Teaching classes at SCA events is one of my favorite aspects of being in this society.  I love doing research, I love creating clothing and objects, and I absolutely delight in teaching the things I have learned to others.  I will admit, however, that taking that first step from artisan to instructor, can be quite intimidating (and is often full of doubts and second guessing).  It is hard to put yourself out there but disseminating information and sharing our work helps others grow and learn as well.  Below are some tips I have for those who are considering teaching in the SCA.

• Make sure that you know the subject well enough to convey it to others.  If you are only the barest of beginner in an art form, I would recommend that you wait to share this skill in a formal setting.  Often we start to learn a new skill or start following a new line of research and we can become overeager to present what we have found to others.  Know that it is more than acceptable to take it slow, gain some more experience in the field, and then develop the materials that will make for a good class.

Example: I once attended a dance class at a small SCA event.  I knew the teacher and while she had a fairly firm skill set in the basics of dance, she was teaching a style that she had literally only learned herself the week before.  It was off-putting to me as a student to see her have to constantly go back to her notes and then try to recall the steps (which where not yet embedded in her own muscle memory) in order to demonstrate them to us.  Any teacher might need a moment to pause and reflect before showing something, but this particular situation showed that she was not learned enough in this dance to share it with others and it made for a very awkward hour of class.  I will note that now, many years later, she teaches this particular dance quite well and has inspired others to learn more!  It takes time and mastery, and the key is knowing the subject well enough that you can convey it to others with relative ease.

• Research is important.  Make sure they you understand which research is good and which is better and which should be ignored.  I do not recommend teaching a class using only another Society’s member’s handouts.  Do your own research and your own work (and this in turn, will give you confidence and let you speak in more depth about a topic). 
  

• Is the subject matter of your class SCA appropriate?  Is it based on pre-17th century cultures or skills, is it based on SCA specific history or culture (things like our use of heraldry or classes geared towards SCA occupations such as Autocrats or Feastocrats could fall into these categories)?   Just because you want to teach something (and can do it competently) does not mean that it belongs in an SCA environment.

• And yes, it is perfectly ok to teach something basic.  Many people have websites and teach classes on how to make period tunics, but these classes are always great for newcomers or someone just making their first foray into a more period appearance.  Beyond that, it is also good to keep in mind that different people learn in different ways and it might be your class that finally makes something ‘click’ for someone.  Do not let the fact that others are teaching a subject deter you.
  

• Confidence is key and to be confident you have to know your material well.  That is not to say you need to be the absolute authority on a subject, but you do need solid groundwork in the requisite skill set or have a firm grasp of the research for the topic.

For example, one might be an advanced knitter of mundane items.  You might not know         everything there is about period knitted items, but you have done some research and have images to show how the skill was used in period.  Beyond that, you certainly have the knowledge of the basic stitches and techniques for general knitting and can competently teach newcomers how to get started.   Having confidence in your expertise will allow you share the joy of knitting with new students and having at least some background in historic application (and the ability to point the students to reference materials should they inquire further) should make for an inspiring class.

• Remember that no one knows everything.  It is ok to not know the answer to a student’s question.  We are not (for the most part) PhDs in our areas and it is completely legitimate to tell the questioner that you do not have an answer but that you can either look into it later and get back to them or refer them to someone who would know the answer. 

• Also keep in mind that even a class geared towards the beginner has a likelihood of drawing advanced practitioners of the skill.  In most cases, these individuals will be kind and courteous and often add a great deal to the class discussion.  Do not be afraid to see Laurels or those you consider experts in your field attend your class!  We all have more to learn and they obviously share in your enthusiasm for the topic.

Example:  One of the classes I teach at events covers basic costuming for those interested in adopting a Middle Eastern persona or those who want to dress appropriately for halfas.  I have been teaching these classes since 2005 and am confident in my research and with my handouts.  When I was teaching it at this past Pennsic there was a woman in my class who was one of my own early inspirations for my work.  She was a delight to have there and her own lovely garb enabled me to further illustrate what comprises a good “look”.  Beyond that, she very much added to the conversation, which took the class a step beyond me just reciting facts to something and let it become something more engaging.

• Never stop being a student.  Never be afraid to find out that you were wrong about something and never stop updating your research or practicing your skills.  Things change, research progresses and new things become available.  A good teacher never stops growing.

• Bring examples to illustrate your topic (if possible and relevant).  Images, handouts, things to fondle, all of these are things that might help clarify the subject matter for others.  Also remember that everyone learns and retains knowledge in different ways and some people simply learn better through tactile items they can hold or make themselves.

Example:  Some people do not translate static, stylized art into a full costume without some better way to visualize how a painted manuscript converts to reality.  When I created a Pinterest page for Ottoman costume, I included not only miniatures and extant caftans, but also some photos of members of the SCA wearing exceptionally researched and crafted garb.  I had one person thank me for specifically sharing those images because it helped better interpret period art.

• When possible, provide materials that the students can take home with them.  Whether it is a handout or sample that is produced in class or just a card with your website and email, give them that reminder of what they learned and a way to contact you if they have further questions.

• A test run of your class is never a bad thing.  I always teach a new class first to members of my household.  It gives me a chance to see how long the class will actually run, and it gives me some initial feedback that I can use to improve the flow of the class.  Questions these test students ask me during the instruction often point out where I need to make things more clear or where I need to delve deeper into a particular area.  It might also be beneficial to have a Laurel or other artisans glance at your material and give you feedback, additional resources or advice on which items and techniques that work best in the classes they offer. 
  

• Are you deathly afraid of public speaking?  Try offering small, informal workshops to your local group.  You will hone your teaching skills in a comfortable setting while building the confidence to confront a classroom full of eager students.
  

• And perhaps the most important item of all, continue have fun and enjoy sharing the love you have for your work!

This year you can sign up in advance for volunteer positions at Pennsic!  You can select which area in which you would like to and give your availability.  In the past there were individuals who said they wanted to volunteer but who had no idea how to go about offering services, so it has all been made quite simple!

Sign up for a shift or two somewhere and help make a great event even greater!


http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn43/ACTIVITIES/volunteers.html

The internet is a fabulous way to connect with people who share similar interests.  It is especially great for those involved in any level of reenacting because it brings an instant way to share your items and to get feedback.  What people often fail to understand, however, is that not every online forum or group will cater to ones specific needs and desires.  And, honestly, they shouldn't.  The various Viking groups on Facebook are a perfect example of that idea.  I personally belong to three different groups and all have very different focuses and cater to specific crowds.  I firmly believe that there is never a need for someone to be cruel to a newcomer or someone with a difference of opinion, it is also wrong for someone to expect that a group dedicated to a deep level of authenticity to give warm fuzzies to someone's fantasy kit. 

The three groups in question are below, along with descriptions of each and my thoughts.  Hopefully this post can help people find the right group "home" for them and also have a better understanding of the dynamics of each of these internet cultures.  (Not that you can link directly to each group via the image.)

The Vikings of the SCA Group is a group that is geared towards offering a fun and educational environment for members of the SCA who are exploring Viking personas.  People post photos of garb, ask questions, link to relevant articles and often even share funny or fantasy Viking images or memes.  It is a very laid-back place to kind of get a feel for what other Vikings withing the Society are doing.

The Viking Clothing (SCA-style) forum is acutually a spin-off of the Viking Clothing group listed below.  This group has a goal of helping people to improve their Viking kit while acknowledging that the SCA does not require a specific level of authenticity.  It is a great place for newcomers to Viking dress to post their images and get feedback (if you ask for it) about how to improve your garments.  There are lots of "warm fuzzies" to be found here, and plenty of encouragement and advice for those who ask for it.

The Viking Clothing group is my favorite of the three because its purpose is to discuss how best to accurately portray Viking garments.  The conversations can be complex and often members will quote archeological sources, academics and museums.  While there are quite a few members of the SCA on this forum, it is NOT an SCA-focused group.  Indeed, it actually caters predominantly to the European reenacting crowd and their high standards regarding what is acceptable or even plausible.  If you post a photo of your kit here, you should expect helpful advice whether you ask for it or not.  The vast majority of the group's members are very kind, but one must understand that for many of them, English is not the first language and things can sometimes sound harsh when there was no such intent.

Discussions can involve intricate details and often it moves beyond the concept of a generic Viking costume to trying to place a garment into a specific time and place in the Viking world.  Weave structures are discussed, proper dyes and mordants for the period, appropriate use of imported goods and other wonderful, detailed topics that invite others to share their experiences and research and to expand what they already know by listening to others.

If you are new to Viking Clothing, I recommend highly that you just spend some time browsing the posts and files here.  This group can be a very inspiring site and it is full of great advice.  And please understand that if you post your work, you will get feedback.  It may not be the praise you would get on another forum, but if you keep in mind that this group is dedicated to the pursuit of authenticity you can learn a great deal from its members and really start taking your garb to the next level.

The official group message is below:

I was asked last night for some information on cool linen garb for the summer (specifically for someone interested in Ottoman or Persian garb).  I cover a bit about fabric choices in my post "Dressing for the Weather", but when the topic of pants came up specifically, I decided to make a separate post about how I make my Pennsic pants cool and comfortable.

At this point in time, I only will make my pants out of handkerchief weight linen or very light weight (and breathable) cotton block printed fabric.  Because I do not want to fight with drawstrings or sashes in a port-a-john in the dark, I only use elastic to hold them up.  Elastic, however, can be bulky and some of the wide waistband types of elastic can be quite hot during exceedingly humid Pennsics.  After testing out a few different options, I have found a remarkably comfortable way to finish the waists of my Pennsic pants.

I need to add that the actual pattern I use for my pants is Uncle Rashid's Salwar pattern.  One can make these as loose and billowy as one cares too and it is also not necessary to construct them with a low crotch (as some people prefer to prevent chafing by opting for a higher placement of the crotch).  When worn with Ottoman or Persian coats, no one will ever see the crotch OR the waistband, so this is an area where comfort can safely dictate construction.  (Note that while I am referring to a specific pattern here, I can apply this waist treatment to any pair of pants that is cut using rectangular construction methods.)

When laying our my pattern, I add extra length to the top of the pants, usually a couple of inches.  I sew the legs of the pants and then sew them together and finish off the hem of the cuffs.  I then begin my waist treatment by folding the top edge in approximately a half an inch.  I either press it with an iron or run a basting stitch to secure it. 

I then fold it in again another two inches, pin it in place, and then sew along the bottom (leaving a small opening at the front or back seam of the pants to insert elastic later).  I then sew a seam near the top of the waist (1/4" to 3/8" down from the fold) and one more seam between those two (this one will also have an small opening near where the bottom seam is also left open to allow for insertion of the elastic.) 

What this effectively does is create a double casing with a bit of a ruffled edge at the top.  Elastic will be fed through both slots and finished off however you normally would do so.  I find that by using 1/4" or 3/8" cotton elastic (meant for swimwear) rather than a single wide band of poly elastic, I cut down on the heat that gets trapped between me and the elastic.  Using the double casing also allows the fabric to spread out more evenly over the elastic and creates less bulk that can look unpleasant under garb.  (I also have noticed that when I have one wide casing with inch wide elastic that the garment tends to slide around and all gather up in one spot or the elastic annoyingly twists on itself inside the casing.  Neither of these are things I want to deal with when it is 95 degrees and humid!)

I think I might have neglected to mention how fantastic the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was this year!  I came home with another lovely Icelandic pelt and three new spindles for my collection.  Including a new Spanish Peacock spindle (I have one that I got in a barter situation with someone last year and it is hands down my favorite spindle to use). Now I need to get to work to build a shelf with holes in it that I can place the spindles in when not in use (to prevent the shafts from warping).

A dear friend and Household member also purchased a new rigid heddle loom at the festival and I went over to her house this weekend to help her warp it.  The weaving she has started looks lovely and I hope she has fun with her new toy.

I also finally got to pull two projects off the looms at home.  This one is handspun Icelandic wool weft with a Harrisville Shetland warp.  After wetfinishing, it is just shy of two yards and I hope to make a hood for my boyfriend out of it.

And FINALLY, I finished the fabric on my floor loom!  This piece is just shy of 8 feet and is woven of rug wool.  It is going to be a rug for my boyfriend's Viking tent :-)

Next project to go on that loom will be another yellow rug wool warp (I have a ton of that stuff) to be woven into a rug for my tent and possibly some small gift rugs.

Post from the Pennsic Facebook page and a reminder that deadlines are fast approaching.  Make sure that the landagent for your group is registered and has checked-in!  This is important!!!

Today's Icelandic sheep are the direct descendants of sheep brought to the island by Viking settlers.  It is considered an unimproved breed as there have been no outcrosses allowed to the Icelandic sheep population in its native country. (Ekarius and Robson, 168;  Dýrmundsson and Niznikowski, 1276)  This fact alone makes this breed very appealing to me for recreation purposes.  Further, the wool is also readily available to me (in the U.S.) as there are quite a few breeders here with sizable flocks.

Most Icelandic sheep today have horns in both sexes, though on occasion there will be a ewe with no horns or a sheep with four horns.  They are classified as a medium sized sheep with ewes weighing 150-160lbs and rams weighing 200-220lbs.  (OSU)

These animals are double-coated with a variety of possible colors: black, brown, gray, brown-grey, white and patterned colors as well, such as badger-face or mouflon.   Many Icelandic flocks today are primarily white, possibly due to selective breeding but I will note that the dominant genetic pattern in Icelandics results in all color being inhibited and, therefore the product is an all white sheep. (Sveinbjarnardottir-dignum, 10)   Based on that fact, I have to wonder if possibly more white sheep would not just result naturally over time. 

Unlike some other sheep from the Northern European Short-tail group, the Icelandic has a distinct difference in the length and fineness of its two coats. The long hairy outer coat is called the tog and the fine wooly undercoat called the thel.  It is possible to spin the two together after combing (or directly from the lock) or they can be separated and spun into two vastly different yarns.  The tog is coarse, strong and water resistant and is good for making sails or outer garments that need to shed water.  The soft, downy thel is much shorter and it spins into a soft, warm yarn that is comfortable to wear next to the skin. 

Like many primitive sheep, the Icelandic will shed its wool making it possible to roo (pluck) the wool in the summer rather than shear it. The tog and thel shed also shed at different times, allowing one to obtain wool that is largely free from hair.

Icelandic wool is also not as greasy compared to many other breeds.  I have several whole fleeces and none of them were so unctuous that I could not easily spin in-the-grease if I so chose. The Soay and Shetland that I have handled, however, were so heavy with lanolin that I would not much care for the experience of spinning those unwashed.

Sources Cited:

• Dýrmundsson, Ólafur and Niznikowski, Roman.  “North European short-tailed breeds of sheep : a review,” 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production.  2008
• Ekarius, Carol and Robson, Deborah. The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn (Storey Publishing, LLC), 2011.
• Oklahoma State University. “Breeds of Livestock Project”. www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/‎
• Ryder, M. L. Sheep & Man (Gerald Duckworth & Co.), 1983.

Resources for Icelandic Wool in the U.S.:

• Icelandic sheep breeders of North America: http://www.isbona.com/breeders.html
• Tamarak Farm - I have bought both wool and pelts from these folks:  http://www.tamarackfarmsheep.com/
• Morning Star Meadows - I have purchased a lovely whole fleece from this farm:  http://morningstarmeadows.wordpress.com/contact-us/

Further reading:  For those interested in seeing a wonderful display of fibers from around the world I cannot recommend The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook enough.  It is filled with fantastic information and photographs and detailed information about the quality of the wool itself.  Sheep & Man is a large volume detailing the evolution of sheep throughout the world and is a great history on the evolution and domestication of these animals.

• The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn by Carol Ekarius and Deborah
• Sheep & Man by M. L. Ryder  (This book is out-of-print but is available in the U.S. via ILL.)
  

References:

• Dýrmundsson, Ólafur and Niznikowski, Roman.  “North European short-tailed breeds of sheep : a review,” 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production.  2008
• Jennbert, Kristina.  “Sheep and Goats in Norse Paganism”, Pecus, Man and Animal in Antiquity: Proceedings of the conference at the Swedish Institute in Rome, September 9-12, 2002. Ed Barbro Santillo Frizell, 2004.
• Orsted Brandt, Luise, et al. “Characterising the potential of sheep wool for ancient DNA analyses”, Archaeol Anthropol Science, 2011.
• Ryder, M. L. "A Survey of European Primitive Breeds of Sheep," Annales de Génétique et de Sélection Animale. 13, no. 4: 381−418, 1981.
• Ryder, M. L. “Medieval Sheep and Wool Types.” Agricultural Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, 1984
• Ryder, M. L. Sheep & Man (Gerald Duckworth & Co.), 1983.
• Walton, P. "Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate." The Archaeology of York Volume 17: The Small Finds.  1977.

Coming soon: Information and fiber samples of various breeds from the Northern European Short-tailed group.

I think that when time allows, I would like to make ensembles for any number of cultures that are either contemporaries of the Vikings and with whom they had cultural exchanges.  I would love to dabble with Slavic, Saxon and Finnish especially. 

One of the most incredible portrayals I have seen of Finnish is Duchess Siobhan of Drachenwald.  Her work is often based on grave finds and the execution is highly detailed and incredibly elegant. 

Her blog can be found here:
http://heavymetalembroidery.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/finnish_apron_from_kekomoki/

And I also recommend looking at the photos she has in her Facebook albums: Facebook

Incredibly inspiring work!

(Photos used with permission!)