Good-bye, old year that was.

For the last couple of years I've gotten in the habit of making a list of 100 goals/ambitions for the new year. I don't call them resolutions because there's not really any resolve. I guess it's a "power of positive thinking" thing. Why not start the year off with a huge amount of gung-ho?

The only problem is that I do feel a need to check back, oh, right about now, and see how I did.

So....here it is: the list of things that I did or did not accomplish in 2010.

Duh-dun-dat-dat-dun!

1. Remember that your children are CHILDREN, cut them some slack, woman.

Hmm....definitely need some work on this one.

2. Organize the crafting supplies so that they are no longer in danger of swallowing the house. Just because it's a horizontal surface that doesn't give me a license to pile yarn upon it.

Uhm...no comment? I do periodically haul bins of yarn over to the studio, but it always come creeping back.

3. Follow Michael Pallon's simple rule about eating: Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants. I will be concentrating a lot on that middle one: not too much!

Still working on this one, but getting better.

4. Do as much shopping as possible at the Lansing City Market, which is a walkable 2.5 miles from my house.

Utter fail. I think I've been there maybe 3 times this year.

5. Write Petoh's birth story.

6. Write Ash's birthstory.

Fail, fail. Whoa, not doing so good.

7. Work in the studio.

Well, I did work in the studio...maybe even half a dozen times.

8. Keep track of knitting and sewing projects, with an eye towards finishing things and not starting new projects until others are finished.

I do think I've made progress in this area. I haven't brought (too) much new yarn into the house, and I've finished a couple of projects that have been dogging around for awhile.

9. Strength train.

Well, I didn't start it until about three weeks ago, but I have been doing my push ups and sit ups.

10. Finish the Red/Orange spinning project.

DONE! Unequivocal success. Take that 2010.

11. Eat locally...Michigan is my local and doesn't that make me lucky.

I think we've done pretty well with this lately, although I've been backsliding recently because, well, it's winter, and I still like broccoli.

12. Make To Do Lists. Somehow I seem to get a lot more done when I can put an efficient little check mark next to something.

Not so much.

13. Take the kids to plays or concerts, or cultural somethings or other.

Fail.

14. Work with Abby, Katie and Brian on the knitted stuff into clay project.

15. Also the quilt blocks into tiles project.

16. Landscape the yard...at least plant some grass or something.

17. Write an artist's statement and resume.

18. Get the Viking Hat Pattern edited and ready for distribution on Ravelry.

19. Make soap.

Fail, fail, fail, fail, fail, fail...man. This is...uh...very inspirational in terms of getting my shit in order for next year.

20. Teach a class.

Done! Thanks Thursday night ladies.

21. Take a class.

I'm pretty sure I did take at least one class this year.

22. Find out about selling things at the farmer's market.

23. Make a chore schedule.

24. Go camping.

25. Make computer time more constructive. Updating facebook status and playing solitaire, not constructive. Updating blog (assuming it's a real update and not a glorified facebook status) and editing knitting patterns, constructive.

Fail, fail, fail, fail...

26. Commit to cloth diapers. I've gotten a little lax about using cloth, since we keep a packet of disposables around for nighttime (and when we are running errands and when I'm too lazy to wash diapers, or worse yet when I'm too lazy to take the clean diapers out of the laundry basket...it's a vicious cycle).

Not only have I failed at this, but since returning to work I've switched almost entirely to disposable...the ones we have are just too worn out for an active toddler, and our washer doesn't get them clean enough. Stinky leaky diapers...yeah, sorry mother earth.

27. Make clothes for the kids.

Fail

28. Make or acquire some dress up clothes (the imaginative kind, not the formal wear kind) for Pete.

Fail.

29. Get involved with some of the amazing stuff Lansing has to offer.

Fail.

30. Knit a sweater for myself. I finished my first "for me" sweater last year. It's boxy and not that flattering, and made from itchy wool (handspun!) but I LOVE it and I wear it everyday. I think knitting one sweater for myself every year is a great goal. Rogue, I'm looking at you.

I'm wearing it right now. It's not the Rogue, but I have cast on for the Rogue. Average of one new sweater for me each year? I can handle that.

31. Bind books.

Yes! I've learned my first binding stitch and I've made notebooks out of old coffee cups and postcards.

32. Edit the toy collection with an eye towards imaginative play, and less banging.

Well, they just bang with whatever is left, be we have culled the toy collection down to a manageable mess...and the awesome play kitchen that Grandpa built sees a lot of use, and only some of it is as a jungle gym.

33. Keep up with laundry, both mine and the boys.

34. Alternatively transport. Walk, Bike, Bus and only as a last resort Minivan.

Fail, fail. We haven't managed to work out a bike transport system that works for both of the boys. I have high hopes for next summer though.

35. Become a babe. This is my amusing way of saying "get in shape." Somehow it's more motivating to say that I worked on becoming a babe, than that I remembered to exercise.

I have lost 5 pounds in the last month and a half.

36. Get rid of clothes I don't wear.

Success!

37. Cook with Ragnarson. Ever since the day I came downstairs to find him elbow deep in flour and broken eggs, I've been meaning to compile some "easy" recipes to make with him. Banana bread and guacamole have lots of smashing.

Fail.

38. Etsy store...everything, banner, name inventory. Sheesh.

Fail.

39. Go to spinning guild meetings. This means babysitters.

Well, if I had been smart and said "meeting" instead of plural I would be able to say "success!"

40. Preserve food. I am looking for a dehydrator if anyone has one gathering dust in their closet.

Success! I dehydrated pineapple, fruit leather, and tomatoes. I froze broccoli, kale and green beans, rhubarb, peaches, raspberries and blue berries., and I canned tomatoes, jam, apple and pear butter and peaches.

41. Reupholster the dining room chairs.

42. Weave.

43. Write. There was a time when this space was used for witty little essays instead of lame excuses about why I wasn't writing in it. I'm not promising to blog more but I'm acknowledging that I miss doing some more "conscious" writing. Facebook, you have made me lazy.

Fail, fail, fail.

44. Trillium Gallery...Kalle will sell my stuff, if I get her stuff, so I have no excuses.

I am sorry to say that the Trillium Gallery has become another casualty of Michigan's economy. We miss you Kalle!

45. Get something ready for entry into Art Prize

46. Plan crafts to do with Ragnarson, Play-doh, watercolor, etc.

47. Make an effort to get out of the house.

48. Ween Ragnarson off of Youtube. We don't have a television, but somehow I've fallen into the trap of letting my kid sit in front of the idiot box. It's harder to make supper with a toddler underfoot yes, but I'm getting sick of listening to "I want TV" temper tantrums.

Fail, fail, fail, HUGE fail...now we're streaming Netflix and we've all turned into zombies.

49. Be deliberate about acquiring new things, clothes especially. I would like to stop supporting a disposable culture.

Moderate success. I had to buy some work clothes, but I mostly like the one's I have. I think the only off the rack clothes I bought this year were tights and underwear.

50. Edit the photos on Flickr, there is a lot of crap that can just be deleted and a lot of new photos that haven't been uploaded.

Fail.

51. Encourage Ragnarson the Younger to nap in the carrier as opposed to on my lap. When he sleeps in the carrier, I get work done, when he sleeps on my lap, I watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns on Hulu.

What a difference a year makes. Ragnarbaby regularly takes two hour long naps in bed, and has been know to sleep through the night...miraculous.

52. Get better at taking photos of my work, process, completed objects. The whole sheebang. Exploit Kat's generous offer of help.

Fail. The camera has been broken for about six months.

53. Tackle the toy storage problem. This will probably require making or buying some sort of shelf system.

Moderate success. Plastic bins it is.

54. Make a cover for the duvet so that it doesn't get all funky like our last...several.

Fail.

55. Grow some houseplants. We need more oxygen in here.

We now have two, three if you count the bean that Pete planted at a friend's science museum birthday party. Better than nothing.

56. Post projects on Ravelry, Craftster and Instructables. A curved piecing tutorial would probably be a good place to start.

Fail, success, success.

57. Enroll Ragnarson in some sort of active class or activity like swimming or gymnastics.

We are starting swimming for both kids on Saturday. Better late than never.

58. Eat less sugary crap. Quality Dairy donuts, I'm looking at you.

Lately, pretty good. Over the whole year? Not so much.

59. Experiment with new grains in cooking. Rice, I like you, but you are starting to get boring.

Success! Millet, barley, and qinuoa have all graced our table.

60. Read longer, more complicated stories to Ragnarson.

We did really well at this in the beginning of the year. Pippi Longstocking, Stewart Little, Henry Higgins...but then Ragnarbaby got mobile and bedtime became more complicated.

61. Defeat clutter.

How about moderately contain clutter by stuffing it in a closet or drawer?

62. Sew curtains for the house.

63. Hike a half marathon.

64. Be more active in seeking "finishing" work (I sew people's sweaters together for them) and more timely about returning the work that I take on.

65. Use the Postal Service for more than paying bills. Doesn't everyone love to get mail? Send birthday cards.

Fail, fail, fail, fail....sigh.

66. Salad, it tastes good. Eat more of it.

Success!

67. Dye.

Success...walnuts, onion skins, random black berries that I thought were elderberries but I don't think really were and sumak have all imparted their pigment into my yarn this year.

68. Refresh my knowledge of accounting. I think keeping a ledger for home and for Manimal's business would go a long way towards sorting out our money problems.

Did really well at this for Manimal's business for the first six or so months...then...not so much. Still haven't implimented a household accounting system.

69. Brush. Floss. Seriously.

Seriously, fail.

70. Barter with my artist friends. I'd like to have more work on my walls by the people I love.

Fail.

71. Use an apron.

Moderate success.

72. Invite people over for dinner. I'm specifically thinking of other couples with children, since I'd like Manimal to get to know the parents of some of Ragnarson's friends.

Success.

73. Make a "kitchen inventory" shopping list. What do we like to have on hand. What are we out of? Where do we buy it? I think this will cut down on impulse buying.

I started this, but never finished.

74. Make "parents night out" a priority.

75. Schedule some "unschooling" time with Ragnarson.

76. Work on self promotion.

77. Make a realistic and complete household budget.

78. Stick to the budget. This is going to require some help from Manimal, but I think he's on board.

79. Make time to "play" with Rat Girl. I spend too much time utilizing the "free babysitter" aspect of living with a 12 year old, and not enough on "having fun."

80. Sew clothes for myself. I have some nice wool that wants to become a skirt, I'll start there.

81. Write a children's story.

82. Sketch.

Fail x 9.

83. Find a place to garden. I am getting very frustrated with the community garden, because the poaching is out of control.

Huge success. Some wonderful friends bought a small farm and we're involved with a gardening co-op. Really hoping that I can be more involved this year now that Ragnarbaby is walking and won't be strapped to my back.

84. Stencil something.

Not just fail, but what the hell was I thinking? Stencil? What is this, Martha Stewart?

85. Gaze adoringly at my babies.

Success! I love those guys.

86. Build a wood oven in the backyard.

Fail.

87. Drink wine.

As we speak...

88. Have a girls' night out.

And it was fantastically super fun, and I need to have more of them.

89. Start to rebuild the book collection. It was decimated during the remodel.

Fail

90. Go to the dentist for a cleaning.

Success! Still haven't got my cavities filled, but, babysteps.

91. Start or join a knitting group.

Do Thursday night classes count? Sorta?

92. Make a quilt for one of the beds in the house, maybe Ragnarson's so we can have our quilt back.

How about, piece about a third of a quilt?

93. Make a dressform...assuming that my size stabilizes at some point. There was really no point in pursuing this last year, since I was PREGNANT. I did ask Nancy once if I could host a T-shirt and Duck tape party at the shop and she was (at that point) unopposed to the idea. I'll have to make her cookies and ask again. Kyle: I'm totally taking you upon your offer of help.

Done! I even have a shirt halfway tailored on it...of course I'm trying to lose a whole bunch of weight this year...we shall see.

94. Go to the beach.

Done! And it was fun.

95. Etch some glassware.

Fail.

96. Knit from stash. Documenting stash on Ravelry should help with this.

I knit from the stash, but I did not document it on Rav.

97. Set up a mail program such as outlook, so that my website email actually gets checked.

Fail.

98. Limit brain rotting activities, such as watching television on the computer and reading crappy novels.

Huge, mega absolute fail.

99. Find some new things to cook, middle eastern maybe?

I've actually gotten less adventurous cooking...BUT we have been eating at home a lot and I have two kids who make that difficult, so if I've come to rely on some version of fried rice or noodles and sauce...who can blame me?

100. Make ice cream.

Fail.