2014 in Review

It is the end of 2014 already, and time for me to look back over what I have accomplished.

The year began with the Kingdom 12th Night Celebration, where my husband was welcomed into the Order of Terpsichore, for his service as a dance instructor. Clearly that's not my accomplishment, but I was very happy to share the joy with him.

The rest of my winter was spent preparing for and running the King's and Queen's Arts & Sciences Championship. My goal was to eliminate needless stress for the contestants and the judges. I think I succeeded. There were so many talented participants, the judges had a very difficult task. The new champions were the best of a very deserving group. I hope they have been enjoying their year as much as I enjoyed mine.

Teaching was a highlight of my year. I taught nalbinding at Novice Schola, War of the Roses, Northern Region War Camp and Pennsic. I also taught spinning at NRWC. It was fun to have children in that class - they have no fear of failure. I also snuck a few one-on-one nalbinding sessions into the year, which is always enjoyable.

If you follow my blog, you know I didn't complete the Ribe mittens yet, but I did a lot of knitting, including a wrap, a scarf and four pairs of gloves as Christmas gifts. I did finish the Alsike mittens, and I love how they turned out. It's such a pretty stitch!

I promised myself that I would spend more time spinning in 2014, and I did. I spun Shetland, Merino, and Jacob, as well as a few silk/wool blends. I recently purchased some Targhee roving, which is a new breed for me. I'll spin that in 2015 and add it to my breed sampler. I also received a gift of some beautiful silk to spin. I'm looking forward to playing with the colors.

I was able to complete a few small special projects this year - a laurel hat for Kenric, a new embroidered sash for the Concordia fencing champion, and some needle cases for Queen Thyra to give as gifts.

Publication of my research on spindle whorls moved forward this year. It's such a long process! I spent many hours perfecting the manuscript so that the work makes sense to both spinners and non-spinners. I've never imagined that non-spinners would be interested enough to actually read the paper, but perhaps it will inspire someone to try spinning (probably not - it's rather esoteric).

The best part of 2014 was being welcomed into the Order of the Laurel. I'm just beginning to feel comfortable in the role. It is still a thrill to put on the regalia for court. If you want to know more, look back to my posts in March.

It's almost like Christmas!

The proofs came yesterday for my chapter in the next volume of Medieval Clothing and Textiles! That will be Volume 11 - coming out in the spring. While I have been working with the editors for many months now to perfect the wording in the article about my spinning experiments, it seems so much more real now that it looks just like it will look in the published book. Just a couple of typos to fix, then I get to wait a few more months for the real thing.

Choosing the Right Tool

This is a topic that is near to my heart. I am reminded time and again how important it is to fit the tool to the task at hand. This is true whether I am spinning or knitting or nalbinding. And I'm sure the same is true for you, no matter what art or science you choose to pursue.

The importance of the right tool was made abundantly clear to me as I began to knit a pair of fingerless gloves. I prefer using bamboo needles for knitting. I like that they feel warm and light in my hand. Some people swear by metal needles because they can knit so quickly with them. But my experience is different. They actually slow me down because I don't like how they feel. For these gloves I designed a pattern to use some fine alpaca yarn. I chose size 1 needles so that the resulting fabric would be dense, but not overly so. I was ready to start, but couldn't find my needles (turns out I was using them to knit a sock). I began the gloves using metal needles. I was not having fun. The needles were cold, hard, and too long for this project, making them hard to balance. It not only changed my speed, it affected my stitch tension. I changed needles as soon as possible. Here is a picture of the gloves so far (I don't know why the picture is rotated):

On the completed glove I can see where I changed to bamboo needles. Even though the needles are the same size, the stitches are not. The second glove, knit with bamboo needles from the beginning, is a much more consistent fabric.

So, the lesson for today: The quality of my work is not just due to my skill or lack thereof. It is also a product of the tools I use. The right tool for the task is not just a factor of the quality of the tool, but also how the tool fits the user. If you are having trouble with a project that you think should be going better, perhaps the problem isn't you. Maybe it's the tool.

Moths!

So, I promised myself that I would finish the Ribe nalbinding mittens this year. After all, I had spun the yarn for them by the end of 2013 - there was no excuse. But, once again I procrastinated. At the end of October I finally decided I could not put it off any longer, and got out the yarn to begin. What did I find - moths! and their little worms! So, once again, the project did not begin. The yarn is currently in my freezer. Hopefully I will be able to salvage enough to complete the project. But now I am in the midst of holiday gift making (which is going quite well), so 2015 will have to be the year for the mittens.

Another Question to Explore

I've been spinning up the merino/silk and alpaca/silk roving that I purchased at Pennsic this year. I love them both, and I am looking forward to having enough yarn spun to make something beautiful. Which got me thinking.

I am using my "moosie," a modern top whorl, rim-weighted spindle (made of moose antler) to spin this yarn. I fill the shaft with as much yarn as will comfortably fit without reducing the efficiency of my spinning - about 155 meters. I am spinning at 10 wraps/cm, the optimum size for this spindle. I will knit with this yarn.

Here is what I have spun so far. The spindle is full and ready to be plied. While it may look like there is more room on the spindle, at this point the weight is such that it is difficult to keep a consistent thread size (81 g vs 36 g when empty), and if winding the cop is not done carefully, the thread tends to slip while spinning.

If I were spinning with one of my Ribe reproduction spindles (a lighter weight and longer shaft), how many meters would comfortably fit on the spindle? Assuming I will spin to weave, how many spindles-ful will I need to make a useful piece of cloth, say .5 meter x 5 meters with a sett of 10/12 ends/cm? (Two spindles-ful from the moosie would make a piece approximately 10 cm x 20 cm.) And while I am at it, how long will it take me to spin that much?

a mini vacation

I was lucky enough to go to Cape Cod for the long Labor Day weekend to celebrate my birthday. As always, it was very relaxing. It was especially nice because my son cooked the birthday dinner - a wonderful barbecue.

Here is a picture of the dunes at Sandwich, one of my favorite places:

Global warming is changing this beach. Much of the dunes have eroded away. It used to be that the marsh would only flood at exceptionally high tides. Now it is a regular occurrence. When we hiked in Brewster, we came across beach plums:

Aren't they beautiful? They taste just like big plums, but they are the size of cherries. They range in color from light pink to dark purple, all on the same plant.

And, just so you don't think I am ignoring my crafts, I bought a niddy-noddy in an antique store. Here it is with some alpaca/silk blend that I spun while we were there:

Some knitting projects

In between everything else this spring and summer, I have been knitting. I started with a simple shawl. It's just an over-sized rib pattern with a couple of stripes to add interest.

It kept me very warm on cold nights at War of the Roses and Pennsic this year.

Then I did a bit of sock knitting. I started with a pair for my husband. I liked the slip stitch pattern so much, I made another pair for me, then adapted the pattern for a hat, to use up the leftover yarn.

I can't wait for it to be cold enough to wear them.

I also knit a small shawl - more like a scarf. I'm waiting for fall weather to try it out.

Finally, I knit a swing coat. The row after row of stockinette was boring, so I am glad to be done (that was part of the reason for the rest of these projects - to give me something interesting to knit). I haven't blocked it yet, but I'm happy with how it turned out. The pattern called for a striped yarn, but I preferred a solid color, with just a bit of accent.

So, there you are. I have another pair of socks, and a summer sweater on the needles now. My plan is to finish the socks by Christmas and the sweater by spring. I've finally learned to knit my sweaters out of season so I can actually be finished when it is time top wear them.

the nalbound hat

I promised in my last post to show you the hat I made. It was made for Kenric when he joined the Order of the Laurel. Here is a picture of the hat:

It is done in the York stitch. I wanted to make "leaves," so I attempted making spots, as can be found in some mitten artifacts. It's rather abstract, but I like it.

Here is Kenric with the hat:

Yea! It fit!

Recent Nalbinding Projects

I've been doing a lot of nalbinding lately. I love how easy it is to carry around during these busy summer months. I made a hat for a friend. You will have to wait until after Pennsic to see a picture of it, but I am pleased with how it turned out. My other favorite project is a pair of gloves. Nalbound gloves are very late period - 13th and 14th century to the best of my knowledge. Here is my pair:

They are made using the Danish stitch. I chose it because it is very fine - not at all bulky. Best of all, they fit my hands better than any commercial pair I own. I am definitely going to make another pair - using a silk and merino blend I spun.

I am also making a pair of mittens - with bulky commercial yarn, because I fell in love with the color:

These are made using the Alsike stitch. I like that this stitch looks different on the two sides. I have turned the finished mitten "inside-out." On that side the ribs are more pronounced, and the space between the ribs looks almost woven. It is not a difficult stitch to do, and I love the texture of it.

I've also been working on a few knitting projects, but I'll leave that for another post.

Where do the days go?

I've been very busy since my last post. I'm happy to say, my nalbinding salon at War of the Roses was a success. Nine people came. Most had never stitched before, so I spent most of the afternoon teaching the Oslo stitch. The experienced nalbinders lent a hand, and everyone had an enjoyable time.

I entered the striped socks in the Concordia A&S competition, which required you to write a story about your piece. I wrote a letter from the spinner/knitter to her lover across the ocean to whom she was sending the socks. There were many good entries in the competition. Writing a story is much harder for me than spinning or knitting, so I was surprised to find that I was chosen as Baronial A&S Champion. Now I'll have to figure out a challenge for next year!

I'm still working on perfecting my spinning research paper to ready it for possible publication. The editors are so helpful. I'll be happy when everyone agrees that it is the best it can be. I've been enjoying the process, but I don't think I would want to be a professional writer. It's hard work!

When I am not writing or teaching, I've been prepping for my nalbinding class. I will teach the same thing at Northern Region War Camp, and at Pennsic - Options for Heels and Thumbs. I'm hoping to have enough starting rings so that students can jump right into the options, without having to start with the boring stuff.

I'll be teaching drop spinning at NRWC, too. I hope you'll consider stopping by if you are at either event this summer.

War of the Roses

Memorial Day weekend will soon be upon us. With MUCH better weather predicted than last year! This is the biggest event that Concordia puts on each year. No matter what you like to do, you will find it there, including many Arts and Sciences classes, for both adults and families. Saturday morning will start with an artisans' breakfast where we can all get together and chat (thank you, Deonna). That's a new thing this year and I think it sounds like a lot of fun. Keeping in the informal vein, I will be holding a nalbinding salon that afternoon. Please stop by if you are at the event. It's meant to allow people to come and go as they please; you could come for 10 minutes or 2 hours, depending on your interests. You don't even need to bring anything.  I'm hoping it will allow a more on-to-one approach to teaching stitches than the typical class setting does. I'm bringing my sample book and I'll teach any stitch I know. I'll also offer what ever help I can to people who have questions about projects they are working on. I've made lots of mistakes as I've experimented with this, my favorite technique, and I'm willing to pass on anything I've learned from them. So whether you have never held a needle before, or are looking to expand your stitch repertoire, stop by the barn. We'll have fun.

a happy accident

I'm preparing samples for a nalbinding class I will be teaching this summer on options for making heels and thumbs. I was not paying enough attention while I was making a sample of the heel style where you make a "tongue" along the bottom of the heel and then keep nalbinding around in a circle. My samples are not complete socks - I'm just making short tubes to represent the foot of the sock. So, since I wasn't paying attention, I forgot to decrease when I came around the tongue, in order to keep it flat with the bottom of the foot. Instead, it made a sharp angle with the tube. Instead of ripping out the stitches, I turned it over and continued with the tongue on the top of the foot.

When I got to the bottom of the foot, I decreased severely to make it lay flat, and spiraled around until the space was filled in. I have never seen a nalbinding sock made this way. It reminds me of Native American shoes. This one would make a good baby bootie. I think I may try making a full size pair of socks this way.

ta da!

Where did the month of April go? While I didn't seem to find time to blog, I didn't neglect my crafts. I finished the striped socks:

I'm very happy with how they turned out. While I do not believe the original sock is quite as old as the magazine implies, it is likely to have been made no later than the early 1700's. So, that is still the earliest style of sock I have attempted. I like the garter stitch heel; it's different from others I have made.

I've also been working on a pair of nalbinding socks made using the York stitch:

The yarn is handspun Corriedale. The stitch size is just slightly larger than the original sock. I would use a much lighter color of thread if I were to do this again (the actual thread is darker than it looks in this photo). It's very hard to see the stitches, except in natural light. Also, I got cocky while working on the second sock, and didn't follow my own rule: try it on often! You can see where I've had to cut some rows out because it got too tight to go over my ankle. I've had to take out about 6 rows. Given the tiny gauge, that represents a lot of work. I will be more careful as I stitch them the second time.

a new knitting project

The January/February 2014 issue of Piecework Magazine is the historical knitting issue. I found all of the articles very interesting this time, but one in particular enticed me to actually knit something. One of the articles is about textile artifacts found at Magdelena de Cao Viejo, Peru. According to the article, the town was settled in 1578 and abandoned around 1712, after an earthquake. The textile artifacts found are presumed to date from that period. Four stocking remnants have been identified - two made from wool, two from cotton. I decided to make myself a pair of stockings based on the information given for the four pieces.

For my pattern, I knit the stripe pattern found in the cotton stockings, but used my handspun wool. My stockings reach my knee, and will be held up with tablet woven garters. The original wool artifact is made with ss-Z yarn, with a gauge of 14 stitches and 20 rows per inch (see p. 12 of the magazine). My yarn is spun zz-S, and it is knit at a gauge of 9 stitches and 12 rows per inch, using size 1 needles. Clearly the original was much finer, but I began with some Finn yarn that I had previously spun, so that set my gauge (and my spin direction).

Two shades of madder-dyed wool are used for the stripes. The lighter one is BFL; the darker is merino.

I soon discovered that I didn't have enough of the lighter shade of wool to complete both pieces. For the second stocking I am reversing the colors. It takes a lot of yarn to make knee-high socks!

My Laurel Day, Part 3

After the speeches, you are given the regalia associated with the rank. These symbols are made by your friends. First Brid asked me to return my apprentice belts (I was wearing 2). She replaced it with her Laurel belt.

Her belt had been made for her several years ago by Isabel de Bayonne, another apprentice sister. It is beautiful double weave tablet weaving with laurel leaves all along it. Isabel created the weaving pattern herself. Someday I may understand tablet weaving enough to make such a complex pattern; this belt will certainly inspire me to try. I know how much this belt means to Brid, and I cherish her for caring enough to pass it on to me.

Next I was given a back cloth. This is a Viking woman's cloak that attaches to the brooches. It was made by my friend Vibeke. She is an expert in natural dyes. She dyed the wool and silk trim with indigo - such a beautiful color blue! It is embroidered down the sides with laurel leaves. The embroidery is made with stitches found at the Oseberg ship burial. Vibeke spun the thread and dyed it and the silk leaves with weld. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would own something made by Vibeke. It is so pretty!

Next I received a hood made by Arnlief and Frigga. It is based on the Skjoldehamn, Norway find, dated to 1095. While it is made a little larger than the original, the pattern is the same. I love this ingenious pattern which is made using the minimum amount of fabric possible, and no waste. A roundel of laurel leaves surrounded by silver wire weaving, is appliqued to the front panel of the hood. Frigga made many, many enamel leaves which make a border around the hood. Hidden inside is a delicate border of what has locally come to be called "the Ose stitch," although I didn't discover it; I merely taught it to my friends. All of the embroidery on the hood was made using wool thread which I had spun. They had tricked my into giving it to them for a different project. (I wonder if that was a real project, or just an excuse.)

I received a medallion. Everyone receives a medallion when they are inducted into an order, but this one is very special. The laurel medallion itself was designed by Jean-Paul Ducasse. The silver chain to hold it is done with Viking wire weaving, made by Frigga. There are 6 beautiful glass beads on the chain, made by Irene von Lassen. Two of them are decorated with laurel leaves. I will feel special every time I wear this necklace.

I received a fillet, made by Ruth Baraskya. She sews the most delicate embroidery of anyone I know. This fillet is made of maroon wool with tiny leaves and beads embroidered along its length. I will wear this often.

I was next given a veil, based on grave finds from Viking Dublin. This was woven by Siobhan. It is the finest, most delicate weaving I have ever seen. It will make me proud to be able to show off her work.

Each piece of regalia is layered on, one after the other. I was quite hot by this time. The final piece I was given was a nalbinding hat, made by Arnlief. It is made using my favorite stitch, with blue and green spiral stripes, as has been found at Finnish sites. I've already worn this hat to work. It's perfect. Finally, the scroll was read. The calligraphy and illumination was done by Heather Rose.

After all of that you are welcomed into the Order by all of the people who are already part of the Order. That was many, many hugs. Finally you are dismissed from court. It was an overwhelming, absolutely perfect day. I don't know how Richard was able to keep so much planning secret, but I love him for it.

My Laurel Day, Part 2

I suppose it is sort of like a wedding - everyone thinks their own is the best one ever. But my Laurel ceremony was the best one ever (OK, I'm biased). In preparation for court, my hair was dressed in French braids:
 I've never seen my hair look so beautiful (thank you, friends).

The procession began with Drake, who had written a song for me, based on a medieval Danish tune.

Jaquelinne was my herald (it's kind of amazing to hear all of your accomplishments shouted out). Geoffrey and Muriel carried my banner. I don't know if Brid chose them specifically, but it meant a lot to me - they represented the support of my household and my apprentice sisters and brothers. It was very comforting to walk up escorted by Richard and accompanied by my household and close friends.Without these people I would never have made it to this day.

When the procession reaches the dais, the King asks for an answer to his question. Of course I said yes. He then calls for the various Orders to speak on my behalf. Sir Yoshitsune spoke for the Order of Chivalry. He spoke about honor and the qualities related to chivalry. The speech (all the speeches) ends with "she is my peer." Mistress Brid spoke for the Order of the Pelican, about service I've performed. Brid is (was) my Laurel, so I did not expect her to speak for me, but she is a double peer (having been awarded for both her science and her service). That was very special. Countess Thyra spoke for the Ladies of the Rose (former Queens). She told personal stories about how she got to know me. She is so kind. The final speaker was Mistress Siobhan, who spoke for the Order of the Laurel. She had been my apprentice sister until a year ago. She spoke of my pursuit of arts and sciences. When she ended the speech with "she is my peer," I was ready to cry. Siobhan is the only other person I know who pursues her art (weaving) from a scientific perspective. I have looked up to her and respected her for the past 5 years. She never says anything she doesn't mean, so to have gained her respect for my work means the world to me.

My Laurel Day

Along with Novice Schola, Saturday was the Kingdom Bardic Championship. To start the championship, King Kenric welcomed everyone and wished them luck. But before the performances got underway my name was called to come into court. I had no idea why. As the King was talking about things I had taught, the thought that ran through my head was, maybe he's going to ask me to run an event. And then he said, "so we put this question before you..." From that point on the day went by in a fog. Everyone was invited to come to my vigil. I asked if it was OK to say something, and I invited the students from my nalbinding class to come to the vigil and I would show them the last little bit that we hadn't had time for. This made everyone laugh, which in retrospect I understand, but I meant it when I said it.

I was led off to a beautiful room at the top of the bell tower. My friend Katherine had made the most delicious sideboard, including Viking appropriate dishes. Renata made sweets, and Jessca made cookies with laurel leaves icing.

 

Jaquelinne played tunes for me all afternoon. It created the perfect atmosphere and helped to keep me from getting too nervous. Everyone I care about came to see me, offering advice and congratulations. Lorita wrote a sonnet for me. People said not to worry about remembering what was said. I guess that's the purpose of the vigil book. But I do remember the words of some people - Mistress Brid, Duke Edward Grey, Master Toki, Countess Thyra, Mistress Annastrina, and  King Kenric. I know their exact words will fade over time, but the sentiment and support will not.

I'm told the vigil lasted many hours, but it felt like minutes. I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to everyone. "Suddenly" it was time for court.

Sharing

When I became apprenticed to Mistress Brid, the first thing she asked me was "why do you want to be a Laurel?" I told her it was because I love learning things and I wanted to be able to teach others the cool things I was learning. She smiled and said no more.

Soon after, a new person came to our spinning group. Brid told me that as the newest spinner of the group, it was my job to teach the new person. It was my job because as a new spinner I remembered the things that can be problematic when trying to spin for the first time. I was nervous, but it was one-to-one, surrounded by friends, and it worked. Brid continued to encourage me to teach at small, local events. It wasn't long before I realized that I didn't need to be a Laurel to pass on what I know, whether it was new research or a new craft. I went out to share what I know, whenever I could, because that's what makes me happy. Here is my favorite quote, from Isabel Allende:

"You only have what you give. It's by spending yourself that you become rich. Give - what is the point of having experience, knowledge, or talent if I don't give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't share it?"

So, earlier this year Brid came to me and said, "Barbeta is having a hard time getting teachers for Novice Schola this year. Will you teach something?" Of course I said yes. And Richard, who had recently been inducted into the Order of the Terpsicore, said he would teach a beginning dance class. Both of our classes were scheduled for first thing in the day. I was a little disappointed because I had offered to come to his class in case he needed more people to make enough sets (and I like to dance). But, I was looking forward to Mistress Deonna's woodwinds class, so it was going to be a good day.

I didn't get to that class. I was called into vigil. That is a story for another day.

nalbinding

Novice Schola is happening this weekend in Springfield, Mass. As usual, there is a great line-up of classes. I will be teaching a beginner nalbinding class.

I'll start with the Oslo stitch because so many stitches build off it. It is the best one to know if you learn nothing else. Once you understand that stitch, it is much easier to pick up new stitches in the future, even if you are learning from a book or video. Then, if time permits, I'll teach the York stitch. It is very different from the Oslo stitch, and very easy. It's a fun one to know because it can look very different depending on the yarn you choose, and depending on which side you choose as the outside.

Hope to see you at the event!

a comparison of socks

My great-grandmother was born in Ireland in 1875. She came to America when she was 19. This picture of her holding my grandfather dates from 1906.

I'm certain that she was already an accomplished knitter by the time she came to America. My mother has childhood memories of her knitting socks (as do I). What I don't know is when the pattern for the socks in question dates from. Is it a pattern she learned from her mother before she came to America? Did she learn it here? Did she make it up herself? I'll never know. She had certainly been knitting it for a long time, since she was blind by the time she made this pair in the early 1960's.

This is the woman who taught me to knit as a child, and I wanted to reproduce her pattern. I carefully counted the stitches of my mother's socks, and this is the result:

Grandma Naughter’s Sock Pattern

Size 0 needles

Cast on 68. Make 20 rows of K2 P2 rib. (2 inches)

(P2 K4) 8 times.

(P2 m1 K2 m1) twice, (P2 K4) twice to complete round = 72 stitches.

Make 6 rows of P2 K4.

(P2 cable 2F P2 K4) 6 times.

Continue in pattern (rows 1-7: P2 K4; row 8: P2 cable 2F P2 K4…) for 6 inches = 8 cable twists. 

P2 K4 for 4 rows past the last cable twist.

Position needles:

Heel: 3K 2P 4C 2P 4K 2P 4C 2P 4K 2P 3C = 32 stitches.

Needle 2: 1C 2P 4K 2P 4C 2P 4K 1P = 20 stitches

Needle 3: 1P 4C 2P 4K 2P 4C 2P 1K = 20 stitches. 

Make slip stitch heel flap. Turn heel. Knit gusset, reducing to 64 stitches total. Knit instep in pattern and remaining stitches plain.

Continue in pattern until sock = 4 inches from point of gusset.

Knit 2 inches (or amount needed for correct length) plain. Decrease for toe.

Here is a picture of my sock and Grandma's sock:

Although I used the finest commercial sock yarn I could find, my yarn is much bulkier than the original sock. The stitch size is correct, so I think the needle size is correct, but this makes the finished fabric much denser. Also, because the yarn is thicker, when I discontinued the cabling on the foot, I decreased to 60 stitches because the diameter of the sock spread out too much to be comfortable on my foot. 

I am very pleased with how the sock turned out, even though it is not as delicate as the original. For my next pair I will spin my own yarn so that I can more closely match the original.

white on white

I made a second weaving sample with my natural and dyed Finn (see the previous post):

Starting at the bottom of the photo, I have 10 natural, 10 dyed with lily of the valley leaves, 10 natural and 10 dyed warp threads. The weft, starting at the left, is 4 stripes each dyed, then  natural. Each stripe is approximately 15 threads.

The purpose of the sample was to see if the color change was more noticeable with wider stripes than my first sample. I would say yes, but it is not completely successful.While the changes in weft threads are easy to see (at least in person), the change in warp threads is not. The piece looks striped, not checked.

My first sample was 28 tpi warp and 14 tpi weft. This sample is almost the opposite - 12 tpi warp and 30 tpi weft. I think it might be easier to see the change in both directions if it was an even weave. However, I have run out of dyed thread, so I won't be able to make a third sample.

With these pieces I have learned that the spacing of the warp and weft can make a real difference to the look and feel of the final fabric. Also, with the more widely spaced warp threads I had no problem with the threads sticking together, as happens with closely spaced wool warp (and no sizing).

shades of white

Back in September I did a little bit of dying. The indigo dying worked quite well. The lily of the valley dying, not quite so much. There is very little difference between the natural wool and the dyed wool. I wanted to see if the difference would be more noticeable if the threads were woven into fabric. Here is my finished sample:

The warp starts with 4 doubled strands of natural Shetland wool, then Finn dyed with lily of the valley leaves. There are 4 natural Finn threads on each side of the indigo threads. The remainder is dyed Finn and natural Shetland. Beginning at the bottom of the photo, the weft is natural Finn, up to the pointer. It then switches to dyed Finn for the center of the weaving, and back to natural at the upper end.

I had hoped that where the threads were natural white in both directions the fabric would be brighter than where it was mixed dyed and natural, and where it is all dyed, that it would look creamier. In fact, that is the case. It is difficult to see, however, because the white stripe is only 4 threads wide. I should have used at least 8 threads for each stripe. The difference between mixed and all dyed is very subtle and difficult to notice except in bright sunlight.

I still have some dyed thread left. I think I will make another sample with wide white and cream checks. Maybe then there will be a noticeable difference.

experimenting

If you read my blog, you know that I am big on experimenting. I'm reading a book - "Cosmic Numbers" by James D. Stern, and in it he defines a few terms that I find relevant:

Quoting from page 30:
Experiment: The act of conducting a controlled test or investigation.
Experimentation: Varying one parameter and seeing how other parameters change in response.
When you track the apparatus used, the procedures involved and the measurements observed, that's "experimental science."

In his book, Mr. Stern is talking about things like discovering the gravitational constant, but it is exactly the approach I use when trying to learn new things about spinning. Science doesn't have to happen in a laboratory. In fact, for much of history it didn't. It happened in basements and back halls and gentlemen's clubs. It is that history of "gentlemen scientists" (I guess there wasn't much of an outlet for gentlewomen scientists, but I bet they were out there - or too busy running the household to have time for "play") that I find exciting. The idea that science is accessible to everyone. If you are curious about something, just figure out the questions to ask and dive in. It's fun.

In that vein, I've been working on my Ribe mitten recreation. Each test I make, I discover a little bit more about how the original mitten could have been made. I believe the key to its construction lies in the thumb. To that end, I am making a few thumb samples to see which stitching sequence will most closely match the original mitten. I'll post them when I am done.

timed test mitten

I've finished my test mitten. Here is my tally:

It took 3 hours and 25 minutes to stitch from the beginning to the start of the thumb hole. It took another 4 hours and 10 minutes to reach the point where the decreasing rows began. It took 1 hour and 15 minutes to stitch the 6 decreasing rows, and 45 minutes to stitch the thumb. That is a total of 9 hours and 35 minutes for one mitten. Each time I sat down to work, I stitched for at least 20 minutes without interruption, up to 2 hours for my longest stretch.

As I suspected would happen, the finished mitten is smaller than the Ribe mitten. It measures 12.5 cm x 22.5 cm, compared to 14 cm x 26.5 cm. But the shape and proportion seems right. And I think the time is comparable to what it would take to make the original mitten, since the yarn is slightly thicker and the stitches slightly larger. People who look at my test mittens find it unusual that the cuff is so short, but that is how the real mitten is.

So, what is the total effort to make a pair of mittens? 15 hours to get ready, 19 hours and 10 minutes to stitch a pair = 34 hours and 10 minutes. Yes, I would be distressed to lose one.

Goals for 2014

My first goal for 2014 is to complete the reproduction of the Ribe nalbinding mitten. I have been working on this project off and on for more than a year and a half. Part of the delay was because other priorities got in the way. More importantly, I found there was more to discover about a "simple" mitten than I had anticipated. This is the year than I will bring this project to completion.

I spent a great deal of time in 2013 doing research and writing. That isn't a bad thing, but it meant that I had less time for spinning. I feel a void, and I will not neglect my spinning in 2014.

Third, I will weave something with the flax I have spun. I will keep it small (a napkin?) so that I don't get discouraged. If I can motivate myself, I will finish the big cotton piece that is on my larger loom (and has been there, neglected, since spring).

Fourth, I will practice tablet weaving. This was a 2013 goal that I never found time for, beyond taking a class at Pennsic.

Finally, I will knit a pair of socks using my great-grandmother's pattern. I have already counted out the stitches and worked out the pattern, so this should be an easy goal to accomplish.