Colour

Colour is an important thing in my life. It lifts my spirits and it inspires me. I love all colours especially bright ones. I find that different colours cause different reactions in me and from that I can create.
At the moment my spinning colours seem to be following some kind of theme, both in what I've purchased and what I've created.
This is merino silk I can't remember who I purchased it from or what dyer it was. I wasn't too sure about spinning it when I first started as the fibre dragged in to the wheel too quickly. I suspect that was my inexperience. I put it away for a week or two then went back to it.
Still wasn't too sire so I spun the first bobbin fairly thickly.
After a while I noticed it was much easier to spin so the second bobbin was spun finely. Plied I now have 214yards from just under 100gm and i love the colours in it, they remind me of snowy sunrises.
BTW on all these pictures you will notice the skeins still have coloured thread, haven't untied it yet so don't think there are sudden bursts of a strange colour in the skein:)

This is a bit better picture of the Mandacrafts Falkland I showed you the other day. It has now been washed and set. From 194gms I managed to get 599yards . I love the different tones of purple that you see as the yarn moves. I think this may be something for me knit up.
Now this yarn is Blue faced Leicester fibre that I dyed to represent fields in early winter when the crops have been harvested. I've called this fallow fields.
I wasn't too sure as I spun it it felt hairy, almost mohair fibre or alpaca. But it got better and the finished yarn is rather nice. Socks possibly or a hat? There are 253 yards from 100gm.
I'm currently spinning more Falkland tops in woodland colours, from Mandacrafts again.
I want to Navajo ply this to keep the colours true.
Looking out the windows today it is very grey and dark so colour in my craft room lifts my spirits. As I look around I can see the vivid scarlets of the Equinox shawl, red femmes, bright oranges in some yarn waiting knitting and a veritable rainbow of colour peeking out from boxes and drawers.
Colour I love you.

If Luck

If luck had a colour it would be red. Fire of enthusiasm and vitality that makes luck work for you.
If inspiration were a colour it would be blue, blue of the sky as you search it for ideas.
Blue of the sea as the tide comes in to shore.
And if I had a colour I'd love to be RAINBOW shades to colour my life and colour my day.
Yellow to light up the day to come,
orange glow as energies rise,
red as I grasp the day and ideas.
Green to go out and create.
Blue to calm the night to come.
Violet as I look within.
Purest white sends love into the world.
A rainbow of energies swirl through and through.
You have to learn to use them wisely and with love.
Not to overuse and drain your spirit.

Welcoming Autumn's beauty

The fading of the leaves and a change in the light of a morning and evening.
The brilliance of the sunsets, such vivid colours seem as if a child had painted the sky with their impressions of a sunset.
The balance that appears more noticeable at this turn of the wheel. Fading glory but ripe luscious fruit on all the boughs.

It is sometimes hard to accept the move towards winter, the short , short days but balanced by longer nights. The colder spells.
Look at it another way. cold helps to kill off all the germs my nanny always said. Nature's way of spring cleaning.
I never understood it for a long while but it is true. Her spring cleaning starts early. By cleansing she makes room for new growth.

The longer nights are a nurturing healing time after all the energy we use during the long days of summer.
In these modern times we aren't able to live as the old ones did. After all we have electric lighting when it goes dark.

But we can spiritually and mentally. We can turn inward, have quiet times to recharge our spiritual bodies and our batteries.

It is also a good time to reflect on the things we have achieved. What is our harvest?
What dreams have we made real?

Dreams = seeds into fruit.

I woke this morning with the knowledge that my harvest doesn't have to be a huge crop.
Look at nature, one fruit is to be celebrated.
It can be something as simple as a realisation of my place on the wheel of life.
It can be a real "thing" such as learning to spin or knitting a large item that actually fits me perfectly. Made to measure in fact.

All our triumphs are to be honoured and given thanks for.
Not just major achievements.


Autumn always affects me strongly. The beauty of the colours strikes deep within my soul. A chord of recognition that we are all part of that same marvellous journey around this wheel of life.




The symbol of which, the tree, is prevalent in many faiths.


And what grows on trees? Fruit of course:)

Autumn shares her beauty while butterflies frolic in the sun.

I woke up this morning with the thought of woods and being amongst trees. As I wasn't able to go walking in woods we did the next best thing and visited our local arboretum and agricultural college. It was wet, there had been a very heavy dew and it made for soggy feet but it was well worth it.
The colours in the morning sunshine were so vivid and we had what can only be described as a magical moment.
These following few pictures are just a few of the dozens of butterflies that we saw on the sedum. It was the most incredible sight, every time we moved clouds of butterflies rose from the flowers.
I think this part of the garden was most aptly named don't you?
It was extremely hard to get pictures of the butterflies as they were enjoying the nectar in the sunshine.

We managed a few pictures though:)


We saw at least 5 different varieties of butterfly in just a small section of the gardens.

The college also has many varieties of apple and pear. Sadly the same as last year they don't appear to be picking the ripe apples. We saw many left to rot on the ground.
The evening primrose were in full flower.

These apples were just such a vivid red, I wonder if this was the variety used in Snow White?
I love the clematis seed heads.
The only good side of the rotting fruit is that it feeds the creatures in the grounds.
I'm wondering if they also grow other dyeing plants apart from Madder? Must ask next time we visit. It would be nice to suggest a dyeing corner perhaps?
Aren't these flowers perfect for Autumn colours?

This is one of the entrances to the kitchen garden.
So many varieties of tree to be seen. Your eye is drawn down this path to see what lies at the other end.
The fungi have started to appear.

They have several Sequoia around.
They pull you in to explore further.

Lots of paths leading to other places.
A living seat and table that were extremely wet.There were still water lilies coming into flower on the pond.

More fungi that had been nibbled, possibly rabbits as there were droppings everywhere.

This one reminds me of a Cobra, waiting to strike.

Leaves are just starting to turn here.


Such a stunning silvery grey

Can you see the moon?
Fallen leaves everywhere.
and the other sign of autumn, spider webs by the dozen.


I hope you enjoyed your visit to the arboretum with us.