Sometimes when you’re looking for one specific resource, you find that you have to search in pretty esoteric places in order to find what you seek. I needed waxed thread for jointing needle-felted sculptures, and I spent some quite frustrated hours searching for endless variations on the word, finding among other places one company that would gladly sell waxed thread – in spools of 1100 meters. (Their target market was not fiber artists, obviously, but upholsterers, who go through significantly more of the stuff.)

When I finally found a supplier, it was in the place I’d least expected: Handelsgillet, a supplier for SCA-style enthusiasts who want period supplies when practising their hobby. They sell a wide variety of reproductions, though I was primarily interested in the waxed linen thread and a couple of blocks of extra wax for future use.

Unfortunately, I was unwise enough to leave the parcel on my desk, and one of my cats, who is enough of a thief that I affectionately refer to her as the magpie, thought the wax smelled interesting and mauled it through the bag. (I also ordered a pair of bone dice, because I am a sucker for neat dice.)