A Wandering Elf
  • A Wandering Elf
  • Blog: My Journey
  • Iron Age Celtic Studies
  • A Wandering Elf in the Woods
  • Classes
  • Resources: Sheep & Wool
  • Resources: Costume and Textiles
  • Resources: Migration Era
  • Resources: Historic Glass Beads

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

What is going on in my world

5/26/2015

1 Comment

 
PictureE-17 at Pennsic, during the off season. Still feels like home.
For those who do not know, I have a very sick cat.  My baby has been battling a chronic infection for a year and diabetes for 2 months.  We have had some very touch and go moments, and some very sweet ones where he is very much himself.  We are doing everything we can for him, but I do not know what the summer will bring.  He is wonderful, beautiful and amazing and only 8 years old.  I do not even know how to begin to handle this.

So what that means is I am taking care of him, like crazy.  And showering him with love.  I will be staying put in MD for a couple of weeks to give him a break from travel (and to keep him close to the specialist we are working with).  That means I might be day tripping a couple of nearby Atlantia events (possibly Dun Carraig this weekend and Highland River Melees next weekend).  I am hoping to day trip to an AEthelmearc event (the Lake Augusta Renaissance Festival) in late June if all is going well.

My BF is the most amazing guy on the planet as he let me slip away for a day and night to AEthelmearc War Practice while he did insulin duty for the cat.  It was really a needed respite, and I had an amazing time despite my short stay there and the very rainy conditions.  I met quite a few of AEthelmearc's wonderful artisans, got to play with a kick wheel (a spinning implement) and totally got to geek out for hours at the A&S display.  Court was lovely as it saw a friend's elevation to the Order of Defense and the rest of the time was spent in the company of some really incredible women who likely have no idea how fantastic it was for my spirit to share the evening with them.

To occupy my mind (because I need to keep busy or I will lose it completely), I am plodding along on projects.  I have some little things going on (such as making wooden bobbins based on period finds of bone Viking bobbins) and some really interesting weaving things.  The most exciting thing was last week when I wove a sample of a fine Z/S twill.  Archaeological records often talk about Z/S fabrics (which were less common, but still present, during the Viking Age) but I have never really seen one that is woven in the manner they were in period.  Those I have seen were either plied yarns, or had a warp and weft of different types of fiber (such as silk/linen) or were very coarse handspun (where you lose the effect of the weave in the texture of the fiber).  Some of the samples I am weaving are fairly fine singles (sett at 30epi), so I took some of the commercially spun warp yarn and used a drop spindle to spin it in the reverse (S) direction.  I then blocked that and used it as weft for the sample.  Now I at last understand the difference in Z/Z and Z/S.  In the photo below the Z/S is on the top of the sample and Z/Z is below it.  Very different and it really makes me want to weave some of the Roman Era spin-patterned houndstooth fabric now!



Picture
1 Comment
Cate link
8/18/2015 11:26:04 pm

This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I am mother to a billion cats and am on journey to recreate the past via costume, textiles, culture and food.

    A Wandering Elf participates in the Amazon Associates program and a small commission is earned on qualifying purchases. 
    ​

    Archives

    July 2024
    January 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    12th Night
    14th Century
    AEthelmearc
    Aprondress
    Awards
    Bog Dress
    Bronze Age
    Dance
    Dance Name
    Distaff
    Dyeing
    Embroidery
    Fiber Arts
    Flax Growing
    Food
    Glass
    Haberci
    Headcoverings
    Illumination
    Inspirations
    In The News
    Library
    List Of Links
    Machine Embroidery
    Metal Clay
    Mid Month Inspiration
    Migration Era/Iron Age
    My Documents
    Ottoman
    Ottoman Fabrics
    Pennsic
    Publications
    Research
    Rigid Heddle
    Sca
    SCA Camping
    SCA Forestry
    Sca Name
    Sca Newcomer
    Sewing
    Sheep
    Spinning
    Textile Charts
    Tips
    Totally Not SCA
    Viking
    Viking Bead Research
    Viking Costume: Beyond The Myth
    Viking Swatch Book
    Viking Textiles Looking Deeper
    Weaving
    Wool


      Email Updates

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Blogroll of SCA & Costume Bloggers

    Below is a collection of some of my favorite places online to look for SCA and historic costuming information.

    More Amie Sparrow - 16th Century German Costuming


    Gianetta Veronese - SCA and Costuming Blog

    Grazia Morgano - 16th Century A&S

    Mistress Sahra -Dress From Medieval Turku 

    Hibernaatiopesäke

    Loose Threads: Cathy's Costume Blog

    Mistress Mathilde Bourrette - By My Measure: 14th and 15th Century Costuming

    More than Cod: Exploring Medieval Norway

    RSS Feed


Proudly powered by Weebly