#anyway ill also try this with the floss once its old enough. am pulling off damaged green seed pods so they dont rot

[milkweedman]

This little sample is 100% milkweed silk. I'm using a very small--albeit not very light--supported spindle. I just wanted to try out this tiny art spindle I carved like months ago. It's a little shorter than a sharpie, works great, probably will work even better when the tips of my thumbs aren't super bruised from the whittling (has been long enough the callouses were gone). Might also try with my wheel at some point although it sounds like a nightmare to me. I don't have any cotton spinning tools, so supported spindles are probably the best for now.

Problem mostly is that it's very similar to spinning cotton, because ive never been any good at spinning cotton. So I might need to practice cotton instead, as I have more of it.

But this is a small sample of two ply (with a wool single as a leader). I tried spinning it with variable amounts of twist--it didn't tolerate a ton before snapping, but held together fine at a medium twist. I don't know about strength yet. But it's so soft and glittery and warm--just holding it in the fingertips makes it hot. It's pretty fantastic at the moment. We'll see how it ages.

[alindakb]

Letters to my Parents - Tuesday 14 December 1993 - by Alinda

Tuesday 14 December 1993

Mom and Dad,

I’m going to kill him when I find him. I really am. He was supposed to be your best friend. You trusted him with your lives, our lives. And he betrayed you. He’s dead. I’ll do it. I don’t care what will happen to me after. I just want him dead.

There was another Hogsmeade trip this weekend. Of course, I was not allowed to go, but I found a way to join Draco there. It all started with me borrowing a copy of Which Broomstick from Marcus. I wanted to read it, to see what kind of broom I should get as a replacement for my old broom. I’ve been using a school broom at practice. It’s a Shooting Star, which is very slow and jerky. I need a new broom. I took the book after I kissed Draco goodbye and went up to find a nice alcove with window to sit and read. I wanted to be able to look over the grounds, see the fresh snowfall and the world go white.

On my way up the stairs, I was called to the side by Fred and George Weasley. I talk to them now and then. They are pretty fun and I haven’t forgotten how they were the only ones last year that didn’t buy for a minute that I was the heir of Slytherin. They had an early Christmas gift for me. I don’t know why they gave it to me, but I’m really grateful. Fred said that they had decided that my need was greater than ours. Something about not wanting a moping Draco to ruin their time in the Three Broomsticks. And that they know it by heart by now and don’t really need it anymore anyway. I don’t know what they were on about, but what they gave me was amazing.

It’s a map of Hogwarts. It has all the details of the castle and its grounds. When you make it appear by saying ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good’ it tells you that the map is made by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. They’ve called it the Marauder’s Map. And it’s more than just a map. It shows you where everyone is walking too. There a tiny ink dots moving around it, each labelled with a name in minuscule writing.

But that’s not even the best part. Fred and George showed me the seven secret passages into Hogsmeade. Filch knows about four of them, one is caved in and one has it’s entrance below the Whomping Willow. But there is one in the third-floor corridor that goes straight into the cellar of Honeydukes. So after Fred and George had left I wasted no time to get to the third floor and find this secret passage.

I took forever to reach Honeydukes, but once I got there and had sneaked into the shop without anyone noticing me, I didn’t know where to look. There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Nougat, squares of coconut ice, toffees and hundreds of different kinds of chocolate. They even have a wall with ‘Special Effects’ sweets, like Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Tooth-flossing String-mints and sugar-spun quills.

I squeezed myself through the crowd until I was right behind Draco, Greg and Blaise. They were looking at blood-flavoured lollipops. Draco said I wouldn’t want them, that they are for vampires. Greg shoved a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Draco’s nose and asked if I might like some of them. I leaned over Draco’s shoulder and told them definitely not. Greg almost dropped the jar and Blaise was all like: ‘Harry, what are you doing here? How did you get here?’ Draco just leaned back and let me slide my arms around his waist. He turned his head and we shared a short kiss. Greg wanted to know if I had learnt how to Apparate. I told them no and then explained about the Marauder’s Map I got from Fred and George. Draco found it fascinating and I promised I’ll show it to him back at the castle, somewhere without other eyes around.

We joined the others, who were just as surprised to see me, they all paid for their sweets and then we went into the snow. Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card. The little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow, holly wreaths hung on the doors and strings of enchanted candles decorated the trees. We walked around the town a little until Draco said we had to get inside. I had forgotten my coat and was really cold. Draco had his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him while we walked, but I was still shivering.

Luna and Blaise, who were holding hands, led us to the Three Broomsticks. Greg and Blaise got us some Butterbeers and we sat down on a table at the back. The table was mostly hidden from view by a large Christmas tree, to make sure no-one else would spot me. Hermione and Daphne both wanted to know how I got into Hogsmeade and I told them off the map. Hermione wanted me to turn the map in when we got back. All the Slytherins told her off right away. But Hermione was scared that Black might be using one of the secret passageways. Luna assured her that there was no way he could after I told them that only the one I used was accessible for Black. She convinced Hermione that the owners of Honeydukes would hear it when someone would break into their store.

It was all so nice. And then it all became horrible. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick came into the Three Broomsticks, together with Hagrid and the Minister of Magic Fudge. Draco and Hermione pushed me under the table just before they all took a seat at the table next to ours. They talked about the Dementors and Sirius Black. How Sirius Black used to be your best friend, dad. That the both of you had been inseparable when you went to school at Hogwarts, like brothers. They talked about how Black had been the best man at your wedding and that you had named him my godfather. And that wasn’t even the sickest thing about it. He betrayed you, gave you up like you mend nothing to him. I heard them talk about the Fidelius Charm, how Black had been your Secret-Keeper and had given up your location to Voldemort.

As soon as the teachers had left the Broomstick, both Hermione and Draco popped their heads under the table. I was already crying and Draco took my arm and guided me outside, along the road until we reached a small park. He walked me in and sat me down on a little bench. He pulled a coat over me and a scarf around my neck and then just pulled me close to him. He kept telling me that it was okay, that everything will be okay. I think he even said other things, but I had a hard time listening to him. My mind was spinning. Why had nobody ever told me? Why had Hagrid, the headmaster, Mr and Mrs Tonks, Draco’s mother or even the minister never told me that you had died because your best friend had betrayed you?

When I had calmed down a little, Draco took me to Honeydukes and helped me get back into the cellar. He said he couldn’t come with me that way, that Filch was counting as the students came back into the castle, but that he would meet me in our dormitory. I can’t really remember walking back or going down to the dungeons. But once I was there I took out the photo album Hagrid had given to me and started turning the pages, searching. And then I found it, a picture of your wedding day. You were both in it, and another man. If I hadn’t known it was the same person, I would never have guessed it was Black. He looked so different than he does now. His face wasn’t sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. It was one of the men that had also been in the picture in Professor Lupin’s office.

Draco got back when I was still looking at the picture. He brought some food with him from the great hall, tried to get me to eat something. But I wasn’t hungry. Draco didn’t even pretend to go sleep in his own bed that evening until Nott and Crabbe were asleep. He lay down next to me straight away, hold me close and let me fall asleep in his arms.

I went to have tea with Lupin the next day. I wanted to know if he knew that Black had betrayed them, and why he still had a picture of him in his office. But first I asked him if he knew why the Dementors affect me so much. I don’t want to fall off my broom again if they show up again for our next Quidditch match. I told Professor Lupin that I’m scared that I’m weaker than the others. But he assured me that it has nothing to do with weakness. It all has to do with all the bad things that have happened to me. Professor Lupin explained it to me. That Dementors drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around you. Even Muggles can feel their presence. When they get close every good and happy memory will be sucked out of you, only leaving the worst experiences of your life. Professor Lupin said that the worst that has happened to me is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. And he might have a point, but that doesn’t mean that I want to faint every time they are near. Even though I’m sure that the woman I hear screaming when they get close is mom. I think I hear you’re final moments, how you try to protect and save me.

But back to the point. I asked Professor Lupin if he could help me with the Dementors. I remember that Draco told me that Professor Lupin made the Dementor on the train go away. The professor promised he’ll try to teach me some defences next term. He’s really busy right now. He’s been ill and has a lot of work to catch up to.

And then we talked about Black. I asked him if he had known him too as they had both been friends with my father. He said he did. He didn’t really want to talk about it. He looked at the picture on his desk and then looked out of his window. He told me they had been friends for so long, that he still can’t really believe that he did what he did, kill all those people. I think Professor Lupin was close to tears. His voice was trembling and I just couldn’t tell him what I had overheard, that I now know that Black was my godfather, your best friend and that he betrayed you, dad.

Draco was proud of me for not bringing it up. We talked a little about it, how it would be like if one of your friends would betray you like that. What if Hermione or Blaise would do that to us? I would be so hurt. So I think I won’t bother Professor Lupin with it, it’s obvious he’s still hurting because of it.

And then Draco made me promise that I won’t go after Black. That he was not worth dying for. That Draco wanted me to stay alive and with him. His eyes were watering and I wanted to promise him, but I couldn’t. I yelled at him that he doesn’t understand. And then he yelled back that he doesn’t want me his Bogart to become reality. That he can’t take the thought of losing me for real. And then I screamed back that he doesn’t know what it’s like to hear your own mother die every time a Dementor comes near you. That I can hear my mom plead and scream at Voldemort to try to save my life. And that if Draco would hear his mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, he wouldn’t forget it in a hurry. And that if he would find out someone who was supposed to be their friends betrayed them and sent Voldemort after them.

I didn’t get any further than that. Draco had pulled me against his chest and told me he was sorry. That he would want that person dead too. He would help me when the time comes. Just like the rest of our friends. He made me promise not to go after him alone, and I did. We will do this together. I won’t be sent back to Draco as only an Order of Merlin First Class and a finger, like Pettigrew. We will find and defeat him together. We’re Slytherins, we’ll come up with a way to catch him without getting killed.

On a happier note, there’s good news on the Quidditch. Training is going really well, even with the stupid Shooting Star I’m using. I’m getting faster and faster at catching the snitch and Marcus is really happy with how well our team works. And Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November. We can still win the cup this year!

And Draco is staying at the castle this Christmas holiday to keep me company. I’m really looking forward to having the dormitories to ourselves. Nobody to complain that we snug too much or should stop being so obviously in love. The other students are leaving on Friday.

I love you both,

Harry James Potter

PS. I promise I’ll get revenge for both of you. Sirius Black will not get away with this.