In early November last year after my first ever attempt at Blogtober, I decided to write a review post to chat about my experience of taking part in a whole month of daily blogging. It was a really enjoyable post to put together, and I got a lot of satisfaction from looking back through all my photos and creating a visual overview of the month. You can read my 2020 blogtober review ((here)). I had so many comments after that post (131 of you wrote to me) that I guessed you enjoyed it and and hopefully you'll enjoy this year's offering just as much. I spent this afternoon looking back through my photos and creating some collages to share, so it's been a whole lot of creative fun for me too.
October will always have a little bit of a celebratory flavour because it's my birthday month, and I turned 53 this year.
We also had a much needed week-long break from school towards the end of the month, and there was Halloween to celebrate too.
Looking back through my photos today I realised that October was a much busier month than usual with quite a few outings and day trips. I really enjoyed every single jaunt that we made out of town, and realised (not for the first time) that I positively thrive when I'm out and about. Even if we are visiting familiar places, there's still a certain level of anticipation and excitement when there are walks and picnics and lots of lovely photogenic vistas to lift my spirits.
We walked at Bolton Abbey on Day 3.
On Day 11 we drove to the west Lancashire coast to spend a few sunny hours by the sea.
Day 9 was an exciting train journey to visit Newcastle university with Little Lady and it was wonderful to see and experience a completely new city.
I had the pleasure of Christine's company on a gloriously sunny Day 21 and we visited RHS Harlow Carr which was absolutely magnificent. Looking back at the post I wrote on that day fills me with joy, oh the colours were something else! Such a lovely day, and I know the memories will stay with me for a long time.
The most out of the ordinary thing I did in October was to travel south to Dorset to spend some time with my Dad. After my holiday back in August, I made a promise to myself that I would try and visit every season, and I'm so, so glad that I made an Autumn jaunt happen. I think I've mentioned before that my Dad has aged quite a lot since the start of the pandemic and without being morbid about it, I do really feel that I need to make the most of the time we have left together - who knows how long we have? With any luck it'll be many, many years, but something in my heart tells me not to take any of this time for granted.
I had a really lovely time in Dorset, but to be perfectly honest it was a major challenge to carry on with Blogtober each day while I was away. I mean, I took loads of photos so always had plenty of things to share but it was the extreme end-of-day tiredness that was the hardest thing for me. I'm telling you, the air down there is potent and makes me sooooooooo sleepy! Anyhow, reading back through my Dorset posts I'm so happy that I have my memories preserved for the future. You can find my Dorset Blogtobers here, here, here and here.
Creatively, October was a really good month and I found a lot of comfort and happiness in designing and making. I worked on an idea for a new mandala based on the Yuletide blanket stitch pattern and I love love love the results.
You can find the blog post on Day 7....
....and the tutorial and pattern can be found ((here)).
October was also a month where I dusted off my knitting skills, specifically the joy of knitting a pair of gloriously stripy socks. I treated myself to this lush Regia yarn, the colours expertly put together by Kaffe Fassett, and cast on on Day 13.
I tend to knit in short bursts as and when the mood takes me, so progress can be a bit on the slow, stop-starting side. By the end of October I'd managed to knit one and a half legs (I knit both socks at the same time) and with any luck I'll have them on my feet by the end of this month.
Throughout Blogtober I showed some snippets here and there of my other main project of the moment which you can see in the above photo. I actually did a LOT of crochet throughout the month and am absolutely beside myself with the feelings I have for the colour palette and these delicious little ripples. So. Much. JOY!!
I'm going to be writing more about it to share with you tomorrow (the 4th) so I'm really looking forward to that. It's been hard not to blab about it allll the time, since I first began working on the design ideas back in May.
Aside from the daytrips and holidays, the celebrations and creative endeavours, Blogtober is mostly all about the ordinary every day stuff. It's about sharing daily routines and capturing the little snippets of life that spark inspiration and emotion. Confession :: it's actually a pretty tough challenge in terms of the space it takes up inside ones head! When I'm blogging every day it's constantly on my mind and I find myself writing sentences in my head and searching for visual inspiration pretty much all the time. But my goodness, it's worth it. SO, so worth it. All those thoughts, emotions, ideas and inspirations are like food for my soul and I absolutely love the process of allowing them to eventually filter out into the world via my Attic window.
Daily blogging is a constant reminder to practice gratitude, and to really open your eyes and see the world around you. It's an opportunity to search out the things that bring happiness, to train your eye to see and appreciate a moment in time that will make a good photograph or tell an honest story. Using photos and words to capture all those memories and experiences that flow through each day is such a rewarding thing to do, and even after all these years I still absolutely love it.
Blogging daily life also provides a beautiful snapshot of the season, and year after year it's fascinating to see the rhythms of nature play out as the months pass.
A lot of my photos during Blogtober captured the early days of Autumn and the seasonal changes happening in my local neighbourhood. Each month of the year has it's own "flavour" and I find it fascinating to see how the light and colours change as the year passes.
I also enjoyed sharing many snippets of daily home life too, although I did often worry that the sameyness might get a bit repetitive. October was definitely a month of home comforts - blogging by candlelight and the warmth of the fire, hand knitted woolly socks on my feet and on my needles. Mugs of milky coffee and bowls of nourishing home made soup. Cosying up under layers of blankets, and enjoying the comfort of having the kitty close by. Fresh flowers are a constant here in the Attic and October gave me colourful shop bought blooms as well as little posies of back yard flowers. There was baking and of course there was crochet, there is rarely a time when I don't have any hooky going on!
So that about sums up Blogtober 2021, it's been a good month, hasn't it? I know from the hundreds of comments I've received here and on Facebook that you've enjoyed your daily visits, and I'm so thankful for your company. Thank you for being here with me as I jaunt through my days.
I thought it would be fun to share this years stats with you, just as I did last year.....
Number of daily blogs completed : 31 (yay for one hundred percent attendance)
Total number of photographs shared : 350 (out of 442 taken in total)
Total number of beautiful comments : 1,049 (thank you so very much)
Total number of blog views : 884,848 (ooo, that's a lot of eyeballs)
Total number of words written by me : 27,276 (yes, I added them all up, took me aaaages)
Will I do it again next year? : oh yes indeedy, #blogtober2022 is already on my to-do list.
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ps huge gratitude also for these wonderful bloggers who took part in Blogtober 2021 alongside me :
Christine at Winwick Mum
CJ at Above the River
Barbara and Coastal Ripples
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Absolutely loved reading your blogs throughout October.
Your blog posts were inspirational and always with beautiful words and photos too.
Thank you 🙏🏻
Posted by: Lorraine | November 04, 2021 at 09:15 AM
Thank you, I really enjoyed reading your blog each morning, while enjoying my black coffee, before I started my daily creative journey. So much of what you write about resonates, life is ordinary routine and things but they make the world go round and the beauty and inspiration for creativity and happiness are there if you look.
Posted by: Sarah | November 04, 2021 at 09:13 AM
To be honest Lucy I don't know how you managed to post every single day with so much going on in your life, it takes a huge effort for me to post weekly and that doesn't always happen. It was lovely to read your daily posts, thank you for taking the time and effort to brighten our days. xx
Posted by: Linda | November 04, 2021 at 09:05 AM
Your daily activities are never boring, they remind me to take pleasure in the little things each day and to be grateful.
Posted by: Kate Buckley | November 04, 2021 at 09:05 AM
Loved your posts, if you were able to share the green Thai recipe I'd be grateful
Posted by: Gillian Greenshields | November 04, 2021 at 08:53 AM
Thank you so much for sharing your October with us Lucy. Uplifting, inspiring and as beautiful as ever. I loved it!
Posted by: Tracey | November 04, 2021 at 08:27 AM
Thank you Lucy. I do looked forward to reading your blog every morning early when so quiet.
Posted by: Drusilla cleary | November 04, 2021 at 08:16 AM
It wouldn’t be October without your Blogtober. Thank you for your commitment. The quality of your posts didn’t wane, each one a bright jewel in the calendar. Thank you Lucy!
Posted by: Donna Stephens | November 04, 2021 at 08:14 AM
Thank you Lucy for the Blogtober round up and for all the Blogtober post's. It's so lovely to read all your posts and see all your pictures, they bring such colour and inspiration. Thank you again.🙂
Posted by: Susan | November 04, 2021 at 08:08 AM
Thank you for sharing some glimpses of your live. I was looking forward to your blogs every October evening. Hope your November will also be good for your family.
Stay safe and healthy! Greetings from Ukraine!
Posted by: Marina | November 04, 2021 at 07:55 AM
A lovely month. Thank you for sharing it with us. It's been a sweet treat each day. ❤️
Posted by: DebbyMc | November 04, 2021 at 02:08 AM
Thank you so much for this year's Blogtober - October was a dreary month in many respects because of our extended lockdown (spring and warm weather notwithstanding) and it was so nice to step for just a little bit into someone else's life :)
Posted by: Gina | November 04, 2021 at 01:56 AM
Hi Lucy What a month it has been! Glorious in all the photos, thots, and sharing you so graciously gifted to us. This sum up just blew me away...and it was absolutely fabulous! Every photo and thot, all your outings and home life totally absorbed me and took me away to another place. It was respite for a tired me. Thank you ever so much for giving you time and effort to blog every day...that is an amazing feat, m'dear. Luv ya, take care, Hugs MO PS Looking forward to more info on that delicious looking blanket you are working on! And thank you so much for the Yuletide Mandala...I can see myself using that pattern over and over again in different color palettes.
Posted by: Marylin Ollivier | November 04, 2021 at 01:54 AM
Wow Lucy, this is wonderful! I loved your daily blogs, what a lovely thing to read at the end of the day.
884,848 is a very satisfying number of reads, not only in the volume but in the happy symmetry of the numbers 8 and 4 !
Your words and great photos convey colour, happiness, cosiness, and family life.
You are a talented lady.
Posted by: Ruthie | November 04, 2021 at 12:28 AM
I have enjoyed every day of your blog. When I looked at the very colorful door in Dorset I wondered who lived there. I often wonder when I am out walking. It is so nice to see the ordinary thing that happen in someone else’s life. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Charlotte | November 03, 2021 at 11:11 PM
A wonderful review of the month and how lovely to preserve your memories in this way.
Your words are always so beautiful.
Posted by: kathleenalice | November 03, 2021 at 10:51 PM
Congratulations on making all 30 of your Blogtober posts! I admire people who are able to find enough content for so many days, and you definitely did it with your gorgeous, colorful photos
Posted by: Shasta | November 03, 2021 at 10:48 PM
Thanks so much Lucy, looking back over Blogtober 21, has been so much fun and such beautiful bright, uplifting photos too. So happy to hear there will be a Blogtober 22!, until then, looking forward to your next post. Can’t wait to hear all about your new blanket. Take care, love and hugs Becki xxx 🥰☺️
Posted by: Becki | November 03, 2021 at 10:33 PM
I've loved reading your blog throughout October. Just like an early Christmas present!
Thank you.
Posted by: Corinne | November 03, 2021 at 10:30 PM
Loved "blogtober" love reading your posts year- round
Posted by: Meg | November 03, 2021 at 10:19 PM
Dear Lucy,
As so many mentioned, your posts are always a joy, but October posts are like Christmas!
Thanks for all you do! Your creativity and shared inspiration are so wonderful. Wishing you many more "Blogtober" posts!
Sue
Posted by: Sue Floyd | November 03, 2021 at 10:10 PM
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about how much thought actually goes into your blog, it has been an insight into your life. Thank you x
Posted by: Christine Whiting | November 03, 2021 at 10:10 PM
You chatty lady! 27,276 words! Oh my, I think it is absolutely one of your powers. Writing, not only crochet, Lucy. 884,848 viewed your blog, you realize that is close to a million eh? Well done. <3
Posted by: Tineke | November 03, 2021 at 10:01 PM
So fun to look back at the month. Loved it all. Can’t wait to hear about that new blanket!!
Posted by: Linda from Boston | November 03, 2021 at 09:52 PM
Thank you for your company, for sharing your day to day doings, your inspirational photographs - a feast of colour and celebration of your world. A little treat for me, every day; it really helped to keep me going.
Posted by: Charlotte Pountney | November 03, 2021 at 09:28 PM