Sample newsletter
No, I did not need another hobby. What I needed was a new pillow. So why are you looking at a bunch of sheep's wool? That's because I'm thrifty, a word I prefer over miserly, which I might actually be.
You may remember me talking about neck and shoulder pain? Fortunately, that's cleared up, but I still wanted a new pillow. I'd always slept on down, but that was giving me these neck pains, so I'd gone for an old, lumpy pillow instead. It helped get rid of the pain, but it was... well, lumpy. So I'd done some online searching and found this nice, well-reviewed, natural fiber pillow for £70. Probably worth it, according to the reviews. But still, that's £70...
A pure cotton pillow protector could be mine for £10. And another website offered washed, pure wool filling for £10 per kilo, around the same weight as the £70 pillow. Excellent! The same thing for £20!
Except... The wool may have been washed, but it was not as clean as I'd expected it to be. I'd opened the bag but hadn't bought the pillow case yet, and I slept in a barn for 2 nights (I actually kind of liked the smell, that's why I didn't close the bag, but it didn't seem smart to use that wool as it was). When I dumped the bag out in the bath and ran it with cold water (wouldn't want to felt it before I could use it), I managed to dislodge a whole lot more dirt, as well as a small garden's worth of seeds - some of which consequently sprouted - and even a dead body (RIP poor spider who'd got tangled at some point).
And then, of course, I had to dry this wool. In Britain. Famous for its rain. I was lucky enough to have a few days of sunshine, though. The internet had warned me not to put the wool in the sun for more than 30 minutes, but I figured the sheep had probably been out in the sun for longer than I had its wool out, so I ignored that advice. Four days later, I finally stuffed my pillow.
Honestly, it's a dream to sleep on. But I still have a bucketful of wool left. I'm tempted to try out needle felting, but I really didn't need another hobby!
Soothe my bruised ego and tell me: have you ever thought to be clever, which turned out less brilliant than you thought?
What I'm working on/creating/loving
Underneath my monthly story, I usually add a few updates on what I'm writing, eating, drinking, crafting, or doing. But I'd love to know if you have a suggestion!