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.