Autumn equinox

Almost at Autumn Equinox and the weather has changed suddenly. Last night I was cold most of the night, the duvet providing very little warmth at all. The trees are losing their leaves now, some are bare already whilst others are just starting the colour change.

I feel my body starting to slow down, I feel more reflective, reaching inwards

I have an urge to study, to read my tarot cards. To go deeper into meanings. To compare the various packs and their imagery.

To create more.

I know this year has been a bad one for me health wise. I am much slower and in far more pain than last year. The pain is more or less constant lately and it is hard to ignore it when every movement hurts.

But I won't be beaten , I will keep pushing. It's what I do and what I need to do.

My equinox meditation will focus on what can be, and how I can make it happen

A thank you also to the Goddess and the Green Man for their presence in my life.

Fascinating colour(again)

I have a fascination with colour, it attracts me and it changes my mood. The brighter the better normally,

Sometimes I have to go out of my comfort zone though. A challenge to my senses.

I also have to leave my comfort zone in creating and for the same reasons.

I decided to try drop spindling again.  I liked the portability of a spindle, it can go places where you wouldn't necessarily want to take a spinning wheel.

A friend was destashing a trindle, a sort of drop spindle but with arms. A strange beast, especially when you aren't a spindler. But it attracted me so I thought I'd give it a go.

This is one of the earlier trindles with fixed arms. Jeremy now makes detachable arms so you can change the weight you use. A brilliant idea.

 This is my first trindlespun yarn, here you see it on the noddy noddy after plying. My first success at using one of those also:)

 Here it is skeined up ready for use. It is just a small skein but my first proper spindle spun so precious for that reason.

 This is my current spinning on Tilly the traveller, this was me going  out of the comfort zone. I couldn't resist Freyalyns silver skies colour way, there is such a lovely sheen to it. Reminds me of the moonlight on water.

 Lola the Lendrum has the start of a batt from Danielle at the felt studio. I don't often spin batts, like the curates egg they can be good in parts. But this attracted me when I went to Andyfest the other week, put on by Andy from Bluefaced.com . A fund raising weekend for a local hospital . Had a great time meeting up with friends and this had to come home with me. It is spinning up beautifully.

 This is the current attempt at weaving, not sure the tassels will stay though as they aren't right. It is going to be a piece for the element of air.

 This is my latest knitting, yet another Pamuya shawl , the link takes you to the Ravelry page. The yarn is zauberball and the colour  is more purple than blue in real life. A vibrant choice for dark nights.

 These are my current spindle spinning yarns, waiting on bobbins to be plyed or added to before plying. Aren't the bobbins gorgeous? A friend sent me some for my birthday.

 This is the current spinning on my trindles. The back one is Mandacrafts falkland in the ultraviolet colour way as seen on the bobbin above. Gorgeous to spin, I love Amanda's fibres.The trindle is the ebony shaft,batik agate arms

The middle Trindle is the micro with mixed fluorite arms and Freyalyns merino silk and the tiny front one is the nano with hematite arms:) The nano is very lightweight and ideal for silk. The fibre is tussah silk from Freyalyn. My first time spinning pure silk also.

So a little view at current inspiration and creativity. I am very sore today and despite strong painkillers, anti inflammatory gel and a heat pillow I can't  create. No matter there is always tomorrow.

I've still been making art:)

My landscape in machine embroidery
 First take a selection of fabrics

arrange them in some kind of landscape

 start stitching them down with loose tacking stitches on to your base fabric.

not sure? then try some other colours

 But decide first lot were great so carry on stitching. Frame them with a little card to see if the effect is what you envisioned

 Yes? then it is finished.

there has also been knitting

 Another shawl:)

 and a swirl jacket, my coat of very many colours. made using all the left overs from previous knitting:) The jacket was a little tricky at the beginning . you had to cast on almost 600 stitches using long tail cast on which I hadnt done before. It got a little easier after that. It is a little big and I dont know whether to felt it  or leave as is.

 Then I did a workshop at our spinning group on Saturday. Eta ingham lawrie does the most spectacular  weavings, if you google her you will see what I mean.
I have not woven since I was a child so I was quite daunted at the thought of a workshop but was determined to give it a go. I am so glad I did:)
My piece is entitled Sulky Cat meet Ciel. Sulky cat because she introduced me to the delights of steampunk(note the wheels on the piece). Ciel in honour of a late internet friend. When she passed another friend gave us all a mini skein of purple sparkly yarn Ciels signature:)
I've had this over 12 months now waiting for the right occasion to use it. This was it.
I wanted to do a piece to represent the element Spirit, hence all the purples although it shows up blue. I've added a triple moon and at the bottom a bell.

What do you think?

Autumn is here

The days are much cooler now and much shorter. Autumn is most certainly here .I have been rather remiss on blogging, apologies.

 It seems to have been quite a busy few weeks. We have seen more of our grandsons during the summer holidays which has been lovely. Been visiting friends in Scotland also fabulous and caught up with old friends from when we lived there.

 That was really strange and more than a coincidence.

 We had called in Castle Douglas on our way to see friends. Walking past a restaurant we both said wonder if J + P still go there? Walked a little further to charity shop and a strange man was smiling at us.

 The lady from charity shop said "we were just talking about you" bear in mind it is over 6 years since we moved. The strange man was our friend J:) It was really odd because we have not seen or heard from anyone there since we moved.

 In fact we were really quite upset at the time because of Mr Mog finding out he had cancer. Apparently the other friend there had not passed on the info in fact had spun a completely different tale

 Seems none of the residents there have anything to do with her, which tells me something. Anyway enough of the negativity. J+P were so glad to see us, as were we to see them. We spent a long time catching up and then made arrangements to go and see them 2 days later.

 Had great lunch, P makes the most wonderful curries. Caught up with another pal who lives there so all in all a lovely day.

 Andy makes furniture and we may have come away with a spinning chair he made out of Ash. Picture later in the blog post.

 Mr Mog bought it me for my significant birthday:)

 Scotland was lovely and we really enjoyed our break. we were house sitting for our friends so took the opportunity to explore the area.

 It was very relaxing. I must tell you about an incident that happened while we were there though.

 they have 2 cats, lovely female calico and a stunning pure black male.

 That may have been another reason to offer to house sit of course:) I do still miss having cats around the house.

 on the last night we went to bed. After an hour or so I felt something moving I thought in the bed, I wasnt sure if it was my imagination as I don't have a lot of feeling in my joints. I mentioned it to Mr Mog, woke him to tell him. He couldn't feel anything so I put it down to imagination.

Through the rest of the night I occasionally felt something and was getting quite worried wondering if I was going mad. My own fault I should have insisted we looked. Anyway around 6am I'd had enough, woke Mr Mog again and asked him to check.
He obviously didn't appreciate being woken;) he pulled back the duvet and on top of the sheet that covered us there was a mouse. Not sure who was most surprised Mr Mog, the mouse or me. I was so relieved and ended up bursting into tears because it wasn't imagination.

 these are the cats, as you can see quite irresistible:)

this is my wonderful spinning chair. Andy does commissions if anyone is looking for a chair , he has some wonderful cherry waiting to be used. I would add that no trees were harmed in the making, these were  fallen trees

A great day:)

A most wonderful time, celebrating this auspicious day . Breakfast with good friends then a trip to Furness  with Mr Mog for a trip down memory lane to the school I boarded for 2 years from age 7-9. Sadly now owned by wealthy man and large private sign so no access:(
But the day was lovely and the Cumbrian hills stunning and the friends such good company so that's all you need isn't it?
I received 42 cards ,numerous gifts and I spent the day with the man I love.
Thanks to the Goddess for that.

Almost

On the eve of my birthday, a major one this time and would have been pension age if the government hadn't changed the goalposts. I don't think about my age or worry about it . It is just a number after all. Hadn't planned anything for it as I have been rather distracted organising a special event.
It was MrMog,s birthday last week and I decided to celebrate in a special way.
I organised a mini wool festival - Mogfest. Invited many friends and family to join us and some very special stall holders that MrMog really liked.
I also organised lunch, this was catered by Vintage Village Hall who do afternoon teas served in traditional style with bone china,cake stands and embroidered tablecloths.
I think there were nearly 80 of us all together and it was wonderful. Mr Mog didn't know util we arrived at the venue. He thought we were going to support our friends in their first craft show. True as they were having a stand.
When we arrived at the venue I explained I hadn't been quite truthful and pointed to the large Mogfest banner outside the venue:)
I told him he needed his invite and had to wear the special tshirt my friend had designed for him.

All friends were waiting to welcome him and he was very overwhelmed to say the least.

He had suspected something as w had 3 friends staying for 3 nights but thought that it was just to celebrate at home.It was a wonderful day and well worth the weeks of lack of sleep and stress, I did have fantastic help from good friends though.
The cake was wonderful, a 3d cat, mogfest and Mr Mog on it. Oh and paw prints. it took a week to recover but I am so pleased I did it.
Friends wanted to donate to a charity as the event was free and we raised £675 on the day which was incredible. Half has gone to the air ambulance and half to St Catherine's hospice, both worthy cause
There is probably a lot more to say but that will be another day.
How are you?

A belated happy Lammas

A little late but hope you all had a good Lammas. We spent it at friends in Scotland and the full moon was incredible. They have recently moved to a small holding on the way to Stranraer  and the area was new to me. What gorgeous views from their house, even the isle of man was visible. We had a meander round the area and really enjoyed it. Tomorrow is oncology day for mr Mog , always a worrying time even though his results have been good. I think it is automatic to worry, hard not to. We are getting close to a celebration for his birthday, I don't want to be more specific in case he does stumble on this post. I don't think he will but I don't want to spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say it will involve fibre,friends and fun. More after the weekend on that. I think he may wonder what is going on when friends come to stay for the weekend (3 of them) I have said they want to help celebrate his birthday which is true:)
More later

Sometimes the wild goddess calls you

 You might not be listening at that moment

so she calls a little louder

 Will you listen? Will you ignore her?

 Will your heart sing and your joy spring forth at her call?

 Does she reach the inner you? the child within?

 What will you do with the call and its message?

 The first pictures above are a half of this years lavender crop in the front border, ripe already. I left the rest for the bees:) Then this picture is some part of our tomato and pepper growing in the conservatory. We have had our first tomatoes from them.

 The back border shows some colour and is growing so well with the wet warm weather we have had.

 The lush flowers in the vases were a thank you gift from friends who are moving. We went to lend a hand packing. The flowers are now fully out and truly stunning.

 I have decided to give spindling another go and I love the trindle I got from a friends destash. The batt I am spinning is also from a destash and a change from my usual bright colours. It does however have some sparkle in it.

 Then another friend persuaded me to have a go at knitting a swirl jacket. I had lots of part balls of yarn left over from the Elsewhere jackets I knit so decided to use those. The jackets are an unusual construction, you cast on almost 600 stitches in a circle using long tail cast on. I'd never done that before and that was an exercise in patience. Also made my thumbs exceedingly sore. I knit several rounds and was sure that I'd not twisted the join but I had:(

A  friend who was staying took pity on me and when I had pulled back the many rows I'd done she cast on for me. Thanks Sam:) We did go to the Tynedale Gathering over on the north east  and while speaking to one of the other people there I heard of a great idea for joining circles. This lady pins out the circle on her ironing board, checks it is straight then joins in situ. What do you know it works much better than crossing fingers and hoping.

 The jacket is very bright as you can see and I love it. The sleeves are too long but I'm not worried. I will stitch the cuffs back on it,.

 Then I did mention my sewing ?
This is my little featherweight machine, isn't it lovely?