Annual Goal List 2016-2017 Edition

2016 was a tough one. I got pretty sick early in the year with a gastrointestinal ailment and it lasted all the way until the end. (I'm great deal better now. Not 100% yet, but getting much closer.) During my illness, I wasn't able to be there for a lifelong friend. She needed more than I could give. After talking to many different people who are wiser than myself, I was given the same advice: focus on my marriage and health; trying to continue the friendship wasn't going to be healthy for me anymore. It was hard, but ultimately I did end the friendship. It still hurts.

Despite the difficulties, there were times where I was a bit more stable. So here are the highlights.

We were able to travel a surprising amount. I was able to go to Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Alabama Hills, Death Valley, the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, we had a week with my family in the Plumas Eureka area, and Connor and I went to Kentucky together for his best friend's wedding. Connor also got to add Japan to his list. I was supposed to go, but wasn't well enough. I'm still jealous. We are now saving up to make it there together.

The Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Alabama Hills, Death Valley trip with Joe. See Pt. 1, Pt. 2, and Pt. 3 

I taught my parents to knit. They wanted to learn how. They didn't tell me it was because they had signed up for Cat Bordhi's knitting retreat in the San Juan Islands. Mum had wanted to go to the San Juan Islands for as long as I can remember. After I went to the retreat and made it sound like so much fun, she wanted to go to it too... despite not being a knitter. Well, they both knit now. My brother (who doesn't knit... yet) says that I've made my own knitting group. Some nights Connor, Mum, Dad, and I knit together.

I am Dr. Knit-entstein and these are my creations

I was able to reconnect with some friends, including my friend Jackie. She moved to the area and we have had fun adventures and good talks together.

We were searching for the proper Ernie pumpkin

I don't have a picture of this highlight, but I also really enjoyed going to see Flight of the Conchords in concert. I rarely go see bands live anymore, it was a real treat.

And now for the assessment of last year's goals:

Goals for 2016:
1. Work on a menswear pattern collection. Ideally it will have two garments and three accessories. I've been interested in developing a menswear collection for awhile now, but before Connor entered into my life, it was hard to motivate myself to knit garments for someone who wasn't me.
Status: Incomplete. I have sketched out ideas and acquired yarn for this project, but it's on the back burner at the moment. I might go back to it one day.
2. Put up a daily comic site. This was a goal in 2011, which changed in 2012 because I stopped doing the comic. But I'm drawing the comic again... so it's a goal again.
Status: Ongoing... perhaps forever. Connor and I worked on putting together a daily comic site. It is complete enough for me to start scanning and posting comics. I'm just nervous about putting it out there.
3. Learn to weave. I've alternated between being really interested in trying out weaving and having no interest at all. At the moment, I know I have yarns that would look far better woven, so I'm interested again. And I have a buddy who is going to loan me a small loom so I can see if I like it.
Status: Working on it. I have borrowed a loom (for most of the year now... how embarrassing). I bought a book on how to use the loom. I even know what yarn I'm going to use first! I just need to carve out some time and mind share for this project.
4. Design a sweater with set in sleeves. I think doing the math for different set in sleeve sizes is rather intimidating, which is precisely why I must try.
Status: Still on my mind. I've got the yarn and the idea for the sweater. Other knitting obligations got in the way. But I'm not giving up on this one.
5. Go somewhere I haven't been before. This year, our current vacation plans are to places I've been to, but want to share with Connor. I hope that we can throw in one that I haven't done yet.
Status: Complete! This was the only goal I managed to do. We went to two places I'd never been: the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. I wasn't 100% during both trips... but I'm glad I went.
6. I'm adding a bonus goal this year: Work on the Knitting Photography Series again. I worked on it in 2013, but stopped when I put my energies towards finishing writing Lit Knits instead. I've wanted to work on it, but just didn't put time aside. I think I'd like to give it a go again.
Status: Incomplete. This just ended up not being on my radar this year. I spent my time on other creative pursuits instead.

I'm just going to have to give myself a lot of forgiveness on this list. I was able to start several of the goals, but my energies had to be put in other areas. I feel pretty confidant that some of them, like the weaving, will still get worked on.

I'm a lot healthier than I had been all year, but I'm going to keep this year's goals a little smaller. I think the following is achievable.

Goals for 2017:
1. Make a google map to share that has the locations of where I've found my travel patches. I've occasionally been asked where I've found various patches and I've noticed that the information for finding them, let alone knowing that a place has them, is sparse. I'd like to help change that.
2. Make a quilt to display all the patches. The plan is to embroider the United States, then place the patches around the outside of the embroidery. I'm still working out some details, but I bought a map from Haptic Labs, got my fabric, and have bought a few books on embroidery to help move me forward.
3. Go to one National Park I haven't been to yet. I think that we might manage more than one, but I'd like to see at least one this year.
4. Knit a sweater out of stash. I haven't knit a sweater in two years. I think it is about time to change that. I also have a habit of buying new yarn for sweaters because I "have plans" for all of my stash yarn. It's time to just knit with it. I can replace it if I need to.
5. It seems like an annual tradition, but I'm going to keep it on the list until it is done: put up the comic site. Connor and my father have sorted out the complicated calendar that I wanted and the site is largely put together. I just have the intimidating job of scanning and formatting all the comics. Although, the most intimidating part is getting over the feeling that the comics aren't "good enough". I keep thinking that the writing could be neater and the comics could be cleaner, but if they are ever to be put up, they will have to remain as they are.

That is this year's goal list, which is the 8th one I've written. It's been fun to look back to see how things have changed from year to year. Some years have been really good, some have been years focused on recovering health. It's good to see that the only consistant thing between years is that each one is different.
For those who would like to see what other years have been like, here are past post links: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.