faderift | OPEN - Pel's Yarn Shop

WHO: Pel Ashara and OPEN
WHAT: Opening up the yarn shop
WHEN: Present
WHERE: Skyhold, near the stables
NOTES: Will update if there are any warnings.

To say Pel has yarn coming out her pointed ears is accurate--she finds little wool fibers absolutely everywhere. She saw some in her mug of tea once and just stirred it in, hoping she wouldn't notice it going down. She didn't.

She acquired her spinning wheel over a month ago and has now made enough yarn to open her shop, hoping sales can help pay for publishing her book before a new Divine gets elected. Once there's a new Divine, her book will be banned and this will all be for naught.

She sits in a chair behind a blanket with carefully laid-out skeins of yarn, organized by price. Being organized by price, of course, means being organized by color and content. If it's not wool, it's more expensive. If it's dyed, it's more expensive. If it's dyed expensively, of course it's more expensive. Unbleached undyed wool yarn is the cheapest, but it has a range of colors from creamy white to chocolate brown to stone grey. Of the colors, yellow, indigo blue, and earthen red are cheapest, with green and warm purple marginally more expensive. Scarlet is pricier, as is cool purple. There is one skein of very fine silk yarn, an undyed off-white, and a few of middling-price linen.

Among knit wares are shawls, scarves, leggings, and mitts. Some are lacy and delicate, some are thick and warm.

Come one, come all!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Michel, while still tainted with the stigma of the Chevalier, certainly stood out from them and in ways he's confessed to few others for good reason. For whatever he was and whatever he'd done, there was no call to disrespect, no point in disgracing himself in his new purposes. He still held onto certain ideals and he'd rejected others over the years for trying to do what he thought was right in light of his mistakes.

He was also pragmatic, he could buy what he wanted, he could have others do things for him. He'd seen true nobles become Chevalier, and some of them did not know how to do anything beyond the fencing that their families expected them to learn. He was a survivor, having others serve you was more crippling than learning to do for yourself. And so...

"If it would not put you out, I would pay for the yarn and for the time it would take you to teach," that was only fair. Michel did not know how long it would take to learn, he was clever with his hands, but detailed work often took more time, such as trap making with Zevran.

"It's very easy to learn." She's not declining his offer, just being up front. "You'll spend a lot more time practicing than listening to me teach. Here."

She picks out some nice undyed brown wool yarn, soft and quality but fluffy enough that his mistakes won't show as badly.

"You'll want to start with something like this. You can get a pair of needles from most merchants, and don't let them scam you with the expensive ones. Just the wood ones will do. If they're not smooth enough and the yarn catches on the wood, you can sand them yourself and finish it with warm beeswax. You'll want them about this big around."

She makes a circle with her fingers to show him.

Useful tips, especially given Michel's status as a neophyte of knitting, this was a kind of domestic task that was new to him. As used to taking care of himself and his belongings as he was he'd never gone quite so far as to make something. It simply interested him to be able to do so.

He would take her advice as well, aside from believing her it seemed practical enough. Yes, he could afford expensive needles, but if wooden ones would work just as well he would use those. If he did not have an aptitude for this sort of thing, then nothing would be lost.

"And what would you recommend I start out with...something simple, yes?" A blanket? A scarf?...these things seemed straightforward, but he was interested in her opinion.

"Scarves are easiest. Get from the beginning to the end with one and you'll have improved a great deal."

"I do not imagine I'll be much good at it any time soon, but I would like to be able to make something for...someone," after all he'd been given quite a treat from Zevran and he didn't want to do anything that would make him uncomfortable.

She doesn't ask, or want to know, what specific someone.

"It doesn't take long to pick it up. Five-year-olds learn how to spin and knit. If you're going to learn from me, you will be good at it any time soon."

Capisce?

"Your confidence is inspiring," Michel said as much with a lopsided smile, "I look forward to having you teach me, Madame."

OPEN - Pel's Yarn Shop

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