19 August 2009

Daughter of the Forest

I'm currently reading Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier after Smartcinderella listed it as one of her favorite books. I'm truly enchanted. It is a perfect mix of classic fairy tale and historical fiction. So perfect in fact that at times I think I have read it before...but I haven't. It is the story of The Six Swans (illus. by Elenore Abbott) set in 9th century Ireland and Britain. I think it is a combination of my familiarity with the original tale and the time period catches me up so completely and makes me feel certain I know this story even though I'm never quite sure what will happen next.

The part I just finished focuses on Sorcha learning to spin on a drop spindle and the pain spinning can cause even with soft wool. Poor Sorcha must spin starwort, a painful nettle plant, until her hands are ruined making shirts for her six brothers to save them from an enchantment.

I'm currently learning about the pain of spinning myself as I work on my first full skein of yarn. After the first 1 oz. my right shoulder burned like fire for a good 24 hours. Learned right there I cannot spin for 5 hours straight. The second oz. I paced myself better but still had cramps in my fingers. Number three was pain free but the skin is worn off the tips of the fingers I draft with. Number 4 just took forever (and involved the pain of a broken spindle shaft) since the first three wore me down but here are the singles all ready to go. Plying them is the next adventure.

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