Month: January 2008

EventsLeave a comment

New strategies

Greet Gijsberts

I’m back from Saltare, and had a wonderful time.  (Yes, there’s a pic of me in the 14thc Versatile Gown, it’s coming.) However, driving home and talking about future garb projects with Melbrigda, I realized how I can put some strategy into the varied stuff that interests me. Gardens – 16thc Persia, Egypt (date?) and Spain (Alhambra for starters).Dance –  16thc Europe and Persia.Textiles – Coptic weaving (1000AD) and 16thc Persia (I think).Domestic architecture – Roman courtyard houses, Indian brickwork, Egyptian mudwork.  See Persian gardens.Garb – ALL OF ABOVE CULTURES. So, clearly, I still need 16thc Persian garb to talk … Continue reading New strategies

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What does 10/2 mean?

Greet Gijsberts

First, the designation 10/2 is the "lea" number.  The /2 means it’s two strands plied.  The 10 is a bit harder. A lea is 300 yards, traditionally 120 wraps on a 90" skein.  (Hey mom, remember how big my swift is?  Now we know.)  It weighs a pound.  If your actual yarn weighs 5 pounds as a single, wrapped 120 times around my swift, then we have a 5 lea yarn.  If it’s a double-ply, and weighs 5 pounds wrapped 120 times around my swift, then we have a 10/2 lea yarn.  If it’s a quad-ply (is that a "cable"), … Continue reading What does 10/2 mean?

Clothing and Equipment2 Comments

Linen hose

Greet Gijsberts

Above-the-knee linen hose.  Made of the same stuff as my smocked apron.  I haven’t finished the top edge yet – not sure how and where to cut them off.  I’ll probably work on it at Saltare, where I plan to wear them. A quick recap of 14thc garb, linen version: Hair – Sewn-up doubled plaits, as in AOTC listpic.  CHECK.Shift – Still wearing my very first ‘made from a diagram not a pattern’ cotton shift.  Must replace soon with a linen version that has a smooth hemline.  But daggy hemline doesn’t show.Hose – Almost CHECK.Shoes – CHECK.Pattens – Still to … Continue reading Linen hose

ResearchLeave a comment

St. Distaff’s Day

Greet Gijsberts

St. Distaffs Day is January 7, the day after the Epiphany, a churchfestival celebrated in commemoration of the visit of the Wise Men ofthe East to Bethlehem. As this marked the end of the ChristmasFestival, work with the distaff was commenced, hence the name, St.Distaffs Day. It is also called "Roc Day" in Scotland, rock being another name fordistaff. "Roc-ing Day" was a feasting day when friends and neighborsmet together in the early days of the New Year to celebrate the end ofthe Christmastide Festival. ST. DISTAFF’S DAYAs the first free day after the twelve by which Christmas was formerly … Continue reading St. Distaff’s Day

Clothing and EquipmentLeave a comment

Spliced cord

Greet Gijsberts

I’m getting ready for Saltare, and using the event as a deadline for some new accessories.  This here is a new drawstring pouch, which is more appropriate for my 14thc versatile gown than my leather pouch. (Also the leather pouch won’t work on the dainty loveliness that is my apprentice belt.  I think the leather pouch has been Overcome by Events, and didn’t even last a year.  Oh well.) I used the wool bits I got out of that thrifted men’s wool blazer (remember my detachable sleeves?) and some blue wool/silk embroidery floss that I originally thought I might use … Continue reading Spliced cord

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Sampling quandry

Greet Gijsberts

This is the same picture as yesterday, which excited some fiber-geek-type discussion.   You need to know that weavers generally ‘sample’ their projects before doing a lot of work on them, much like knitters knit a swatch.  Although I’m a great believer in swatching, and of washing one’s swatch as one wants to be able to wash one’s finished object, I am so new to weaving, and am unlikely to put these particular yarns together again (many were gifts, and I just wanted to put something on the loom), that I skipped the sampling bit.  I figured that if the … Continue reading Sampling quandry

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The uses of cotton

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(Disclaimer: I have no real idea of how cotton was used in period.  The following is based on my own observations and experiments.) "Cotton kills."  That’s what they say in mountainy places.  Now that I’ve been playing with linen and wool enough to have a few garments to test different combinations, I’m starting to  understand why. Cotton absorbs fluid really fast, and holds it well.  This is great for diapers and sanitary pads, but really awful in cold weather, and I’m learning not so great in hot. The weave makes a lot of difference, too.  I have a plain-weave, tightly … Continue reading The uses of cotton

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It’s sock season

Greet Gijsberts

Temps this morning dipped to 28.  On the beach.  I was sitting here in my enclosed-porch-office wishing I had a pair of fingerless mitts (it was 55 in the office) and that I knew where my one pair of wool socks was.  (They are now found.)  I am wearing a hat. I have been experimenting with my various garments in this cold and blustry spell, and have discovered that the only thing cotton is good for is (A) a tightly woven windbreaker and (B) diapers.  More on cotton later. Really.  I wear my cotton athletic socks with my running shoes … Continue reading It’s sock season

Clothing and Equipment4 Comments

Holiday wrap

Greet Gijsberts

Just a quick post to sum up what I managed to do over the holidays.  (Note to self: Close office from Dec 24 to Jan 1.  Just give in.) Added about 20" to my weaving project.  This brings the total to 51" woven so far.  I warped on 5.5 yards, so there’s a LONG way to go.  20" represents 1 day’s spinning, which yielded 8 plied bobbins of semi-worsted yarn.  (Carded, not combed…but I haven’t figured out how to ‘spin woolen’ versus ‘spin worsted’.  I think I’m probably spinning worsted.) Bluebonnet gown is wearable.  Yes, I want to see a … Continue reading Holiday wrap