I was in MD all weekend, and lucked out in that my Laurel's local group in Atlantia (Dun Carraig) was having their Baronial Birthday event this weekend so I popped down there Saturday afternoon.  This group is always super friendly and holds lovely events.  I met some great people and got to spend and afternoon geeking about Viking textiles and clothing.

I will also say that Dun Carraig really goes out of their way to help newcomers get involved in whatever it is that they want to try out.  The effort was headed, initially, by Mistress Molly (my Laurel and former Chatelaine for the area) and is now carried on by the current Chatelaine.  They offer a series of classes a couple times a month that bring in teachers for pretty much everything to get not only newcomers, but others who are looking for new skills, involved.  Basic dance, ladies medieval headwear, dyeing, blacksmithing, hand sewing... you name it!  I am planning to make an effort next year to go down and teach a spinning 101 as well.  They really have an incredible program and I see newcomers wearing handsewn garments as a result.  Impressive!

And speaking of new skills, I finally decided I WILL learn naalbinding.  I have dabbled a little before, but was just not quite getting it.  I have never managed to have a class line up with my schedule and while I am pretty good at learning things on my own, this was one of those that was not happening that way for me.  I have heard nothing but good things from folks who use a series of videos by a Finnish woman, so I started there this time.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcuUqeKQZ5Q )

My journey began Sunday and I spent 1-2 hours each night at it.  By Friday it clicked and I started to make something that actually looked like something!  I should have saved the huge pile of fails so that I could show how many times I had to restart.  Lol.  As it is, I think I love this.

I used some crappy 80% acrylic 20% wool blend that I bought at Michaels for this.  I ordered some Alafoss Lopi wool to attempt socks for both myself and my boyfriend.  If I survive that I will get the Lett-Lopi (finer lopi yarn) for another project.  The extant sock from Coppergate is worked in a  fine plied yarn.  I am not sure about the yarn used in the extant mittens in terms of plied vs singles, but it appears much more coarse than that used for the sock.  Guess I need to do some research here to figure out what was used in the various extant pieces.  I have a wonderful fleece that is a longwool/merino cross that feels great so it could be a perfect candidate for spinning and using for this type of work down the road. 

And yay for another highly portable project!

I also already have yarn to weave up some fabric for woven mittens (such as those found fairly recently at Lendbreen).  I think it would be pretty cool to make those, as well as a naalbinded set, and compare them out in the cold this winter. 

As for other things, I started warping a sample of the very fine yarn I got for garment weaving so that I can figure out the correct sett before I start measuring out the 59,000 yards of it that I have for a tunic and smokkr.  I also finally cleaned up enough of the sewing room that I could start working up new garments from the recent linen purchase.  Starting on a new outfit based on the finds at Kaupang and I am pretty excited about that.

Mistress Oda Wlslagre dicta Widoeghe from Atlantia recently added a post to her blog (Medieval Threads) with tips about spinning singles for weaving.  It is a very informative post (especially if you are new to spinning or weaving) so I am sharing it here.  (She also has lots of other goodies on her site and in her documentation, so definitely worth checking it all out!)

Click her banner below to go to the post!


I am working on a cloak for a dear friend's impending elevation, so my own projects are on hold.  That, however, does not stop me from digging into research!  I have been sitting on a pile of research I did this summer on a particular type of weaving found at Oseberg and had planned to sort through it after I could weave up a nice sample.  Because that is unlikely to happen soon due to other items, I have put compiling my notes on hold.  When someone asked just recently about those items on an online forum, it occurred to me that I do not have to wait until my own project is complete before I can put what I discovered out there.  Hopefully I will get this written up in the next week or two so that perhaps someone else can make use of it!

Beyond that, I want to share two great resources that I have come across.  The first is the Norwegian Textile Newsletter.  In addition to articles and projects using Scandinavian weaving techniques, there are articles on things like wool sails, warp weighted looms and other things of interest to reenactors:  http://norwegiantextileletter.com/archives/

The next is the series of Viking publications which have articles covering pretty much every topic:  https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/37522

Happy researching!!!!

One question that often comes up on message boards is whether or not plaids are appropriate for a Viking reenactor.  It is not an easy answer, but I have been putting together a list of things as I come across them and, in all honesty, I would have to say that at this point I personally would be very careful of what patterned fabrics I would use for a period impression.

If we look prior to the Viking age, we see a host of exceptional plaids.  Hulremose had an exceptional plaid from the an Iron Age bog find that is dated to the 2nd century BC.  Thorsberg, from the 3rd to 4th century CE has also yielded large, bold plaid textiles. 

The Viking age, however, does not seem to show the same love for vibrant, large scale patterning.  The technology was certainly there to craft large plaids or stripes, but the evidence that they were used is lacking.

What we do have, however, is a small selection of woven patterns that show a much smaller scale.  Delicate lines comprised of a single thread, or pair of threads, creating a repeating pattern, is much different than their more tartan-like predecessors.  I have looked at the mass of articles and books in my collection to see what sort of patterning was used and after eliminating all silks (likely imports) and self-patterning (meaning that the pattern was either a result spin-patterning - using S and Z spun threads in the same textile - or using threads of different grist to weave cloth with a plaid or stripe) I have found the following examples of patterned cloth from the Viking era and in Viking areas:

• Hedeby Graves Linen - Windowpane plaid linen.  This type of textile was found in two graves.  One was blue with white patterning and the other was red with blue, both of a tabby weave.  The patterning was TINY, the white and blue resulted in 4mm checks.  These textiles were likely from shirts or serks (underdresses).
  

These items are excluded from my list above due to date, or in the case of the Skjoldehamn find, due to the fact that it could potentially not be a Norse item.  I still consider them when looking at textiles to use, but would not choose something based solely on these finds were I looking for a patterned textile for a more accurate costume.

I do recognize that there are, of course, a couple of issues with looking at historic textiles in terms of color.  Often textiles are not analyzed for color, and tests can also come back inconclusive.  So there could indeed be more patterned (or even colored) cloth than which we currently can consider.  That being said, the sampling we do have is so exceptionally small in terms of the overall volume of finds, that I believe that patterned textiles in this time period were indeed in the minority.

Does that mean that I would never choose to use a plaid or stripe for a new piece in my Viking kit?  No, but any purchases I make from this point on will take into consideration that the evidence does show me one clear thing and that is the importance of scale.  The stripes tend to be narrow, and the plaids or checks are tiny.  Things that read as modern, such as pinstripes, might actually be a much better choice than plaids that would be better suited to a kilt. 

Were I to come across a larger, two-tone plaid or check in a heavy fabric, I think it might suit well enough for a cloak or blanket, but I would not choose to use it now as textile for a garment such as a tunic, dress or pants.  The larger checks from Haugen in Rolvsøy, which is a coarse textile, as well as the coarse, loose wool from Værnes seem better suited to those types of applications.  (And I would, at this point, only look at items with two colors, as seen in those fabrics as well as the Thorsberg and Skjoldehamn cloaks, rather than a plaid of many colors.)

Examples of fabrics I have or will be using, and my current thoughts on the choices, are below so that you can follow along with my thought process on this if you so choose.

Does this mean that you should never use that great paid you have in your stash for a Viking costume?  Of course not!  We are free to use what we will and I always advocate for "Use What You Have" when possible.  It is, however, good to know what the extant pieces looked like, and how frequently they were found compared to other types of cloth, when we go out to purchase new fabric for a historical garment.

And please, if you have evidence of other stripes, checks or plaids, I would absolutely love to see them!!!

To help give a sense of scale, I have included a single page that can be downloaded and printed on 8.5X11 inch paper.  This printout should be close enough to the correct size to give a rough sense of scale for these historic plaids.

RESOURCES

Blindheim, Charlotte. Vernesfunnene og kvinnedrakten i Norden i Vikingtiden, 1945.

Christensen, Arne Emil and Nockert, Margareta. Osebergfunnet: bind iv, Tekstilene (Universitetet i Oslo), 2006.

A.W.Brøgger. "Rolvsøyætten. Et arkeologisk bidrag til vikingetidens historie" _Bergens Museums Aarbok_. 1920-21

Geijer, Agnes.  Birka III, Die Textilefunde aus Den Grabern.  Uppsala,1938.

Hägg, Inga.  Die Textilefunde aus der Siedlung und us den Gräbern von Haithabu (Karl Wachlotz Verlag). 1991.

Hägg, Inga.  Die Textilefunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu (Karl Wachlotz Verlag). 1984.

Pritchard, Frances.  "Aspects of the Wool Textiles from Viking Age Dublin", Museum of London.

These Finnish sheep are a separate breed from the Finnsheep and are primarily bred for meat.

All lambs are born black, but they often fade to gray as they get older while maintaining black legs and faces.  Their  coats range from more wooly to more hairy.

They are prolific and can mature in only three months and lamb twice a year.  (Aholan Farm)

Fiber Information*:

• Staple length:  The samples I had were all 2.5-4 inches 
• Fiber description:  Locks were smooth with gentle waves and curled at the tips.  Shorter locks (presumably from the neck area) were comprised of tiny curls.
• Notes:  I had samples from three different animals (white, gray and black), all had a bit of lustre and were smooth and delightful to spin.

This breed of sheep was developed in the early 20th century using the Manx Loughtan, moorit Shetland, Soay and wild Mouflon stock.  Coloration is light or dark brown and both males and females are horned.

Fiber Information*:

• Staple length:  1.5-3 inches (the sample I had was less than the 1.5)
  
• Fiber description:  29-35 microns (can often be more fine).  Locks are short and do not taper.  Fleece and Fiber source book mentions that they can have tips bleached in the sun and this held true for the sample I purchased.
• Fleece size:  2-3lbs
  Animal size:  Rams are 120lbs with ewes weighing 85lbs.
  
• Notes:  The fleece I had was very short and springy and reminded me more of the Soay that I have than any Shetland I have spun.  The exceptionally short staple made it hard to spin, but I would love to get another sample at some point to test it out again.

The Åsenfår is a small sheep from Sweden that is a member of the forest sheep classification of animals (also included are the Gestrikefår, Helsingefår, Svärdsjöfår and Värmlandsfår sheep).  These are hardy animals bred to live on less pasture in the summer and poor feed during the winter. (Skansen.se)

Rams are typically horned and ewes are usually polled but might have scurrs.  They come in a range of colors including white, brown, gray and black. 

Fiber Information*:

• Staple length:  Two of the samples I got were approximately 4 inches and one was 4.5
• Fiber description:  Smooth wool with nice curl and waves.  Double coated fleece but not too much difference between outer and inner coats on one of the samples.
  
• Animal size:  Rams 100lbs, ewes 70lns 
• Lanolin:  These fleeces were fairly greasy.
• Notes:  The grey fleece I had that had coats of similar size and grist was very pleasant to spin (I liked all three, but that one was my favorite of the lot).  The above right image is of the sheep from flock from which my samples came.

Pennsic was different this year, but still amazing.  I left for War with trepidation for the first time ever.  With my kitty being sick, my (FANTASTIC) boyfriend elected to stay home from the event and care for the little guy to both give me a respite from caregiving and to allow me the time to teach and compete in A&S at War.  Even with him watching his little buddy, I was nervous about going away.  I was waking up at 6am worried that I had missed giving a shot.  More stress, and less sleep, than I am used to getting at Pennsic (where I usually get my best sleep of the year).  That being said, Pennsic was still amazing.  I took some great classes, taught two classes, and delved into new activities such as volunteering to work the Hospitality for the Royal encampment and retaining for the first time.  (Apparently if you loudly ask if there is something you can do to help, someone WILL find a job for you.  LOL)

The people made this Pennsic fantastic and allowed me some time away from my worries.  I connected with so many completely fantastic artisans.  I had great conversations about fiber, food and Norse culture.  I relaxed and laughed in the shade with my household and met wonderful friends I had previously only met online.  I ate yummy things in camp and the market and while I did not do the power shopping I usually do, I came away with delightful things.

I chose this year to not participate in the Pennsic A&S Display, instead, my wares were shown as part of the A&S War Point competition.  I was beyond honored to be selected by the Crown to represent this fair Kingdom in this capacity.  I have so much to say about how amazing this whole experience was that I will have to tell it all in another post tomorrow.  It was an incredible honor and possibly the most amazing way to interact with other Artisans. 

I was honored again during Court when I was inducted into the Order of the Fleur (AEthelmearc Arts&Sciences award).  My scroll, which can be seen in the gallery below, is a beautifully crafted piece that includes images of medieval women working with fiber!  I cannot wait to have it framed and hang it in my weaving studio!

I will also have some other posts forthcoming about this War, including one covering some of the conversations I had about honor, sharing and chivalry.  I want to compile one as well on my own growth in the SCA and as an artisan, but that will take some time and thought to put to words.  And, as always, I have been inspired to research more and create more.  I also have some ideas for direction and things I need to do to improve both my work and how I present it.

One of my highlights of this year was to get word that a very, very well-deserving friend received a writ for a Pelican.  I can think of no one in the Society who exemplifies what it means to be a Peer than this individual.  That news made the entire event for me.  :-)

A couple of recent things have made me think more, and reflect, on my course.  One of the things I have seen was some works-in-progress from some very excellent artisans.  These are not people I know well (in some cases, do not really know them at all), but as I watch these projects build out I am really impressed with the level of work that not only is going into the current items, but the amount of work that had to go into getting their skill to this high level.  I am not comparing myself in any way to them in terms of those things, but rather, I look at their work and it is easy to categorize what they are doing.  Likewise, I have heard some conversations with others as they discuss what paths they should take in their arts, whether they are looking for direction or trying to find a smaller focus in a broad field.  Both of those things make me look at myself, and my work, and try to see how it fits into world of SCA A&S.

To me, arts and sciences in the SCA are about more than just producing work.  There is another step that goes beyond making the pretty thing and that is sharing it.  It might be a period feast served at an event that gives others a taste of medieval life.  It might be an exquisitely crafted costume that inspires someone else.  That can lead to a conversation with an artisan, a class, or even just inspiration for others to make something similar.  Even in the mundane world art is a thing that is shared, but the environment in the SCA that fosters education allows us to take that a step further.

It is one of the things that drew me to the SCA, and keeps me coming back.  I am happy that over the years I have found my own place in that cycle of artistic sharing as well.

Now, to discuss my more personal take on this... I will say that I am happy with my progress of late.  I have some very exciting things that I am working on that I am absolutely thrilled to be able to share with others soon.  It is, however, a bit difficult to compartmentalize exactly what it is that I do.  I research (excessively, lol).  But I do not write research papers (though someone that has looked at my tomes of documentation might disagree with that).  I do have a focus in terms of time and place -- Viking Era Scandinavia (though I do branch out to the the early Norse in the British Isles as well).  I am a costumer to some extent, I research and have taught others to craft garb, but that is not my first love.  Fiber arts is definitely key in what I do.  I love weaving, and I am decent at spinning (even if the car accident this past winter has made spinning for any length of time difficult).  But I am far from an expert at either, there is so much more to learn, do and put into practice in those arts. 

What I do think that I am very good at is what I would guess I could call "illustrated research".  I work to craft samples and items that can help others get a better feel for fiber, textiles and spinning as it was done in period.  I illustrate charts with tactile objects that can help even a neophyte in the fiber arts get a sense of how wool has evolved over time.  Reading a text that discusses thread count in cloth means nothing, until you can feel what a period weight fabric actually could be or see the fine grist of the yarn that people in the past actually could have used.  I read about things that make me curious (things like Z/S fabric, where the spin direction is different in each system - something very uncommon to find these days, especially in fiber types and thread counts that are comparable to what was used in period), and I learn to craft the item and then can share that with others.  Yeah, this is what I do and what drives me to read more, research more, drive the ILL librarians nuts and spend copious amounts of time weaving a tiny sample that can help me (and hopefully others) better understand how something possibly could have looked, felt or been done in the past.

Illustrated Research, I am not sure that is even a valid thing, but it very much describes my passion as an artisan in the SCA.

My take on weaving is that warping is time consuming and even tedious, but I so look forward to the actual act of weaving that I can get through the laborious process of threading heddles and reeds.  The aspect I like the least, however, is tying on to the apron rod.  I spend far to much time tying and retying knots to try to get the tension even (and often discover that there are tension issues further back that did not work out during beaming).  In my quest to rid myself of these minor frustrations, I am testing different tricks for tension correction.

1. Lashing on to the beam rather than tying on.  I have done this several times now, on both a rigid heddle loom and a table loom.  I love this.  LOVE.  You take narrow bouts of your warp (after all threading is done) and tie them in knots and run a long cord around the apron rod and through warp (I make a tabby shed and slip the cord in through there), and then back around the rod and then through the next bout of warp.  There are other methods of knoting and attaching, but regardless of which you use, the tension will start to even itself as soon as you crank it tight.  Incredibly easy to do.  Here are a couple of links that illustrate the process:  http://dustbunniesundermyloom.blogspot.com/2013/09/lashing-on-warp-or-lashing-out-about.html  and  http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-lash-on-warp.html
2. The next thing I plan to try, that I have heard great reviews for, is to add angle wings to my loom.  This is a series of rods that the warp passes over and under as you wind the warp onto the beam.  Individual thread tension issues can work themselves out when you warp and the apparatus helps prevent tangles. I have heard nothing but joy from the weavers that I know who practice this.  Commercial angle wings can be seen here: http://www.purringtonlooms.com/Angel_Wings.htm   But many people just use smooth dowels held to the back of the loom with hair elastics. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=442517989251244&set=gm.1049116408450344&
3. Finally, I just recently saw a method that crosses the last strand of each warp bout when tying on to help get the yarn spaced evenly more quickly (usually I have to weave a few inches for everything to settle into place).  You can see this concept in use here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206824456791491&set=gm.1060584720636846&&theater