wool finisher of Kuttenberg, of Kuttenberg
“I finish heavy wool coats for the masters, faster than any woman in this lane.”
Things Magdalena Ebner had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the eve of St Philip and St James, at Compline
My hands are stained blue and my forearms ache like fire. I finished ten heavy coats today while the other girls stood about gossiping. Enneleyn Thal still has my smoothing iron. Kurva! I will not give Katherine her shears until I have my iron back.
Nota scribaeDictated at her bench in the dark. She shouted the curse very loudly.
the Tuesday after Easter, at None
Dorothy Thrush and her father are shouting about that carter Simon again. Christ almighty, the noise. She should either run off with the boy or shut her mouth. We who pay our own way have no time for such weeping.
He is marching with the baggage train, Magdalena. Have you no heart?
I have a heart and a living to make. Get back to work.
the second day of Easter week, at Prime
Bread is dearer than last year, and the master tailors pinch every groschen. They blame the soldiers on the roads and the king's brother. If the soldiers take the town, I suppose I will have to hem their coats too. At least I work fast.
the feast of St Gregory, at Sext
Klara Carter has been weeping all morning over a lost thimble that belonged to her late mother. A thimble! God's wounds, it is foolish to cry over a trinket. A broken bone is a real reason to cry. That means starvation for a woman alone.
It is all I had left of my mother Hedvika.
Nota scribaeThe woman rubbed her elbow constantly while she spoke.
the day after Candlemas, at Vespers
Katherine Braun lent me her brass-handled shears. They are perfectly balanced and cut through thick wool like water. I lent my heavy smoothing iron to Enneleyn, so I reckon I will just keep these shears for a few days more to make up for it.
A few days has passed. Give them back, Magdalena.
Go and buy another pair. You have the coin for it.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Your iron is perfectly safe. I only need it to finish one last hem by Sunday.
You said that at Easter. Bring it to the yard tomorrow morning.