Month: March 2007

Events2 Comments

GW: Shopping!

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Merchant’s Row, with only a few people shopping. I’m a little embarrassed about how much shopping I did.  But hey, I’m a newbie, and I NEED stuff, right?  And since I’m also a polymath (new word, mom! there’s a bunch of us in the SCA!) I need lots of different kinds of stuff to help all the things I do.  So here’s the result of the pillaging (of my bank account!). Heavy-duty, wide-brimmed felt hat in light color, with crown big enough for my big head plus my very thick braids wound around it.  Yes, mom, it is the LARGEST … Continue reading GW: Shopping!

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GW: Walking Around

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One of the most flabbergasting things about Gulf Wars is the scale of the thing.  About 3800 people attended this year, and all of them wandering about, and the merchants, and the tents, and the melees…well, it’s bigger than any Rennaissance faire I’ve been to yet.  I took some pictures, trying to catch the scale, but as usual, I was not where most of the people were.  Click to enlarge. This is the main road that goes through the activities area.  Those buildings are permanent, and they house some important people, or they’re bathhouses. Same road, looking back towards Artisan’s … Continue reading GW: Walking Around

Clothing and Equipment1 Comment

Green Shawl

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I made this shawl originally as a learning tool for my local yarn store, Unwind.  It’s an adaptation of Jennie Atkinson’s Butterfly dress pattern, published in both Rowan #37 and Romantic Knits.  I loved the yarn patterns, but not the idea of making a dress – my figure can wear it, but my lifestyle can’t.  So now it’s a shawl.  Here’s what I changed. Yarn: Jojoland Melody, 100% wool sock yarn, not quite four ballsNeedles: 24" long #8 circularGauge: Doesn’t matterTechniques used: In bold.General construction:Step 1 – Use a waste yarn of similar gauge to cast on 14 stitches, knit … Continue reading Green Shawl

Events, ResearchLeave a comment

GW: Types of tents

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Of course, being a residential architect in mundane life, I’m Very Interested in how tents work.  And  small cabins.  And yurts.  And sunshades. I took pictures of an arming tent that someday I’d like to copy. And drew a sunshade that I’m making. The owner described her process, and it’s very easy, and inexpensive.  It’s a painter’s canvas dropcloth, (4) 6′ pressure-treated 2x2s, (2) 8′ pressure-treated 2x2s, 6 spikes for the tops of the poles, 8 stakes, 8 tie-offs thingys and some rope.  I’ve bought the materials for $60. Here’s an interesting site about period tent building.  It says those … Continue reading GW: Types of tents

Events4 Comments

GW: A&S Competition

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Several people in my shire think I ought to enter A&S competitions.  So I thought I’ll go see what it’s like.  Here’s some entries – I apologize for the dark hall = dark pictures with nasty flash.  Click to enlarge as usual. First, just for mom, the medieval lebkuchen (gingerbread), which I got to eat because I arrived just as they were breaking down exhibits (must remember this in future): Mom, the cookies look and taste just like our lebkuchen, except denser.  I need to read this more carefully to figure out the difference.  It may just be baking powder.  … Continue reading GW: A&S Competition

Research1 Comment

GW: Feeling nameless

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I’m feeling rather naked, name-wise, since coming back from Wars.  Something about only putting down one syllable on signup sheets where everybody else has at least two names, and the teacher has a stringful (not that I have any title envy whatsoever, because I don’t quite get that part of Society life). Yes, I know lots of people play SCA for years without choosing a name.  And I thought I was doing pretty well in constructing my backstory.  But (as should be apparent) I’m generally not satisfied with stopping early.  Besides that, I can’t register a device until my name … Continue reading GW: Feeling nameless

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GW: Dancing!

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Here’s a crummy picture of several of the people I danced with.  As usual, click to enlarge.This was taken on the Known World Ball night.  From the left, closest to us is (please comment and correct my spelling if you see yourself): Thorin, Palfi Jozsa (good Romanian name, backwards) then Duchess Katrina of Iron Mountain and her apprentice Lord Runolfr, then Lord Edwardus with Rose Eriksdottir in pink, and turned away from us is Count Sir Corwin (duchess-tosser) and Francesca dei Rossi with beauteous furry garb. (updated 6/7/07, after Kingdom A&S – thank you all for your help.) Hey, here’s … Continue reading GW: Dancing!

Events7 Comments

GW: Dance classes-2 of 2

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15th century Italian Dance Intrigue This is the soap opera part of the SCA dance floor.  Frankly, these dances rely more on your ability to flirt, and act, and remember detail, than on bouncing around energetically.  Your preference may vary greatly depending on who’s out on the floor with you.  Lots of flirting built into the choreography here. Amoroso – Ambrosio/Gugliemo, 1475 (Edwardus calls this "two ways to leave your lover", which is a good mnemonic) A: 12 Pive (Peevah – like a chassee’ or gallop or skip forward)B: M leaves F: 2 steps, 1 piva, then 3 steps, stop.  … Continue reading GW: Dance classes-2 of 2

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GW: Dance classes-1 of 2

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Both of these were taught by Lord Edwardus the Wise, of Trimaris, who is a lovely dance partner as well as a patient and clear teacher. ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING We got the message that English country dances always have three distinct parts, that are very nearly always in the same order: Walking, Siding, and Arming.  This helps the memory a great deal. I’m going to replicate some dance text that you can find elsewhere, but that’s because I want to reinterpret it.  Dance is hard to describe in print, and I figure you can use as many different points of … Continue reading GW: Dance classes-1 of 2

Events, Food4 Comments

GW: Medieval Cookery Class Notes

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(I’m putting these two classes under ‘Herbalism’ because for me, herbalism is Garden Stuff.  And as I grow my garden in order to eat out of it, Cookery and Redacting belongs here.) CULINARY USES OF HERBS –  Taught by Lady Aliessa Wallace, under a sunshade that I’m going to copy this week – check back for a ‘Types of Tents’ post. Basic tenents:First we learned that to the medieval cook, "herbs" are anything green and growing.  "Vegetables" wasn’t a separate category.  So when they say to throw in unnamed herbs, they mean whatever edible green you’ve got ready to eat … Continue reading GW: Medieval Cookery Class Notes