October Craftings

Baby Hat
Started: 1st October 2017
Finished: 1st October 2017
Status: Finished

Baby Hat
Started: 1st October 2017
Finished: 1st October 2017
Status: Finished

Baby Rainbow Hat
Started: 2nd October 2017
Finished: 2nd October 2017
Status: Finished

Baby Rainbow Hat
Started: 2nd October 2017
Finished: 4th October 2017
Status: Finished

Hatathon Hats
Started: 15th September 2017
Finished: 9th October 2017
Status: Finished

Child's Socks
Started: 7th October 2017
Finished: 9th October 2017
Status: Finished

Birthday Cake
Started: 13th October 2017
Finished: 13th October 2017
Status: Eaten!

Youth's Socks
Started: 10th October 2017
Finished: 17th October 2017
Status: Finished

Youth's Socks
Started: 17th October 2017
Status: WIP


Autumnal Candles
Started: 18th October 2017
Finished: 18th October 2017
Status: Finished

Works in Progress
Chequered Baby Blanket
Started: 8th September 2017
Status: WIP

Muppet Quilt
Started: 2nd September 2017
Status: WIP

Week 44: Books

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #44: Books

Tuesday: Declutter, donate or sell books, and create space for their storage

Wednesday: Declutter bookshelves

Thursday: Declutter kids' books

Friday: Create area for library book storage

Saturday: Declutter and organize ebooks and Kindle books

Sunday: Declutter Halloween decorations and candy

This week's tasks were carried out whilst decluttering the kitchen, bedroom and my study. We still have some books, but a huge number have been donated. 

I'll be looking at the books and magazines in my study again. I suspect there are many I no longer want nor need.  

Goals

It's now 5 months since I stopped working outside of the house. A whole heap of decluttering has been done during these months, and I have been a great deal happier and healthier. However, I have come to realise, I need goals. I need to reach, to stretch, to achieve.

Next month is the Elder Offspring's Boyfriend's birthday. We have a family tradition of the guys being given white, formal shirt, but the arms removed and replaced by a much more interesting fabric. I have the shirts, I have the fabric, I spy a goal coming up! 

The Younger Offspring also has a birthday coming up, and I have a little crafty something planned. That will be the next crafty project. And then after that, there's the Muppet baby quilt to finish, a Christmas tree decorative quilt to make, and a set of patchwork Christmas trees. 

On the exercise front, my goal is to walk 50 miles during November. 

The Christmas Tree is UP!

That's the Christmas tree up, and a brand new star for the top. 

We were in B&Q buying paint and saw a rather nice artificial tree. We normally put up a tree on the last weekend before Christmas, and the choice of trees is very slim by that point. The tree we have chosen is about three times what we normally spend, but as we are expecting it to last for more than 3 years it should be a medium term saving.

...And the tree's down again. Bye bye until Christmas. Oops, not quite. It's poofed up a little, and it doesn't want to go back in its box. The Beloved is speaking it gently and persuading it back into the box.

The box the tree is in is currently in the dining room. I need to get into the understairs cupboard and declutter. It's been done already this year, but another round of decluttering is in order. 

A Packing Box Emptied!

I've done it, I've done it! One of the packing boxes that has been in the dining room for 10 years has been emptied! Only two more to go.  Tens years - that's ... um.. good going. The remains ones will be done by next Saturday, before the next guests arrive. 

The Lonely Heart Attack Club

I am thoroughly enjoying The Lonely Heart Attack Club. It's written by local author, J C Williams. It's a story of love, of romance, OAP Mario cart, and an elderly stalker being hit in the back of the head with a fish.

The start of the book was a bit slow, and I found Jack to be rather cringe worthy. He felt grey and lifeless in the UK, but arriving back in the Isle of Man he blossomed and became real (rather like The Wizard of Oz - everything was in black and white until Dorothy arrived in Oz). 

Jack is a bit of a habit of getting into scrapes from time to time (cf the elderly stalker being hit by a fish). However, he dreams big, and works to make life better for many people.  It just doesn't quite go smoothly. 

The only problem is the story is on my Kindle, and it's currently out of power! I wanna find out what happens!

-----

I've just realised I'm reading the second one first! That might explain why it took a little while to get into it. The book I'm reading is The Lonely Heart Attack Club: Wrinkly Olympics. I've had to pause the Kindle as I was having problems breathing, and my ribs were aching from laughter. There are some people who have a knack of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, but with the best of intentions - that's Jack. 

Week 43: Crafts

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #43: Crafts

Tuesday: Declutter unfinished craft projects

Wednesday: Declutter hobby/craft supplies and equipment

Thursday: Declutter kids' hobby/craft/art supplies and equipment

Friday: Declutter craft room or area

Saturday: Declutter and organize kids' artwork

Sunday: Declutter paint and decorating supplies

My first pass at decluttering my study/craft room took up most of September. The room is capable of being used for crafting purposes again! Yarn and fabric have been sorted into boxes. The number of unfinished projects has reduced drastically. Quite a number of knitted ones were frogged and re-knitted into baby hats. Last week, a pair of barely worn long wrist warmers were partially frogged and re-knitted into socks for refugees.

I'm still in the situation where I am only buying yarn and fabric to complete projects. I've been through my stashes, and the materials there are supplies I want to use. It will take time - there's rather a lot of it! But it is significantly less than this time last year. I want to say 'Half', although, I'm not sure. 'Significantly' will do for now.

Purple Jacket

Company:  Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Maya

Composition: 100% wool

Colour:  Purple (35012)

Pattern: Make-it-up

Size: Maghouin Beg sized
Needles: 5.5mm

Amount used:  

Started:  19th October 2017

Finished: 

I decided it was time to make something for myself, after all of the hats, socks and things. And so proceeded to make another pair of socks, and another one.

This is a 'make it up as you go' along jacket. 

Week 42: Photography

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #42: Photographs

Tuesday: Gather loose photos and negatives into central location

Wednesday: Sort and organize photos into photo safe containers for proper storage

Thursday: Continue to sort and organize photos

Friday: Declutter digital photos and organize/back up rest

Saturday: Declutter/organize memory cards, flash drives, computer CDs and discs

Sunday: Declutter camera and video equipment

Photography isn't my thing. When I want things photographed I ask The Beloved or the Younger Offspring. A copy if kept on my computer (Desktop>Images) and also on-line. 

The boxes in the dining room are almost guaranteed to contain photographs and negatives. These will be handed over to The Beloved for archive. However, I will be on the look out for interesting images. I'd love to have a photograph gallery of the people I love on the piano. This Christmas, I'm asking people to consider buying me a plain-ish silver coloured photograph frame. This will make a great display.

Week 41: Dining Room and Entertaining

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #41: Dining Room & Entertaining

Tuesday: Clear off dining room table

Wednesday: Declutter table linens, napkins and place mats

Thursday: Declutter or properly store china and silver

Friday: Declutter china cabinet, side boards

Saturday: Declutter candles

Sunday: Declutter pool supplies, pool toys, swimsuits, etc.

Argh! This set to tasks were for last week. Many of them were completed the week before in anticipation of the arrival of our guests. The room was decluttered, apart from three boxes. The bureau will be disappearing tomorrow afternoon, and the PA equipment will be moved into its place. Currently the PA stuff is the first thing you see as you enter the room. I'd rather people see musical instruments.

I took the chance to go through our plates, bowls, and mugs. Any that had chips were ditched. The only thing we needed to replace were pasta bowls, and I had been on the look out for a new set since January! 

Candles have been corralled in the laundry room. Over the next month I shall be melting them and making new candles for the sitting room and dining room.

The only pool equipment we have are swimming suits, and we have just the right number. I have one swimming costume.

Clutterbug's Declutterings

The October Challenge continues:

15. closet

16. shoes

17. purses, bags and totes

18. memorabilia

19. children's toys

20. children's clothes 

I'm claiming that all of these are done. The reality is that once I have posted this, I shall be nipping off upstairs to check my wardrobe. I think it's calm and decluttered, but I can't say for absolute definite. However, if it isn't, it will be. 

My shoes and footware is a very minimal area. There's a pair of shoes that's almost ready to be retired, but I am still wearing them. Perhaps by the end of the month they will have left the building for the last time.

I'm not big bag person - maybe four handbag, and a couple of shopping bags. There are a couple of bags in my wardrobe I haven't used in at least a year, but I still like them. My every day hand bag is probably too 'office' for my current life, and I need to switch things around.

Memorabilia is not something I really hang onto. There's a couple of soft toys that belonged to my children, a TARDIS lunch box, and a piece of paper that says 'SOUP' (there's a story behind that). Each of these things makes me smile.

Apart from a couple of soft toys that belonged to the children and a few baby clothes, it's totally up to them whether they keep their old toys and clothes. My rule is that I don't declutter other people's belongings. It's their stuff, they have the right to keep it or let it go.

Tasks I haven't yet done are 'freezer' and 'junk drawer'. These will get done before the end of the month.

Autumn Has Arrived!

Monday's storm (Ophelia) has shaken a huge amount of leaves loose.  I decided to do a little bit of autumnal decorating. My candles had burned down a bit; the wax needed to be trimmed. Perhaps a little bit of zhuzhing was was required? 

Leaves of a suitable size were collected. Masking tape was placed on the work surface, sticky side up, and leaves arranged on top. Where the tape was visible from the top I trimmed it back. I would have preferred to have used fine garden twine, but string was all we had. The string was cut a bit longer than needed, and then split into three. The leaves were held in place, the string tied around and then trimmed.

I rather like it. It's a nice little change from pure white candles.

The Beloved's sister and her husband were over visiting last week. They brought back pine cones from a walk. The Younger Offspring and I added to them, tossed in a few decorative balls, some sticks of cinnamon, and a few chocolate oranges. The arrangement definitely needs more chocolate oranges!

The bowl is from Traidcraft  is made from recycled keys. They come in bronze or silver, and in a range of shapes and sizes.

Gosh, it's windy!

It's blowing a hoolie out there! Hurricane Ophelia has come for a visit, and is getting a tad bolshie with the trees. My Facebook feed keeps bleeping with notifications from the Police with news that a new tree has been blown down, and roads closed. 

What's under your bed?

Clutterbug's October Decluttering challenge is to declutter under the bed. This is an area I have already done, and maintain.

Under my bed are suitcases and a box of charity knits I have finished, but haven't yet donated. Once a week, when I sweep the bedroom, I shove the brush under and get out as much hair, dust and fluff as I can. Then at the start of each month, everything is moved and the area under the bed given a deep clean. This was delayed by a week this month so it would be done just before our guests arrived.

Due to having guests, there were a few tasks I hadn't completed (freezer, junk drawer and medicines/toiletries). Today, I sorted through the first aid kit and toiletries. That area is looking good. I should say though, that these guests have been fantastic - they fitted into family life so well. It was an absolute pleasure to have them.

13. dresser drawers

14. under bed

My clothes drawers are were done recently, and I've adopted the habit of tidying them as I put clothes away. It's part of the new mentality of  'little and often' and 'make it a bit better than before'. 

May the Farce be with You!

The Beloved's sister and brother-in-law are over visiting. We will be heading out for a celebration meal tonight. There's two birthdays this weekend, and here's the cake. Yoda has conquered the Death Star!

Clutterbug's Challenge

Clutterbug's October Challenge is going as well as can be given we have guests staying just now. So far, the tasks have been:

1. under kitchen sink

2. food containers

3. bakeware and dishes

4. utensil drawers

5. fridge

6. freezer

7. pantry

8. junk drawer

9. linen closet

10 bathroom drawers

11. under bathroom sink

12. medicines/toiletries

I've not been able to do the freezer, the junk drawer or medicines/toiletries. The freezer will be tackled next week, as will the other tasks. We don't have a junk drawer, but we do have a small set of drawers that contain spare light bulbs, batteries, shoe laces, picture hooks and candle making stuff. This needs to be sorted and will be done in lieu of a junk drawer. Medicines/toiletries need to be done too.

Today I tidied the linen cupboard. Nothing was decluttered as this was done not too long ago. We replaced the large bath towels last year, and next year, I think we need to replace the hand towels. Some of the duvet covers are looking rather tired and worn out. These will need to be replaced at some point. But that's for another time. A time in the distant future, possibly around spring.

Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

100g gluten-free digestive biscuits

25g butter

Cheesecake filling

500g Philadelphia cheese

3 large egg

150g castor sugar

1.5 tsp vanilla essence

3 tsp lemon juice

Topping

300ml soured cream

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

2 Tsp castor sugar

Method

Crush the biscuits and mix with melted butter. Press into a lined rectangular, loose bottomed tin (30.5x20.5cm), on the base and up the sides. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer.

Pre-heat oven at 180C.

Mix all of the ingredients for the cheesecake filling. Smooth on top of the biscuit base and bake for 30 minutes.

Mix the ingredients and smooth on top of the cheesecake layer. Bake for 7 minutes.

Chill.

Note
The Beloved has said this is the best cheesecake I have ever made. it scored a 10 out of 10. He's very happy.

Socks for a Youth

Company:  Regia

Yarn: Design Line "Garden Effects" 4ply

Composition: 75% wool, 25% nylon

Colour:  Lupine

Company:  Filcolana

Yarn: Arwetta Classic
Composition: 80% wool, 20% nylon

Colour:  Grape Royal
Pattern: Socks for a Youth

Size: Child
Needles: 2.5mm

Amount used:  34g

Started:  10th October 2017

Finished: 17th October 2017

Cast on 56sts. Join. Work 20 rounds of 2x2 rib (K2, P2, repeat). Then switch to stocking stitch and knit until the sock is 14cm long.

Heel flap: Knit 14sts, turn, and purl back 28sts, slipping the first stitch. Work 26 rows. (The remaining 28sts will be brought back into play when the gusset is knitted.)

Turn heel: 
1. S1, k17,ssk, k1, turn. 
2. S1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn. 
3. S1, k4, ssk, k1, turn. 
4. S1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue in the pattern until all of the stitches have been incorporated, and 20sts are left on the needle.

Gusset: Pick up 14sts from the side of the heel flap. Place marker. Knit across the 28sts of the front of the sock. Place marker. Pick up 14sts from the heel flap.

1. Knit to 3sts before the marker, k2tog, k1, move marker from left needle to right. Knit to next marker. k1 ssk, knit.
2. Knit.
Repeat these two rounds until 48sts are on needles.

Knit until the foot measures 16.5cm. The first stitch marker now marks the new beginning of the round.

Toe shaping: 
1. K1, ssk, k to 3sts before marker k2tog, k1, move marker, k1, ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k1, k2tog.
2. Knit
Repeat these two rounds until there are 20sts remaining. Graft the toe closed.

Socks for a Child

Company:  Regia

Yarn: Design Line "Garden Effects" 4ply

Composition: 75% wool, 25% nylon

Colour:  Lupine

Pattern: Socks for a Child

Size: Child
Needles: 2.5mm

Amount used:  34g

Started:  7th October 2017

Finished: 9th October 2017

Cast on 48sts. Join. Work 20 rounds of 2x2 rib (K2, P2, repeat). Then switch to stocking stitch and knit until the sock is 10cm long.

Heel flap: Knit 12 sts, turn, and purl back 24sts, slipping the first stitch. Work 22 rows. (The remaining 24sts will be brought back into play when the gusset is knitted.)

Turn heel: 
1. S1, k16,ssk, k1, turn. 
2. S1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn. 
3. S1, k4, ssk, k1, turn. 
4. S1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue in the pattern until all of the stitches have been incorporated, and 18sts are left on the needle.

Gusset: Pick up 12sts from the side of the heel flap. Place marker. Knit across the 24st of the front of the sock. Place marker. Pick up 12sts from the heel flap.

1. Knit to 3sts before the marker, k2tog, k1, move marker from left needle to right. Knit to next marker. k1 ssk, knit.
2. Knit.
Repeat these two rounds until 48sts are on needles.

Knit until the foot measures 14cm. The first stitch marker now marks the new beginning of the round.

Toe shaping: 
1. K1, ssk, k to 3sts before marker k2tog, k1, move marker, k1, ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k1, k2tog.
2. Knit
Repeat these two rounds until there are 16sts remaining. Graft the toe closed.

Hats and Socks!

The hat-a-thon has been completed. Twenty six hats have been made. All of the yarn came from stash, which I am very pleased by.

I had a weird notion of making something for myself. The project was picked out, the yarn was selected. And then, I realised I didn't have the correct needles! So many needles, but not the right size for this particular project. Amazon have been most helpful; the right needles have been ordered.

In the meantime, I shall make some socks. These socks are going to a refugee camp in Dunkirk, France. 

Dining Room (Stage 1) - Complete

I am delighted, so incredibly happy! Stage One of the dining room make over has been completed, and it's looking fab-u-lous!

The room has been decluttered (apart from 3 pacing boxes. The extra set of chairs has gone. A load of stuff that should have been binned years ago has now been binned. Crafting materials are making their way to my study. Three walls have been painted white, and new curtains have been hung.

Stage Two will happen in November. This will involve painting the fourth wall white, buying a curtain and using the fabric to re-cover the seats of the chairs and the piano stool, and dealing with the contents of those three boxes!

Stage Three is scheduled for Spring 2018, painting the ceiling. Some thought it would be a good idea to paint the ceilings of the dining room, sitting room and the main bedroom. We disagree. All three ceilings will be painted.

Have I mentioned how happy I am to have a decluttered, decorated dining room?

Utensils and Paperwork

'Tis time to clean out the utensils and cutlery drawers. Everything will be dumped in a sinful of hot soapy water. Then the drawers and cutlery inserts will be washed and dried too. Only the things we use will be put back. Anything I'm not sure about will be put into a storage box. If it isn't needed before Christmas, I'll ditch it.  I don't think there will be many thing we will be decluttering as I've already decluttered the kitchen twice.

In the dining room, my task is to empty the bureau, decluttering the papers and I go. These are being placed in a crate, and taken up to my study. I'll sort through them at a later date (after the visitors have been). The family will be asked to choose which of the display items they would like to keep. The rest will be donated or tossed.

Yesterday's hat knitting did not go well at all. No new hat was created. A hat will emerge from the unravellings.

Decluttering the Dining Room, and the Clutterbug Challenge

The decluttering of the dining room continues. The Beloved has started painting the 'institutional green' walls white. It looks so much better, even with just one coat on two of the wall. The goal is to have three walls double coated by the weekend, and many items decluttered too. 

There's a huge amount of unsorted paperwork in there. I've gone through about half of it, deciding what needs to be kept and what can be ditched. At a later date, I'll go through the papers and file them. 

Amongst the items leaving the house today were four dining room chairs. We had two sets, (six and four) and didn't need that many. There's six chairs, and if we need more, there's two study chairs, a piano stool and a kitchen stool. We are not short on seating.

I've been taking part in the Clutterbug Challenge - 30 decluttering tasks for October. The first was decluttering under the sink. That's where I keep my pots and pans, and they were recently decluttered. Instead, I looked to the laundry room as that's where we keep the cleaning supplies. Yesterday was food containers, and today was bakeware and dishes. Since Christmas, I have been on the look out to replace our chipped every day plates. Today, it happened! Out with the old, and in with the new.

Week 40: Living & Family Room

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #40: Living & Family Room

Tuesday: Declutter living room and/or family room

Wednesday: Declutter under and in between couch cushions

Thursday: Create designated spot for remote controls

Friday: Declutter stairs (and under stair storage area)

Saturday: Declutter hallways

Sunday: Declutter or display collections and collectibles

The sitting room was decluttered a little while back. It's currently a little bit of a mess, but this can be sorted in 15 minutes. 

The lower hall has been decluttered. I just realised there's some of the Elder Offsping's books in the middle hall, and there's quite a bit of decluttering required in the top hall. However, we have guests coming next week. This week will be spent decluttering the dining room and painting it.

The understairs cupboard was decluttered a little while back. It could certainly do with a tidy up.

Week 39: Entryway & Mudroom

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #39: Entryway & Mudroom

Tuesday: Declutter entryway/foyer

Wednesday: Declutter coat or entryway closet (plus winter coats)

Thursday: Declutter winter coats, gloves, scarves and hats

Friday: Declutter mudroom/back entrance to home

Saturday: Create designated spot for keys and other items in pockets upon entry

Sunday: Create launching pad for each family member

I would love to have a beautiful 'mudroom'. Instead, I have a coat rack in the hall with coats galore, and shoes lined up neatly under the radiator.  What I want will have to wait until the new house has been built!

However, in the here and now, it's time to declutter coats and jackets near the front door. At the back door there's a small area where The Beloved has his walking boots, hill kit etc. This need to be readily accessible for those times when he is called out to an emergency. The only other thing in that area is a tumble dryer, and an arrangement of artificial sunflowers.

The plan is that when the laundry room is re-done the dryer will be moved into there, leaving space to create a 'kit room' for the walking boots, high vis jackets, steel toe capped wellies, hard hat, rucksack... We have been considering purchasing this clothes stand. It will provide suitable storage for the kit.