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Saturday, January 5, 2013

2012 In Review - How'd All Those Goals Work Out for Ya?

It's been an astonishingly short year. I don't know how I got a single thing done - the months flew by without even asking permission. I had a lot of goals last January - let's see how that all panned out, shall we? Feel free to just skip these goal posts (lol posts about goals - sports thingy - pun fun) if you want, but I need a public space to keep myself accountable. However, if you're a list-making goal-haver like myself, maybe you'll enjoy my successes (and secretly feel a bit smug about my failures - go on, it's ok).

First, the non crafty goals:

  • Read more things that aren't blog posts or Internet forums.

I read one book; it was Outlander, and I really didn't care for it much, so yeah. Big fat fail. There were a few cookbooks, but I just don't feel right counting them.

  • Continue to improve my mental, emotional, and physical health.

Eh, could've been better, could've been worse. Dog walking is good.

  • Play more video and board games.

Board games - yes, video games - sadly no. However I did figure out that, with a Kinect, Mass Effect 3 conversations (a fat chunk of the game) can be done using voice commands! I can finally knit and game!

  • Put 10% of our earnings away as savings. Be more budget conscious, and less focused on the importance of having things.

Not so much with the savings, maybe about 4%. I have started using mint.com, which is an amazing free resource for people like me who mean well but need to be shamed by angry red bars to stop blowing past budget caps.

  • Cook more.

Well, I have been baking all our bread for many months now, and I learned to cook with tofu! I also got a good handle on a Phad Thai recipe, which is awesome. There have been many excellent made-from-scratch pizzas as well, and I learned a magical thing - chopped bacon cooked in taco seasoning changes nachos for the better in innumerable ways.

  • Get my driver's license.

Nope. Shit. One day, man, you'll see.

  • Keep a cleaner house.

Actually, very much yes! This is partly due to having pets with special needs (our dearly departed cat saw any floor mess as a thrown-down gauntlet in the battle of PEE ON ALL THE THINGS, and Loki is a puppy so anything left out gets eaten) but I really have put in a conscious effort, which has led to me enjoying our home considerably more.

So how about that huge crafty goal list?

  • Make a patchwork quilt

Nope. Wanted to though!

  • Learn some new knitting techniques.

Heck yes! Steeking, intarsia, afterthought heels, Latvain braids, knitted on edgings, zipper insertion, bottom up seamless sweater construction, pleating, bobbles, and nupps!

  • Knit Susan Pandorf's Evenstar shawl.

I wish.

  • Knit a sweater for everyone in the family.

Yay! I win! 3 for me, and one each for Jake and Rei.

  • Set reasonable but ambitious monthly spinning goals through the LSG Spinners and Dyers "Spinning Asskick Club" on Ravelry. Score at least 80% every month.

Almost. I got lots of 100% months, but a few 70's and 60's.

  • Participate in the Tour de Fleece.

Very much so. Spun a sweater's worth.

  • Spin more for the shop.

Not really.

  • Release at least one pattern design every two months.

No. Really, really, really no.

  • Make all three cross stitched Christmas stockings. About a third of one is finished as of the beginning of 2012.

I did about 3 stitches on one stocking. I sucked at this one.

  • Knit enough socks for myself that I don't have to ration them.

I'd like just a few more.

  • Use my crafty skills to make my home prettier.

No, not really.

  • Learn to spin art/textured yarn.

I learned to corespin! It's wonderful!

  • Fully restore and master the in's and out's of my Cowichan spinner. Make awesome yarn.

It's not fully restored, but there was some awesome yarn.

  • Restore and reupholster the chair and ottoman in my parents' basement.

I fixed up the wood and made new cushions, but never made the slipcovers I wanted. so... half points?

  • Don't overdo the Christmas gift crafting. Be sensible.

I was done with 2 weeks to spare!

  • Start some sort of project using sock yarn scraps.

My Technicolor sunset woven scarf!

  • With yarn, try not to bring in more stash than is being knitted out.

The bins can close now, which they couldn't last January, so I'm calling this a win. This is, in part, due to destashing.

  • With fibre, don't buy any more fleeces until the ones in the garage are processed. Occasionally buy a braid of something nice by a favourite indie dyer, but try to work with what is currently available.

If by processed, you mean those fleeces are washed but not carded at all, then yes. And I only bought one. And I did spin for a sweater from one. So there. I also didn't buy that much fibre this year, and all of it was from lovely indie dyers.

  • Knit what I want, when I want.

Even my gift knitting was selfish this year. The only thing I felt obligated to work on was Jake's sweater, but it looks so nice on him, so that's ok.

  • Crochet snowflakes for next Christmas.

Didn't crochet a damn thing all year.

  • Learn a new craft.

I can weave now!

  • Knit 12 kilometres, and spin 5 kilometres.

Oh yeah. Try over 14km knit, and over 8km spun.

Well, that's a whopping 50% success rate on non-crafty, and 59% on the crafty ones. Go me? I like to think I achieved to good ones. Thank goodness life isn't high school.



2 comments:

  1. Wow, that's a long list of goals you set out for yourself, my dear! I think that's a pretty good success rate as well! Hope the family is feeling better!

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  2. i think you did really well with your goals! hurrah!!! xoxox

    ReplyDelete