Garb challenge, horn, arm guard, general tinkering, more hats, and a musing.

 

Been up to several things since the last post. Made some new garb, took a cooking class, got an archery arm guard complete except for the ties, repainted a horn, made more hats, spun yarn, lucetted, worked on making coins, and of course went to events and had an excellent time hanging out with my chosen family.

Fighter demo back-to-back with a marathon water station was busy, but well worth it to spend time with excellent people. A few other events attended, as well as several A&S get togethers.

 

Figure 1: Nero helping with photography of the newest apron dress.

 

Garb Challenge:

There is a group on Facebook which is doing a garb challenge. The task is to create pride inspired items, which are then to be worn at your local Yule or 12^th night, depending on your location. I finished this four panel, four gore, apron dress and separate front panel in enough time to wear it to some friends’ wedding. Surprisingly this was the most subtle rainbow outfit of all the ones in attendance. Next up is a new linen underdress with rainbow trim.

 

Figure 2: Was able to do pretty well with matching the panels. Gores didn't have that option.

 

Figure 3: Photograph a dress, get a cat.

 

Figure 4: Friend wanted to make sure I had enough leather for the project, and Rajah decided to help with the photo.

 

Archery arm guard:

Decided that I was not finding the style of archery armguard that I was wanting, so decided to make my own. Leatherwork is new to me, so a good friend and I collaborated. He brought his tools and knowledge to a local craft and chat, while I brought leather and a willingness to learn. It did take two craft and chat sessions, one to carve and dye the leather, and a second to paint it.

Figure 5: Cut, carved, and punched arm guard.

 

Figure 6: Dye and grommets done.

 

Figure 7: Green was temperamental and required several coats.

 

Figure 8: Gold paint in progress.

 

Figure 9: Paint finished, need to make cord.

 

Figure 10: Horn as received.

 

Purchased horn repaint:

Found an inexpensive musical horn at a major online retailer, but when it arrived it was not what I was expecting. I could get a really pretty note out of it. However, the advertisement had led me to believe I would be getting a natural-colored horn, with black paint details and carvings. What I received was a marble brown painted horn, with natural-colored carvings. The brown marble paint just wasn’t sitting well in my mind. Dry sanding with fine steel wool removed the paint, but then I had to think about the repaint for several months. When going to the craft and chat to paint my new archery arm guard, I grabbed the horn and brought it along. Since I already would have paints set up, why not? Maybe inspiration would strike. The same friend who was helping me with leatherwork suggested an aurora theme, and I ran with the idea. Really pleased with how it turned out.

Figure 11: Paint removal in progress.

 

Figure 12: Paint removal complete. Nice warm spring day, and a slight breeze for dust removal.

 

Figure 13: Gold paint done.

 

Figure 14: Starting the aurora. Blue done, with purple in progress.

 

Figure 15: Adding green.

 

Figure 16: Black for the rest of the carved lines.

 

Figure 17: Blue in the knotwork carvings.

 

Figure 18: Finished horn and arm guard.

 

Figure 19: Hot crucible and mold for ingots.

 

Coin making:

As part of the Oerthan Mint the group will periodically have working meetings. This time I manned the crucible, then poured hot pewter into forms. The resulting ingots later get rolled out into thin sheets, cut, and stamped into coins.

Figure 20: Cooking instructor gave us all brand-new spoons. I now know why this was a favorite kitchen tool.

 

Cooking class:

Attended a medieval cooking class where we cooked over charcoal. I made a kind of meatball, with currents and a semi sweet sauce. Everything that was prepared by all participants was amazing.

Figure 21: Learning to cook over charcoal, and use a ceramic pipkin.

 

Figure 22: My favorite spindle and distaff, made by a wonderful craftsman in the UK. Currently spinning BFL and silk blended roving.

 

Spinning:

Currently working on a luscious Bluefaced Leicester and silk roving, which happened to be dyed by my Laurel. Can’t tell from this picture, but it also has silver and royal blue.

Figure 23: My favorite lucet, made by a local craftsman. For home use I have several plastic bobbins made by my best friend.

 

Lucet:

Picked up some large balls of crochet cotton. They are making really pretty lucet cord.

Figure 24: Hat specially made for an amazing friend.

 

Nalbound hats:

Made some more of my nalbound hats. Two had specific recipients, and a third went to Principality largess.

Figure 25: Mundane work trip had me waiting stopped for construction. At least I had good tunes and a project.

 

Figure 26: Special request for a friend.

Figure 27: Prize winning hat. Was donated to Principality largess.

 

Mundane life made it seem that I was not going to be able to attend the neighboring Shire’s event, but the day before plans changed, and I was able to be there for a half day. Actual conversation from this event.

"What are you working on?"

"Another hat, I make a bunch of these for largesse." *Hands over the red, black, and gold finished one*

"Are you going to enter this in the A&S contest?"

"I didn't know there was an A&S contest."

"You should enter it."

"You know your Highness, I do believe I will."

Long story short, I won the contest I didn’t know I was going to enter. As such I get to wear the Hrafnafjordr A&S Champion belt pouch for the coming year.

Figure 28: Hrafnafjordr A&S championship belt pouch.

 

Figure 29: New windows, and future home of my floor loom.

 

Windows and loom:

The new windows got installed. Now I can get my floor loom out of storage, and finally set it up! Super excited to have my four-harness counterbalance floor loom working again. Already have a few ideas for upcoming projects, mainly featuring my favorite weave structure, variations of 2/2 twill.

 

End note musings:

I had a couple conversations with friends at this Summer Coronet which have really stuck with me. Thinking about peerages in the Society.

I was talking with a newcomer about the meanings of different belts in the SCA, and a friend walked by wearing two belts, a white and a green. It was a perfectly timed example to show that you can be multiple things at once.

Later I went up to this same friend while we were watching the fighting and talked about conversing with this newcomer. My friend, the Knight and Apprentice, said of both his belts “I am but a student.”

Well, this rang a very familiar chord with me. In my mundane life in order to do our job, we have to take very rigorous tests in order to get a license from the Federal Government. It is a common saying in the industry that this is a “License to Learn”.  After almost ten years of having mine that rings more true now than I ever imagined when I earned the industry license.

I have heard several phrases over the years how a peerage is a steppingstone, the real learning now begins, etc. But somehow this friend’s simple statement “I am but a student” was the most powerful, and the most thought provoking.

Later that night another friend was sitting vigil for their very first peerage. As is custom she had lots of visitors over the course of the evening. When it came time for my visit, I brought up the conversation with the Knight/Apprentice, and how it had gotten me thinking. We had a good talk about the crossover of things we have learned in our mundane careers, and what we have learned in the SCA.

So, my personal crossover is that a peerage is a license to learn.