17 for 2017: March and April

Life has been unpredictable and very busy since my return from a crazy fortnight holiday on 20th April. My attention is mostly away from the computer at the moment, but I just wanted to record my 17 for 2017 progress for March and April before May skids by.

A few targets for 2017 have been ticked off:

17 – walks longer than an hour

SIX

One in March : Badbury Rings

3 in January, 2 in February

16 – handmade greetings cards.

SIXTEEN – DONE!

You can see the Never-ending cards here.

15 – beachy things (split into 3 x 5s – 5 pieces of beach related art, 5 beach cleans on new beaches, 5 beach clean sculptures, assemblages or mandalas)

14 – items for my Etsy shop

FIVE

1 in Feb, 3 in March,

Three wigs that were in the WIP box were completed and put in my Etsy Shop in March

as well as 1 new pattern in April

I’m particularly excited about this one as I have been developing the pattern on and off for so long. I have loved making this jacket for Little Miss M and as presents for babies, but getting the pattern ready for general use is a whole other business. Gosh it takes such a lot of concentration!

13 – drawers, cupboards, shelves or boxes sorted out.

SEVEN

One in January and a shelf in February.

I cleared a Drawer in March, which led to clearing out the whole chest of drawers, 5 drawers in all. What a stash of yarn and abandoned UFOs I found

The UFOs have been unpicked and all yarn rolled and stashed in better order. I found things from over 10 years ago – so many projects abandoned for one reason or another – still, the yarn lives on to see another day. Chaotic life events have often interrupted the creative flow – it’s been an ongoing life-long theme. I’m sure I’m not alone.

12 – WIPs finished

SIX in March: see #14 above

and I managed to finish three blankets

3 blankets, first the Mexican Wave. I hope to give details of this one when life calms down a bit.

Then

a ‘Blanket for a Mermaid’, which I started for my niece (S) when I went to Japan

Again, details to follow.

and

the Dorset Hedgerow Blanket for my other niece (L)

Go the my PAGE of Throws to see some more photos and some links to POSTs about them

11 – paintings/ art works

10 – house and garden tasks

9 – textile books worked on.

8 – hand written letters to grandchildren

7 – find 7 interesting objects

6 – items made for Pippin or improvements to Pippin.

5  – random acts of kindness

FIVE – done!

The Hedgerow Blanket, for my niece and the Mexican Wave blanket which was a present for my daughter’s best friend were both Random Acts of Crafty Kindness.

Whilst in the Caribbean I was crocheting seahorses in all sorts of odd places. I had some wonderful encounters with both children and adults taking an interest in the craft and the seahorse – I gave away 5 all together. I’m hoping to write a bit more about these encounters, but the way things are at the moment, that might be a long time coming.

4 – new National Trust properties visited

TWO visited in April.

A 3.5 hour drive to ad from Gatwick Airport took me past two National Trust properties. They provided a welcome stop each way.

Hinton Ampner

and Petworth House

3 – make three up-cycled items of clothing 

2 – meet two fellow bloggers

1 – car boot sale

0 – Buy zero new clothes

ZERO – even though I was tempted to buy new shorts to go on holiday – I resisted – well done me!

~

Still much to do!

A list of others I know to be taking the challenge:

Mrs Snail, Nanacathy, Gillyflower, Murtagh’s Meadow., Ouch My Back hurts, Ruth’s Arc,  Cherie Langlois, Erin’s Big World, Country Ways and Cottage Days, Mrs. Craft

I have no idea why the post has gone all thin and down the middle – I’m having trouble with WordPress at the moment. Click on any photo to see it larger.