMG_2828.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDc_I4pdlL-uSzUcMbA5AqJxI8IIp1hyKMzA5N4NJ6CrHrzDp-dh0Kfe_Yd_VxtWII7wn3PFTye3aYVIaEttTsWdzZgkjOwfam7eI4S-suIQ9Y2KJBDQLwq69W-EGDwWWuC3VEpV3b2Br0KiyxST25C0tfT0_v7p6BU04WI_Bf0FfHxa5NnOQ8Om7I2Q/s320/IMG_2828.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also done some baking the past couple days, and finally started a new sourdough starter—I had decided to throw away my old one when I packed up my old apartment because I didn't want to worry about moving it and fitting it in my car with everything else that couldn't go in the moving containers, and I just hadn't gotten around to starting a new one yet. The new one is just a couple days old and nowhere near mature yet, but it is starting to smell yeasty!</div><div><br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-31688905716544319992023-06-07T09:37:00.002-05:002023-06-07T09:37:22.186-05:00Return of the WaterGood news: I am enjoying my weekend retail job and I am very excited to be having some extra money come in.<div><br /></div><div>Bad news: My apartment has flooded twice in the past week.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YO5UvT12C7vfaWgZGw4Lusyge5XDoIQjIiV3jC62cPXFZSF_5xQvT-FSnkU9wfT4asxhyeo4Titayp-yvu7CiRzPKum38AovXOZbM2OpC65rOcA2ovFASguiI6uNFo5paPavtTdpRqLnEpIuSNAaY2vYtziJM_Mipq41xNJhHwwVHw45a309Fngg/s4032/IMG_2587.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YO5UvT12C7vfaWgZGw4Lusyge5XDoIQjIiV3jC62cPXFZSF_5xQvT-FSnkU9wfT4asxhyeo4Titayp-yvu7CiRzPKum38AovXOZbM2OpC65rOcA2ovFASguiI6uNFo5paPavtTdpRqLnEpIuSNAaY2vYtziJM_Mipq41xNJhHwwVHw45a309Fngg/s320/IMG_2587.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri36sYloyUXdMuBfgDqkZHoCa1l-nS7IMFz0753wld5Y5cBrmOFUcaTUH9z6CtrN7p87Eg56JN9CX5gpHP9whGDVwPI3oZAgwKqIEhhU51hgqnyPRJwLCQbjBsrft0Q1T83KUYOdDEZ0A4CO9qCJNUuymtAHYKn4m__CSUU4D4lApjKN8IjzGbdZg/s4032/IMG_2690.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri36sYloyUXdMuBfgDqkZHoCa1l-nS7IMFz0753wld5Y5cBrmOFUcaTUH9z6CtrN7p87Eg56JN9CX5gpHP9whGDVwPI3oZAgwKqIEhhU51hgqnyPRJwLCQbjBsrft0Q1T83KUYOdDEZ0A4CO9qCJNUuymtAHYKn4m__CSUU4D4lApjKN8IjzGbdZg/s320/IMG_2690.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's the kitchen main again—still? I've got dirty water coming up into the sink and dishwasher and leaking out all over the apartment. I am so tired of this, and maintenance is so tired of it, and I don't know when it'll be fully fixed. All of the maintenance workers have been great, but this is still very stressful, and my apartment has been a disaster since last Wednesday night because I had to pick up everything from the floor and pile it on my furniture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did I mention that this has been very stressful?</div><div><br /></div><div>I am, understandably, very tired of dealing with this. I'm hoping that I'll hear something definitive about a long-term solution this week, but until then I'm coping with romance novels, potatoes, and Lee Lee cuddles. <br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-39431575427636808032023-05-31T08:47:00.003-05:002023-05-31T08:47:39.377-05:00A Numbers Week<p>1. Numbers today bc it has been a very busy week for me.</p><p>2. I picked up a weekend retail job to help pay off some medical and moving bills and build my savings back up, and this past weekend was my first weekend working. It went well, and I think I'm going to enjoy it. One thing I did learn during my first day on the floor—I definitely need more food when I'm working on my feet all day than I do when I'm working at my computer!</p><p>3. Since I don't have weekends off anymore, I've been trying to work out my routines so that I'm still getting enough rest and taking proper care of myself. Fortunately, I've had some time knowing this was coming, so I've been able to work out exactly what I need to stay healthy, and I think I'm in a good place. Right now I'm just focusing on listening to myself and taking things slowly, and being patient as I adjust.</p><p>4. There has not been much knitting this week, but I'm really hoping to get back to it this week, because...</p><p>5. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/knitboop/?hl=en">Yu Ra</a> is hosting the Quiet Queers Craft-Along again this year on Instagram, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm a participating designer, and I've been looking through all the other participating designers' portfolios to pick out my project. </p><p>6. Reading-wise, I have FINALLY gotten into the Murderbot Diaries, and yes, they are as good as everyone says, if you still haven't picked them up yet. I'm currently on the third, and I just got the fourth one delivered via Libby yesterday. </p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-80040785762016109862023-05-24T10:17:00.003-05:002023-05-24T10:17:43.667-05:00Shasta<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5ixwaq6TIgSEKI_PMO9y1cJFPhdLEkEtURPjxCOE_ZUrsVohVZGYI062LC-0_YqL9m4tXcsZaHidY2MIU62VgxHtbYwxRWOLOIlpwkRamv748bW9uJa33BzkHNaQFDMLYhMW33sLpPLwduayQFVa594EpGvN1wpmSG--WBhzo1ODOMBbSv38QEcSz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5ixwaq6TIgSEKI_PMO9y1cJFPhdLEkEtURPjxCOE_ZUrsVohVZGYI062LC-0_YqL9m4tXcsZaHidY2MIU62VgxHtbYwxRWOLOIlpwkRamv748bW9uJa33BzkHNaQFDMLYhMW33sLpPLwduayQFVa594EpGvN1wpmSG--WBhzo1ODOMBbSv38QEcSz" width="319" /></a></div><br />Shasta is a pair of lightweight, cabled leg warmers. Knit in the round from the bottom up, the narrow cables and ribbing are reminiscent of tall grasses and flower stems.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shasta-6">Ravelry Link</a> <a href="https://payhip.com/b/HxKRg">Payhip Link</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD9wJ1RKcNHV4zFOY7ERKLP_3l9RQ7_hTTxDIJYeP_hHMUrRjx0JJI8dnjsuMMzZYRLWlotL3P8CrZkqYaGN7biPR3MaREjRx59CMuKIq1LpD0ONUx2Zf_ik9Eiyu9ie-j2oE3V1oGRBI3AOACtF5ZWVQokKj0auSGwP27XThaBw98wcjw_O6cR31t" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD9wJ1RKcNHV4zFOY7ERKLP_3l9RQ7_hTTxDIJYeP_hHMUrRjx0JJI8dnjsuMMzZYRLWlotL3P8CrZkqYaGN7biPR3MaREjRx59CMuKIq1LpD0ONUx2Zf_ik9Eiyu9ie-j2oE3V1oGRBI3AOACtF5ZWVQokKj0auSGwP27XThaBw98wcjw_O6cR31t" width="319" /></a></div><br />I've also transitioned my Ravelry and Payhip shops to tiered pricing. This is something I've been thinking about for a while, especially as we're dealing with runaway inflation and descending into a recession. My new base prices are $9 for accessories and $12 for garments, with discounted tiers at 20% off, 35% off, and 50% off. The discount codes are listed on each pattern page.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZxBINsEIdGgCqB5f5mN0U4Dg0rRERHBPc5aIYMTGmPc39EBaT8pxGnxvRsFonVm6X_88M7bvM9q90EGpe9P91Lr3CUq7smUkAjMnluyc3Aj7nCApJYnZGoM_HYypol5xUhCpAM69pdV-W7_HuAJMgQulI9j2C5owIHu1dgq-Kl1FR4Xt8sBHbuBEi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZxBINsEIdGgCqB5f5mN0U4Dg0rRERHBPc5aIYMTGmPc39EBaT8pxGnxvRsFonVm6X_88M7bvM9q90EGpe9P91Lr3CUq7smUkAjMnluyc3Aj7nCApJYnZGoM_HYypol5xUhCpAM69pdV-W7_HuAJMgQulI9j2C5owIHu1dgq-Kl1FR4Xt8sBHbuBEi" width="319" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-32185437167013444712023-05-17T09:39:00.003-05:002023-05-17T09:39:50.680-05:00Spring Cleaning<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKnsU3mZPuhgWuVXnoljbUzLrKA3mNds0zlZaaclE01MuC-G36fea3ivw0zxJ_eUijQTT6dyRI_9HGCvdeX-Jrc3kkhnQjXeZrpoUfnrr_ojBbKmOSF5QRb-W86hUJyH9aLMzyFnbIu-RnVjbBI4sLjGTPfzPACVpAgDr9He0tqx6ZfsDztDZS5MT/s4032/IMG_2293.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKnsU3mZPuhgWuVXnoljbUzLrKA3mNds0zlZaaclE01MuC-G36fea3ivw0zxJ_eUijQTT6dyRI_9HGCvdeX-Jrc3kkhnQjXeZrpoUfnrr_ojBbKmOSF5QRb-W86hUJyH9aLMzyFnbIu-RnVjbBI4sLjGTPfzPACVpAgDr9He0tqx6ZfsDztDZS5MT/s320/IMG_2293.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlxZ_zUrNjd3ktyqYTnv6TT178pqBXKvsFDcj7j66pgWP5RML4q6m81oVFu4tog69O5NZ4L3uTiJ9yGQnjkT5XQMJntjKAuQRWQ0k_j-Z0wB2PO5-44vgaMwY10gNBp1SG-w0-5Yrttdk2Q0EkYjdQeYaVwLQvEs7-Zvgm3_1S99EwpJY4XlWWK8n/s4032/IMG_2294.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlxZ_zUrNjd3ktyqYTnv6TT178pqBXKvsFDcj7j66pgWP5RML4q6m81oVFu4tog69O5NZ4L3uTiJ9yGQnjkT5XQMJntjKAuQRWQ0k_j-Z0wB2PO5-44vgaMwY10gNBp1SG-w0-5Yrttdk2Q0EkYjdQeYaVwLQvEs7-Zvgm3_1S99EwpJY4XlWWK8n/s320/IMG_2294.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>This week I've been on a little bit of a tidying spree—turns out that organizing the buffet really kicked me into cleaning and organization mode! Over the weekend I cleaned my bedroom and vacuumed and mopped all my floors, which felt amazing, and Monday after work I tidied my desk. It had gotten a bit overrun with knitting projects and trash, and I had never 100% set up the cubbies, so it feels good to have everything set up and cleaned off.</p><p>My current knitting project is a shawl sample, and almost 100 grams into it I decided that I wanted a slightly different shape and ripped it out to start over. I'm now almost halfway through the yarn that I ripped out, and I'm feeling much better about the finished project. </p><p>Hope you're all having a great week!</p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-76071047519102801752023-05-10T09:32:00.001-05:002023-05-10T09:32:08.206-05:00Buffet Display and Library Books<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past weekend was pretty lazy overall, but I finally motivated myself enough to clear off the top of my buffet so that my vintage pyrex and crystal punch bowl can be displayed nicely! I'm very pleased with how this looks now. The buffet had kind of turned into a doom pile, so it's nice to actually see my things displayed. The dining table is still a mess, but someday I'll work on clearing that pile!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxNWZk9EjOD_bKWRKrTXlH5qnvusoCFC74I_y3yXXiNsV9ibgClFxyXZYzKBhdxJvaRDNEOnsEGCgvpXwLTjc7W8T4pUBSVBTPPv07xctV9-Uop_krySNGen__GWyTit7tqvTlrUuuSGdmjK9WF5jvm3UeU2x_bn-a1ebaczcQMr52IZ2DZ_ZGm-1/s4032/IMG_2134.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxNWZk9EjOD_bKWRKrTXlH5qnvusoCFC74I_y3yXXiNsV9ibgClFxyXZYzKBhdxJvaRDNEOnsEGCgvpXwLTjc7W8T4pUBSVBTPPv07xctV9-Uop_krySNGen__GWyTit7tqvTlrUuuSGdmjK9WF5jvm3UeU2x_bn-a1ebaczcQMr52IZ2DZ_ZGm-1/s320/IMG_2134.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I've also been making regular trips to the public library. I actually read nine comics that I had checked out on Sunday, and immediately brought more books home to make up for it. This trunk is actually meant to be a combination coffee table/ottoman for the couch, but I don't have a better place to keep my mountain of library books right now. Someday! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwObYKc7_xtYJS4oncD17fsgdBO9aHwGfnQHC8_NpARgN0Vb87nCe6ZmDYycEVSeNdzOqFlpeZZF3DHxuq1k9Uy5xAnq6TIyfbJ7qeY-887A7b4JCHfOI2Fl22GiQy_jsUAXwVk-9gw7bfV5j19U4GxtW7SLONjdEorNEGmq-VApYbyL3Tp5R0qlN/s4032/IMG_2159.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwObYKc7_xtYJS4oncD17fsgdBO9aHwGfnQHC8_NpARgN0Vb87nCe6ZmDYycEVSeNdzOqFlpeZZF3DHxuq1k9Uy5xAnq6TIyfbJ7qeY-887A7b4JCHfOI2Fl22GiQy_jsUAXwVk-9gw7bfV5j19U4GxtW7SLONjdEorNEGmq-VApYbyL3Tp5R0qlN/s320/IMG_2159.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /> This week I'm hoping to get a new pattern off to my tech editor and finish a couple books I have on Libby before they get slurped back to the digital library. I also need to (finally) get my bike chain back on its gears and fill the tires now that we're firmly out of winter.<p></p>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-24776406529341718552023-05-03T14:35:00.001-05:002023-05-03T14:35:08.171-05:00Week by Numbers1. Nothing much has happened since last week. Getting the couch completely wiped me out and so I spent lots of last week and almost the entire weekend napping on said couch. 10/10, I love having a couch.<div><br /></div><div>2. Thanks for the Scrounger Cap love! I know I technically released Bulky A (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bulky-a">Ravelry</a>) (<a href="https://payhip.com/b/yMHBk">Payhip</a>) just in December, but I was kind of in a fugue state from job hunting and moving stress, so I'm really just starting to feel like I'm coming back from my little grad school hiatus. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. I have a couple more projects on the needles that I can't wait to show you—some design samples, some other people's patterns. I'm still not knitting quite as much as I did before grad school, but I'm definitely getting back into the swing of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. I did manage to leave my apartment on Saturday just long enough to go to the library, and I maybe went a little crazy. I checked out a bunch of cookbooks to read through, as well as an assortment of other books. My Libby app is also currently full, so I need to get reading!</div><div><br /></div><div>5. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Drink a fancy beverage! Pet an animal!<br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-13311123852544394282023-04-27T09:23:00.001-05:002023-04-27T09:23:45.542-05:00Scrounger Cap<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXe9VP4ab_yNj5MhwOFBPCzXKROSgJbxNCu4Z2ON_2covGyH2N1gLEA1wq5XAU-Qp7v9ed506LR27tyYZKZVVKXDuVpDeCnz_0hbCBdDJtM0w5dZgKm04QlLYF-q5RBTxTC1vcixjzO7Uyg60AJhsTaPhRDU4X1UQTRgIl9kLcsftNosbgwtLXhOX/s640/IMG_1981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXe9VP4ab_yNj5MhwOFBPCzXKROSgJbxNCu4Z2ON_2covGyH2N1gLEA1wq5XAU-Qp7v9ed506LR27tyYZKZVVKXDuVpDeCnz_0hbCBdDJtM0w5dZgKm04QlLYF-q5RBTxTC1vcixjzO7Uyg60AJhsTaPhRDU4X1UQTRgIl9kLcsftNosbgwtLXhOX/s320/IMG_1981.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I knew when I finished <a href="http://www.thewaywardknitter.com/2022/01/scrounger.html">Scrounger</a> that I wasn’t quite done with this little lace pattern. After I moved and was unpacking my stash, I came across this mushroom-colored skein, and immediately thought that the lace pattern from Scrounger would be perfect on a cap.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RJkBNxzUqQ4xBabC_U1CXDSiArD0QZwq-N18LgwuELrgwsfCkTZIYCoMm2dIsrPx3x5Y5HM_9hXg-LJp3iXz1FjKElqXR9EAgTXBua_RdHwz6cp0Qqx0-b-lF-Vy4COTl7qzkiKxI_rmtAme-ikqKkmKLeBVa2UihnWfc8hixrEpVUVnPzFQZht3/s640/IMG_1982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RJkBNxzUqQ4xBabC_U1CXDSiArD0QZwq-N18LgwuELrgwsfCkTZIYCoMm2dIsrPx3x5Y5HM_9hXg-LJp3iXz1FjKElqXR9EAgTXBua_RdHwz6cp0Qqx0-b-lF-Vy4COTl7qzkiKxI_rmtAme-ikqKkmKLeBVa2UihnWfc8hixrEpVUVnPzFQZht3/s320/IMG_1982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The Scrounger Cap is perfect for early spring and autumn foraging, for forest trail adventures as the world wakes up from winter and as autumn creeps in after the summer months. Wear it around your neighborhood while you spot the first dandelions creeping up through the cracks in the sidewalk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZfH3hfK7OaqzybVD29ITGSruyv73y0g-85QEhnROhjvDtg4vh6QXGJnGikQvVwM_y6Q8bB9daPaSaFiRFKA2mOGteeHuAVw4Zc4W2hbZ6bahdMdOEM-yR0g1X-etU2-BpAx9vzejkpUyRtzBTmXq-Q5sXc_NOexjK_FVNVFgQdDLQdZ2yNcedh_m/s640/IMG_2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZfH3hfK7OaqzybVD29ITGSruyv73y0g-85QEhnROhjvDtg4vh6QXGJnGikQvVwM_y6Q8bB9daPaSaFiRFKA2mOGteeHuAVw4Zc4W2hbZ6bahdMdOEM-yR0g1X-etU2-BpAx9vzejkpUyRtzBTmXq-Q5sXc_NOexjK_FVNVFgQdDLQdZ2yNcedh_m/s320/IMG_2033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The Scrounger Cap is available in seven sizes and includes both charted and written instructions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvrn2aipjrbgn2TUFBX0hThz_KVkmx4OntRnCnKlg4v19xYyAA-H6qhgkvIuo4yTHVKqRClAcTyDjd_YCO9cg1b1fVxlyjUt_tt7yknIQXyavrhlbFGUx3iuN_tAuA9j6yClfWMY63-AdNXli2_Jfr11Yq8lpTZsS0TS8AH0MvBviNdzWoMfqTlUz/s640/IMG_2034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvrn2aipjrbgn2TUFBX0hThz_KVkmx4OntRnCnKlg4v19xYyAA-H6qhgkvIuo4yTHVKqRClAcTyDjd_YCO9cg1b1fVxlyjUt_tt7yknIQXyavrhlbFGUx3iuN_tAuA9j6yClfWMY63-AdNXli2_Jfr11Yq8lpTZsS0TS8AH0MvBviNdzWoMfqTlUz/s320/IMG_2034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Use code FORAGE to get 25% off Scrounger Cap through Monday, May 1.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv_ebgLObwCHqVP1uKU4EbXk44Qwc6bmp5HYciA1wXArwSjPm8E7NHxOk5A7gYUqcDP2r1b8oom2Hn41krh_r1KiYhpa65cm5DAknkKgINdaOxM2PcP84mjfmBttFj3-RdpELoLNGcbN2bO6HKM8Ix_WBj3K_cGg5tdHryx_9xGfCX4GKc9gaLv7R/s640/IMG_2035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv_ebgLObwCHqVP1uKU4EbXk44Qwc6bmp5HYciA1wXArwSjPm8E7NHxOk5A7gYUqcDP2r1b8oom2Hn41krh_r1KiYhpa65cm5DAknkKgINdaOxM2PcP84mjfmBttFj3-RdpELoLNGcbN2bO6HKM8Ix_WBj3K_cGg5tdHryx_9xGfCX4GKc9gaLv7R/s320/IMG_2035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scrounger-cap">Ravelry</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://payhip.com/b/67Xcg">Payhip</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/p/scrounger-cap-knitting-pattern-by-kat-riddell">LoveCrafts</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q5vSoTCqNyWzyrG5FMvicJKtml0RQeCFVMv7eeQw5JY13ord4dLdPdOY695GgYDXdg4u-giYaC1X2frUNqos9PJpKl-SqwDOfI-PZugUrWXXm0yLMe_1bwTgDtztranxydPDIJWfslUxM781vARX7YxGWP-erXIKlWOqIvxX9qktnEzN7uVO_a7N/s640/IMG_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q5vSoTCqNyWzyrG5FMvicJKtml0RQeCFVMv7eeQw5JY13ord4dLdPdOY695GgYDXdg4u-giYaC1X2frUNqos9PJpKl-SqwDOfI-PZugUrWXXm0yLMe_1bwTgDtztranxydPDIJWfslUxM781vARX7YxGWP-erXIKlWOqIvxX9qktnEzN7uVO_a7N/s320/IMG_2036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L7Xk4crBrG5_J0iJ_ARZ0zYTfbp6bCNgYfoX7ADvKLJZ8XeY7JuyK51njSVZdr7rMuRPKH_ZDOdJ2vVRMtZjx_j4vFSnRNhMjudrvgh4b5oWeV3XoisKi7ws8lqMr4HAkLyMr1-1O9VoCMZUp8NDWt-73U1vr_4AFEoFCIVdIzhSIX_jjjmrXGMb/s640/IMG_2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L7Xk4crBrG5_J0iJ_ARZ0zYTfbp6bCNgYfoX7ADvKLJZ8XeY7JuyK51njSVZdr7rMuRPKH_ZDOdJ2vVRMtZjx_j4vFSnRNhMjudrvgh4b5oWeV3XoisKi7ws8lqMr4HAkLyMr1-1O9VoCMZUp8NDWt-73U1vr_4AFEoFCIVdIzhSIX_jjjmrXGMb/s320/IMG_2037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6NoBZnQ2J1Ryv95kwfa4SqGLER5FXmMLwzyAo8BoZGgG5MCkmDdFhLXnQU7GEe42VdiqOivAVDqjebNlv92_xHWy318DWy9Dm8GjcAsETNn-HpojqXfNtDgaOfR9wO5LX4JCf1CHL_hpxgPj-P3cjBroczmKC7xZDO6THG1ZdWZwjktO_B-_Xv0v/s640/IMG_2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6NoBZnQ2J1Ryv95kwfa4SqGLER5FXmMLwzyAo8BoZGgG5MCkmDdFhLXnQU7GEe42VdiqOivAVDqjebNlv92_xHWy318DWy9Dm8GjcAsETNn-HpojqXfNtDgaOfR9wO5LX4JCf1CHL_hpxgPj-P3cjBroczmKC7xZDO6THG1ZdWZwjktO_B-_Xv0v/s320/IMG_2038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-40151524955567287162023-04-26T10:37:00.002-05:002023-04-26T10:37:34.180-05:00Enter Couch<p>On Friday, while scrolling Facebook, I found a couch.</p><p>I've been keeping an eye out, despite not really having couch money, and knowing that getting a couch would require renting a van and lining up some lifting assistance. Finding my dresser a couple weeks ago reminded me that you have to keep your eyes open constantly so you don't miss the perfect opportunity when it arises, and when I saw this couch, I knew it was a perfect opportunity. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoId6l-0wm6zxthrhrOZW3Q4JVvT4UBddCZGlrhZ_uCgbHVSpdoW1AdJmuyQ2yD6BILRgGFSTCu1S-tXngvWTHfOXCTXPuQpgrWoXuQdeKTKIxtVOg28Ywgc70Yws0qboE1IQjXTDp2-ZcjI7rRYtMOxXA6csyJhBCmxgLL3j9azZlz-bh06ytgMV/s4032/IMG_1985.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoId6l-0wm6zxthrhrOZW3Q4JVvT4UBddCZGlrhZ_uCgbHVSpdoW1AdJmuyQ2yD6BILRgGFSTCu1S-tXngvWTHfOXCTXPuQpgrWoXuQdeKTKIxtVOg28Ywgc70Yws0qboE1IQjXTDp2-ZcjI7rRYtMOxXA6csyJhBCmxgLL3j9azZlz-bh06ytgMV/s320/IMG_1985.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I lined up a van and my new Work BFF and I drove down Sunday afternoon to pick it up, and I am so, so pleased with it. It fits in my space perfectly, it's the perfect length for me to lie curled up on, AND it's a sleeper and unfolds to a double bed. It looks incredible with my yellow blanket and elephant pillows, and it's a Lee Lee-approved napping spot. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqbOKs24gYAkOvOJ_jjZZwnfFQbkLUkHTf_2D4_4HQtb_lRWNVO13vWOeNX41sg4ICi6wdGDnvhlySPiDr0RNspt4dgbpzMVZdn2GxeD594rI8BZ6gurzghlPmlmkrfEzp4RsI3YzjBytdu7bx6bp2hr6LJqQZSYZe0lwikjFFfaQsXC0Hkbx5wmE/s4032/IMG_1987.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqbOKs24gYAkOvOJ_jjZZwnfFQbkLUkHTf_2D4_4HQtb_lRWNVO13vWOeNX41sg4ICi6wdGDnvhlySPiDr0RNspt4dgbpzMVZdn2GxeD594rI8BZ6gurzghlPmlmkrfEzp4RsI3YzjBytdu7bx6bp2hr6LJqQZSYZe0lwikjFFfaQsXC0Hkbx5wmE/s320/IMG_1987.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My living room is now so close to complete. I want another bookcase and a bar cart, and maybe an ottoman, and then it's just finishing setting up my tchotchkes. The couch fits in perfectly with my chairs and divides the sitting area from the dining nook really nicely. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHk3RE8S0iqWP-9uJTQSZUH3-AbYMTc5vT0J0-0Zlvw5AaeA7H7nxg5kPO7gUaTWx-xvBO-tZn7BwFKjO8g1SKZS5iYBIHYnqZd29FOAMbp8IFiyUfIb75iTMrSdwEnsMDavwy9W-aTJwBTJ6qPXDTUq0EJU42Gs2POEPWGZBYHXwLZOzpRAPLz3V/s4032/IMG_1988.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHk3RE8S0iqWP-9uJTQSZUH3-AbYMTc5vT0J0-0Zlvw5AaeA7H7nxg5kPO7gUaTWx-xvBO-tZn7BwFKjO8g1SKZS5iYBIHYnqZd29FOAMbp8IFiyUfIb75iTMrSdwEnsMDavwy9W-aTJwBTJ6qPXDTUq0EJU42Gs2POEPWGZBYHXwLZOzpRAPLz3V/s320/IMG_1988.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>The couch was also the last really big piece of furniture I needed. I do need another tall bookcase for the craft room, and I'll need a cutting table in there eventually as well, but those won't require quite as much coordination as getting the couch in here did.</div><div><br /></div><div>(I actually had to empty and move the bookcase closest to the door to make the entryway wide enough for the couch to fit in, which was inconvenient, to say the least, but ultimately worth it.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been very much enjoying having a couch to sit and lie down on this week, and it's nice knowing that I have additional space for guests beyond my air mattress if I need it—also, it'll be nice to be able to open the sofa bed to block large shawls on the next time I make one! </div></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-77576888495686328732023-04-19T08:56:00.005-05:002023-04-19T08:56:39.362-05:00And There Was WaterI *was* planning to tell you all about my fun weekend running little errands around town and making chicken broth (I am becoming very evangelical about boiled broths vs. simmered broths), but then on Sunday evening I had some dirty water come up through my kitchen drain. This has happened with some regularity since I moved in—a combination of being in the basement and having old pipes is what it sounds like. I also noticed a puddle on the floor in front of the dishwasher, which was new. I took some pictures, threw a towel down on the puddle, and went to bed with the assumption that it'd either clear out overnight or I'd call maintenance in the morning.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD-enfysnPTs_WcUY1Lzu4Z2LXs9g3YxOVjydR7-02j8GUVAilZeFdZNpwcgh9OYJ6r-WRlq4rJEmJvnMSm2E9r4UTXUAY6lU85evUNaW26_tgsq1zOUBGiz0MF0bGlLWHzmwJdbkDaRVw2_sbWwUTXRIzSwYnxGKl_zSxAt3KtCtcQYtM5bmkfFg/s4032/IMG_1862.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD-enfysnPTs_WcUY1Lzu4Z2LXs9g3YxOVjydR7-02j8GUVAilZeFdZNpwcgh9OYJ6r-WRlq4rJEmJvnMSm2E9r4UTXUAY6lU85evUNaW26_tgsq1zOUBGiz0MF0bGlLWHzmwJdbkDaRVw2_sbWwUTXRIzSwYnxGKl_zSxAt3KtCtcQYtM5bmkfFg/s320/IMG_1862.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Well, come Monday morning there were puddles all over my apartment. My entire kitchen, most of my living room, my dining nook, and the hallway back towards the bedrooms. Everything smelled like sitting water, and after an incredulous text to my coworker, I submitted a maintenance ticket. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPMQ19aDzsicj25-xYPf7VX3ReJq8lwU8bFrW2ebYwiSXilLxN-otmzpwG7F-28Tim0yGWim7i8QPjek8O51pyn58iEHt_-O66L7ysvnwbsfId-t3NCLjBVqYV14q_FkywkIAHxyCEykrNtFGBQKz__WQBQRJVN-VZ0CjXxFwSDnEr3FVW5d678Ag/s4032/IMG_1864.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPMQ19aDzsicj25-xYPf7VX3ReJq8lwU8bFrW2ebYwiSXilLxN-otmzpwG7F-28Tim0yGWim7i8QPjek8O51pyn58iEHt_-O66L7ysvnwbsfId-t3NCLjBVqYV14q_FkywkIAHxyCEykrNtFGBQKz__WQBQRJVN-VZ0CjXxFwSDnEr3FVW5d678Ag/s320/IMG_1864.HEIC" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRLttWCD-s5e15jVvUVdqS6O5Rn46bqEAgUy6rFYlC1wcigj9RR7EjcVfmcH_7mPsYqs9sit5uE3VibzNEsndiEQgJsBUZRREme-mts5wEmFWwWCO_8BaUJylxOpHiF5kFmBMwvzaqwibd6hRDXg40qy_vVJhHXJINd7pI7dzk_FncbvwkEdUCJIW/s4032/IMG_1866.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRLttWCD-s5e15jVvUVdqS6O5Rn46bqEAgUy6rFYlC1wcigj9RR7EjcVfmcH_7mPsYqs9sit5uE3VibzNEsndiEQgJsBUZRREme-mts5wEmFWwWCO_8BaUJylxOpHiF5kFmBMwvzaqwibd6hRDXg40qy_vVJhHXJINd7pI7dzk_FncbvwkEdUCJIW/s320/IMG_1866.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, Monday is one of my wfh days, so I was able to close myself and Lee Lee in the craft room/home office/guest room so she wouldn't wander around getting all wet and gross. Maintenance came and cleaned up all the water and drained the dishwasher, which had a couple inches of dirty water sitting in it, and they helped me move some of the furniture that had gotten a bit damp and hang my rug over the shower curtain. Hopefully they'll put a bug in the landlord's ear about the pipes, because they've been coming out at least once a month to deal with my kitchen since I moved in.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKy3EOwfTKtpagI4v__X7hYosl7uZo4ut1IJY3qaILe22jAq4JMc1IcgHuAFZf0edjslunortB66YN-daSODgtrA-qMc9xWr3Kfv0LytYDpHZf5hk5nL83kQ_D3SqasRt1hxX24ObreSzTQ04SLyJKZNCp6l1ozw-73joiVQ8FVfECUZrcvorcOTU/s4032/IMG_1865.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKy3EOwfTKtpagI4v__X7hYosl7uZo4ut1IJY3qaILe22jAq4JMc1IcgHuAFZf0edjslunortB66YN-daSODgtrA-qMc9xWr3Kfv0LytYDpHZf5hk5nL83kQ_D3SqasRt1hxX24ObreSzTQ04SLyJKZNCp6l1ozw-73joiVQ8FVfECUZrcvorcOTU/s320/IMG_1865.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlvCrzw8ZCpmKtZgu3pC5KhlPLayKowS-2Ibs1e79TJbkjZg6OqCxAFkD08prN9HfXy0h02gzDsRCPE5UoosmzEpJ25qMZw0oN8dyK8ntJvWw-UIQMFgNpSLojsVlKpVEgMl9Dkt-3JQdg6O1fQmthPVsQG7Sg2t8gUOpZQiJW13clqfRyqvIwzG3/s4032/IMG_1863.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlvCrzw8ZCpmKtZgu3pC5KhlPLayKowS-2Ibs1e79TJbkjZg6OqCxAFkD08prN9HfXy0h02gzDsRCPE5UoosmzEpJ25qMZw0oN8dyK8ntJvWw-UIQMFgNpSLojsVlKpVEgMl9Dkt-3JQdg6O1fQmthPVsQG7Sg2t8gUOpZQiJW13clqfRyqvIwzG3/s320/IMG_1863.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>As you can guess, Monday was a very long day. I had to run out and pick up a box fan to speed up drying and get the old water smell out of my apartment, and I had to bring a bucket of wet towels down to the complex laundromat. The box that held my antique doll collection got damp, so I had to unpack all of those girls, which meant I needed to put up the curtain rod in my bedroom so they could go on top of the clothes shelves (and not stay piled on my bed). My apartment is still pretty chaotic, but nothing got damaged, and this morning it looked like the rug was finally dry, so I'll be able to put the dining nook back together.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBe_G7CWMlCzQVo2yiMqoCLhTe_9aV_dETbiGDXlah7Lf0Hx_Lo5CdU4wS4FPHvpeCzoeMpIUTOlHbxvhtgvSsj2NTLsN-yo5rrJWb9AJbnAScY_yfrDUHb8MScRYnlU4GKdg2D5Ze0ANvjl1WgYhVgcrg9nFad3o5pemDlOKAqRag3bJxbnp0rCz/s4032/IMG_1876.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBe_G7CWMlCzQVo2yiMqoCLhTe_9aV_dETbiGDXlah7Lf0Hx_Lo5CdU4wS4FPHvpeCzoeMpIUTOlHbxvhtgvSsj2NTLsN-yo5rrJWb9AJbnAScY_yfrDUHb8MScRYnlU4GKdg2D5Ze0ANvjl1WgYhVgcrg9nFad3o5pemDlOKAqRag3bJxbnp0rCz/s320/IMG_1876.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>(Up until all this happened I had an absolutely lovely weekend. Saturday I went to a yard sale, poked around the craft store, picked up some new books at the library book sale, took a leisurely stroll through a couple different grocery stores, and finally moved my giant philodendron to a larger pot. On Sunday I made broth and roasted an entire bunch of asparagus for dinner, and I finished a hat sample and got the pattern over to my TE—a pretty perfect weekend!)</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MQJYNwf6skhYcJ4jHBUtTsxIhdikDQjaQQmkwwTtFn1ikr_4rv2iC2C-VYRmiRmyHJEAZOuKCzvLDM_T7uUdhe3-FXdkhgDcdFDgu68uT6MX1bX_1FyVmWG0Trx_GVa2LdoZhQqFH0iTnfBXvQJIcpLMDFd6PLZF3lFxAPga7n2cX8U6qmiEaGOH/s4032/IMG_1854.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MQJYNwf6skhYcJ4jHBUtTsxIhdikDQjaQQmkwwTtFn1ikr_4rv2iC2C-VYRmiRmyHJEAZOuKCzvLDM_T7uUdhe3-FXdkhgDcdFDgu68uT6MX1bX_1FyVmWG0Trx_GVa2LdoZhQqFH0iTnfBXvQJIcpLMDFd6PLZF3lFxAPga7n2cX8U6qmiEaGOH/s320/IMG_1854.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PZkfiLvPQpZlab5Wi0vRmTvC_FuKXNyJoIF3sShqnRRBvLgIj9MPVrEc4MSl2_TkFfN097i5cxJv3sAMu-uMFUYq2EYAmlHjNTFT9O4oD9poqSo103hE6HoGL7mqCjEX8LSPmVKi84XsVxUAKQCnzkoL27TmyLdfAV8tq8d5L77Ya6aSzmNEESEZ/s4032/IMG_1850.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PZkfiLvPQpZlab5Wi0vRmTvC_FuKXNyJoIF3sShqnRRBvLgIj9MPVrEc4MSl2_TkFfN097i5cxJv3sAMu-uMFUYq2EYAmlHjNTFT9O4oD9poqSo103hE6HoGL7mqCjEX8LSPmVKi84XsVxUAKQCnzkoL27TmyLdfAV8tq8d5L77Ya6aSzmNEESEZ/s320/IMG_1850.HEIC" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564569243607230163.post-33474799961384501442023-04-12T11:32:00.002-05:002023-04-12T11:32:31.306-05:00A Seder, a Fire, and a VisitIt has been such a busy week! Last Wednesday night I was invited to a seder by one of the ladies I've met at the synagogue, and it was a lot of fun—and I got to meet some more people from the area. I took Thursday off work because my mother visited Friday through Sunday and my apartment desperately needed cleaning. Somehow, I managed to get everything done, and then about an hour before my mum actually arrived, the dryer in my building caught fire. Everyone is okay, we didn't need to evacuate, and the firefighters got it put out and carried the dryer out to the lawn. The laundry room is right across the hall from my apartment, and the bottom floor at least smelled pretty smoky for a couple hours. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_af_lQN_GxZ19QQTR6pG9zhGjwp2dKBDj1P9U7-ZKwXb4JdmBMpTUpQu88GEn6B26yK7XQgAhUhD0mwk8DVt_jfEeed38gt26HXLOhJkBDYjsZYv4UUBjTS4KEoGpXmVBTGKYhaiO9UeJWVGrROFDiOkQeyS6XFj_hHNSiLA_1eFqrAZngFkp5pe/s4032/IMG_1666.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_af_lQN_GxZ19QQTR6pG9zhGjwp2dKBDj1P9U7-ZKwXb4JdmBMpTUpQu88GEn6B26yK7XQgAhUhD0mwk8DVt_jfEeed38gt26HXLOhJkBDYjsZYv4UUBjTS4KEoGpXmVBTGKYhaiO9UeJWVGrROFDiOkQeyS6XFj_hHNSiLA_1eFqrAZngFkp5pe/s320/IMG_1666.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div>The visit with my mum was great. We poked around some thrift stores and I got some new books (surprise) and, in an incredible stroke of luck, a 100% Shetland wool knit waistcoat. We also visited two of the bookstores in town, and we had lunch at a Thai restaurant with an incredible gluten free selection (it might be my new favorite restaurant!). We also checked out a forest preserve about twenty minutes from me—there's a botanical garden and museum there that we didn't look at, but once more things start growing I'll definitely head back out there to explore more. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also checked out a couple grocery stores in the area—one I'd popped into a couple times real quick, but hadn't really explored, and the other is a food co-op that has a ton of cool stuff. My mum loaded me up on fresh fruit and veggies, which I am very grateful for, and we also got kale and mushrooms for scrambled eggs on Sunday morning! </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV9wxjsOd1yYeLiJBJhcAk8m5MxoGN6RqcBhkAElcGkk1x_5Piahl60fOuRnDWIY8uyTUoIAGjVLHZnQ-rZtumsSoXI4gu-MGyrfWyICoxOYdWDyUvYCOM9akXW4o-vLsxS_iFa0lbka0dfISb4hTL-vIJU93MPznVqXBk8GuYVHcqTAeY6Rzb5OS/s4032/IMG_1680.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV9wxjsOd1yYeLiJBJhcAk8m5MxoGN6RqcBhkAElcGkk1x_5Piahl60fOuRnDWIY8uyTUoIAGjVLHZnQ-rZtumsSoXI4gu-MGyrfWyICoxOYdWDyUvYCOM9akXW4o-vLsxS_iFa0lbka0dfISb4hTL-vIJU93MPznVqXBk8GuYVHcqTAeY6Rzb5OS/s320/IMG_1680.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm so glad she was able to make it out here for a long weekend. I know I just saw her in February, but that was just for a day, and I was mostly focused on getting and moving the rest of my stuff. So far this week I've been catching up on rest—usually my weekends are very laid back—but I'm starting to get back into my regular rhythm. </div></div>Kat Riddellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06335988134094847327noreply@blogger.com2