i knit a sweater, yo!

I have unofficially declared 2012 "the year of finishing stuff". I actually have so much to do that I don't even know how I can finish it all. And that's assuming that I don't start anything new (ha!). One of my 2011 goals was to knit a wearable, so I started the Asymmetrical Raglan Cardi from the Fall 2010 issue of Knit Simple. At a certain point I got a little bored with it and it was cast to the side. For months and months. So I put it on my 2012 list of things to do (or in this case, finish).

And I did. And it is lovely.

I love the textured detail at the edges and collar:

Ends are weaved, but the buttons haven't been sewn on just yet. I got some lovely brown buttons made from coconuts. I think they will bring out the brown flecks in the tweed yarn. Love, love.

Now all I need is cooler weather so I can show 'er off!

31 things to do before I turn 31

Melanie got me on the idea that I should make a list of 31 things to do before I turn 31 (September 23, 2013). So I have time, I just need the list. Check out what I have so far and help me add to it!

1. knit with buffalo yarn - I've heard it's marvelously soft and luxurious. And expensive. I must acquire some and knit with it.

2. finish two quilts - I've started a few, but I need to come full circle. Finish strong!

3. make and can apple butter - For two years I've said I would do this and I haven't. I need to buckle down and make it happen.

4. go snorkeling - I love the water, but I've always been scared of it. Scared of drowning, scared of sharks. Now that I can actually swim, I want to make my snorkeling dreams come true.

5. paint/organize the hall closet - This has been on my to-do list since we moved into the house (three years ago!). Has to get done.

6. participate in a color run 5K- These look ridiculously fun...and there's one in Charlotte this year. Gotta do it.

7. make pickles - Again, I say every year that I'm going to make pickles and I never do. Boo. Now is the time!

8. finish the Game of Thrones series - I'm stalled in this series because I'm watching the show and alot of the content aligns. I need to just commit and get through the first 1.5-2 books to new storylines!

9. catch a drumstick from Fred - CHECK! Did this just a few months ago. Been trying for a while, which made my success THAT much sweeter!

10. make progress towards writing a book - This has been on my to-do list since I was 7. I think it's time to just do it.

11. get Puggie to the beach - When we thought Puggie might have cancer, all I could think about was the number of things I wish I could do with/for her. She loveloveloves the sunshine, and I think she'll love the beach. We're on our way there this weekend, with BOTH dogs in tow! Hope she enjoys the warmth, the sand, and the salty air :) Oh, and she definitely doesn't have cancer. She's a healthy girl!

12. get a facial - I always say I'm going to treat myself and I never do. But I should. Before turning 31.

brave little dogs

if i look smug, it's because i'm snuggling with an adorable Pug. it just happens.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the SPCA's "Brave Little Dogs with Big Hearts" fundraiser for the Jones County puppy mill pups. Puggie came from a puppy mill, so the second the bust hit the news, I had a very soft spot for these animals (as though I didn't have soft enough spots for every animal ever already).

Going to the event meant getting my hands on these little bundles of sweetness and trying to give them all the love and all the support they've been needing their whole lives but never getting. I had prepared myself for an emotional night, because even though they were two weeks removed from the mill, I knew that some would be visibly ill or injured and others (all) would be emotionally scarred. I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but I knew it wouldn't be an easy promise to keep. Let me recommend that you read Molly Stone's account of the puppy mill bust, because she made the same no-crying promise to herself when she went in as a first responder to the bust. (Molly is the SPCA of Wake County's animal behaviorist, and a miracle worker).

As I approached the building there was a volunteer out front with a white French Bulldog who acted as the event greeter. That pup was very well adjusted and starving for love - I, like everyone else entering the place, couldn't resist the chance to give her a rub down and some kisses. As soon as I walked away from her and entered the building, my eyes filled with tears. There were photo postcards of many dogs rescued from the mill, hung from clips on strings on the wall when you entered, and everyone was encouraged to take one of the photo cards home. I chose a Pug that looked so much like Puggie that I could feel the threat of tears and that awful burning in my throat immediately. But I really didn't want to cry because animals are so receptive to your emotions, and I came to support them, not stress them out.

I bypassed the food and drink and went directly for the first room I saw, which contained three Pugs. I went in and visited for a bit - they were a lively, playful bunch. I couldn't get good photos because there was never a point that they stopped moving. I think they were so happy to move around and play that they couldn't possibly stop.

Just across the hall was another room of Pugs (plus an adorable black Frenchie), and this group was much more subdued than the last. I sat for a long time and one of the Pugs (I realized after a while that it was the same Pug whose card I'd chosen on the way in) setup camp in my lap and wasn't moving. I didn't exactly want her to. She was a precious snuggle bunny and I loved every minute. Eventually I lured her from my lap and towards some other folks and I made my rounds to visit all the non-Pugs.

this was the best shot I could get of Frenchie. she was too excited to be still for very long :)

in a perfect world, these two would come home with me. maybe the could go home with you?

There were just over 60 pups from the mill at the event, divided into rooms of 3-7, mostly organized by breed. I visited each room and made sure I saw every sweet face, and believe me, they were all sweet faces. Some were scared, some were eager, some were happy...but they were all hopeful, and that's what really struck me. Only two weeks removed from the living hell they had likely never known a life outside of and they were hopeful. The SPCA of Wake County has done an amazing job - two thumbs WAY up to everyone involved.

I eventually landed back in the subdued Pug room, unable to resist Pug cuddles and kisses and snorts. I spent the rest of my time there trying to infuse as much love as possible into each pup. I couldn't help but think about my Puggie, who came from the same situation last year and all the volunteers and fosterers who poured their time, money, and love into her and the fantastic difference that it made. Sigh. The most rewarding part of the evening was when the most senior pug (see Ms. Grey Snout below) finally trusted me enough to let me pet her without cowering or lowering her eyes. And when LuLu (that's what I named Puggie's look-a-like) hopped out of my lap, Grey Snout jumped right up and took her place. Heart melter, folks. Heart melter.

I left with a full and happy heart, but I cried the whole way home. How anyone could ever treat these precious animals so badly is beyond me. I truly can't think of a punishment severe enough - but for now all I can think about are ways to raise money to rehab not only this round of rescues, but the next round, and the next round. I have many ideas in the chamber, but for now I've finally put all time excuses aside and signed up for volunteer orientation! I'm also still collecting donations and recruiting team members for the SPCA K-9 3K (please consider joining us!).

what's the deal with bucket lists anyway?

I've been working on a bucket list. Does anyone really have a list? Like a real one - on paper, or in a journal, or on a blog? When there's something that I've always wanted to do or really, really WANT to do now, I'll claim it's a bucket list item, but is it? And is there a limit to how many bucket list items you can have? What are the rules to this whole thing? I mean, please tell me.

In the meantime, I think one of my bucket list items is to visit every state. I spent most of my life wishing to go to Europe, the Caribbean, any place but the U.S. Then my very wise friend Margaret said "sweet pea, you should see America first, it's really a very beautiful country". I didn't see her truth then, but I do now. Thus far, my travels are petty:



A secondary goal is to buy local yarn/visit a LYS in every state. Since I haven't been a knitter my whole life, I've only done this in a handful of states:


If things go as planned, I'll add three more states to both maps this year - Seattle, Alaska, and California. Game on, y'all.

new year, new goals

Last year when I was setting my goals, my brother recommended that I set deadlines and stagger them throughout the year. Yeah, that didn't happen. Since I only met 3 of my 5 goals, I decided to give the staggered deadlines a try.

March 1, 2012 - Take down the window boxes in front of our house. Seriously, they look awful. They were thinly built and time has really taken a toll on them. I had planned to take them down last Fall, but I ran out of time and motivation. I need to empty them of a million pounds of dirt, demo, putty, clean, and paint the surface behind the boxes. First quarter project, no excuses.

April 21, 2012 - Participate in SPCA K9 3K Fundraiser. Last year I had a small team that raised nearly $500 for the SPCA of Wake County (which is where we got the Berg). We were a little late to the game, and I think we could contribute much more this year if we get started earlier and recruit a few more participants! If you're interested in donating, keep any eye out - I'll be posting our team info soon.

June 1, 2012 - Assemble a hurricane preparedness kit in time for hurricane season. I know that we don't get hit this far inland very often, but it HAS happened and we need to be prepared.

August 31, 2012 - Finish painting the kitchen cabinets. I should be - scratch that - I AM really ashamed of the fact that I haven't finished them already. I haven't touched this project in a long, long time, and I have to just buckle down and do it. For real.

December 31, 2012 - Have zero knitting projects in progress. Nothing on the needles, nothing needing to be blocked, nothing needing to be seamed together. I want to start 2013 with a completely clean project slate. If December has to be the month of finishing things, so be it!

Sliding deadline goals:

Regarding yarn...

learn colorwork knitting

complete a lace shawl

learn to crochet

knit a pair of Cookie A socks

Work on my Spanish. My Father-in-law said he's going to call a few times a week and that we will only talk in Spanish, but as of right now, those would be very VERY short conversations. I'd like to work through the first part of Rosetta Stone Spanish before we go on our family vacation in May, but the time between now and then will be CRAZY for me. Both at work and personally. So I'm not committing to that time frame, but I'd like to get 'er done.

Read 15 books. I read 12 last year and I think I can do better. My main problems are that I go through reading binges where that's all I do, and then I completely don't read for months at a time. Also, I finish a series and am so sad it's over, I go into a reading slump. So setting this goal is really more about managing those extremes. For example, right now I'm in the middle of a 10 book series and I got majorly bummed out about a character kicking the bucket...so instead of hammering down to find out what happens, or completely giving up, I am now reading the Hunger Games. When I finish that series, I'm sure I'll be sad, but then I'll have the other one to go back to. Yes, it's genius, I know.

Post at least one blog per week. That means I have to be doing something interesting or taking photos of something interesting at least once every 7 days. No promises, but I will surely try!

2011 goals - 3 outta 5 ain't bad?

So I have to say that I'm more than disappointed in my 2011 goals progress, but 2012 is a new year, right? To recap:

Goal 1 was to work through Rosetta Stone Spanish. I didn't even touch it. Now we have a new computer, so I'll need to find my CDs and reload it. Give it another go.

Goal 2 was to bike at least 400 miles. In reality, I probably biked half of that. Pathetic. I could have biked a thousand miles if I was diligent, so there's really no excuse.

That was the bad news. And really, I'm taking these failures as an opportunity for growth in 2012. I totally killed my final three goals.

Goal 3 was to read at least 12 books, and I read exactly 12.

Goal 4 was to make significant headway on my yarn stash, and I did. I think I knit more than I bought this year, which was helped by all the yarn swapping I did. Fun, fun. Also, I organized my stash with a new crafty area, so I'm not as stressed about the amount of yarn I have.

Goal 5 was to knit a sweater. While it isn't a done deal yet, I'm well on my way. I have only the sleeves left, so if I don't finish by the time the clock runs out on the 31st, I'm certain it will be done soon thereafter, so I consider this a win. Ultimately, Christmas knitting threw off my plans of a 4th quarter sweater, but now I know to do better planning next year.

I may not have met all of my goals, but I did get some things done in 2011 that I didn't expect to do until much later (or at all). We put in planter boxes for a vegetable garden when the original plan was for 2012. We rescued a Pug, which I didn't think would happen for at least 3-5 more years. We hosted Jose's family for Thanksgiving + Christmas (at Thanksgiving). We raised some money for the SPCA of Wake County. I hosted a great workshop for NCSLA. And I learned how to be gluten-free. One great, busy year behind me, and another on deck! Let's do this, 2012!

WIP Wednesday: the sweater

My first sweater is coming along nicely. I've just cast-on the final two pieces - the sleeves! To everyone who suggested knitting the sleeves simultaneously - THANK YOU - YOU ARE ALL GENIUSES! I was really on a roll with the project and I've just hit a wall, as evidenced by the fact that I haven't touched it in over a month. If I weren't knitting the sleeves at the same time, I might never finish it. Plus, they will be completely identical this way. Or at least they have a greater chance of being identical this way.

Making a sweater was one of my 2011 goals and since I'm not doing too hot on the others, I really need to pull through on this one. Fingers crossed!

WIP Wednesday: first sweater

One of my goals for the year was to knit a sweater for myself. I've been knitting long enough to take on a bigger project, and I'm a little bored with the same-old. I toiled over which pattern to use (way more than I'm willing to admit), but I knew that if I wasn't excited about it, if I was *too* bored to death with it, that I'd never finish it.

The Raglan (asymmetrical) Cardi from Knit Simple won, hands down! To make the deal a little sweeter, two of my (incredibly talented) knitting friends agreed to do make the sweater as well - knit-a-long style! My yarn? The very affordable Encore Tweed, in grey.

So far, I'm totally loving it. AND I think I'm on pace to finish it by the end of the year, but secretly (I guess now it's a little less of a secret), I hope to have it ready to wear on Thanksgiving. I would cross my fingers right now, but it's clear that I need them freed up for knitting.