First projects for 2026

[sister_raphael]

A new linear paternoster for me, made with garnet beads, white stone gauds and hand spun wool tassels. My first project of 2026. 



Most of the new paternosters I'm making are looped ones with 50 beads, but in medieval art, we see unjoined ones, usually called "linear" and I didn't have one of those myself, so I thought it was time to make one for me. 
 

Comments

Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women

[pennymoon]

Hello! I couldn’t see a way of directly contacting you…hence here :)

I was browsing a big online store for potential Christmas gifts for me from my husband…as we all do! I have a keen interest in history and medieval history in particular, and have read Femina by Janina Ramirez, Normal Women by Philippa Gregory and Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife by Hetta Hayes. I had been reading Julian of Norwich for many years, but hadn’t read Margery Kempe before Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife. Now there is a truly remarkable (and perhaps rather annoying) woman. Margery sounds like a force of nature! I was hoping to find something else on the lives of Medieval women and found you!

Oh my word…what a fabulous book! I have been sharing snippets with anyone prepared to listen…the weasel testicle contraceptive charm, the mothers happy to groom their daughters into ‘carnal knowledge’ (prostitution), not to mention the gobsmacking account of the poor husband trying to prove his virility to seven female upstanding members of the community whilst they behaved atrociously and a court stenographer wrote it all down!
So far, 6 people have said they are getting a copy…

Utterly brilliant.

I am really looking forward to ‘Single Lives’ next!

Thank you for bringing light and laughter into January.
Michelle

Re: Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women

[sister_raphael]

Wow, thank you for reaching out! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! There are so many "wait, WHAT?" moments in historical records that I just wanted to share them with the wider world.