2006-04-14 - 12:59 p.m.

Unto all the Goode Gentles out there do come Ostre Greetings from the Lady Ursula:

I write to you this day of a project gone awry. The Kool Aide project started out as a great idea. Let's just spin all the fleece that has multiplied in the closet over the winter. Well, all I can say is don't start a project with ancient and many times repaired equipment. I spun an ounce on the CD drop spindle in a day's time. I broke a set of 20 year old carders. Bummer. Grab another set. These are 25 years old. Card, card, card, creak, snap. Okay there goes another set. Well, off to Ursula's Alcove to buy a new set. I settled on the Schacht flat cotton carders. I like these for blending. Most of my wool is so fine, any other carder is just not appropriate. They ran me $76 plus tax. Grumble, grumble, okay, shell out cash, and the project begins anew.

Now, meanwhile, all that luscious blue fleece has disappeared. Can't find it anywhere. I'll attack some of the stuff so full of grass and seeds that no one would recognize it as wool. This could take awhile folks. While digging, I ran across some beautiful gray still in good shape and a much better behaved sheep. No seeds or debris. This is getting thrown into the copper nitrate dyebath outside.

The dyebath is comprised of copper wire scraps from one of Master Thomas's apprentices. Over that I poured a gallon of water and a cup of ammonia. That stewed all winter outside in an empty kitty litter pail with a loose lid. It does give off toxic fumes so outside it stays. Gloves are recommended while handling any chemical. Trust me, you really don't want any more allergies.

So far that is all I've accomplished today. Taxes for all are on my schedule this week and not just the normal ones either. Now we must do a gross receipts tax in addition to sales tax and income tax. Well, at least they paved my road and the local sheriff looks after my estate while I'm away.

Written this 14th day of April in the Shire of King's Crossing. Ursula

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