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This October has been an odd month for me. I’ve kicked som big milestones for my PhD, and I have some downtime for the first time in a long time. I feel a bit lost at times and haven’t really known what to do with myself. I’ve been reading and crafting as the rain relentlessly falls here – even though it is supposed to be high Spring weather in Australia.
I love October as a month completely dedicated to all things spooky. I love to read scary books, I love to watch scary movies and T.V. shows, and it also coincides with Socktober – knitting as many socks as you can. With still a few days to go before Socktober ends, I am currently sitting on 3 pairs of socks with a fourth pair on the way. I have loved the challenge, but am also very ready to go back to my neglected knitting and crochet projects.
Knitting socks can feel scary. When I first saw someone use double-pointed needles, I thought I would never master them. There are a few things that have helped me along in my sock knitting journey, and I wanted to share that with you before I talk about some of my favourite spooky audiobooks to listen to while you knit.
If there is one bit of advice you take from this, let it be – try toe-up socks.
Toe-up socks refer to where you start knitting the sock. Most sock patterns require you to start at the cuff or top of the sock (generally where your ankle/calf would be). Toe-up socks mean you start knitting at the toe and work your way up until you reach the cuff or top of the sock. There are a few advantages to toe-up socks:
- You don’t have to worry about grafting heels or heel flaps.
- You can use the magic loop method (youtube link here), which means you don’t need very tiny needles.
- You can also use small circular needles (20 cm), which means you can knit quickly in the round.
- If you use magic loop, you can knit two socks simultaneously, avoiding the dreaded second sock syndrome.
So with that said, I want to talk tools for a quick second. My favourite smaller circular needles for socks are from Chiaogoo. You can find some on Amazon here. You often want to go smaller with your needle size for socks because you want to ensure you have a tight-knit.
Toe-up socks, like any other sock patterns, offer a lot of variety. You can play around with what heels and toes you like to knit and the kinds of colours and stitch patterns you want to create. I have only found one book that is dedicated to toe-up socks and I’ll link it here for you to look at.
Etsy is also another great place you can find single patterns for toe-up socks like these ones here and here.
So with all the sock talk out of the way – let’s jump to the other fun part: the audiobooks.
As I said in my previous post about knitting and crocheting shawls, I love to multitask, which means listen to Audiobooks while knitting and crafting.
Since Socktober also coincides with Halloween, I just had to share some of my favourite spooky books with you.
THE BOOKS
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James shares my love of crime fiction, murder mysteries, and hauntings. This feels a lot like the vibe of T.V. shows like Supernatural where there is also problem- and crime-solving mixed in with all things supernatural. This story is about an old haunted all-girls school, missing children, Nazis, ghosts, and cover-ups. Get in from Amazon Audible here.
Listening time: 12 hrs 2 mins
The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson was the first book I listened to by the author. I recommended one of his other books in a previous post because I truly love his work. Ronson investigates some of the weirdest people and events, and this book is no exception. If you’ve ever wonder what really makes a psychopath and how people get assessed, then this is a very strange and interesting introduction for you. Get your copy from Amazon Audible here.
Listening time: 7 hrs 33 mins
This is feel-good spooky. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a bestseller for a reason. It is such a beautiful, magical, and mystical story about life, love, regrets, and finding a reason to live. This book is perfect for people who like their spooky lite. Get your copy here.
Listening time: 9 hrs 9 mins
How could I talk about all things spooky and not mention something by Neil Gaiman? There are so many amazing novels by Gaiman that would fit any spooky mood, but I’ve chosen one of his possibly lesser-known books. Norse Mythology is the retelling of Norse mythology and history. It is done so beautifully by Gaiman. It is funny, interesting, intriguing, and exciting. On top of it all, it is also extremely educational in understanding our ancient histories of the world. Listen to it here.
Listening time: 6 hrs 29 mins
For my lucky last Audible recommendation, I had to throw in this one by Stephen and Owen King – Sleeping Beauties. Stephen King is world-renowned for his writing and, in particular, his horror and spooky stories. There are so many to recommend, but I had to go with one of my favourites and one of the longest audiobooks recommended here. In this novel, the authors ask the question: what would happen if all the women of the world fell asleep and didn’t wake up? Get your copy from Amazon here.
Listening time: 25 hrs 22 mins
TOTAL LISTENING TIME: 60 hrs and 35 mins (That is a lot of socks!)
Happy Halloween, my dear readers! I hope you are enjoying yourself with all things spooky. Please let me know if you also are participating in Socktober and how many pairs of socks you have knitted. As always, share the reading love.
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