Autumn Equinox, turning seasons

It is the autumnal equinox and the wheel has turned quietly towards the dark half of the year. A time of year to go more inward, retrospective. As the days shorten a time to create more inside. Not much more fruit to pick. Sloes, damsons and plums oh and any windfall apples I can find:) Blackberries are finished and the leaves are turning on the bramble stems. As we drive around I see that the chestnut is now totally in her autumn gown. She is first to don her spring leaves and first to drop them. We are sitting our grandsons at the moment,Tuesday to Thursday evening for the next few weeks and its great:) The first week has been a delight, tinged with minor aggrevations. My daughter has all the mod cons, dishwasher, aga, microwave with convection but sadly no conventional cooker. This moggie adores her kitchen and can't get to grips with cooking a la microwave. The aga isn't on yet so no help there. This week I'm taking my camping stove with us to0 supplement the micro:))
To spend beofre and after school with the boys is a real priviledge, I'm getting to know much more about them, their likes and dislikes, their worries. I've also been able to catch up with friends where we used to live and things like Ikea:) No yarn shops yet, a\lthough the month is young. The real luxury is a very deep bath, to spend time in bubbles that cover me is a pleasure beyond compare. Our bath is a mere apology after this.
I am knitting a noro throw for the bottom of the bed, although not much done this week. Photos soon.
Tomorrow we are having a drumming night to celebrate Mabon(the autumn equinox). I've got a big pan of beef stew cooking away slowly. Infused with limes, cinnamon and a little chilli powder. It will be served with jacket tatties(potatoes) and followed hopefully by damson fool.

Children of Lir, Celtic Memory fabulous yarn 

assorted yarns 

noro silver thaw I think 

noro silk garden 

throw, earth tones 

Shawls,

Here are some of the shawl pics finally , a couple modelled by Mr Mog. They include Noro shawls, assorted pinks shawl and the fabulous Children of Lir yarn from Jo at Celtic Memory:)). Also an earth throw yarn unknown, very warm and ideal for winter nights keeping warm while knitting:)

Looking for unusual/fine yarns for a chakra piece and mabon recipe

I've just finished a short Children of Lir shawl using Jo from Celtic memory's fabulous yarn. This was magical to knit up and really seemed to involve me in the knitting more if you know what I mean? A very spiritual piece. Pics in the morning when its tidied up and ready to meet visitors.
With this in mind I have a fancy to knit something based on the chakra colours. I am looking for unusual and gorgeous(must be gorgeous:)) yarns in the chakra colours.
Reds for base chakra
oranges for sexual chakra
yellows for solar chakra
greens for heart chakra
blue for throat chakra
violet for third eye chakra
and white/silver for crown chakra.
Ideally different shades of the colours. So anyone wanting to trade or sell any I'd be interested alternatively places to get any you think may work with this project.
In trade I can offer Noro kureyon, hand dyed sock yarns, loads of Stewart Gill fabric paints and finishes, pearlescent acrylic inks, hand made elementals the element of your choice.
I am so fired up after doing the Children of Lir piece, the ideas are flowing. Elemental piece after that and then? who knows?
We , Mr Mog and I, collected over 5lb of brambles this afternoon in around 40 minutes, I've made more orgasmic mabon stuff.
Recipe did I hear you say?
Well you take as many brambles or blackberries as you can get. Put them in a jam pan with no water, leave stirring occasionally til the juices flow. As you stir imagine the delights you are going to make with the finished nectar. When they look as though they have released all the juices they have, say thank you and strain through a seive. No need to leave them to strain, encourage them with the wooden spoon so they relinquish all their liquid, it doesn't have to be crystal clear for this recipe.
To the resultant liquid add enough sugar and the secret ingredient #1(secret no more GG) to taste and or to preserve, this can be up to the weight of the liquid. Secret ingredient #1? this would be cardamon syrup, available from Asian stores. I added for 5 lb approx 1/8th pint. I would say my measurements are always approx, I just add and keep tasting til it tastes right. Cook on low heat til sugar/syrup mix has dissolved. Then magic ingredient #2 add enough rose water to taste. You will know when its enough when your toes curl and you start saying Yes, Yes Yes:))
enjoy

of brambles in the autumn

What a glorious day today, clear high skies of autumn, warm and the smell just at the back of your mind of the winter chill to come. My friend and I went brambling(blackberrying). Just a small stroll as I don't walk too well or too far. We came home with 7pound of blackberries:)
the photos show you what we made and this is just my share. C has the same amount . First photo is 3pound of blackberries for blackberry ketchup. Yummy:) Second pic shows the ketchup and autumn orgasm( the most divine sauce/syrup) this can be used for jellies, icecream, drinks, mousse, fools or what have you and tastes unbelievable hence the name

funnel spider 

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fungi on our walk 

todays walk 

a walk with fungi

We had a lovely walk today and I was astounded at the amount and variety of fungi we saw.There were so many weird and wonderful ones to photograph. We also saw the most fantastic funnel spider as you can see from the photo. The waterfall is at the bottom end of the village street and I hadn't seen it before as I normally don't walk near by. The castle is the one in the meadow behind our home. Ruined sadly but still a very interesting place to walk around, only thing is you can't go inside due to all the falling masonry