While this is making the rounds on social media, I felt it worth resharing here for those who might not have seen it.  Dr. Jane Malcom-Davies (whom some might know from Tudor Tailor) has a peer-reviewed article on scientific reconstruction of dress and textiles.  I simply cannot love this enough.

https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1186/s40494-023-00982-9?sharing_token=mD6KKDS5cGeQbKqQLBP_5W_BpE1tBhCbnbw3BuzI2RNIb8Zlu9rQiEnPjhqc7y-sdeY6GNWBxeIGU849-L0mOL9dkLbGTgR2PA6WR3E3vtQCE02rJjdkniR7lW2HpW9J3mVtbS2rtRQhXHbf2oFx2pY220Y_qCLa_4L0NvKUjZs=

​This is an SCA post for those who are curious about what we do, rather than those already in the Society.

See, I know that some Ren Faire and LARP circles talk smack on the SCA. There are rumors that you HAVE to be perfectly historically accurate to play with us. There are stories about how you have to spend months of research on clothing and hand sew everything.

Full stop with that nonsense.

Perhaps you would like to know that our only actual requirement for garb is that it is "an attempt at pre-17th Century clothing"?

What this means is that folks who come to an event are asked to help set the stage by being in a costume of some sorts, rather than jeans and a t-shirt.

That is literally it.

You need not research your outfit, you sure as hell do not need to hand sew anything. If you do sew, you can run to Joanns and buy a McCall's halloween pattern and make a medieval-ish dress and just show up.

If you don't sew, a tunic of some sort from Amazon will work, toss it on with sweat pants and a belt and you are ready to come check us out. Thrift stores can yield long skirts and tunic-length blouses that can also make for nice starter garb.

And if you know you want to go to an event, you can reach out to the local group and see if they have loaner gear to help get you there.

And yes, before anyone starts (and NO this is not the place for it), there is always that one twatwaffle at the event that thinks everyone has to live up to some standard that THEY invented, but the fact is, the organization itself only requires an attempt. Nothing more. And the VAST majority of folks here would rather you just show up and check us out.  (And as for that twatwaffle?  If one reports them for bullying, it can actually help curb the bit of that behavior that does exist.)

It might also interest you to know that we have long time, high-ranking members who don't actually care at all about clothing. These folks might be more interested in cooking a feast, in fighting, in teaching black smithing or calligraphy. We have so very much to offer!

Me personally? I love the costume aspect. It makes me happy. I love the research and working how how things were done in the past. But sometimes I also roll out of camp in a mis-matched collection of things (men's medieval tunic, viking belt, woman's cap, modern-though-sca-related necklace and also I topped it off with birkenstocks because my feet need them).
​
If you are curious about what we do, we are here and ready to welcome new visitors, and no, the Society doesn't care what you are wearing when you show up at our doors.

There are MANY changes to Pennsic every year.  This year is NO different.  Make sure you read the RULES completely before going (or as soon as you get there).

• You have 6 hours to get your vehicle to parking after you arrive.  You do not want to FAFO with the parking crew.  You cannot keep a car in camp.  Period.
• If you are parking a trailer in the lot, you HAVE to follow the rules.  They are NOT even issuing warnings for this. They will just flat out tow you if your vehicle is parked improperly with a trailer (and you cannot leave a trailer connected to a vehicle in the lot either).
• The book you can purchase on site is NOT an up-to-date source of info for classes.  It was NOT meant to be.  In order to be available at a reasonable price, it had to be printed some time ago.  Classes were added or canceled or moved after that.  Your best bet is to print an UP TO DATE list from Thing before you leave or look it up online from site.  thing.pennsicuniversity.org/
• Some roads are designated One Way this year.  Know what they are and follow the rules, this is a matter of public safety.

There is a LOT of poison ivy on site this year, more so than in years past.  Also, high weeds have chiggers this year, if you don't wanna FAFO with the parking crew, you definitely do not wanna FAFO with these buggers.

My classes are below:

• 8/4 12PM A&S19 (2 hours) Celtic Textiles & Women’s Dress of Central Europe: Analysis of textiles from the Iron Age in Central Europe, along with information on dress accessories, period iconography, and burial practices. This class aims to help make informed choices for crafting women’s dress in the Late Hallstatt and Early La Tene periods in Central Europe.
  
  
• 8/8 11AM A&S 15 (2 hours) Deeper Look at Textiles & Trim of Viking Age Dress: By looking deeper at both the textiles and the details from extant items, this class aims to help individuals make informed choices for crafting their garments. Textile examples will clarify the weaves and weights of period fabrics and there will also be discussion of possible modern substitutions. Additionally, practical details for finishing or embellishing garments will be explored and their history investigated. The goal of this class is to help the individual understand how daily life during the Viking Age could affect how textiles were crafted and worn.

Registration deadline for online reg is JUNE 11!!!  Get your registration in as soon as possible because we all know the site crashes on the last couple of days!

https://www.cooperslake.com/prereg/account/index.php

If you are wanting to upgrade parts of your early period kit, I cannot recommend enough that you consider trying something beyond "absolute" symmetry in your strands of beads for certain times and places.  Why?  Because often what we see is not a grouping of beads where the left and right sides of the strand can mirror each other identically.  Frequently the beads in a single find are a scattering of types and styles.

Celtic finds, Migration Period, Viking Age... so many periods were the beads seem to be valued for their uniqueness, rather than "matching" in a mirroring sort of way.  In some collections we see a possibility for balance in the stringing (we often do not know exactly how they were strung during life, and many reconstructions opt for at least balance in the overall look if exact symmetry is not possible), but not that mirroring effect. 

I know that my first Viking strands were always painfully symmetrical, and they never really looked "right" to me.  I was definitely over engineering.  I am happier with the things that I make now, where I let different beads speak to me and get included for what each one brings to my mind.

​Below are some examples of extant groupings of beads that show off balance (with out absolute symmetry) and and some collections that really are a delightfully chaotic mix of things that seem to speak more to me of the people and places from which these items came.

Many museums have beads online and its sometimes worth it to just spend hours surfing until inspiration hits (unimus.no, National Museum of Denmark, Saxon beads are also easy to track down... heck, this is the one time I am actually going to recommend surfing the hated Pinterest for inspiration).

Honestly?  I would LOVE to see more of this type of work, these things that make the piece unique, in the modern world as well.

 I am deep in research for my Apothecary as well as future posts about Early (and Early Early) Period textiles, but I wanted to take a moment to share an opportunity to be a modern day Patron of the Arts.

Feed the Ravens (aka Maggie and Scot) is a an incredible vendor in the SCA.  These folks are beyond knowledgeable not only about their arts of ceramics, leathercraft and wood working, but also about the general history and material culture of the Viking Age.  They are constantly giving to our SCA and reenactment communities by sharing their knowledge.  I am proud to count them as friends.

Last year, at the urging of others, they finally started a Patreon page (HERE).  For those unfamiliar with the site, this allows artisans to gain the support of their fans in return for a window into their lives, as well as special offers, deals and sometimes even gifts.  It allows for a more historic form of sponsorship of the arts, which can allow artisans a bit of space to be more creative knowing that some of their own needs can be met.

I think it is amazing and joined pretty much as soon as it launched.  Patreon is set up nicely to allow for differing levels of commitment to the cause.  For Feed the Ravens it ranges from $3 a month to $100 a month.

Some of these tiers offer special shopping pre-sales, and just recently, there was an opportunity to PRE-ORDER pottery!  They also sent out gifts to subscribers at the end of the first year.

As an incentive right now, there is a contest for a FREE year of pottery.  Everyone who joins with an annual subscription will be entered and have a chance of winning!  The message they sent out is below in red text, and note that you have till NOON (Eastern Standard Time) on March 31 to join to be eligible.  I do believe you need to be in the US or Canada to win so one might want to check on that if you are outside of the US.  The Patreon link is here: www.patreon.com/ftrfeedtheravens/posts

GIVEAWAY! A one year pottery subscription!

All new Patrons who sign up for an Annual Membership on our patreon at ANY tier will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a ONE YEAR POTTERY SUBSCRIPTION FREE! A $1200+ value! One piece of our pottery per month sent to the winner for one year. We will choose a variety of different styles, sizes and functions for you from our studio. The higher the tier you sign up for, the more entries go into the drawing for you. Each dollar pledged is one entry! Tiers start at three dollars! To sign up for a full year, choose the tier you want to join, and select Annual Membership. Best of all, paying for the full year up front gets you a 10% discount!

Why are we running this promotion? Scot needs a new leather tool, and frankly, we just can't afford it right now. This tool will not only make his process go much faster, it will save untold wear and tear on his wrists. Check out this epic edging tool! (FYI, Scot currently and since about 16 years has been edging all of his belts by hand!)

Already a Patron? DON'T WORRY! We have another pottery subscription giveaway for you all as well! check your patron emails for details coming soon!

Link to our Patreon is on our main Feed the Ravens Facebook page. Deadline is noon EST on March 31 to enter, Drawing will be that evening!

And this isn't all they are offering!  They are doing a limited run of their Mug of the Month boxes!  I did this over the winter and got some incredible pieces from them.  I highly recommend diving into this if you have the funds for it.  It is wonderful fun to see what comes in the mail each month.  Details from their Facebook page are below in red.  I have added the link in green text in the copy from their page to make access easy.

SURPRISE BOX! Pottery Subscription! Who's in? 4 months, for one hundred per month, you will get one piece of pottery per month.  This will include:

• One historical stamped cup
• One Maggie Mug (with Handle)
• One Seasonal Rune cup (Spring or Summer)
• One Stamped Bowl - (large stew bowl or small serving bowl size)

Scroll through the photos (HERE) in this post to see examples of what you might get!
The monthly payment includes priority shipping. We will invoice you through our website.
Available as a monthly invoice, OR... hear me out- Pay all at once and get a FREE whiskey sipper - a one of a kind made just for you.

The first 30 subscriptions will go out April 15-30, the next 20 subscribers will get their first boxes May 15-30. and 50 is about all we can handle at this time.

WHY are we doing this special thing now and why should you jump on this? We are trying desperately to get approved for a home loan, and for what we want/need for a live/work situation we need 20% down. Covid and my surgery tanked our savings. and all of our monthly bills have gone up. We have to get out of this rental situation. A cash infusion at this time would seriously help our chances of get what we need to get there.  PM me if you want a subscription!  (FB Page info to message Maggie to subscribe is HERE)

THIS IS FOR 4 PIECES TOTAL, ONE PER MONTH, INCLUDING SHIPPING. (These are time consuming pieces of art, not fast production ware, and shipping is about 15-20% of the price)  

Below is a photo of some of the items I have that might be similar to items in the subscription boxes (every box will be UNIQUE though, that is part of the fun).  

In an effort to help folks better their ability to choose textiles for historic projects, I am compiling a series of articles aimed at those less familiar with the source material and textiles in general.  I hope this helps those who are looking to recreate Bronze Age costumes better source their cloth!
 
I am starting with the dating systems used to better help frame the discussed textiles with timeline. According to some dating systems, the Bronze Age in Scandinavia covers the years 1700BCE to 500BCE, while others start at 1800BCE (see chart used by Lise Bender Jorgensen from Northern European Textiles) and come to the same final point.  The period is broken down into the Early Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age (either 1700-1000BCE or 1800-1000BCE for Early, depending on the source).  More recent work has sought to use carbon dating as a means of  ‘finalizing’ the 6 subcategories in the periods with the following being the results (Olsen, et al):
 
Phase 1 – 1700-1500
Phase 2 – 1500-1300
Phase 3 – 1300-1100
Phase 4 – 1100-950/920
Phase 5 – 950/920 – 800
Phase 6 – 800-530/520

​Note that while I am adding this to my blog category for “Textile Charts”, I have to note that there really is no actual chart to be had for this topic because the textiles from this period were almost entirely tabby/plainweave.  For those new to textiles, basic tabby cloth is what you usually see in linen fabrics, particularly those sold at popular vendors like Fabrics-Store.

In her work, Forhistoriske Textiler I Skandinavien, Lise Bender Jørgensen details the textiles from each grave in each specific time period for Scandinavia.  The book has both a catalog and an analysis of textiles, including spin direction. All figures in the next few paragraphs are summarized from that source.  The book does not, however, have detailed information on color or density of weave.  In total, there are 185 Bronze Age graves containing textiles.  Most of these are from Denmark, with only 2 finds from Norway, 20 graves were from Sweden (from Scania and Halland) and 10 graves from Schleswig and Holstein, which are now part of Germany.  Overwhelmingly, the textiles are wool in tabby weave.

For the Early Bronze age (Phases 1-3), Phase 1 has only one grave and all items were repp-like tabby weave.  In a repp weave, one thread system covers the other giving it a ribbed effect.  If you have seen inkle weaving, you have seen repp weave.  82 graves from Phase 2 contained 107 tabby textiles, 13 repp (these include bands and starting borders), sprang was present in 4 graves and there were a few other more unique items as well, including men’s caps with pile (fuzzy hats!) in 7 graves.  All of the actual fabrics were tabby or repp.  The last Phase for the Early Bronze age (Phase 3), had 52 graves with textiles yielding 79 items with a determinable weave.  68 of these were tabby, 9 are repp and the remaining fall into the category of other (again, containing items like sprang and plaiting).​

​
The Late Bronze Age is comprised of Phases 4-6, but there was a switch during this period to cremation graves which leaves little material for us to explore.  Most of the textiles from this time are found in Phases 4 and 5, where we find 13 graves with textiles and with only 21 textiles that are preserved well enough to categorize.  18 of these are tabby, one is repp and two are a 2/2 twill.  Twill cloth has a diagonal weave to it (think of blue jeans here).  Both of these twill textiles are dated to Phase 5.
​

The surface of the wool cloth was also fulled, which makes it a bit fuzzy but improves the way it sheds water, insulates and renders the cloth unable to fray at the edges (meaning things like bottom hems or complex French seams were often unnecessary as the cloth will not ravel).

As a side note here, if anyone is interested in learning to weave, these garments, particularly the cropped blouses in several women’s graves, would be great projects for a novice.  They could even be done on a wide rigid heddle loom, which is a very good way to get started with the craft.  (See information on this type of weaving here - http://awanderingelf.weebly.com/blog-my-journey/rigid-heddle-weaving-for-sca-use )

The next question that folks often have is what color to purchase.  In this case, the Bronze Age in Scandinavia also makes this easy.  Aim for Brown.  There is no evidence of organic dye from this time and place (Frei, Mannering, et al, p652).  We do see natural pigmentation from the sheep, primarily brown, in the cloth and white wool seemed rare.  Soay sheep are a Bronze Age Breed, so it does not hurt to aim for those shades of brown for your textiles.
 
And finally, the last question, embroidery?  Figurative embroidery is not represented at all in these finds.  If you want decorative stitching for Early Bronze Age, I encourage you to look to the Skyrdstrup blouse and the beautiful needlework on it.  

It is important to note here that the complete costumes we have from the Bronze Age in Denmark, including those from Borum Eshoj, the Egtved Girl, and Skrydstrup, all fall into the EARLY Bronze Age designation.  That means that if you are looking for appropriate textiles for these items, then your best bet is to seek out a coarse wool tabby.  The mentioned nettle textile and the two twills fall very much outside of the period for these costumes.  Given that most folks seeking to represent this period will be opting for these looks (given how broad the amount of base material there is), I will summarize specifically for the Early Bronze Age period:
​

• Weave structure: Tabby, with repp being a lesser possibility for cloth, and likely for something like belts
• Fibre content: Wool
• Thread Count:  This cloth is what we would consider very coarse.  The textiles were most commonly 10 threads to the inch in each system.  There were a scant handful of wools that were more fine, but still coarse by today’s standards.  Because wools from this period were fulled, you can also look for wool flannels in a tabby weave that will help conceal a lower thread count.  It is possible that one might also locate something meant for more casual sport coats or jackets that will work.
• Color: Brown
• Stitches used: Running, overcast and buttonhole (Gleba & Mannering, p101)

If you want more information on Bronze Age costume, I have a list of sources in my Egtved Girl bibliography here:  http://awanderingelf.weebly.com/iron-age-celtic-studies/egtved-bibliography

Resources:
 
Barber, E.J.W. Prehistoric Textiles, Princeton University Press, 1991.

Bender Jørgensen, Lise.  Forhistoriske Textiler I Skandinavien, 1986.

Bender Jørgensen, Lise, Joanna Sofaer and Marie Louise Stig Sørensen.  Creativity in the Bronze Age: Understanding Innovation in Pottery, Textile, and Metalwork Production, February 2018.

Brandt, Luise Ørsted. “Species identification of skins and development of sheep wool”, PhD Thesis, The SAXO Institute, 2014.

Frei, Karin Margarita, Ulla Mannering, Ina Vanden Berghe, and Kristian Kristiansen.  “Bronze Age Wool: provenance and dye investigations of Danish Textiles”, June 2017.  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317347024_Bronze_Age_wool_Provenance_and_dye_investigations_of_Danish_textiles

Gleba, Margarita and Ulla Mannering. Textiles and Textile Production in Europe from Prehistory to 400AD, Oxbow Books, 2012.

Hald, Margarethe.  Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials, National Museums of Denmark, 1990.
​
Olsen, Jesper, et al. “Chronology of the Danish Bronze Age Based on 14C Dating of Cremated Bone Remains”, (2011). Radiocarbon, 53(2), 261-275.

Are you aiming to dive into Viking clothing or looking to upgrade a more fantasy Viking Age wardrobe into something more suitable to historic reenactment?  There are many traps most folks fall into when they start out (myself included).  Below is a brief list of things you can do from the outset, so that you can better fit the scene, if that is your desire.  In the past, I have taught a short class in the SCA about how to start your first Viking kit in a fashion that can be built upon later, rather than having to be totally reworked, as you progress towards higher authenticity.  Many of these clothing items are mentioned in the class.  This article is specifically for the Viking Age and broadly covers Denmark, Norway, Sweden (but not Gotland, which has different clothing traditions), Iceland, and the British Isles.  This[MKB1]  does not apply to Finnish, Baltic or Rus clothing, and may not apply to every time and place even in the areas covered.  Further research should be done to better align your clothing and equipment choices to fit the culture and class of your persona.

Note, if you belong to a reenactment group that has specific standards or a guide book, one should always consult that book or the authenticity officers as to what is allowed.  If you do not care about historical accuracy and just want what you personally feel is a “Viking look”, that is fine, especially for the SCA or Viking or Ren Faires.  This article is not geared to telling someone what they are doing is “wrong”, but rather to help align the evidence and help those who might want to take the next steps towards a more realistic historic interpretation.

1.  1)Textiles – the most common textiles in the Viking Age are wool and linen.  The most common weaves are tabby (plain weave, also called linen weave or canvas weave) or twill (this is a diagonal weave structure such as you find in your blue jeans).  My charts HERE show how common different weaves were in different areas.  Researcher David Stříbrný also has an article HERE about how uncommon herringbone twill is in period as well.  I have another article HERE which will help you distinguish a period diamond twill from types that we do not often see in the Viking Age.  Plain tabby and twill in solid colors are the best choices for most situations.
2. Not every Norse woman in the Viking Age wore an apron-dress (or those that did might not have worn it in all situations).  I have an article on apron-dresses HERE and Hilde Thunem talks dress/tunic/gown construction HERE. This is fantastic, because brooches are often the most expensive part of a woman’s kit, and starting with a simple dress means you can sort out what details of your persona BEFORE buying that pricey bling.
   
3. While it is common to see sprawling herringbone stitch on the outside of seams in reenactment, this practice is not supported by evidence (nor is it actually practical, as the constant loops of the stitch can sometimes twist seams).  This practice comes from a misinterpretation of evidence from Mammen and I discuss it HERE and HERE. 
   
4. Since herringbone stitch is out, how do you embellish a garment?  I have ideas in a two part series of articles that start HERE. The article covers braids, cords, and trim made of silk fabric. 
   
5. Another option for decoration is tablet weaving, but keep in mind that period tablet weave tends to be very narrow and made of fine yarn.  We see more complex methods, such as brocading, than we do simple turn-based patterns.  If you plan to weave something, and are looking for accuracy, it is good to verify that the pattern you are working from is from the current state of research.  Many brocade patterns have been revamped into turn-based patterns and the effect is so vastly different that it really is not the same thing at all.  Silvia Asiling has a fantastic example of this on her site HERE.
   
6. Remember that you need not add decoration at all!!!  The quality of your textiles is often a better indicator of the status of your persona.  Add some jewelry or other accessories (time/place/status specific) and you can be of the highest status without the need to clutter your silhouette with “Viking-esque” popular cultural items.
   
7. Leather accessories – While we commonly associate belts and belt pouches with everyone in medieval or early medieval period, it would be good to look into whether this is actually something your persona would have had.  In many cases, women might not have work belts at all, and for men there is a tendency to go overly large and overly long with both belts and pouches (often, large belt buckles are for horse harness).  There is some great research on men’s belts HERE.
   
8. Proper headwear can make or break an outfit.  It is good to invest some research time into this before deciding what is proper for your persona.  There are reenactor myths that Christian Viking women covered their hair with a veil and that Pagans never did, and that statement is not supported by evidence.  A veil can be an item of fashion and practicality as well as an element of faith.  At times, it is possible that women chose to cover their hair for practical reasons (such as keeping smoke out of your hair or the sun from baking your head), and not cover it at others.
   
9. Heavy swags of beads with multiple strands or bead spreaders are exceedingly uncommon in the general Viking period.  Some graves that are wealthy enough for oval brooches have no beads at all.  At Birka, we see an average of 22.7 beads in graves (and many of those are small), and at Hedeby, the average is only 8.3 beads.  You need not break the bank to buy piles of beads to follow popular modern conceptions of what looks “Viking”.  Starting with a few handmade beads and working up a collection of accurate types is very appropriate.  Some of my bead research can be found HERE.
   
10. Heavy make-up (Heilung style), use of leather and leather armor (especially as “clothing”), knee-high boots, and ragged pelts slung over the shoulders or worn as cloaks are items of fantasy.  If your goal is accuracy, I would step away from these items and work towards grounding your kit in the evidence.

I have a number of articles here on my blog that can help sort additional items out.  They can be found the topics of Viking Costume: Beyond the Myth and Viking Textiles – Looking Deeper.  For excellent articles on costume I recommend Hilde Thunem and Susanna Broome.  For fantastic research on armor, weapons, leather goods, and more, I highly suggest David Stříbrný’s site.
 
Given that most of us do not launch right into high-end historic reenactment, we can take our time, start simple, and thoughtfully develop the details of our persona (time, culture, location, status, wealth, occupation, and circumstance) and build out from there, making upgrades or adding finer details as we go.

So I read this post today and this one is a total NOPE with me.

https://www.facebook.com/scaResearchBlog/posts/pfbid02ZsxMXSqCioiW4yMB6ZDEeo959jFbKtKJRsXx2iViktYCD4HD1GJkgoxdoQgwRb62l

So, when I first started and was at a meeting (which, in part, was for the founding of Sylvan Glen) and folks were explaining the SCA to us, we heard all about Knights and Laurels and Pelicans. But seriously, all I heard was _Knights_. Why? Because one of my draws for the SCA was the idea of armored combat and Knights in shining armor.

I listened in awe and was delighted when told that women could fight too! I said, then and there, "I want to be a Knight!"

Well, I never did don armor (bought some once, but that is another story), and would not have put that level of work into it anyways, but it was an amazing temporary dream that initially helped propel me forward in this hobby.

Back then (this was 30 years ago), you REALLY did not say you wanted to be a Peer (though it was easier to say you wanted to be a Knight than to belong to one of the other orders... sexist much???). I am very glad that no one told me in that moment that I shouldn't say that, because I might have opted out from all of this to start.

And yes, for a very, very long time I DID believe that it was not OK to say you wanted to be a Pelican or a Laurel. All of this sort of was equated in my mind with typically thankless work like being a mother or teacher or caretaker. (Again, sexist much????)

I was wrong to propagate those ideas then, even though I wasn't exactly going around telling people that.

I am, however, taking a stand now. See, I understand what the OP here is saying about perception, and how people will judge you based on words uttered, but the fact is, that is something we _have_ to change. I disagree with the fact that it was ever a thing and it Needs. To. Stop.

If you happen to be the one "judging" someone by the fact that they said they want to be a Peer, just stop that nonsense. It is not your pace to do so, EVEN if you are a member of the Order in question.
Why? Because what someone DOES is what matters. Period. Someone might just be new, or enthusiastic. No one should have to tailor a simple statement the make, because NO ONE should be reacting to that more than the actual actions.

You know what else? The person making that statement also might be neurodiverse, and expecting them to utter a phrase in a specific way in order for you to correctly "read" their "intent" is beyond wrong on your part. I confess, I used to be in this camp as well, and, looking back, I realize how intimidating it it could be.

And finally? It is not anyone's job to try to ascertain someone's motives (this was the most important lesson I learned from my Laurel). Chances are if you are doing that, you will be wrong. And that is not fair to the potential candidate OR the Order. Just stop. Further, if you hear someone remarking on potential motives of a candidate, TELL THEM TO STOP.

When all is said and done, what are the actions the person is taking? What are they showing, sharing and doing? Are they inspiring others? Look at those things as those are the things that matter. Your preconceived notion of their "motive" has no relevance here.

Is it possible someone is only doing something for an award? Yes, but it is not up to anyone else to determine that. If the work is there, and the PLQs are there, and they are inspiring others, that is all you get to go on when making that recommendation to the Crown. Work from the hard evidence and not what is likely just a reflection your own internal experiences or biases.

And for anyone out there who wants to be a Peer? Go ahead, tell me that. I might even talk to you further about it, and, if you are interested in next steps (though who can say whether they will eventually lead you to that moment) it I might even have advice to help you become better at your art or research.

What I won't do is tell you not to have a dream. What I won't do is till you not to say you want to be a Peer. What I might do is try to help you up your own personal game. What I will do is cheer you on in your personal successes.

​Diamond twills are one of the textiles highly coveted by Viking Age reenactors today.  However, what is, and what isn’t, a period diamond twill is not as readily understood.  To better explain the difference in the types of diamonds we can buy today, I am going to start with a bit of information on weaving.
 
The most basic weave is called Tabby weave.  It is also sometimes called “canvas weave” or even “linen weave” despite that it could be crafted from any type of fibre.  The description of “linen weave” is wonderfully accurate, because most linens, even today, are of the simplest weave structure.  In this weave, each thread of the weft (the yarn that runs across the fabric from selvedge to selvedge) crosses over one warp (the threads that run the length of the cloth) and then under the next.
 
Tabby is one of the most common weaves in the Viking Age.  For most regions, you really cannot go wrong with tabby in a solid color.
 

​The other popular weave in the Viking Age is a 2/2 twill.  Twill textiles have a weave structure that has a visible diagonal line.  Think of denim and it can help you picture this.
 
In a 2/2 twill, the first weft thread passes over two warps, then under two, then over the next two to the end of the line.  The next row will be offset.  Again, for most regions, you cannot go wrong with a basic twill in a solid color.
 
There are, of course, many other types of weaves in the period, even if they are not as popular as the two mentioned above.  These include 2/1 twill, herringbone twill, cross twill, lozenge and diamond twills.  It is the last two that I want to discuss at this time.
 
We run into a couple of issues with obfuscation between the terms Diamond Twill and Lozenge Twill.  This is partly because there is no one set of naming conventions for weaving, and also partly because people do not readily recognize the difference in the two and misuse the terms.

First, look at the weaving diagrams for three types of this group:

​2/1 “Lozenge or Diamond Twill”, 2/2 “Lozenge Twill”, and “2/2 Diamond Twill” (which I also call “Broken Diamond Twill” to help make the distinction more clear).  Sometimes you will see Lozenge Twill replaced with Birds-Eye or Goose-Eye Twill.  Lise Bender Jørgensen, one of the top experts in early textiles of Northern Europe, typically makes the distinction between Lozenge for unbroken-diamond twill and Diamond for the “broken” variety, for the 2/2 types, but even she refers to the 2/1 pattern as either.  How confusing is that?  She explains further the choices in another volume, but the details are very weaving specific and I am not going to cover them here, especially because these terms can change from writer to writer or weaver to weaver. 

What do I mean by “broken”?  In the Broken Diamond Twills, you can see that the pattern counterchanges, and the diamond in the center is not a solid color.  That shift is what I am calling a “break”.  The Lozenge Twills do not have that, and appear to be one diamond set atop another.
 
To make all of this more confusing, not every Broken Diamond Twill looks exactly the same.  There are slight variations in size and repeat of the patter, but the key is that they all display that distinctive “break” in the pattern.
 
So why is this important?  It is important to understand the difference because in the Viking Age, the Diamond Twills that we see are almost always of the “Broken” variety.  Knowing the difference, and being able to “read” the cloth, allows us to make our best choices when spending money for textiles, or taking the time to weave our own.

​At York, Denmark and in Norway we only see Broken Diamond twills.  At Sweden we see the same, with the exception being Birka, where we see 8 three-shaft Lozenge Twills (Broken Diamond and 2/2 twill are woven with 4 shafts).  8 textiles out of thousands were truly Lozenge Twills rather than Broken-Diamond Twill.​

Even more important, is that all of these examples of Lozenge Twill were of the same type.  These were delicate, almost sheer, and of a very high thread-count (50-60 threads per cm).  Further they were smooth, shiny and no trace of “wooliness”.  They were dyed so dark with woad that they were almost black. (Geijer, Birka iii, p26-27).  There was one more fabric of this quality/color that as well that was also a 3 shaft twill.
 
If you want more weaving-nerdy-info, please see this article by Hrolf Verberg that helps to explain why the 2/2 twills are of the Broken variety.  And if you are curious about percentages of weaves at various sites, you can see my charts HERE.  Some of my handwoven examples are below (the top-right one uses two colors to better show the weave).

​This is a complicated question.  Ideally, if you were in a serious reenactment group, or if you were taking the time to weave the cloth yourself, you absolutely would want to choose the Broken Diamond Twills for your kit if you were representing someone from anywhere other than Birka.  If you are looking at Birka, you would want to look more closely at the graves with that special type of Lozenge Twill and take a closer look at the context, and try to find a very fine cloth that matches that specific type to get the most accurate representation possible.
 
And for anyone else?  I would still recommend that if you are laying out a great deal of money for specialty cloth that you look for the “correct” thing first.  That is not to say that I would not purchase a Lozenge Twill if the price was right or if I really wanted something in linen for Pennsic and I could not find a Broken Diamond Twill.  Also, never pass up a good bargain on wool when you can find it!  And, in the SCA especially, we often make concessions for things like opting for the not-quite-perfect-but-close fabric because it is what we have access to (please note the difference in your documentation if it is for a competition though).  For example, you might really need a dress for an elevation and want to use the red from your heraldry and the only cloth available is Lozenge Twill, well, go for it!  If you already have a garment in Lozenge Twill?  Don’t sweat it!  Wear it with pride.  From any distance it is almost impossible to tell apart!
 

• Saxon textiles were also of the Broken Diamond Twill type
• For the Viking Age look for solid colors when possible, or at least colors that are close together.  Solid Red, Brown or Blue would be stellar, and I would look at something like Dark Brown warp with Light Brown weft as quite decent as well.  I would avoid purchasing a cloth that has drastically different colors in the two systems if I were aiming for a very accurate garment, unless I found a bargain I could not pass up (and even then, I might overdye it at some point).
• Look for SMALL diamonds.  The existing textiles, even where we think they belonged to a cloak, were not large.  Some of the textiles had diamonds that were smaller than a centimeter tall!  I would not buy anything with diamonds over an inch, and even that I would think twice about, especially for a garment like a tunic or aprondress.
• We do have two examples of Broken Diamon Twill linen, both from women’s clothing. (see article HERE).
• Remember, you can never, ever go wrong with plain Tabby or 2/2 Twill in solid colors, EVEN for a very high status persona!

 
Some options for purchasing Broken Diamond Twills are below (I will update this as I get more recommendations):
 
Woolsome: Note that the linens, wool thin diamonds and wool/linen mixes are Lozenge Twills, not Broken Diamond Twills.  The Handwoven Diamonds are Broken Diamond Twill.
https://www.woolsome.shop/
 
Classic Fabrics: This site also carries both types, look very carefully at the weave when selecting.
https://classicfabrics.nl/category/fabrics/wool/?filter_weave=diamond-twill
 
TheHistoricalFabricStore: I _think_ these are all Broken Diamond, but one might want to clarify before ordering. The diamonds are SMALL and these are in solid colors so even if these were lozenge twills, I would be tempted regardless.
https://www.thehistoricalfabricstore.com/diamondtwill
 
Der Stoff Dealer: Sometimes has Broken Diamond Twill
https://www.der-stoffdealer.de/
 
REFERENCES

Bender Jørgensen, Lise.  Northern European Textiles until AD 1000, Aarhus University Press), 1992.
 
Bender Jørgensen, Lise.  Prehistoric Scandinavian Textiles, (Det Kongelige Nordiske oldskriftselskab), 1986.
 
Geijer, Agnes.  Birka III, Die Textilefunde aus Den Grabern.  Uppsala,1938.
 
Hägg, Inga. Textilien und Tracht in Haithabu und Schleswig, Wachholtz Murmann Publishers, 2015.
 
Walton Rogers, P.  Textiles, Cordage and Raw Fiber from 16-22 Coppergate, The Archaeology of York Volume 17: The Small Finds. 1989.
 
Walton Rogers, P.  Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate, The Archaeology of York Volume 17: The Small Finds.  1997.