It’s high time I did a check in on my 2007 goals. Being goal driven, I get a lot of pleasure out of establishing, working towards, and eventually reaching my goals (or just scrapping them entirely and starting from scratch!), so indulge me here while I recap. If you’ve been a reader for awhile, this will be a little trip down memory lane for you, and if you are a newer reader, this may serve as a good introduction (welcome!)

This has been a very interesting year so far (and a very good one!), but things are taking a bit of a different direction than I thought they might at the beginning of the year. Things happen for a reason, so I’m going with the flow and making adjustments!

With that in mind - let’s take a look at where I’m at and see if I need to do any revamping!

**Ok folks, this little “Goals Check In” turned into a mammoth write up, much more for my own documentation and edification than you probably care to read, and since I can’t figure out how to do that lovely little “read more” tag to spare those of you who may not want to read through such long-winded ramblings, I’ve bumped this over to my “Purling Plans” tab - check it out there at your own risk!**

“Choose challenging projects that I will learn from. Basic projects must be chosen because I need a break or am absolutely in love with the pattern. Or as gifts, see the next goal!

• Basic projects were my Clapotis, and the Reading in Bed Shrug which were both knit during a need for a break - they definitely suited the purpose after the stunning disappointment of losing the Anemoi Mittens and the nearly completed Chuck’s Sock that didn’t fit (Good god. Was that really all the way back in February? I can’t believe it)!

• Well, I would definitely say that the Anemoi Mittens and Chucks Cabled Socks qualify as challenging, even though I have nothing to show for them - I have pics to prove that I completed the mittens, even though they are gone, and I do still plan to resize and finish the Chuck’s Socks. My design project (more below) qualifies as well - a new stitch, gauge issues, etc., and my current project utilizing my handspun uses another new stitch - brioche!

“Knit a gift. Or two. But not ten. I have a large aversion to knitting gifts for friends or family, for many reasons. Yes, I am a selfish knitter, and will likely remain so; but I will make an effort to share my knitting with others a bit this year.”

• ChiChi Piggie was completed in the spring and made her way up to Vermont to my sweet niece AB. I would like to make another gift or two, but no promises or deadlines!

“Learn to knit in color (stranded colorwork - prior to January 1 I had never attempted it; now I am on my second project!) in preparation to [continued below]:”

• I consider this goal met - Although the subject of colorwork is vast, my basic goal if I had defined it more clearly was to become proficient in stranding two colors and preferably using two hands. Done & done! With the Anemoi Mitts and Chuck’s Socks I learned to knit with my left hand (which I found to be pretty comfortable after awhile) and to strand colorwork both in the round and flat. I also learned a bit about yarn dominance in the process. Because of how much fun I had with these two projects I’m dreaming and swatching stranded designs for future projects.

“Complete, or at least make sizeable progress on, a fine gauge colorwork sweater. i.e. one of those beauties from Poetry in Stitches or Norsk Strikkedesign”.

• Being that we are alreadynearly in August, completion of such a project this year is not terribly likely as I have not even purchased a kit yet! However, I will keep this one the list as incentive to order yarn and get rolling; I will still plan to make sizeable progress (Let’s define sizeable as measuring at least a few inches.) I did manage to procure copies of both gorgeous books, so that’s a start. And perhaps a kit for my b-day or early Christmas? wink-nudge to dear Tad, though I think he’s already fully aware

• One of the places where I would order such a kit (Nordic Fiber Arts) is apparently located in Durham NH. Conveniently, we’re going to be in MA, NH, and VT for a week and a half in August. They are a mail-order company and the owner is very kind - schedule dependent, we may be able to stop by

“Get one of these sweater designs rolling around in my head down on paper and see if I can actually do anything with it.”

• And there it is friends. The point at which my plans for this year have taken a rather large detour. You might think, if you’ve just been reading for a bit, that I haven’t knit much at all in the last few months. And I wouldn’t blame you in the least for that assumption. What’s been going on behind the scenes, that I haven’t been able to show you, is that I was pretty deeply steeped in my first design project for the better part of two months. I cringe to tell you that, because when you finally see it, you may be shocked that it took THAT long. In my defense the design was knit almost in it’s entirety twice over (and not two nicely planned different versions of the same thing - let me assure you that the first attempt was a rather spectacular disaster)!

• Let’s skip back to January. At the start of the year I had already been toying with the whole design idea for a while. When I was a kid, in the rural community that I lived in, 4-H was a “cool” thing - and the “cool” girls sewed dresses for school dances and such and competed with their creations at the county & state level. I didn’t enjoy sewing much too terribly much and was always up ’til all hours the night before a dance or competition hemming, tacking, pressing - whatever finish work needed to be done. And I must confess that I attended many a dance with the hem of my dress tacked up with paper tape or that sticky stitchy-witch stuff. As much as I struggled through the actual sewing, I loved designing and creating something functional, and hopefully attractive as well. I would come up with what I wanted my dress to look like in my head and draw pictures, then seek out a pattern or patterns that were similar enough that I could modify or combine the pieces to fit my purpose. I got a real charge out of it when something that started in my head fit me and looked like what I had planned it to. I enjoy the entire process of knitting, in a way that I never really enjoyed sewing. And so trying my hand at the knit design thing seems to be a natural extension of that creative process and the fun that I had with it. Secretly, I had hoped to design a garment this year, first for myself, but also with the possibility of submitting for publication at some undefined point in the future. Ruth and the girls at the Design Workshop lit a fire under me with their encouragement and feedback and great ideas (have you seen Nicole’s & Emilee’s socks? Ruth’s Linen Stitch Baby Tank and Dappled baby cardi and hat?), and now my first design for publication is finally complete, with several other ideas in the hopper. It’s been a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w process so far, but ultimately very satisfying. The design goals have been totally re-worked and revamped and have their very own category now, but I’m not ready to share that until I build some more confidence and more of a resume. I have a lot to learn.

“Take a fleece from it’s raw form to a finished, knitted something.”

• This spring I purchased an alpaca fleece from Cathy at the guild, and a partial shetland fleece from Kelly also of the guild (see write up & pics of the animals here) This was right around the time that I started the MagKnits knitting, so you can guess where I’m at with this one! I do plan to wash the fleeces before it gets too cold to dry them outside (he he, here in NC it might be warm enough until Christmas!) and then get started on the prep & spinning. An extension of this is to actually go meet the animals - I’ve been to Cathy’s farm, though I’m not sure I “met” Mia; but I do plan to get out and meet Kelly’s Colleen (and other sheep, chickens, etc!)

“Maryland Sheep & Wool is on the calendar again this year”

• Done - and SO MUCH FUN! Definitely a highlight!

“Take a class (at least one spinning and one knitting)”

• In February, I took Nancy’s Spinning 201 - I’d like to take another spinning class at SAFF, and I need to go looking for some interesting knitting classes. It would be very cool to take a design based class and see how I’m “supposed” to do it

“Get myself to SAFF! I’ve been wanting to go for the past couple years, but each time something has come up that took precedence - weddings, etc. (priorities!)”

• On the calendar. Got super excited after getting back from MDSW. Emailed Jen r.e. blogger meetup. Need to think about classes if it isn’t too late and decide on time off/where to stay, etc. SO looking forward to it!

“Try dyeing yarn or roving.”

• Not yet, I’m afraid this will be a whole new addiction requiring yet more supplies etc. and I’d really love to try natural dyes. So rather than dive into yet another fibery passion that I don’t have enough time for, we’ll put this one on hold for the time being.

“Learn to spin decent sock and/or laceweight yarn”

• I just finished up my fire roving, purchased at MDSW, and I think it qualifies as fingering or sockweight, but it might not qualify in the “decent” category. There is certainly room for improvement although I had so much fun and love love love the finished product (don’t you just love when you’ve done something you weren’t sure you could, even if it’s not perfect?)

• I’m working on a laceweight right now (destined for a shawl or wrap), but consistency is one of my biggest struggles - it is all relatively fine, but there are definitely some thinner and thicker stretches. Hey, it’s handspun right?

“Learn to spin lofty bulky yarn (like my Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grand).”

• Progress!! I spun some “Grey Norwegian” wool from Paradise Fibers Bargain Bin late last winter/early spring, not too soft, but I think that’s more due to the fiber than the spinning, it really it quite squishy. The weight was about what I was going for, now I need to try it with a softer, lighter fiber. The problem with this type of yarn is the pilling, but I just love it! So soft, So light!

“Reach out and touch someone - Meet a fellow knitblogger!”

• Done - I met the wonderful Dawn at MDSW; Heather, Amy, Frith, and Cat who happen to also be in my spinning guild and I discovered they had blogs after meeting them. Teri, a member of my original knitting crew, and without whom I wouldn’t have heard about & joined the guild. Amber, Gryphon, Susan, Theresa, Steph, & Mary at MDSW. I put this one on the list because I hoped it would give me the incentive to put myself out there a bit - it worked and I’m so glad because I’ve met some really amazing people. Hopefully will meet more new friends (bloggers and non) at SAFF!

“Try not to go broke buying yarn, fiber, and books!”

• Since my Spring purchases I have been keeping it in check, though I do plan on purchasing some more Green Mountain Spinnery yarn for a couple of designs while up north if I can finish my swatching in time (and avoiding having to have them ship!) I certainly have enough fiber/yarn to keep me busy for quite some time, so with the exception of special purchases for holiday treats, or yarn for designs, yarn buying is on hold. (Ha! We’ll see how long that lasts! My intentions are pure, though. That counts for something, right?) Books are a bit harder, because both Tad and I see books as more of an investment. But here again, purchases are restricted to those helpful to the design process for awhile (i.e. stitch dictionaries!)

“Complete and send Level 1 of the master knitter’s program. I’m not interested in the pin, I just think that it’s a great way for me to build my skill set and learn new techniques, and I think getting feedback on the swatches will be a great learning experience.”

• I have been completely sidetracked from this one, in fact, I nearly forgot all about it. I do have the materials and the intent behind this goal is a good one, it’s educational/development driven and I do think it would be great experience, particularly with the desire to design. It will also necessitate yarn buying though, and I am swamped with other projects at the moment; so I will re-visit this one in a few months, say, November.

I’m a checklist type of girl, very motivated by progress, so it’s fun to check in on my goals sometimes, lifewise, hobby-wise, and other wise. Thanks for indulging me! Did you set any goals for this year? How are yours coming along? Any other fun or interesting sidetracks?

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2007 Goals - Knitting and Spinning:

This was one of the posts that I lost when the original tadandmel.com crashed, I was very sad that I didn’t have a copy of it. I remember most if not all of them though, and some of them verbatim. I’m a big list-maker, lists help keep me organized (and honest! Although I will admit to occasionally adding a completed item when I am especially overwhelmed, just so that I can have the satisfaction of crossing SOMETHING off!) I’ll come back to this list in another month or two to check my progress. So, here they are, in no particular order!

• Choose challenging projects that I will learn from. Basic projects must be chosen because I need a break or am absolutely in love with the pattern. Or as gifts, see the next goal!
• Knit a gift. Or two. But not ten. I have a large aversion to knitting gifts for friends or family, for many reasons. Yes, I am a selfish knitter, and will likely remain so; but I will make an effort to share my knitting with others a bit this year.
• Learn to knit in color (stranded colorwork - prior to January 1 I had never attempted it; now I am on my second project!) in preparation to:
• Complete, or at least make sizeable progress on, a fine guage colorwork sweater. i.e. one of those beauties from Poetry in Stitches or Norsk Strikkedesign
• Get one of these sweater designs rolling around in my head down on paper and see if I can actually do anything with it.
• Take a fleece from it’s raw form to a finished, knitted something.
• Maryland Sheep & Wool is on the calendar again this year (I’m tentatively planning to pick up a fleece here, or from one of my fabulous Spinning Guild members)
• Take a class (at least one spinning and one knitting).
• Get myself to SAFF! I’ve been wanting to go for the past couple years, but each time something has come up that took precedence - weddings, etc. (priorities!)
• Try dyeing yarn or roving.
• Learn to spin decent sock and/or laceweight.
• Learn to spin lofty bulky yarn (like my Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grand).
• Reach out and touch someone - Meet a fellow knitblogger!
• Try not to go broke buying yarn, fiber, and books!

Is that it? hmmm, it seemed more ambitious when I wrote it out originally…. Oh yes, I forgot a big one:

• Complete and send Level 1 of the master knitter’s program (I haven’t even bought yarn for my swatches yet!) I’m not that interested in the pin, I just think that it’s a great way for me to build my skill set and learn new techniques, and I think getting feedback on the swatches will be a great learning experience.

Ok, that is pretty ambitious, but I do love a challenge! We’ll see how I do!