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the Hedgehog Splinter Swap FAQ
December 2000

~ I don't wanna read this FAQ, take me to the pictures already! ~
Return to Auntie's Neighborhood ~ Home (AUNT MOLLY'S BEAD STREET)

Q: What on earth is a Hedgehog Splinter Swap?

A: We didn't know either until we had one!

Here's the story: I learned that Aunt Molly's Bead Street was reviewed on a Korean website. I don't read Korean, so I asked on seedbeadfrenzy, a mailing list at egroups.com, if someone would attempt a translation. Caren had a Korean font on her computer and access to a free translator. Now we know why it was free – most of the text was nonsensical. But one phrase did stand out:

"...deceased, hedgehog bobs a splinter."

Huh??? After a few hours it dawned on me the phrase was probably a reference to my classroom project on porcupine quills! You know, bobs = cut; hedgehog = porcupine; splinter = quill? Because quaint translations are one of life's little pleasures, and because porcupine quills had been discussed on the SBF list recently, I figured a little swap would be fun. (And it was!)

Q: Who is Hedgehog Bob?

A: Oh, he’s just a guy from Paula Morgan’s imagination.

Q: How did the swap work?

A: The swap was open to SBF beaders of all levels, provided they made something incorporating porcupine quills. It began on September 23 and closed in December 2000. Each person who sent me a project received a randomly chosen swap item in return.

Q: What is the Hedgehog Clan?

A: Any beader who joined the swap became an initiated clan member. I, Mary Tafoya, am the self-appointed Clan Mother. No, we do not have ceremonies. We're too busy trying to dig those pointy quill ends out of the carpet before the kids get home from school!

Q: Can I join?

A: Uhhh, no.

Q: What’s the difference between a hedgehog and a porcupine?

A: What do I look like, your biology teacher? Check Britannica.com. But, off the top of my head, I’d guess that a porcupine is any of the large, quill-bearing rodents of the families Erethizontidai and Hystrididae (order Rodentia), whereas a hedgehog is any of 14 species of Old World mammals composing the family Erinaceidai, order Insectivora.

Q: Were any animals harmed in the production of these swap items?

A: We hope not! Anyway, few of us are stupid enough to go out and try to kill a porcupine. I can only speak for myself, but my quills came from a naturally deceased animal. You can "harvest" the quills from live animals, but I'm not going into that here because my columns are already unequal.

Q: May I see the pictures, please?

A: Certainly! Click the link to proceed to the Hedgehog Splinter Swap Gallery.