Mi Contra Fa

Silver Brocade

Band 2, Birka grave 824. Pattern by Stella Anderson.

Goodness gracious, that takes a ridiculously long time.  And to think I want to make enough to wrap around my enormous melon. >.<  This is notionally to go with the Birka outfit Team Storvik is making for Garb Wars (which isn't called Garb Wars this year, but I can't remember what it is called).

Same silk as last time, but I'm using silver DMC #10 thread, doubled, as the brocading weft instead of metal strips.  I cut a light cardboard rectangle and poked holes in it to serve as a warp separator.  The warp threads got very messy looking and threatened to tangle, but amazingly everything pulled apart and got threaded onto cards pretty easily.  Warping this time around went much faster.

I started straight backstrapping, and right now it's tied to the tapestry loom, down at the bottom, then it goes up and over before getting tied to my belt. However, I'm fast approaching that point where I will have to take it in to get my hands closer to the area that needs work, and I'm not sure how to do that without knotting the brocaded section. Pins?

I want to say it was 2-3hrs to weave that section, which is (rough estimate) 3 inches long by 1/2 inch wide.  Just weave, not the set up.  Whew.

Garb Wars prep

We're doing Birka for Garb Wars, and I get to be the model! Which means I get to shop for the supplies. 

I have most of what we'll need already, but my only linen is heavy. That's on purpose, I bought it for undergowns, and I don't want them see-through. But I needed some handkerchief weight linen for a veil.  Off to G Street Fabrics! Linen acquired.

I wanted to buy silk brocade, but they had nothing appropriate.  The brocades were mostly rayon and Orientalizing; the bridal silk twill was plain white and $100/yard!  Lovely, but no.  There's an ecclesiastical fabric vendor I may hit up, or we could skip this. The silk would be used only for binding the top of the smokkr and/or making a hanging strap for Stuff Hanging from Brooches.  There are alternate ways to bind the smokkr, and alternate ways of making hanging straps (including making a bronze link chain).

We are planning on making a cloak/shawl, and in the interests of making it more interesting than a hemmed rectangle of fabric, I thought I'd look at the faux fur.  ZOMG.  This is not the fake fur I remember.  It was so soft.  Also, the remnant pieces were $40/yard, down from $60.  I stared at the piece of... ermine? I dunno, it was white with a 1/2" pile, but I have no idea how it would work with the wool suiting we have for the cloak, or if there's any info on what fur was used for the Mammen cloak or... and it was a lot of money.  Also, it's rare that a seriously heavy cloak is needed or packed for an SCA event.  But so soft.  I may try to come up with a project just to justify buying something.  (Coverlet?) In the future, because I think I've spent all my fabric money for a while.

I also grabbed some diamond twill!  Tiny diamonds - smaller even than the ones Alfrun ketta had at KASF that were to period scale.  So maybe too small. But they were, if not monochrome, then only really really subtly two-color (I have to check more closely).  And it's wool suiting again.  Still!  Yay diamond twill.

So I bought the linen because there's a Birka find that's interpreted as a brocaded band and linen veil.  I have fine silk in the house, and maybe I should have just used that, but must be anal retentive.  Although on second thought, I've been wanting a linen veil for a while.  All my veils are currently either cotton or Random Modern Stuff from Target.

 

Seiðr staff: I give up

I went out yesterday looking for more sticks.  Observation: If I had to pick between birch or beech, I'd go with birch.  The young birch trees were almost arrow-straight, while the young beech trees had limbs that zigged and zagged.  (General caveat about trees in N America vs. trees in Europe not necessarily being the same tree.)

I still didn't want to cut down a living tree in a Forest Preservation Area, but I did find a branch of maple that had some reasonably straight bits on it, and was... well, it wasn't green, but it was green-er than the beech I'd found. Took it home, tried to split it. Fail.

Gave up, returned to the Rose of Sharon, the only freaking thing I've managed to split the entire length of.  I went at it with a wood chisel for a while before realizing:

1. At this rate, I might not get it done by April 2. Surely this is because I have no idea what I'm doing, as this ought to be a very simple job.
2. I am not having any fun anymore.

I think I'll write a research paper instead.

Seiðr staff: Green sticks

I should note that my experiments with the dry wood weren't a total wreck.  The machete actually followed the curves of each stick pretty well for a foot or so.  I suspect it hit a knot or something, which deflected it up to the surface of the wood.

I hacked down a slender green branch today - off of a Rose of Sharon shrub.  Bushes are, if I recall correctly, wood-y, but not wood.  But it's growing in my yard, and so legal for me to bend, fold, spindle or mutilate as I please.

This went much better!  I split the 24-30" stick from one end to the other; I'd say it was maybe 1/2"-3/4" at the base and 1/4" at the tip.  Each half bent away from the blade like a cartoon character's hair being split by a sharp sword.  I wonder if the 'organic cord' wrapped around the original was a way of clamping it as the glue dried? It's going to need it.

I took it upstairs and got out the wood chisels.  What a mess.  I removed some material - without destroying anything, even! - but there were little shreds of wood fiber getting everywhere.  I don't know if this is a function of: this is a shrub; this is green; I have cheap chisels.  I haven't thrown the sticks out, but I am setting them aside as I look for a hardwood wand.

(Speaking of wands - I remembered that Harry Potter wands are also wood, which seems like it would have to be split - maybe hollowed slightly? - to accommodate the various hairs and feathers and whatnot that go into them.  Interesting!)

I am also wondering if maybe I shouldn't do a poem or story (dead tree edition, if this is a static A&S competition) rather than a seiðr staff.  I mean, that would be the smart thing if I wanted to potentially win.  But but but I can document a magic wand.  I kinda want to do that.

KASF 2016: Documentation

My KASF 2016 Persona Pentathalon Display

Wulfstan Goes to War: Items belonging to an 11th century Anglo-Saxon thegn

It is time.

The bishop and the notable men of the county have assembled.  Wulfstan charters a nunnery, something his daughter has been petitioning him for, and presses his seal to it.  The bishop and the others witness it.

“As long as they are here,” he thinks to himself, and declares his intentions for the disposition of his worldly goods after his death. The bishop takes up a quill and writes what he says.  He reads it back, and the men agree it is a fair record of what they heard.

He had sent for a wandering scop to come this evening, to provide song and story for his distinguished guests.  He requests the old tale of Beowulf, the mighty hero who conquered an unbeatable monster.  A monster is coming to England, and he will need a hero's strength to fight it alongside his king.

In the morning, he departs.  His wife presses a small banner into his hands.  All made of gold and silk, it is a rich token.  “I am going to war,” he protests.  “A plain ensign is all I need.”

“Well, you know what this is worth,” she says.  “I will need for you to bring it back.”  Her eyes convey the gravity of this task.

“If God wills it,” he replies, and smiles for her sake.

 

Skjoldehamn-ish Hood

While back, I stumbled upon the Skjoldehamn Hood, which is from Viking Age Norway. I got fairly deep into the online weeds about it, but took no notes.  I like hoods - they are useful layers, especially in the rain, but most of them are later period. This is the only one I've seen so far from the Saxon/Norse region.  So this is more about "I would like a hood" and less about "let's create an authentic re-creation of this hood!"

I had been saving an old suede skirt that was made up of four larger and four smaller square-ish panels.  I deconstructed it and pieced it back together as the hood.

My new hood

3/4 view

 

I started this a year or so ago. I think at the time, I was doing a double running stitch, and it took forever. (I was also trying to use the existing holes in the leather, rather than poke new ones.)  I came across the bag of parts today, and just went straight running stitch. Finished it in an afternoon. 

Meisterin Johanna recommended that I open up the back of the hood to set the rear gore a bit higher, to make the hood fit my head (it was too tall).  I did this, and it works well. The original hood did have a sort of cockscomb feature - I wonder if this was a different way of making the hood the right head-height?

It's a little wonky around the neck, probably the result of the squares being "the size I had" rather than "the right size," but I'll wear it for a bit and see if it's a problem.

Quest for a staff of magic

The sagas say one should go into the wood and cut a wand from 'the living wood,' but the beech tree near my home is in a forest protected by a giant.  This giant used her magic to make my sons, born mute, to speak, so we owe her a debt, and I would not trespass against her wishes.  So I went hoping to find wood upon the ground.

[The scrap of forest near my house is in an Open Spaces Reclamation Zone, or something like that, with signs posted by the county saying not to cut any trees.  So, no tree cutting.]

Although thorny vines and fell swamps stood in my way, I persevered until I stood, bleeding, at the foot of the beech tree.

[Lots of greenbriar vines. I was a dummy and wearing shorts, so my legs got scratched up.  Mostly avoided the mud left by our recent wet winter.]

The beech stood in the shadow of a place of forbidden power.  Walls of steel thorns rose many feet into the air, and the air was heavy with enchantment.  I know this place to be guarded by unsleeping dragons, and I wondered if they could see me.  And if they could, would they think me too close to their home?  Best to work quickly and depart, as we who hold secrets can be jealous of our power.

[There's an office building, surrounded by barbed wire, security cameras, and a gate guard in my backyard.  We live a few miles from Ft. Meade. Did not want to get a deep black three-letter acronym mad that I was skulking in the woods near their fence.]

Three fine long branches lay, already cut, under the beech tree.  Perhaps they had come to close to the thorn wall and been cut for their temerity.  I collected them and carried them back to my hall.

[Lucked out and got three good, fairly straight branches.  They may be on the thick side, but I have to measure.]

EDIT: Apparently it's a magic staff because it takes @%&#!! magic to split it evenly.  I've gone through all of my sticks, and the longest split I was able to get went 1/2 - 2/3 of the way down the 75 cm stick before bouncing off a knot or something and cutting through to the surface.  And that one, the best one so far, is full of ants.  ಠ_ಠ

Trying to decide if I 

1. Go find a non-beech green stick and see if that splits better
2. Go buy half-round molding at the hardware store and cheat
3. Go with the ant stick

KASF 2016 Report

There is just never enough time to see all the things!  It is always so inspiring and humbling to see the beautiful things the artisans of Atlantia can do.  His Majesty even admitted that they may have convinced 'this old stick jock' to take up some art as well.  

Performing Arts Demo

Lady Sophia the Orange arranged a PA demo to highlight all the various kinds of performance that happen in Atlantia.  I had been signed up for poetry (Beowulf + an original piece).  I whittled and trimmed my intro stuff to get down into my ten-minute slot.

Minutes before I was to go on, Lady Sophia quietly asked me if, perhaps, I might have something in the 'voice and instrument' category, as her performer for that had needed to cancel.  O.o   But the show must go on!  I dug 'Yo Me Soy la Morenica' out of memory, figured out where the notes were again, and led with that.  Considering that I have not practiced it in years, it came out okay!  (Objectively speaking, it was uneven and my accompaniment blew chunks, but I can't be too hard on myself as I had literally just minutes to practice it.)

Beowulf went well. So, so well.  The audience even laughed at my little ending ("...the distinguished one delivered this response... And we will have to hear Beowulf's reply at another time, perhaps after I have been given a drink!")  Feedback from the Penathalon judges in the audience was mostly on my vocal control, breathing and projection, and that was totally fair and dead-on.  I really feel like in the past year or two, I've finally discovered how to use my singing muscles correctly - but it takes conscious effort, and I hadn't been doing it for that performance.

And that was it, out of time!  So 'To Put the Devil into Hell' went unperformed, which considering that I think there were children in the audience, was probably just as well.

Persona Pentathalon

Beowulf - By far the best scores, as it should have been. It was  by far the best piece among my display.  Aside from the breath control, a third judge said that if I'd only included some work in Old English, she'd have awarded me all 10s.  I'd come to a similar conclusion in my documentation (which I will post later) - I need to understand how the Sievers types actually work in the original context before I can judge how to set them to music in translation.

Banner - Not too shabby!  The major objections seemed to focus on the high/low contrasts of humble linen and gold and silk.  The Maaseik embroideries were on a linen ground, but they also covered the linen ground, and I had exposed fabric.  So, legit.  One of the judges gave me contact information - she has resources for Carolingian goldwork she can share, and I want to take her up on that.

Will - I think two out of the three judges were far too generous on the quality of this one. It wasn't bad, but I don't think it was anywhere close to journeyman work.  Advanced beginner, maybe.

Seal - I got some very good advice from one of the judges.  He had some critiques on my docs - too many examples not directly related to my item.  Friday night, I'd even said to myself, "That should probably be an appendix," but I elected to sleep instead.  So, he was right on.  Also, good advice for future casting endeavors.

Quills - I had to laugh - one judge gave me a complexity score of 2, with a note hastening to add that this wasn't a reflection on me, it was just that quills aren't very complex items.  Totally true, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness of that little note.

Overall Reflections - Considering that I waited until a month before KASF to start, and that I did not want to stress myself out over it, I'm pretty happy with the results.  My display was much better this time, although I am questioning my decision to put my documentation in a folder rather than on the table with each item.  If I want to be 'in it to win it', I need to start much earlier and select categories that play to my strengths.  (Such as, do two performances.)

Speaking of performances - my Beowulf ended up being not in Category 5, Performance, but Category 7, Miscellaneous!  It turns out that the new judging forms just didn't fit it.  Vocal Song looked for elaborate melody - I didn't have that.  Instrumental Performance looked for complex tune - I didn't have that. Dramatic Performance assumed an ensemble, with costumes and props. Nope. Poetry was for original compositions - no.  I expect Storytelling would have assumed a complete story, rather than an excerpt.  Mistress Jessamyn was very sympathetic to my dilemma and suggested the Cat 7 solution.  

Quick thought on the Oseberg staff

KASF report later, but before I lose this -

The Oseberg staff, which may be a Seiðr staff, was split, had a channel carved out, and then glued and bound back together. Why?

That modern practitioner uses the staff to beat a rhythm on the ground. I don't know if she based that on the famous Eric the Red passage or not, but - some of the metal staves have jangly, dangly bits.  Maybe hollowing it out gave it a soundbox of sorts, making it more resonant when used in some fashion?  Tapped on the ground, or hit with a stick, or...?

KASF: Wax on, wax off

I made sealing wax last night.  All hail good experimental design.

Bleaching the beeswax was fairly successful. One day on the counter in the window, and one day on the porch in full sun, got it to a nice ivory color.  Good enough.

I boiled up a pot of water with my empty can floating it it - trash double boiler. I pressed aluminum foil into the top of the Plah-Doh canister lid to create molds for a wax round the size of my seal.  (Probably should have used the entire lid, so that it was slightly larger than the seal.)  Molds were not really reusable - peeling the wax out pretty well destroyed them.

Wax into can; it melted. I poured out three white rounds, then added the madder lake pigment from the Guild of Limner's.  I added a dash - 1/8 tsp or so - and didn't think it looked red enough.  I tried to add a little more and added a lot.  On the plus side, the two red wax rounds have a spectacular deep red color.  Looks just the same as commercial sealing wax sticks.

I measured on a kitchen scale one ounce of powdered pine resin, then added beeswax until I had three ounces of stuff.  All into the pot, which still had a smidge of red beeswax.  It all melted together, and I poured it out into new molds.  This batch was distinctly pink.

Once cooled:

Peeling the beeswax out of the foil is a bit tricky, and sometimes bits of foil had to be scraped off, but no big deal.  The wax is actually fairly stiff.  Warming it with body heat didn't seem to soften it enough to take a good impression, so I will try later today with a candle or other heat source.

The resin-tempered wax is a gooey, sticky mess.  Maybe Georgia pine resin has different properties from medieval European pine resin.  But the resulting mixture has a consistency close to Silly Putty.  It stuck to the mold, and when separated, pulled in taffy-like strings.  There is still goop stuck in the seal I will have to melt out.  I haven't even tried getting it out of the molds, but I imagine it'll be a disaster.  I am so glad I made a 'basic' set of beeswax rounds first!