Class Handout: Two Strings At Once (Fingerloop Braid)

Fingerloop braid: Two Strings At Once

Lady Shannon inghaen Bhriain uí Dhuilleaín

shannon.dhuilleain@gmail.com

http://shannonofalltrades.blogspot.com

In learning and teaching Fingerloop Braid techniques, I have been heavily influenced by the notations and directions used in Compleat Anachronist issue #108: Fingerloop Braids.

Each step in a pattern consists of three essential pieces of information: the finger moving, the opposing finger being interacted with, and the nature of that movement and interaction. A few simple shorthand notations are used consistently throughout the patterns.

First, the fingers. The pointer, middle, ring, and pinky fingers are labeled A through D (the thumb is not considered in any pattern I have yet encountered). The hands are labeled L for left, and R for right. Therefore, a simple two letter combination tells you precisely which finger is being discussed.

Fingers can move through one or more other loops before interacting with the other hand; these directions will be written out in full in each pattern.

Loops may be taken “reversed” or “unreversed.” If it is taken “reversed,” it winds up on the new finger upside-down or flipped over, so that the strand that was above is now below.

For loops taken “unreversed,” the orientation is the same on the new finger as on the original.

The pattern we will cover today is “2 Strings Att Once.” A transcription of the directions was recorded by Greg Lindahl and then translated into modern English by Zoe Kuhn Williams.

The Transcription: “To make 2 strings att once. Take 3 boes on one hand and 2 on the other then worke through both boes taking the top of the loer fingers alike.”

The Translation: “To make 2 strings at once. Take 3 bowes on one hand and 2 on the other then work through both bowes taking the top of the lower fingers alike.”

Zoe then provides step-by-step instructions, based on this translation:

Place 1 bowe each on BCR and ABCL.

Move AR through BCR and take CL UNREV.

Walk down L bowes.

Move AL through BCL and take CR UNREV.

Walk down R bowes.

Repeat.

This pattern can be changed slightly to create a single, thicker string instead of two thin strings. Instead of taking CL and CR UNREV, you simply take them REV instead:

Place 1 bowe each on BCR and ABCL.

Move AR through BCR and take CL REV.

Walk down L bowes.

Move AL through BCL and take CR REV.

Walk down R bowes.

Repeat.

You can also combine the two patterns to create a string with buttonhole-like openings along its length. To do this, begin with the REV pattern for twenty repetitions or so, then switch to the UNREV for an equal number of repetitions. Continue to alternate until you've reached your desired length. The actual number of repetitions in each set will vary depending on how large or small you want the holes, and how much solid string space you want between them.

Resources

Kuhn Williams, Z., & Swales, L. (2000, July). Fingerloop Braid. Compleat Anachronist, (108).

Kuhn Williams, Z., & Swales, L. (n.d.). Fingerloop Braids. Retrieved September 14, 2016, from http://www.fingerloop.org/

Persona Pentathlon: Can I Pull It Off?

Each year at Atlantia's Kingdom Arts and Sciences Festival, there is a Persona Pentathalon. Artisans create five items that would have all been owned/used by the same person. Three of these five items must fall into different categories. It's a daunting task, requiring artisans to work in multiple mediums.

The next KASF is in March 2017. For the first time in my SCA career, I feel that I may have a skill set that varies enough to consider competing. What to enter, though?

I'm thinking Viking.

The wire-weave chains fall into category six.

The Norwegian-style leather coin purse could be category six or two.

Lampwork beads--which I'll be learning at Pennsic--are category three.

I'm gonna guess tallow candles would be category four--I'll have to double-check that.

Wood-carved spoons--another Pennsic plan--are another entry for category six.

Calligraphy and illumination are category one.

...and a heraldic banner is category seven.

Or I can do something British, which will let me do bookbinding and a blackjack but will leave out the wire-weave chain and the coin purse.

Or maybe not...the Trewhiddle Scourge was, after all, found in England. But that's probably religious. I could do a religious book with calligraphy and illumination and the church obviously would have used candles, too. Hmmmmmmmm....

A New Adventure: Bookbinding!

I attended Atlantia's Summer University event last weekend. One of the classes I took was long-stitch bookbinding, in which we created a small, leather-bound book from circa 14th century Germany. I got the hang of it almost immediately, and I couldn't wait to get home and try making some from scratch!

I've recently acquired some 3-4oz white cowhide leather, which I decided would be perfect for the project. I cut out rectangles that are 11" x 6" (this was SO much easier to cut than the leather I use for blackjacks and bottells!).

For the pages, I used what I have on hand: white printer paper. I cut it in half, creating 5.5" x 8.5" pieces. I then folded these in half, so that the pages of the book will be 5.5" x 4.25". I grouped the pages into folios of five sheets, and each book has five folios.

The class instructor, Runa Barefoot, provided us with a template to mark the stitching holes in both the leather and the folios. I used this same template on my books, and punched the holes with a hand awl.

With that done, it was time to stitch the folios to the leather. I did the stitching with white linen thread. Beginning with the first folio, I stitched from the inside out through the pages and then the leather. I formed a small loop with the thread, and then stitched back through the same hole. Moving down the spine, I stitched in-to-out, then out-to-in, and so on until I reached the last hole. Adding the second folio, I stitched back up the spine to the top.

Before beginning to stitch the third folio, I stitched through the small loop I had formed at the beginning, and then tightened the loop down flush with the leather. Then I stitched the third folio down the spine. At the other end, I fed the needle under the stitch between the first and second folios before sewing in the fourth folio. I then repeated the process one more time for the last folio.

At the end of the last folio, I again fed the needle through the joining stitch. Then I stitched back into the final hole to end up with the needle and thread inside the last folio. I tied off the thread an snipped off the excess.

Convincing the leather to stay folded over and keep the book closed is something of a challenge. For the moment I'm weighing it down to sorta "train" the leather to stay where it belongs, but I'm going to devise some method of clasping it or tying it. Stay tuned for future projects!

Here's what it looks like, unrestrained:

Being Champion

I've been doing a lot of thinking since Sunday evening. I spent so much time and worked so hard to earn the title of Baronial A&S Champion...but what does it actually MEAN to me to be the Champion?

The way I see it is simple: my role is two-fold. On one hand, I am a representative of Their Excellencies and the Populace of Concordia. It is on my shoulders to carry that responsibility with grace and dignity, and to always conduct myself honorably.

My second role is to promote and encourage the Arts and Sciences and those who pursue them, whatever form they may take. I should teach. I should host A&S nights. I should sponsor competitions and provide feedback to artisans who enter. I should do things  that don't even occur to me now because, really, as far as A&S goes, I'm just as much a newcomer as anyone.

One simple thing I can do is thank artisans for sharing their work. Putting something you've poured your heart and soul into creating out on a table or a stand for all the world to see and judge is terrifying. I know it well. I also know the rush of excitement and the feeling of accomplishment an artisan experiences when someone appreciates their work. It's amazing, what a simple token left beside your display can do for your confidence.

I've built up my stockpile of wire-wrapped rings again, but I had to design a new card to use for the next year. This is what I've come up with:

Baronial Champion

This weekend was the Wars of the Roses event in the East Kingdom. It is a huge event hosted every year by my local barony, Concordia of the Snows. At this event, Their Excellencies Concordia select several champions: Rapier, Heavy, Brewing, and A&S.

The requirements for this year's A&S competition were as follows:

This year's challenge is to present something you have learned since Roses last year, that is completely new for you. 

I want you to learn about something that is outside your current skillset, the greater removed the better. For example, I write Italian poetry and paint illuminations for scrolls. For this competition, I might go to Mistress Ose (or someone similar) and ask her to teach me nallbinding, or I might take a class at an event about how to make glass beads. 

Along with a sample of your work, you must also provide a BRIEF (no more than 2 pages) writeup that documents what you have learned as period/relevant to the SCA, why you chose it as your new art or science of choice, and what the learning process was like (how did you learn about it - did you take a class, talk to a peer, read a book, etc? Was it hard to learn how to do? What specific examples of this new skill have you acquired? And so forth). Entries will be scored based on quality of work and documentation, with heavy consideration towards how new and different the subject is to you.

As you may know, I have recently taken up calligraphy. I decided to look a little deeper, and see what my duties would be if I won the competition:

To compete to be a Baronial Champion you must:

Consider yourself a Concordian, either by living within the geographic boundaries of the barony OR by identifying yourself as a Concordian through allegiance.

Declare your intent to be a Baronial Champion at the tournament or by entering the competition.

A Baronial Champion is expected to: 

Be willing to commit to the duties of the baronial champion, and must have no duties or fealties which would conflict with these duties.

Attend the majority of Concordian events and participate in any Baronial Court held at those events.

Attend the Baron and Baroness at some out of Barony events, including Pennsic if possible.

Wear the regalia of your position.

Organize next year’s Baronial Champion tourney/competition to choose your successor.

Lead the Concordian units in battle if the Baron or Baroness is unable to do so.

Well ... I could do all that. I double-checked with Mistress Arianna, just to be sure the duties and requirements would not conflict with my Oath as her protege--she gave me the go-ahead, and I was off!

I decided to do a scroll blank for the East Kingdom's new AoA-level archery award, the Order of Apollo's Arrow. It went through several iterations before I settled on the final design.

I did not expect to win. I haven't been very active here in the East--indeed, most of the hundreds of people who were at Roses this weekend don't know me from Adam. In fact, Sunday morning I even debated not going back for the second day, because while the first day had been pleasant, the fact remained that I don't really know anyone and I expected to be rather lonely. Luke was having none of that! He came with me to the event on Sunday, sacrificing his sleep even though he had to work that night.

As court began Sunday evening, Their Excellencies called forth their current Champions and reclaimed the regalia to be passed on. Then They called forth Their new Heavy Champion, followed by Their new Rapier Champion. In each instance, I heard Them say to the person, "As we discussed earlier..." and then I knew for sure I hadn't won, because I had had no conversation with Them prior to court.

Which is why I was more than a little confused when They next called for "Shannon." I looked around--no one else was standing. Uncertainly, I got to my feet and asked, "Me?" to which there were many nods. Flustered, I scurried down out of the stands--thank goodness Luke was there to escort me, because I was a trifle unsteady!

Their Excellencies spoke about my entry and my documentation as I continued to stand there in complete shock. Before I really grasped what was happening, They were hanging a medallion around my neck and helping me slip into the blue and gold Champion baldric!

Her Excellency had said that it was my documentation which really made my entry stand out--She said She was really able to get a sense of the process I went through in learning my new art form. Here is that documentation:

Historic Basis

Artificial Uncial is directly descended from Uncial, which was the foremost script of the Church and therefore arguably the most important script from the fourth to sixth centuries. Artificial Uncial differs from its predecessor in that the nib of the pen is rotated horizontally. This pen position greatly increased the impact of letters by giving vertical strokes the full width of the nib while simultaneously creating the thinnest-possible horizontals. The technique first appeared in the sixth century, and gained full acceptance and recognition in the seventh.

As it gained in popularity, Artificial Uncial evolved from a speedy, functional script to an ever-increasingly embellished and intricate one. As its complexity grew, it became a script reserved for special works or for short, important points in longer texts.

The script fell out of favor and general usage by the tenth century, a victim of its own popularity and the resulting embellishment it endured.

Examples of Artificial Uncial can be found in such manuscripts as the Vespian Psalter, which was penned in England in the first quarter of the eighth century. Another example, also from England in the early eighth century, is the Rule of St. Benedict maunscript.

References

"Cotton MS Vespasian A I." Digitised Manuscripts. British Library. Web. 09 May 2016.

Drogin, Marc. Medieval Calligraphy, Its History and Technique. Montclair, NJ: Allanheld & Schram, 1980. Print.

"MS Hatton 48." Rule of St. Benedict. Bodleian Library, Oxford. Web. 27 May 2016. 

Inspiration and How I Made It

I have wanted to learn calligraphy since 1996. Fourteen-year-old me had a pen-pal in Norway who sent cards and letters embellished with the most beautiful writing, and my own script--though neat and legible--was rather drab in comparison. I ran out to the store and bought calligraphy pens and a how-to book on "Old English" lettering, but I very quickly became frustrated when the letters that flowed from my nib were awkward and uneven rather than elegant and beautiful.

Since then, I've dabbled around with my own handwriting, changing the way I form letters and practicing a "fancy" version. But I never really sat down and learned the mechanics and theories of calligraphy.

Fast-forward May 2, 2016. I was working the closing shift at work, and there was a five-hour gap between flights every night. I had been passing the time making Viking chains and fingerloop braid cords, but I began to itch for something different. Most of my leatherwork projects weren't even an option--the TSA gets a little jumpy if you bring things like Xacto knives to the airport. I thought about spinning wool, but decided that while it would keep my hands occupied, it wouldn't keep my mind busy. Then a friend at work suggested calligraphy, and it reawakened that old yearning from twenty years ago.

Somewhere along the way, I had already obtained a copy of Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique by Marc Drogin. I stopped at Michael's on my way to work and picked up an assortment of calligraphy pens in various nib sizes, and also a pad of graph paper.

I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I read all the instructions on how to hold the pen, how to angle the paper. Medieval Calligraphy has a section on practicing pen strokes--I started with that. It took me a while to get the pen to glide smoothly and evenly through the strokes--as I understand it, part of that difficulty is because I am left-handed. I did an entire page of each basic stroke. Horizontal lines in particular gave me fits, but I persevered.

It didn't take long for me to grow REALLY bored with stroke practice. So, in typical me fashion, I leaped on ahead to trying to master a hand. I chose 'Artificial Uncial' simply because I thought it was pretty. I really struggled with keeping the pen angle consistent, and with the flicks and flourishes that begin or end so many strokes in the letters. For several days I struggled to match the exemplar exactly, and grew more and more disheartened as the texts I produced continued to be legible but certainly not anything approaching beautiful.

Then as I sat down one day, about a week into this adventure, I decided to reread some of the introduction and explanations in the book. Something he wrote in his preface immediately grabbed the attention of my frustrated mind:

I think you will find, as I did, once you learn something of the history of medieval scripts...

that enormous creativity was involved in their birth and that you can express as much

creativity in working within them.

As I continued reading, I noticed that Drogin emphasizes over and over that basic alphabets existed, but individual scribes took liberties within these forms and each calligrapher's hand was uniquely his own. With that in mind, I began making minor adjustments to my problem letters, trying to find a form that worked for me while maintaining the proper feel of the overall script. I moved away from the overly-embellished exemplars and worked with the simple, base forms of the letters.

And it clicked.

I began producing pages upon pages of text that I was proud to say I had written. I used the text from various award scrolls, song lyrics, and even just random thoughts in my head, and I wrote. The more I wrote, the more naturally the letters flowed. They became more uniform in height. As I gained confidence, I began experimenting with spacing and layout in hopes of someday actually producing scrolls for Baronial and Kingdom awards.

For my entry, I decided on the East Kingdom's new AoA-level award for archery, the Order of Apollo's Arrow. Because the skill I am entering for consideration is the calligraphy itself, I have not yet illuminated the scroll (a daunting prospect in and of itself—I'm no more experienced in illumination than I am in calligraphy). The idea that it may someday hang proudly on a fellow archer's wall is exhilarating and incredibly humbling.

This scroll is produced on 100lb vellum-finish Bristol using a Pigma Calligrapher pen with a 1mm nib. I chose this pen because the nib is hard plastic as opposed to felt, which better mimics writing with a steel-nibbed pen. The blue capitals are lettered with a Recollections calligraphy marker with a 2mm nib. I chose this pen for the capitals after practicing both with it and with the ElegantWriter pen because I find it writes more smoothly and provides crisper edges. I chose blue to complement the colors of the badge.

The layout of the text is intended to fit within a Celtic knotwork border I developed as a rough draft for a baronial A&S award (included for reference in the Appendix). The badge of the Order will be rendered at the base of the scroll, below the signatures of the King and Queen.

Along with the documentation, I included an Appendix which consisted of several of my practice pages, showing the progression of my lettering from day one to day twenty five.

I'm still in shock, I think.

I'll need to find out when EK court is at Pennsic, though, because I'll be attending Their Excellencies there, and at many events to come!

I want to thank Their Excellencies for the faith They have placed in me--I am humbled to stand behind Them as Their champion. I shall strive to bring honor to Concordia over the coming year, to grow my own skills as an artisan, and to encourage others to explore and fulfill their artistic passions and potential.

Nobelese Largesse Swap #10: Ambiance

After having so much fun with Swap #9, I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Ambiance swap that was announced next! I was assigned to Lady Felicia FizMaurice, who lives in An Tir. I read through her completed questionnaire and took note of several things--items for the table, jewelry (but not rings), shades of blue, 1200-1400 period ...

I wound up doing three different items for Felicia. The first was a completely period blackjack--my first-ever attempt at using only beeswax to seal a mug.

The second item I made for her was a necklace. It is Viking wire weave, made of 26-gauge silver-enameled copper wire, woven in a double-weave pattern. It is finished off with end cones and a simple ring-and-bar clasp.

The last item I made was a small coin purse, based on a single extant example from the fourteenth century in the Bryggen Museum in Bergen, Norway. I'll go into this item in detail, because I've not previously recorded this process. I learned to make these purses from a class taught at Atlantian University by Mistress Sigrid Briansdotter.

Trying to track down information about the extant piece is frustrating. The museum does not seem to have an online gallery. Fortunately, other reenactors have made replicas of the purse and documented the process, and some of them even have photos they took when they visited the museum.

For my project, the body of the purse is made of split deerskin, cut in a circle the size of a dinner plate and pierced with threading holes--one hole every ten degrees in a small ring around the center and a larger ring near the edge. The small ring is three inches in diameter. The large ring is an inch from the edge of the leather.

The original purse was strung with leather cord, but I instead used blue fingerloop braid cord to give the purse just a small pop of color. 

The smaller circle that holds the bottom "cup" in place in the finished purse was threaded using what is known in embroidery as a "whipped running" stitch--first it is running-stitched, and then a second time around with the needle, whip-stitching into the thread of the running stitch rather than into the leather itself.

The outer circle is just threaded with a running stitch, and the loose ends of the cord are tied together. When the purse is gathered, it leaves a length of purse strings which can be affixed to the wearer's belt. 

I hope Lady Felicia likes her items!

A New Art Form: Calligraphy

I have wanted to learn calligraphy since 1996. Fourteen-year-old me had a pen-pal in Norway who sent cards and letters embellished with the most beautiful writing, and my own script--though neat and legible--was rather drab in comparison. I ran out to the store and bought calligraphy pens and a how-to book on "Old English" lettering, but I very quickly became frustrated when the letters that flowed from my nib were awkward and uneven rather than elegant and beautiful.

Since then, I've dabbled around with my own handwriting, changing the way I form letters and practicing a "fancy" version. But I never really sat down and learned the mechanics and theories of calligraphy.

Fast-forward May 2, 2016. I was working the closing shift at work, and there was a five-hour gap between flights every night. I had been passing the time making Viking chains and fingerloop braid cords, but I began to itch for something different. Most of my leatherwork projects weren't even an option--the TSA gets a little jumpy if you bring things like Xacto knives to the airport. I thought about spinning wool, but decided that while it would keep my hands occupied, it wouldn't keep my mind busy. Then a friend at work suggested calligraphy, and it reawakened that old yearning from twenty years ago.

Somewhere along the way, I had already obtained a copy of Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique by Marc Drogin. I stopped at Michael's on my way to work and picked up an assortment of calligraphy pens in various nib sizes, and also a pad of graph paper.

I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I read all the instructions on how to hold the pen, how to angle the paper. Medieval Calligraphy has a section on practicing pen strokes--I started with that. I selected the Elegant Writer pen with a 2mm nib first, because it was a brand I recognized.

It took me a while to get the pen to glide smoothly and evenly through the strokes--as I understand it, part of that difficulty is because I am left-handed. I did an entire page of each basic stroke. Horizontal lines in particular gave me fits, but I persevered.

I was rapidly becoming bored with this, even though I realized how important it was. In typical me fashion, I decided to forge on ahead and take a stab at one of the scripts in the book, "artifical uncial." I did two rows of each letter in the alphabet--including one 'A' that I was ridiculously proud of--and then ended my practice for the day with two words, which weren't particularly pretty, but at least were legible:

On day two, I repeated the stroke practice (despite being bored out of my mind with it), and then practiced the alphabet again. Once that was complete, I tried a simple, "Thank you." I discovered immediately that 'H' was my nemesis, and 'Y' was its partner in crime. In contrast, I was very fond of 'A', 'T', and 'U'.

On a whim, I switched from the ElegantWriter pen to a Recollections pen with a 3.5mm nib. I was immediately a fan of this new pen--it flowed so much more smoothly! I repeated the stroke practice and the alphabet practice, and I was quite pleased with the results.

Day three saw more practice with the Recollections 2mm pen, which flowed as smoothly as the 3.5mm had. I only did one line of each stroke and letter as a warm-up before diving right into trying to actually write something--I chose the text of the award of the Order of the Blasted Oak from the Barony of Lochmere in Atlantia, because it's text with which I am comfortably familiar and therefore I didn't have to keep referring to the website for the words.

It wasn't beautiful or even very even, and I experimented with the line spacing (see "It is like an ancient oak" in the middle of the text). 'H' and 'Y' continued to be problematic--no matter how I tried, I just couldn't seem to get the pen to do what the exemplar looked like. I also added 'S' to the list of troublesome letters.

As I began day four, I remembered something that Marc Drogin wrote in his preface:

I think you will find, as I did, once you learn something of the history of medieval scripts...that enormous creativity was involved in their birth and that you can express as much creativity in working within them.

He emphasizes over and over that basic alphabets existed, but individual scribes took liberties within these forms and each calligrapher's hand was uniquely his own. With that in mind, I began making minor adjustments to my problem letters, trying to find a form that worked for me while maintaining the proper feel of the overall script.

Working with an ElegantWriter 2mm nib, I returned again to the comfortably familiar text of the Blasted Oak, and played with 'G', 'Y', 'S', and even 'W'. I determined that I would use the serifed 'W' at the beginning of words, and my new 'W' in the middle of words. I began to develop a rhythm for the descender on 'G'. 'Y' remained a problem, though.

My overall lettering was much more even on day four--when I posted the photo on Facebook, I made the comment, "If it were on real paper instead of graph paper, I would not be ashamed to turn it into a scroll to be awarded to somebody." I think that really speaks volumes, coming from the girl who gave up on the dream of calligraphy for twenty years.

On day five, I wanted to really focus on keeping my letter heights consistent. I was also determined to nail down a good 'S' and 'Y'. I decided to stick with the ElegantWriter 2mm nib pens.

The text I used on day five is from the award for the Order of the Crab's Claw, also from the Barony of Lochmere. This text is longer--indeed, I ran out of room on the paper before I competed the text!

I did nail down my last two nemesis letters, and I was very, very pleased with the results.

So where do I go from here?

Well ... I have an idea or two. But you'll just have to wait and see!

A&S 50 Challenge

This year is A.S. L, also known as the fiftieth year of the Society for Creative Anachronism. In celebration of this momentous occasion, a challenge was put forth to artisans across the Knowne Worlde. An artisan could choose to make one item from each of fifty different crafts, or to make fifty items of one single craft. This feat was to be accomplished before the fifty-year celebration, which will be held in June 2016.

I opted for the latter challenge: fifty items of one craft. The craft I chose was Viking Wire Weave. It has taken me a year and a half to complete this challenge. Herein are my fifty items. All are woven of 26-gauge enameled copper wire, unless otherwise specified.

Item #1: A copper, six-loop, single-weave necklace, which I entered in a winner-takes-all competition at Lochmere's Battle on the Bay event in September 2014.

Item #2: A silver, six-loop, double-weave necklace, which I entered in a competition at Lochmere's Battle on the Bay event in September 2014. I won this competition.

Item #3: A silver, seven-loop, single-weave necklace, which I made as a token of my favor for my fiance, Luke.

#4, in progress

Item #4: A double-stranded necklace of blue and green, six-loop, single-weave, which I made for my protege-sister Isolde.

Item #5: A chain of alternating blocks of green, silver, and blue, to be worn suspended between the brooches of my Viking apron dress.

#7 & #8

Item #6: A double-stranded chain of blue and silver, to be worn suspended between the brooches of my Viking apron dress.

Item #7: A silver circlet. This chain was actually a mess-up that I drew too tightly, causing the weave to become deformed. It also featured my first hand-made hook clasp, however, and I was darn proud of how that came out.

Item #8: A green, six-loop, double-weave necklace to be worn by me.

Item #9: A silver, six-loop, single-weave necklace for my Opal medallion.

Item #10: A blue, six-loop, double-weave necklace given to the Barony of Lochmere as largesse.

Item #11: A chain of alternating blocks of single-strand, double-weave silver and double-strand, single-weave gold-and-blue. Experimental. Added to stockpile of largesse.

#12 - #20: Avacal Largess

Items #12 - #20: An assortment of red, gold, and silver chains, made to contribute to the Principality of Oertha's largesse basket for the new Kingdom of Avacal.

#21

Item #21: A new technique: six-loop, single-weave green over six-loop, double-weave silver. Intended to be a bracelet, but a bit too long. I wear it as an anklet instead.

Item #22: Six-loop, single-weave red over six-loop, double-weave gold. Necklace. I'm not actually sure where this one ended up!

Item #23: Six-loop, single-weave blue over six-loop, double-weave silver. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #24: Six-loop, double-weave red necklace. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #25: Six-loop, triple weave gold necklace with blue glass pendant. Christmas gift for my aunt.

Item #27: Six-loop, double-weave blue necklace. Auctioned at the fundraiser for Lochmere's new coronets.

Item #28: Six-loop, triple-weave green necklace. Entered in an A&S competition at Lochmere's Feast of St. Brigit, with item 29. Won the competition.

Item #29: Six-loop, double-weave copper necklace. Entered in an A&S competition at Lochmere's Feast of St. Brigit, with item 28. Won the competition. Later given as prize for A&S competition at Lochmere's Battle on the Bay 2015.

#28 and #29. Photo (c) Lady Cassair Warwick

Item #30: Six-loop, double-weave blue and silver necklace. Site token for the Queen of Atlantia at Lochmere's Feast of St. Brigit.

Item #31: Six-loop, double-weave blue and silver necklace. Site token for the King of Atlantia at Lochmere's Feast of St. Brigit.

Item #32: Six-loop, single-weave silver over six-loop, double-weave blue. Necklace. Auctioned at the fundraiser for Lochmere's new coronets.

#33

Item #33: Six-loop, single-weave blue over six-loop, double-weave gold. Necklace. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #34: Six-loop, triple-weave gold necklace woven of 28-gauge wire. Displayed in Atlantia's Kingdom Arts and Sciences Festival 2016.

Item #35: Six-loop, single-weave necklace in alternating blocks of green, silver, and blue. Meant to be worn with Viking apron dress, and items 5 and 6.

Item #36: Six-loop, single weave blue necklace. Given to the Barony of Lochmere as largesse.

Item #37: Six-loop, double-weave blue necklace. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #38: Six-loop, single-weave blue necklace. Given to the Barony of Lochmere as largesse.

#37

Item #39: New technique. Six alternating loops of silver and copper. Double-weave necklace. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #40: Six-loop, double-weave green necklace. Christmas gift for my future sister-in-law, Jamie.

Item #41: Six-loop, double weave silver necklace with a blue-and-white heart pendant. Christmas gift for my future sister-in-law, Juli.

Item #42: Six-loop, double weave blue necklace for a coworker.

Item #43: Six-loop, double-weave silver necklace with a seahorse zipper-pull pendant. Personal, in memory of a friend who passed away in May 2015.

Item #44: Six-loop, single-weave blue over six-loop, double-weave copper bracelet. Added to stockpile of largesse.

Item #45: Six-loop, single-weave silver necklace. Given to the Barony of Lochmere as largesse.

Item #46: Six-loop, double-weave green necklace. Added to stockpile of largesse.

#49

Item #47: Six-loop, double-weave blue necklace. Intended to bestow as largesse to the Shire of Vaca del Mar at the end of February 2016.

Item #48: Six-loop, double-weave red necklace, made for a Secret Santa gift exchange at work.

Item #49: Six-loop, double-weave gold necklace woven of 28-gauge wire. Christmas gift for my mother.

And, for the grand finale, it seemed only fitting that I combine techniques and create a truly masterful chain for the woman who is my inspiration in the Society ...

Item #50: Multi-part chain. Six-loop, single-weave green over six-loop, double-weave gold, joined at each end to short chains of six-loop, double-weave gold. Pelican medallion from Combat Medallions. Christmas gift for my Pelican, Mistress Arianna Morgan.

Leather Award Medallions: Order of the Opal (Atlantia)

My original plan for the A&S 50 Challenge, back when I first learned of it, was to do a set of leather award medallions for the Kingdom of Atlantia. Eventually, I decided to do fifty Viking wire weave chains instead, but now I've decided to tackle the medallions as well.

Her Majesty Thora will be attending Nacht in der Stadt in Lochmere at the end of April, and I decided this would be a great opportunity to present the first set of medallions. I decided to start with the Order of the Opal.

I ordered the leather circles pre-cut from Tandy. They are two and a half inches in diameter. This was simply a matter of convenience--I could have cut circles from the sides of leather I already have, but that would be tedious at best (and likely would have resulted in medallions that were less than perfectly round).

I have a diamond-shaped leather stamp, so the tooling on these medallions turned out to be really easy in that regard. However, keeping the pattern neat and even took some trial and error. For my earliest attempts, I used graph paper to try and space out the diamonds. This resulted in a very busy medallion, more blue than white.

After five or six of these, I changed tactics. I tooled the center diamond, and then used a ruler to mark parallel lines across the circle, lined up with the edges of that central mark. I then lined the stamp up within these lines, spacing it its own width from the last diamond tooled. This was much easier to keep aligned, and resulted in fewer diamonds on the medallion overall.

After the medallions were tooled, I painted them with acrylic paint. The blue only took one coat, but the white took as many as five or six coats to completely and evenly cover the surface.

Once the painting was complete, I allowed the medallions to dry for twenty four hours. Then I dropped them one-by-one into melted beeswax and allowed them to soak for about a minute. I extracted them from the wax and immediately wiped away the excess before placing the medallion on a sheet of parchment paper to cool and harden.

I was pleased to see that after the wax was applied, the texture of the surface of the leather stood out through the paint. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.

After the waxed medallions cooled enough to handle them, I drilled the holes for the ring in the top of each one. I used my Dremel tool and a 3/32 bit to drill the holes.

All-in-all, I produced thirteen medallions. Twelve will be presented to Her Majesty at the end of the month. The thirteenth was an "oops"--it must not have been completely dry before I dropped it in the wax!

The rings are made from twenty-gauge, silver-enameled copper wire. The simple style is well-documented in Viking finds.










I am also presenting Her Majesty with twelve fingerloop braid cords in kingdom colors, and twelve Viking wire weave chains. These medallions could be worn suspended from either cord or chain.

Flacket Gone Wrong

When I agreed to run the Arts and Sciences competition and display at Lochmere's Nacht in der Stadt event, I intended to make the first- and second-place prizes for the Newcomers' Showcase competition. First place would be a leather flacket.

The project started well enough. I had just received a side of lighter-weight 5-6 oz. leather, and I was excited to use it for the flacket. I found a pattern for the shape of the bottle on instructibles.com. It was a bit too squat for my tastes, but that was easily correctable by stretching the image slightly in Paint before printing it.

After tracing the outline of the flacket onto the side of leather, I quickly discovered that thinner leather doesn't necessarily equate to easier-to-cut leather. Oooof! It was no easier at all.

Once I had wrestled it free from the side of leather, I marked the seams and spaced the stitching holes. Then I drilled the stitching holes all the way around. I had also marked the holes for the carrying strap, but I didn't have a drill bit that large. I decided to go ahead and stitch and sand-pack the bottle, and I'd have Dad drill the bigger holes when I saw him next.

For the first time ever, I didn't break a single needle as I stitched the project together! I count that as a major victory. I also hit a point about half-way through the stitching when I got *super* excited about the finished project--it went from this hypothetical concept in my mind to something I could actually visualize as a complete, usable object! I love that point in projects. It's such a neat feeling.

Once it was stitched, I soaked the leather with water and then packed it with sand, stuffing it as full as I could. Then I wedged an old, dried-out highlighter into the neck to hold it in a perfectly round shape as it dried. I let it sit for three days to dry completely.

After it had dried, I took it over to my parents' house to have Dad drill the big holes. It turns out that waiting was a mistake--even though it wasn't yet wax-hardened, the leather was so stiff from having been soaked and dried that it was very difficult to drill through. The drill actually skidded across the leather a bit on the first hole, an imperfection I hoped would be disguised by the waxing and then further hidden when the carrying strap was attached. Next time I know: do ALL the drilling first.

With the holes finally in place, I took the bottle back home and popped it in a warm oven for about twenty minutes. Then I applied hot beeswax to the exterior surfaces. I immediately noticed that the leather didn't turn a deep, rich brown like the thicker leather has in the past. Still, it did darken somewhat, so I attributed it to the different leather weight and kept working.

When I applied the wax to the back, something very strange happened. Most of it matched the front, but there was a spot roughly the diameter of a quarter where the base of the neck began to widen out into the body that turned MUCH darker. I still haven't figured out why that happened, and it looked really strange. Crossing my fingers, I hoped that it would even out when I melted off the excess wax--maybe the additional absorbing of wax would darken the rest of the flacket a bit?

I poured four coats of EnviroTex Lite inside the bottle, taking great care to spread it evenly over all the surfaces and allowing each coat to dry for twenty four hours. I couldn't see the inside very well, though I did my best by shining a flashlight down the neck. The only way to know for sure would be to melt off the excess wax and then fill the bottle with water and check for leaks.

When I filled it with water, I didn't see any leaks or seepage around the seams. This was good. I poured the contents into a measuring cup--the flacket holds about a cup and a half of liquid.  That was a little surprising--I thought it would be at least two cups.

I looked back at the bottle, and was surprised to see light speckles in the finish that hadn't been there before. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that the sealant hadn't completely coated the inside and the water was seeping through the leather in places. Worrisome, but not a disaster--I just had to let the leather dry out, and do another coat of sealant.

I left the bottle standing inverted in a cup for three days before reapplying a thick coat of beeswax along the seams and pouring in another coat of the sealant. I painstakingly tilted the bottle this way and that, doing my very best to ensure that the entire interior was covered. When I was at last convinced that I could do no more, I set it aside to dry.

When I put it back in the oven to again melt off the excess wax the next day, I was pleased to note that the light speckles darkened back down to match the rest of the surface. When it came out of the oven, it looked exactly the way I hoped it would--except for that strange dark spot on the back, which had not blended any better.

I decided I had better let it cool completely before testing it for leaks again, so I set it on a shelf in the living room and left it overnight. The next day, I carefully filled it with water, holding my breath the whole time. No spots appeared! I held it full for several minutes, watching carefully for any sign of seepage. It maintained its perfect finish, and I breathed easier.

When I poured the water out, some of it dribbled down the sides. Immediately, speckles of discoloration began to appear. I stared at it in disbelief and horror. It was thoroughly sealed with wax! What was going on?!

I flipped the faucet on and ran water over the entire exterior surface. And ... well ... it did this:

I don't understand why this happened--I've never seen anything like it. I can only surmise it has something to do with the leather itself, because the wax is the same and all of my techniques are the same as my previous projects.

It has become apparent, though, that I cannot give this flacket as a prize. It's useless for its intended purpose. It's only good as a display item, really. And it's only good for that IF I can bring it back to its pre-water appearance with another coat of wax.

Fingerloop Braid Experiment

Introduction

Fingerloop braiding was one of my very first art forms in the SCA. I learned the technique from Mistress Annora verch Llwyd Bryneirian during an Arts and Sciences meeting in 2004 in the Canton of Bard's Keep, Barony of Western Seas, Caid. Since then, I have obtained the Compleat Anachronist issue on Fingerloop braiding (issue #108) and attended various classes to learn specific patterns.

However, I wanted to continue to learn and grow in this art form. To do this, I decided I need to better understand how each strand in any given pattern moves. I decided to begin with my favorite pattern from the Compleat Anachronist, “A grene dorge of vj bowes.” When followed exactly, this pattern produces a flat cord with one color running down each side and two additional colors alternating down the center.

My first two examples simply eliminate one of the three colors from the pattern, leaving a single color down the middle bordered by a second color on each side. From there, I have rearranged which colors are placed on which fingers to start the weave, which has yielded some interesting—and beautiful—results.

These cords are all made from cotton crochet thread. In period, silk thread was heavily favored for fingerloop lacings. It is suspected that they were also made of linen to be used as ties for linen undergarments, but no known extant samples have been discovered. I have opted for cotton because it is readily available in a variety of colors and fairly inexpensive to acquire. I chose blue and white because these are the Baronial colors for the Barony of Lochmere, and I intend these cords to be a gift of largesse to Their Excellencies after this display.

Cord variations from a single pattern.

How It Was Done

The original instructions for this pattern are set in a manuscript now housed at the British Library, referred to as Harley Maunscript 2320. This manuscript is believed to be from circa 1450. The original text in English as transcribed by E.G. Stanley reads:

A grene dorge of v[j] bowes: Set 4 bowes of o colouur on B, C ry[3]t and B, C

lyft, and o bowe of anoþer colouur on D ry[3]t, and o bowe of anoþer colouur

on A lyft. Þen take wt A ri[3]t þorow B, C ry[3]t þe bowe of C lyft reuerced. þen

lowe þy bowe of B lift vnto C. Þen schal B lyft take þorow C lyft þe bowe C

ry[3]t reuerced. Þen lowe þy ry[3]t bowes. Þen schal A lyft change wt D ry[3]t,

&cra.

The redaction of the instructions by Lois Zwales as presented in the Compleat Anachronist issue reads as follows:

A green dorge of 6 bowes: Set 4 bowes of one color on B, C right and B, C left,

and one bowe of another color on D right, and one bowe of another color on A

left. Then take with A right through B, C right the bowe of C left reversed. Then

low thy bowe of B left onto C. Then shall B left take through C left the bowe C

right reversed. Then low thy right bowes. Then shall A left change with D right,

etc.

This diagram of the pattern, which I have modified from the one on www.fingerloop.org, shows the original pattern. To read the moves, consider that A is your pointer finger, B your middle finger, C your ring finger, and D your pinky. R is right, and L is left. Therefore, AR is your pointer finger on your right hand, and so forth. This version of the diagram is shown with no colors specified; it shows only the movements each bowe and finger makes.

Now, to create the cord with blue running down the center bordered by white, I set the bowes up as follows:

AL and DR: Blue
BCL and BCR: White

Visually, that looks like this:

To create the cord with a white center bordered by blue, I reversed the color setup.

We can see that the bowes on AL and DR are the only two that make up the center stripe of the cord. The other four, then, create the borders. But how, exactly, do they weave together to make those borders?

I began setting the colors up in random starting arrangements, to see what might emerge.

Variation One

This cord is set up as follows:

ABCL Blue

BCDR White

After move three, the colors have not returned to their “home positions” as they did in the previous cord. Also, because AL and DR are not the same color, we do not find a solid stripe running down the center of the cord.

Variation Two

This cord is set up as follows:

ABL and DR: White
CL and BCR: Blue

Once again the colors are not back at home at the end of the first round of moves, but AL and DR are the same color and so we do see the central stripe emerge along the length of the cord.

Variation Three

This cord is set up as follows:

ABL and CDR: White

CL and BR: Blue

Variation Four

This cord is set up as follows:

AL: Blue

BCL and BCDR: White

For this pattern, the lone blue bowe stays in position until Move Three, when it goes to DL. In the following round, it moves back to AL. This creates the alternating white and blue stripe down the middle of the cord, which when bordered by white as well comes out looking like a row of tiny blue hearts. I think, of all the experimental cords from this pattern, this is my favorite variation.

Conclusion and Where to Go Next

By altering not the pattern of the weave itself but rather simply the starting positions of the colors, we can create a variety of beautiful cords. Was this done in Period? Maybe. I'd venture to say probably, because it's practical—one would only have to learn a single set of movements to be able to create several different cords.

To truly understand where each bowe goes at each step of the weave, I think I need to do one more experiment—one in which each bowe is a different color. While I'm sure the final cord of such a setup will not be visually pleasing in the least, it will allow me to see exactly where the bowe from BL is in the second, third, fourth, and future rounds through the three moves.

After that experiment, I will begin the process all over again with another pattern!

Works Cited

Primary Source:

Manuscript Harley 2320, circa 1450. In the British Library, with scans on the web at http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=harley_ms_2320_f052r.

Secondary Sources:

Swales, Lois, and Zoe Kuhn Williams. "Fingerloop Braids." Compleat Anachronist, no. 108 (July 2000).

Swales, Lois, and Zoe Kuhn Williams. "Fingerloop Braids." Fingerloop Braids. Accessed February 04, 2016. http://www.fingerloop.org/.

verch Llwyd Bryneirian, Annora. "Beginner Fingerloop Braiding." Lecture, A&S Day, Canton of Bard's Keep, 2004.

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Entered in:
Kingdom A&S Festival, Atlantia--Lochmere Baronial Display