Jam , Ma'am ????

I've finally come down from cloud nine after seeing Bobby on Monday so it's back to production. From the house smelling like Pledge's Pickle Factory last week it is now smelling like Robertson's Jam Factory. Yes it's part two of preserve making . The pickles are all packed away . I made piccalilli , pickles and pickled red cabbage.

Above you see Damson jam bubbling in the pan this morning .
Blackberry waiting for their lids

All done . I have made nine jars each of Blackberry , Blackcurrant, Mixed Fruit, Damson and Plum . I've really enjoyed making them and watching the full jars pile up . They will all be packed into boxes then used throughout the year . Some will be gifted to family and friends .

I've also been spinning .

I got this gorgeous ball of fluff on Saturday from Dannielle at FeltstudioUK . It's some of her hand dyed Merino /Tencel and it's like spinning a cloud.

I am trying my utmost to spin it as fine as I can cos I think it will make a nice shawlette .

That's it for today I've got floors to scrub . Cue Status Quo to help me along :0)

A day Out and the VERY best of news:0)

We had a day out on Saturday but before I tell you about that I have some good news about Bobby . We went to see him today and when we got there he was propped up with his eyes open and was definitely aware of his surroundings . We talked to him and when I asked him a question he replied "Yes" .I could have wept . He smiled at some funny remark DH made . But best of all he gave me a kiss before I left . It was the sweetest kiss I have ever had . It looks like all the positive Karma and prayers are working so I'm asking you to please keep it up . Thank you X
Now the day out . We ventured over the Pennines into Yorkshire . We went to the Masham sheep show . As you cam see the weather was absolutely scorching and the skies were so blue .
We met up with Artis-Anne and Tony and had a great time . I enhanced my fibre stash somewhat .

I met the Ripon Morris Men . Get a load of those hats :0)

Here they are dancing.

Loads of sheep of course . This fine fella won........

Best fleece at the show . It was gorgeous and thick . Looked very spinnable .

There was even a brass band

We came home through Leyburn and Hawes and I took this stunning photo of the Howgills .

On Sunday I thought I'd better sort my fibre basket out to put my new stuff in . So I put everything individual bags turns out I've got over 44 bags each with at least 100grms in each . Think I've got a fibre habit , can't help buying it . Wonder if there's Fibreholics Anonymous :0))

Autumn Productivity

I've had very busy morning and i think it has to do with the Autumn Equinox giving off loads of energy and the fact that the Moon is waxing which always makes me want to be creative . So this morning I was creative in the kitchen . I made 24 , 1 pound ,jars of piccallili and 12 , 1pound ,jars of pickles . Not all for us I hasten to add , my darling children will be round on Sunday to see what's on offer :0) .
Then as I still had some yeast left from my bake the other week i made 9 pounds of flour into bread . These bread rolls are destined for a coffee morning in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Nurses at my friend Christian's . We are going to knit squares for comfort blankets .

Fresh loaves in their swanky new breathable bags from Lakeland Ltd .

I've got enough bread to last a few weeks now , and when that's gone we are going to indulge and get a breadmaker .

Now a little bit of Gin progress . I now have the gin in these fantastic jars I got from our local Matalan . They were only £3 each and are perfick as they have a seal on so no evaporation . I have made 4 litres of Sloe and 1 litre of Damson.
This week I have also spun 200grms of fibre into yarn . Plyed another 400grms and I'm half way up a sweater knit in the round for myself .

Hmm I'm quite out of breath now and I'm going to have a sit down and brew.

Positive thoughts for Bobby today.

Bobby needs major positive thoughts , prayers , healing Karma today .After an MRI scan yesterday it has been decided to operate and take a biopsy .

He goes into theatre at 9-00am British Summer Time .

I leave him in your thoughts . Thank You X

Autumn Equinox / Mabon

Mabon Greetings to one and all . Well Autumn officially starts today . There has been a nip in the air in the mornings for the past week or so and you could really smell Autumn creeping up .

As usual I have decorated my hearth to reflect another turn of the wheel . Oranges and golds to symbol the turning of the leaves from green .
A hearth full of cones and nuts , natures bounty.

And the bower is filled with berries from the Rowan and the Rose with oranges and Cinnamon sticks to finish it off . It all gives a nice warm glow of an evening when we settle down to our crafts.

Talking of natures bounty . We went a walk on Sunday and collected a load of Sloes to add to my already bulging stock of fruits . These were not destined for jam but Sloe Gin .

This is how you make it .

Take one pound of Sloes and prick them all over with a needle or cocktail stick . If you have them get the children to do this they'll love it .

One litre of Gin . It doesn't have to be expensive . I just get the cheap stuff .

Eight ounces of caster sugar .

Put the whole lot into a Rumtoft or a glass container big enough to take everything , then give it a good stir. Stir it every day for a week until the sugar dissolves . Then seal your container and put it somewhere dark and leave it for at least three months . The longer the better . After that strain the liquid off and bottle it . Very nice on a cold Winters night. You can do the same with Damsons and at the end make a pie with the fruit . Delicious with ice cream .

The next few weeks will see me making all my jams and pickles and storing them for the year ahead . I've probably said this before ,I love this time of year . I've got a freezer full of fruit and

I've been out today collecting all the ingredients together to make pickles and piccalilli . I'm just awaiting a delivery of jam jars then i can get cracking :0)

And Time Goes by.

Why is it about this time of year i want to start having a clear out. Every year as soon as I get back from Cumbria , after a few days rest i have to start sorting things out and chucking out the dross collected over the past year . Maybe it's because I'm getting ready to hunker down for the Winter that I have to do this strange thing in the Autumn. Anyway the back bedroom and the woolroom got the chucking out treatment this week and I know where everything is , for now at least. I had a computer table to dispose of so like a good girl I took it to the local hospice shop and whilst there looked for a bookcase , which i duly found . I also found this little beauty........ My very own Captain's chair. Whilst at Annie's last week I used her captain's chair to sit on whilst I spun and it was so perfect for the job . I HAD to have one . I couldn't believe my luck when I saw it . Actually there were two so I got the other for DH .

As you can see "Perfick "
I can spin for hours now in comfort :0)

Been knitting as well . A lovely little shawllette . It was destined for the stall but I really like it soooo........

I've been busy all afternoon updating the Blogshop with lots of goodies . the pic above is just a taster . 100% Merino in a choice of weights and in my new Winter Solstice range of colours ideal for warm hats and scarves .

Lastly a little udate about Bobby.

Alas my darling brother is still unconcious and there is very liitle change in his condition . I have been to see him several times and when I've been he's had his eyes open . When i speak he seems to know I'm there so I'm holding on to that . Several tests and scans have proved inconclusive and the specialist is at a loss at the moment as to why he hasn't come round . Please dear friends continue to send your positive thoughts , prayers and healing Karma in the hope that like Rip van Winkle he'll wake up from his long sleep . X

Now as I've been at this computer since 2-00pm and it's now 7-00 pm I think I deserve a large glass of something and to put my feet up .

Wha ho !! I've just noticed I have gone over 10.000 visitors to my Blog since I started keeping a check in Jan 2008 . There are a few more as I've been Blogging since Oct 2007 Nice though :0)

A few days in Wales ( Pic Heavy )

We have just spent a very pleasurable two days in Wales with Artis-Anne and her DH ,Tony .

It was just what the doctor ordered . It was so lovely to see them again , as we hadn't seen them since Woolfest . We set off early and went by way of Llandudno and as you can see the weather , in the words of Pa Larkin in The Darling Buds of May , was Perrfick .

Blue skies all round
A clear view of Great Orme

There was even a yacht race to watch as we ate our lunch.

Little Orme at the other end of the prom .

This was the only seagull on the Prom and we named him Poirot as he had the same mincing walk as the great detective .

We reached Annie and Tony's just after one and got a great welcome.

This is Tony with all the dogs who are keen to get his toast .

Annie doing what she loves best .

Isla and Skye , Meg's new friends .

Annie and Tony took us on some fabulous walks . It was great getting out in the fresh air for a change . Luckily the weather held all the time we were there .

Little boats in the bay .

" See That "

Lovely Welsh mountains .

Row of stone cottages.

The river was full as it crashed over the waterfall.

We had a great time with them and was a real treat after the past few horrible weeks we've had.

Annie is a fabulous cook and made sure we were stuffed full :0)

It was two days spent in very pleasurable and comfortable company and came to an end all to soon . We've promised to go back and it looks like we may spend our hols in Llandudno next year instead of the long journey down to Devon .

We Haz Sunshine Yeh!!!!!!

As the title suggests the Sun came out to play this morning and it was so gorgeous we simply had to go for a long walk so off we went to Rivington for a walk round the reservoirs . This Comma butterfly was enjoying the Sun as well .

A sign of climate change here . About 15 years ago you wouldn't have seen this butterfly up here . Apparently if you drew a line between the Mersey and The Wash this species never came above it .
There are some lovely old houses along this walk .

Blue Skies

I love the silhouette of this dead tree against the sky.

Fishing in the reservoir

Looking right down the big reservoir.

It was so good to be out and feeling the Sun on my back after the past few horrible weeks . It makes me feel like doing things so after I've finished this I'm going to blitz my workroom .

I've been enjoying my R&R after the trauma of Cumbria . I've been spinning ( Bliss ) and doing a bit of knitting and generally chilling out . We are off to Wales at the weekend to spend a few days with Artis-Anne and her DH . Another dear friend who I have met through Ravelry . This online community is great I've met such a lot of interesting people . My eldest says it's like Facebook for knitters .

I'm going to update my Blogshop over the next few days . I am hoping to get an Etsy shop up and running soon I just need to get my head round it . Till then there will be new yarns and stuff in my little shop. Right grab black bags and head for the workroom :0)