Jill Dyer

Inspirational, Christopher This is an excellent way to say don't be held back by what you don't know. . . the fingers soon learn what works and what doesn't.  

Hello fellow oddball - my passion is natural dyeing . . . as in using plants to make colour on fibres and yarns.  My other half always says, 'Hello, she's doing witchy stuff again". The group I belong to was also referred to as the Sinners and Wierdos (by a friend!) actually Spinners and Weavers.
Note: time passes quickly when you're having fun.  Let's keep supporting each other in our odd (to some) endeavours and ignore the rest Although luring in some of the unconvinced seems like a mighty fine idea

We are in an internet/phone dead zone.  Satellite broadband internet via Skymesh - it's great until there is a storm at one or other end of the ground links.  Next door neighbour is in the same zone but has the Starlink connection.  Discussion of service last week - he had insufficient rude words to describe the service.

Definite experimentation required, but what about rubbing finely crushed charcoal onto the surface.  That should get into the 'pores' of the cardboard.  I remember that was one of the techniques for charcoal drawing - to smudge for shading.  
Re the curling paper  - is it possible to run a domestic iron over it to flatten it out again?  Teacher only project probably - or send it home to the Moms/Dads.
Edit: drifted off with the fairies for a while there - another idea,  mix dilute grey paint and dab on with a sponge - not too much pressure and the result is a mottled effect.

Thanks for posting this excellent video - anybody who has muttered "I'm not paying that much" for a hand-spun/knitted/woven anything should be made to sit down and watch it!
Early on in my spinning career, I made a hand spun and knitted sweater from a fine grey merino fleece.  Somewhat panicked by it's fineness, I carefully spun it (maybe a bit too thick and slightly overspun) so when the yarn was wash, not all the grease came out.  It was practically waterproof, got very warm when rained on, and smelt like a sheep. . .
However, back to the video.  R. Scott is on the mark with garments being rarely washed, and then by hand, no harsh chemicals, and no tumble drying.  Clothes were considered so highly, that garments were left to friends and relatives in Last wills and testaments (several projects on Zooniverse.org back this up).  And we have to remember that personal hygiene wasn't high on the list, so it wouldn't be noticed if things got a little whiffy.  Unlike my aforementioned sweater.
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Good thing is I found a new place dust gathers.  Bad news, it's over an inch thick dust.

Dust. . . I think I've seen you are a spinner . . . the first rule of being a spinner is "Thou shall not touch dust"  because if you do, then it will involve a whole lot of unwelcome dusting.
Best of luck with the relocation of the tower stuff.

Best I could come up with was one of the army worms, and the link to yellow striped army worm looks good.  It does have a pretty distinctive pattern. Here's another link - looks like it overwinters as a pupa in the soil.  Catch and put it well away from the veggies?

Thanks Megan - I read so much that I am a big fan of the Libby App. and when the Inspector Montalbano  TV series was shown here I watched all the episodes twice.  It's not just the story, but the different scenery that's the attraction - armchair travel, and language lesson as well.

Not a News fast per se, but very selective reading.  I stick with the Australian on-line ABC news, particularly because they fact-check anything iffy.  This morning Tom Paxton's song "Daily News" came up and it prompted the thought that although times and people reported on may change the reports seem somehow just the same.  How do I know? I read it in the Daily News. . . https://genius.com/Tom-paxton-daily-news-lyrics

For anyone not acquainted with Donna Leon's novels, her genre is detective fiction, set in Venice, Italy and 'starring' Commissario  Guido Brunetti.
The story lines don't however follow the conventional line of the detective novel, the endings can be surprising, and outwitting the upper echelon an office sport.   On the way she introduces snippets of life in Venice, Italy in general, and references to food.  My favourite so far in the food line is a pumpkin risotto that has slivers of ginger introduced.  Lots of quotable quotes. . .  leaving no stone unturned or feather unruffled - you get the idea!
https://www.goodreads.com/series/50419-commissario-brunetti

All Highly recommended.