A Few Things...

This has been a roller coaster of a year for me, but unfortunately the past two months have been really challenging for many reasons.  It’s been a struggle but I am working diligently at getting back on my feet. The crochet has definitely helped and designing new things has been a key component in keeping my head above water.  Most fiber enthusiasts are well aware of the meditative and calming effects that knitting and crochet provide and I have definitely been reminded of that lately. I’ll have more on that in a future post.

The most difficult thing I have been dealing with is my beloved fur baby, Orlando, has been diagnosed with stage IV Chronic Kidney Disease.  The prognosis isn’t great, but I am doing everything I can to make him comfortable and happy. Among a few other things, I have to give him fluids subcutaneously every other day. It’s been a learning process for both of us, but we are adjusting and now it is routine most “bag” nights. I bring this up because it has been a major impact on my life, but also because I wanted to publicly thank Helen for her amazing site: Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease . This site helped me so much from the initial diagnosis to everything that has come after it. It was, and continues to be, a lifeline, helping me to help Orlando. Thank you Helen for the amazing & wonderful work you do.  

On the better news front, I have two designs that were accepted by magazines! I will be working on the samples and written text on those the next few weeks, but after that I have a substantial backlog of designs to get out. And by substantial I mean 20-25 patterns that are almost ready to be published. I may have been quiet but I have been busy. I can’t wait to share them all with you. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I loved designing them. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to know right away when they are published as they roll out. 

I also have a few blog posts coming up on some wonderful books I have read recently including The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer, Shrill by Lindy West, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and a few mysteries too. I also have a few things to say about Malcolm Gladwell's new podcast, Revisionist History, that may surprise a few people. 

As always thanks for your continued support! 

Kristina