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A Wandering Elf

My original site exploring both Viking Age textiles and clothing and discussing topics relevant to the SCA.

Quick Link to Viking Textiles

Viking Embellishment and Embroidery - Part 1

11/26/2014

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There are several arguments that come up repeatedly on Viking costuming forums.  Many of them surround appropriate decoration techniques for costumes of the era (in contrast to things that are pure fantasy).  Large scale embroidery is likely the most contentious of the techniques commonly employed by reenactors today.  I have seen garments created and heavily embellished by individuals that were awe inspiring in their form and complexity, but realistically, there is no evidence for that type of work.

To begin this conversation, let me break down what we do know from archaeological evidence about garment embellishment:

We know that they had tablet woven bands. 

There are dozens of band fragments from many areas ruled by the Vikings.  Scandinavia, Ireland, York, Iceland even further east to places such as the Ukraine all have ample evidence of the use of tablet weaving.  Most of these bands were brocaded, rather than the simple threaded-in patterns you commonly see used by reenactors.  I have seen no evidence at all of decorative bands that use a method of simplistic 4 forward, 4 backward style of turning to create basic patterns such as diamonds.  Rather, the patterning in most examples was created by brocading, a hand manipulating technique that produces an intricate design on the surface of the band, often executed with metallic thread (typically hammered silver or gold, or hammered metal wrapped around a silken core).

It is important to remember that there were only decorative bands found in less than 5% of graves, making even this type of treatment quite rare.  
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Most bands were less than a half an inch wide and were woven from silk, or a warp of half silk and half linen with the linen never showing on the surface.  This allowed the weaver to use less of their costly silk while still creating a luxurious band.  Wool has also been found as tablet woven bands.


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Extant bands from Birka. (from Birka III: Die Textilfunde aus den Gräbern)
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Tablet weaving on a mantle ribbon (Mammen). Photo credit - National Museum of Denmark
I personally have only had limited experience with tablet weaving, though adding brocading to my skill set is part of my eventual plan.  I fault no one for using their learning attempts (typically simple threaded in patterns) to embellish their garb, and have done so myself because I prefer to use everything I make, even if it is a ‘learning process’ type of project.  Indeed, I think this style of handwork still makes a better addition to a costume and purchased jacquard trim!  I do, however, think it important for those who seek to improve their overall historic impression to understand what techniques were actually employed and work to master those.

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My simple tablet woven band in 24/2 wool. The technique used for this is not evidenced in the Viking age.
Ideas for using tablet weaving to create a more accurate impression:
  • Use narrow bands (most finds were half an inch or less)
  • Stick to silk, wool or linen when possible (or cost saving substitutes such as tencel for silk), and use very fine rather than thick threads
  • Use brocading techniques to create motifs on the band or explore other methods of patterning done in period
  • Choose your colors based on those available with natural dyes
  • Only apply silk tablet woven bands to garments made from high quality textiles
  • Opting to only use bands on a small portion of your kit, rather than decorating every available edge with a band, as the finds were rare

Part 2 can be found here:  http://awanderingelf.weebly.com/a-wandering-elfs-journey/viking-embellishment-and-embroidery-part-2



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Sheep Breeds - Gotland

11/25/2014

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The Gotland breed developed from the Gute sheep, a primitive breed descended from those brought to Sweden by the Vikings.  (Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock Project)  The wool is typically gray but ranges from silver to near black, though white and brown do rarely occur. The wool from these animals can be spun quite fine, but resembles mohair more than any other of the short-tailed breeds. (Ekarius and Robson, 162)

While the older Gute (or Goth) sheep breed still exists on the island of Gotland today, the modern breed, which was started a hundred years ago by selecting for specific color and curl among Gute sheep, has had some additional improvements from Leicester, Texel and other stock.  The Gotland breed in the US is being built by artificial insemination to acceptable outcrosses to establish American Gotlands (acceptable outcrosses are Icelandic, Finn, Shetland and seven of the English longwool breeds).


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Gotland Sheep by Malene Thyseen.
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Gotland sheep by Berit from Redhill Surrey, UK
Fiber Information:
  • Staple length:  3-7 inches, but can be much longer
  • Fiber description:  18-mid-20s in lambs and 27-34 in adults
  • Lanolin:  Fairly low lanolin
  • Fleece size:  5.5-11lbs
  • Animal size:  Medium – ewes weigh 120-155 and rams are 165-190
  • Notes:  This wool type is a longwool, with lovely wavy locks that curl at the tips.  It spins exceptionally well for me in to smooth, fine yarns.
  • Fleece type:  Ryder classifies them as Medium, Generalized Medium and Hairy Medium.  The more primitive Gute sheep is classified as true Hairy or Hairy Medium. (Ryder, Sheep & Man, 527)


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Gotland Sheep at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, 2014.
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Gotland Sheep at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, 2014.
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Resources:

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.

Ryder, M. L. "A Survey of European Primitive Breeds of Sheep," Annales de Génétique et de Sélection Animale. 13, no. 4: 381−418, 1981.
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Exciting New Tool!

11/24/2014

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I have mentioned before that I discovered that some spinning tools are fairly specialized, including those historic styles used for very, very fine spinning (you can read that post here).  After playing with the Pallia spindle that I very much like, I went in search of another tiny spindle for further experimentation.  I found one from MissingSpindle on Etsy (this is Mistress Rhiannon from AEthelmearc, for those who might have had her classes before).  I got from her the tiny, hand hewn spindle below.  Aside from being completely adorable, it is very functional.  I purchased with it three very small whorls of differing weights.  (The wool surrounding it was the protective package stuffing.  I was amused by it but it really does make sense and of course I will try to spin it!)
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I did test out the spindle with the lightest whorl tonight using some of my hand combed Icelandic tog.  The shaft weighs 3.8 grams and the whorl a mere 5.3.  You can see a short length of my Icelandic yarn below.  My yarn is the stretched out portion, and that towards the top of the spindle, the rest was wound on there when it arrived (such a tease to see that on there when the package arrived at my office - it really make me want to test it out immediately).  I hope to spin some very fine yarn this winter to test it out as warp for a sample piece of weaving.
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In the News - More on Lendbreen

11/24/2014

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The Lendbreen was an exceptionally exciting find a few years ago, and I am very looking forward to seeing the reconstructions mentioned in this article.  (This new piece has some nice info on the wool itself!)

http://www.medievalists.net/2014/11/24/early-medieval-tunic-recreated-norway/
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Sheep Breeds: Finnsheep

11/19/2014

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PictureFinnsheep at 2014 Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.
This breed is thought to be several hundred years old and, as its name suggests, has its origins in Finland. (OSU)  Though they are descendants of the Wild Mouflon and the Scandinavian Short-tail group, these sheep have been highly crossbred with other breeds of sheep.  Those crosses include sheep outside of the Northern European Short-Tailed breeds. (Dýrmundsson and Niznikowski, Table 2) 

Finnsheep are one of the most prolific breeds in the world and an ewe can have up to nine lambs in a litter. (Hatton)  This tendency, as well as the animal’s adaptability to rugged climates, has made the sheep a very desirable addition to other bloodlines to increase numbers in herds by multiple births. 

The wool can come in many colors (blacks, grays, browns, fawns, spotted), but is most commonly white.  These sheep typically have a single coat, but double coated individuals still occur on occasion.  (Ekarius and Robson, 159)  The coat is usually fine and can have a soft curl and works well with combing.


Fiber Information:

  • Staple length:  3-6 inches
  • Fiber description:  24-32 microns in single coated sheep.
  • Lanolin: 50-70%, but I found the samples I had to be quite unctuous.
  • Fleece size:  4-8lbs
  • Animal size:  Rams are 150-200lbs with ewes weighing 120-190lbs.
  • Notes:  This wool has a nice crimp, combs and spins easily.
  • Fleece type:  Ryder has classified this fleece as ranging from Fine to Generalized Medium.



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Right Finnsheep ewes and lambs in Finland. Photo credit - David Smith from Elimäki, Finland.
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A Finnsheep ram in Finland. Photo credit - Andrei Niemimäki from Turku, Finland
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Resources:

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.

Hatton, Grace. 
"FIBER BASICS: FINNSHEEP", Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 2005.

Oklahoma State University. “Breeds of Livestock Project”. www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/‎

Ryder, M. L. Sheep & Man (Gerald Duckworth & Co.), 1983.

Ryder, M. L. "A Survey of European Primitive Breeds of Sheep," Annales de Génétique et de Sélection Animale. 13, no. 4: 381−418, 1981.
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Sheep Breeds:  Soay

11/18/2014

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This breed has its origins on the St. Kilda archipelago off the west coast of Scotland.  The name of this small breed comes from the Norse words for “sheep” and “island”. (Ekarius and Robson, 194) Soay bones and fleece show that the soay is likely a direct ancestor of prehistoric sheep in Europe.  (Ryder, Changes,501)  They are the oldest sheep from the British Isles and are, in part, descended from those who were there before the coming of both the Romans and the Vikings. (Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock Project)

Their wool can be shades of light or dark brown (or, very rarely, white), and like the Icelandic and some other breeds, they can shed their wool in the summer.  Ryder suggests that the darker Soay are more primitive that the lighter, wooly ones. (Ryder, Changes, 501)

Soay, like the other older members of the Northern European Short-tail group, have two coats, but the coats are so similar in many cases, that it is difficult to to tell the two apart.  (Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock Project) As of 2012 there were less than 1200 of these animals in Britain.  There is a small population of them in the United States and Canada as well, some of which are pure British Soay, while others have had Shetland outcrosses.  These small sheep may be as close to “period” animals as we can find. 


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Soay Ram. Photo credit - Stephen Jones
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Two Soay ewes at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, 2014.
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Samples of a Soay fleece, and also samples from a more hairy soay (this fleece contains both dark, coarse hairs and an excess of kemp).

Facts
  • Staple length:  1.5-4 inches according to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.  I have handled samples from 4 different fleeces and none of them were much longer than 2.25 inches.
  • Fiber description:  The inner coat is very well developed and hard to distinguish from the outer coat in wooly fleeces (both in terms of length and diameter).  The wool from these sheep typically ranges from 29-36 microns.    
  • Lanolin:  Neither of my sources list typical yield, but I can say that the samples I have handled seemed exceptionally greasy (prompting me to wash one sample three times before spinning).
  • Fleece size: .75-2lbs according to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, but OSU lists it is 3-5lbs.
  • Animal size:  55-75lbs for rams and 48-52lbs for ewes.  These are small sheep with goat-like builds.

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A pair of Soay lambs on Hirta. Photo credit: David Smith from Elimäki, Finland
Resources

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.

Ryder, M. L. “Changes in the fleece of sheep following domestication (with a note on the coat of cattle”.

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, Michael L.. "The History of Sheep Breeds in Britain."
The Agricultural History Review, 12, no. 1: 1−12, 65-82. 1964.

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A Viking Breakfast Dish

11/17/2014

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At Pennsic this year I was finally able to obtain a copy of An Early Meal.  The book is fantastic and has historical information in it as well as recipes created to fit what little we do know about Viking meals.  In it there is a recipe for an Apple Frumenty that makes use of crab apples (which were found in the burial at Oseberg).  I was fortunate this year to discover that one of the weed trees that has sprung up next to the cabin was actually loaded with crabapples - nearly 8lbs of fruit!

I used a portion of them to make jelly and then opted to test out some theoretical period cooking with the rest.  While An Early Meal gave me the idea for a frumenty type dish my recipes are quite unlike that mentioned in book.


PictureCooking apples in butter.
The first dish I made was meant to be savory (to be served with a pig that was to be roasted that weekend).  I wanted to cook the wheat that was the base of my dish in broth or stock but had none, so opted for a bottle of cider that I did have.  I cooked the wheat until almost done and then sauteed the apple pieces with butter and a bit of honey and then added that into the wheat.  By it self it was tart, and maybe a bit bland, but with a pile of roast pork laid over the top it was rather good (and confirms to me that I would indeed want to cook the wheat in broth).

The second dish I crafted was designed to be sweeter (though the sourness of the apples still shines through) and I have to say that being fond of tart fruit, that I really love this rendition. 

Viking Breakfast Dish

1/3 cup Bulgar wheat
1 cup whole milk (additional water to finish cooking)
1-1 1/2 cups of chopped crabapples
2T butter (I used possibly a bit more)
1 - 2 T honey

Warm milk in a saucepan and add in the wheat.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer (stirring occasionally) until the wheat is tender but still has texture to it, adding in additional water as needed during cooking.

Core and chop crab apples into small pieces (I was pretty much quartering mine).  Add butter to a skillet and
sauté apples until they are tender but not mushy.  Stir in honey to taste and then add the contents of the skillet to the wheat/milk mixture, cook for a few minutes more and then serve warm.  (The apples could also be added directly to the wheat and cream and cooked there, but I like the texture of sauteed apples so opted to cook it in this manner.)



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Kafe Merhaba

11/13/2014

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Experiments with Cleaning Wool

11/12/2014

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While preparing for the class I had planned to teach at FFF (which will now hopefully be taught at Atlantia Winter University, and again elsewhere this spring and at Pennsic), I have been washing a great number of wool samples from various breeds of sheep.  I've gotten to experience how heavy or light in lanolin a fleece can be and have wondered often at period methods of cleaning fleeces.

I believe that spinning in the grease might not have been uncommon for breeds that are laden with lanolin.  Much of the Icelandic wool I have cleaned had a nice hand before washing.  Further, the process of washing makes the fleece prone to static which can disorganize fibers during a combing process, meaning oil needs to be added back in while working with the wool.  If the wool was workable before washing, why would someone take make extra work for themselves?

Some fleeces, however, are indeed unctuous.  I have a Shetland fleece that, even after a heavy wash, was still almost slimy to the touch.  Soay is another that seems to be consistently greasy in the four samples with which I have worked.

When looking for period information on Viking era washing techniques, there is not much to go on.  Penelope Walton Rogers mentions that at York there was no vegetable detergent found, but that there was a mineral similar to Fullers Earth (used later in time as a fulling agent for woven textiles).  This fine clay has the ability to absorb oil, so I think it could be possible that it was used as a scouring agent.

In
"The Roles of Pit Houses and Gendered Spaces on Viking-Age Farmsteads in Iceland", Milek (the author) states that in the pit houses (buildings used specifically for weaving) that urine was often stored on the eastern side of the structure.  Stale urine was historically used as an agent in the process of both cleaning and dying wool (even up until the 20th century in some areas).  So that is another option for cleaning.

While not Viking, there is an interesting reference nearby from a passage in "Capitulare de Villis" (a text that guides the way estates were governed during the reign of Charlemange) states that the women who worked in the communal weaving houses should be supplied the items they need to work their craft.  "They are to supply the women's workshops with materials at the appropriate times, according to their instructions — that is, linen, wool, woad, vermilion, madder, wool-combs, teazles, soap, oil, vessels and the other small things that are needed there."  The soap mentioned there could have been for use in scouring wool.  (Perhaps I need to look more closely at the history of soap....)

After mulling this over, I contacted a wool vendor I regularly use and asked her for a couple of ounces of the greasiest wool she had.  She sent me some California Red which was so exceptionally oily that it glistened (even though the wool, once cleaned, was actually quite dull).  I weighed out a couple of small samples that were 7 grams each.  The first I washed with Dawn dishwashing liquid in hot tap water, and then rinsed in hot water.  The second I only soaked twice in hot tap water.  The third I added to a bag of Fullers Earth, tossed it around and let it sit for the evening and then rinsed clean in warm, but not hot, water.  After these processes were complete and the samples dried, all three weighed 5 grams.  They all visually appear the same, but to the touch the one washed with dishwashing soap might be just a tad more clean (there seem to be faint traces of oil still in the other two).  I would love to repeat this someday with larger portions of wool to get a better idea of how much grease really was washed out of each fleece sample.  (Further, I would like to also compare it to processes such as a fermented suint method of scouring and use of stale urine at some point).

Of course, all of these thoughts about cleaning wool lead me to wondering what exactly it was that was used in period to add oil back in for combing and spinning.  Clear fat/grease (that has been rendered) was referenced in one article I read as being a possibility.  I have also seen mentions of rapeseed and, much past the SCA period, olive oil.  I guess this is yet another thing to explore.  ;-)


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Three samples of California Red I used to test cleaning methods.
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My usual method of washing wool -- in either the sink or washing machine with the wool tucked into bags meant for washing delicates.
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Date Change - FFF

11/11/2014

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For those who were planning to attend the AEthelmearc event FFF (Fabric, Fiber, Fighting, Fencing, etc.) in the Shire of Abhainn Ciach Ghlais note that the date has been CHANGED to November 28-30, 2014.  (It was originally November 22, but there was an error on the part of the site and the date change was unavoidable.)

Alas, this means that I will no longer be able to attend (and teach) as it is a holiday weekend and I will be in Ohio with my family.  I hope that everyone that can make it has an absolutely fantastic time.  Hopefully I will be able to attend next year.  :-)

Event information can be found here:  http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~acg/Events/FFF.html


Again, the date for FFF is now November 28-30.  Please make note of this change.
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