It’s Got to Get Worse Before It Gets Better

 October 👻

and I didn’t need to add text to my monthly marker this month.

We decided that we needed a new carpet in the hall, stairs and landing. The hall and landing are quite small areas, but the floorboards on the landing were getting a bit wobbly underfoot and needed repairing so it was an ideal time to replace the old carpet, which was here when we first moved into the house over 24 years ago.  David took the opportunity, while we were without a carpet for the week or so, to paint the skirting boards.

This week the floor was fixed and a thin layer of plywood fixed on top. The carpet was laid on Thursday and the hallway looks so different. 

Meanwhile, I have been sorting my crafting stuff out ready for a table top sale later this month. My Mum has parted with her remaining fabrics, books and patchwork magazines. I’ve also been sorting through my fabrics and got a pile of books too, to go. There are piles of things in the dining room and in my room too. It does look so messy.  But sometimes things have to be worse before the become better.

There seems to be a lot of activity on social media this month, with Vlogtobers, Blogtobers, Socktober or Sockoween (The Bakery Bears).  On You Tube there are several crafting Vloggers doing Vlogtober, but it is a job to keep up with daily watching (and I’m retired!) so how they keep up with daily filming and editing I really don’t know.  One thing I’m taking from this is the Bakery Bears tutorial series on Sockoween is knitting (socks of course) is knitting on double pointed needles. I usually knit magic loop with a circular needle and not a fan of dpns (or as someone called them, the Devil’s sticks!), but I thought I’d reacquaint myself with them and it’s not so scary. 

This was on Wednesday- I cast on and knitted the rib.

This was Friday (yesterday) I got as far as doing the heel flap.  I’ve now turned the heel and onto the gusset shaping.  I’ve used a Vanilla shorty sock pattern but I’ve added the Hobbity stitch pattern for a bit of knitting interest.  The yarn I’m using is from a few Christmases ago and is from a local dyer, Country Mouse yarns and it does look autumnal to me as I love the rusty colour in this yarn and it has glitter. 

I’ve had to do some unknitting on a cardigan that I’m knitting for my daughter. I accidentally picked up 3.75mm circular needle (for travel knitting again) instead of 4mm and wondered why the raglan shaping came up a bit short. So I’m picking up on the back at the point where I changed needles. At the same time I’m now making the left front, so swapping between the two pieces. So this is another thing that has been worse before it gets better.

And a bit more sewing has been done.  A few pouches, this is just two of them, which will go towards my local Townswomen’s Guild charity sale and a local charity sale. I have made more bits and bobs, like wash/dishcloths, which were quick to make 

So this is how my October is looking at present.