100 Days of SCA Service

I began the 100 Days of SCA Service challenge with low expectation of actually being able to complete it. After all, I don't do heraldic consultations every day. There's only so much commenting to be done in OSCAR. Archery season is over for the year, so I'm not marshaling. How would I come up with something to do every single day?

Making largesse became the glaringly obvious answer. Hats, medallion cords, pouches, balls for the toy chest, wire-wrapped rings. Quick and easy projects--just one a day has left me with quite a stash to donate to barony/kingdom in the coming months.

Day 100 is next Tuesday. I can't believe I've made it!

Wire Wrap Ring Tutorial

Wire wrap rings are not (as far as I have been able to determine) actually Period. However, they have a reasonably period look, and are quick and easy to make.

Tools/Materials:

Wire (I use 20-gauge copper wire from Unkamen Supplies on Etsy)
Beads (the beads in this tutorial are 7.4mm plastic pearl beads)
Mandrel
Wire Snips
Pliers

Process:

1. Cut desired length of wire. This takes some trial and error, to determine what length you prefer for the look you are trying to achieve. Longer wire can wrap more times around the bead. Tip! Err on the side of too long at first. You can always snip off the excess.

2. Thread the bead onto the wire, and bend the wire in half so that the bead is at the center.

3. Wrap the loose ends of the wire in opposite directions around your mandrel (I use a ring-sizing stick now, but in the past I've used everything from a broom stick to a Tide-to-Go pen). Wrap all the way around, back to the bead on each side. While holding the bead in place, tug gently on the loose ends to ensure the wire is wrapped snugly around the mandrel.

4. Wrap the wire around the perimeter of the bead at least once (I usually circle the bead two or three times), to encircle it. Make sure to leave at least an inch of wire on each end.

5. Take the ring off the mandrel. Wrap the ends around the band of the ring until you run out of length. Use the pliers to crimp down the end tightly against the band--you don't want pokey bits stabbing somebody's fingers when they wear your ring! The band will shift around a bit as you do this. Try to minimize it, but don't worry overmuch. We'll correct it in the next step.

6. Place the ring back around the mandrel. Work it with your fingers (and the pliers, if needed) to achieve the circular band and the desired look around the bead. As you gain experience making the rings, this is where your creativity can really come into play (see finished examples, below).






7. Take the ring back off the mandrel. Et voila! Your ring is complete!

Basic ring.

Oval bead.

Fancy wire wrap.

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.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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

An Experiment: Wire-Wrapped Rings

In my never-ending quest to come up with largesse ideas for my 50 States of the SCA quest, I came across wire-wrapped rings. I didn't think it was a skill I'd be particularly adept at, but I since I have a stockpile of beads and wire, I figured I'd give it a whirl.

A friend referred me to this tutorial when I asked where she had learned to make these rings. It sounded simple enough, so I retrieved the supplies I would need and set to work. For the mandrel around which I bent the wire band, I used a thick highlighter marker.

My first few attempts weren't stellar, but I had read that it takes a few tries to get the hang of it. For the first ring, I used a lampwork bead I had received as a token at Atlantia's KASF event several years ago. It came out ... well, not ring-shaped. Unhappy with it, I snipped the wire and recovered the bead.

For my second attempt, I used 26-gauge wire instead of 20-gauge (because I have a TON of 26-gauge wire on hand). This was not a good decision--the wire was simply too thin. A ring made of it wouldn't stand up to much wear and tear at all without bending and probably breaking.

On my third attempt, I began to get the hang of it. I again used a lampwork bead and returned to the 20-gauge wire. You can see in the photo that, while the wrapping is a bit uneven, it definitely is recognizable as a ring! The lampwork bead is obviously too large, however. Ideally, your bead should be only 1 cm - 1.5 cm in width and only .5 cm or so thick.

From then on, I was hooked. In two days, I have made more than thirty rings. They work up really quickly--most of them take less than ten minutes from start until finish!

Here are the steps I follow when I create my rings:

Photo tutorial is from Dollar Store Crafts.

The tutorial says to work with a twelve-inch length of wire. I have found that to be far too long -- most of my rings are made with eight inches or so of 20-gauge enameled copper wire. The wire I work with is dead soft. You can work with wire up to half-hard for this type of project, but I prefer the flexibility.

To create your ring, feed the bead halfway along the wire, so that it is in the center. Holding it against your mandrel, wrap each side of the wire all the way around until it reaches back to the the bead *on the side it started on*. That's right, pass under the bead and keep going until you get to the far side. This is how you create an actual, round ring (instead of the shape I wound up with in my first attempt)!

From here, your creativity takes over. Wrap the bead in any way you think looks lovely. Be sure to end your wrap with the loose ends of wire at each side of the bead, and leave yourself enough length to wrap the ends around the band at least twice. This finishes off your ring. Voila! It's complete.

I have discovered that it is best to allow the wire to guide you in its design around the bead, rather than trying to force it where you think it should go. Also be aware that your wire will become stiffer and more brittle the more you work it--this is called "work hardening."

This one is my favorite of the rings I have made thus far. It's made of a green seashell bead and 20-gauge gold-enameled copper wire. Sadly, I don't think I could intentionally duplicate it if I tried. That's the downside of letting the wire guide you.

And these nine round out my "Top Ten" favorites of the rings I have made so far!

Second Escallop Flacket

While my first attempt at an escallop flacket was drying, I tracked down a more symmetrical escallop pattern and printed it out. Then I traced it onto ten-ounce, vegetable-tanned leather and cut it out with an Xacto knife. For the record, escalloped symmetrical shapes are just as frustrating to cut out as non-symmetrical ones!

Once it was cut out, I flipped it over and traced it onto the side of leather. Cutting that out as well created a mirror-image piece to be the back of the flacket.

Then I tooled the details into the front piece with a beveled hand stamp and a wooden mallet. As with the first flacket, I left the back unadorned.

When I was done with the tooling, I marked the seams on the front piece (in the photo to the left, you can see the gouges from the seam marker following the contours of the shell design). Holding the front and back together, I drilled the stitching holes along the marked seams. I had to eyeball the spacing of the holes because the tool I use to mark straight seams just doesn't work in tight, curved patterns.

Then, using waxed linen thread, I stitched the seams all the way around the flacket. Like the experimental project, this flacket has a relatively small opening. This again made it very tedious to sand-pack the flacket. I persevered, though. When I could stuff no more sand inside, I wedged a Sharpie marker in the opening to hold it open and round set it aside to dry.

Three days later, I poured the sand out of it. I stuck a thin pen inside the hole and scraped and banged it around inside as best I could to loosen any particles that were still clinging to the leather.

Next, it was time to apply the outside coating of wax. I warmed the oven and turned on the crock pot full of beeswax.  I put the flacket in the oven to warm the leather while I waited for the wax to melt. Then, using a pastry brush, I applied wax to the entire exterior of the flacket. After letting it cool back down to room temperature, I applied an additional thick coating of wax along the seams and edges to prevent the inner sealant from seeping out when it came time to pour.

When the wax had completely cooled, I mixed up about a quarter cup of Envirotex Lite and carefully poured it into the flacket. I tilted and tipped it around for a good twenty minutes, trying to ensure that the inside was completely coated. The extra wax along the edges and seams did the trick--no seepage occurred! Then I up-ended the flacket over a piece of scrap cardboard and allowed most of the excess to drip out. When that was done, I set it aside for twenty four hours to dry.

When it had dried, I poured in the second coat of sealant, which was also allowed to dry for twenty four hours. Then a third coat was applied. When that coat had dried, I heated the oven to 200 degrees and placed the flacket inside to melt off the excess wax. When the wax was liquefied, I pulled the flacket out of the oven and used a paper towel to wipe the last stubborn bits of wax from its surface. I noticed that there were places where I hadn't been careful enough in the application of the wax, and I had gotten it in areas where it wound up under the coat of sealant. This is problematic because it causes the sealant to not bond correctly with the leather, and it leads to chipping.

After allowing the flacket to cool back to room temperature, I filled the it with water and set it aside for several minutes. I then inspected it for any sign of water seepage. Finding none, I poured the water out (despite the size difference, it also holds 1/3c). It was done!

First on the left, second on the right.

Largesse for the New Kingdom of Avacal

A friend of mine from my former Barony in Alaska (Barony of Eskalya, West Kingdom) announced that she would be attending the coronation of the first King and Queen of the new Kingdom of Avacal. She had received permission from Their Highnesses of Oertha to make a presentation of largesse on behalf of the principality, and put out a call to aritisans of the Principality to contribute. I asked if she'd like items from *former* members of the principality, and she told me that would be grand.

Double-weave in progress.

I decided to do a handful of Viking knit chains that Their Majesties would be able to use for award medallions. Avacal's colors are red, silver and gold, so I decided to make two chains of each color.

I was nervous about the gold chains, though. After all, a gold chain is a mark of Knighthood. I sought the advice of several artisans from across the Knowne Worlde, and it was suggested that I include a note with the chains, stating that the intended purpose was for displaying award medallions. An *unadorned* gold chain is a mark of Knighthood; once it has a pendant, it's no longer regalia of the Order.

Single-weave silver chain.

I made one chain of each color in a six-loop, single-weave pattern out of 26-gauge enameled copper wire. For a mandrel, I used a Tide-to-Go pen. The cone findings were purchased from Michael's. The connecting ring is constructed of 20-gauge enameled copper wire, following instructions in Ancient Wire: An Illustrated Guide to Making Intricate Jewelry in the Manner of the Vikings and Other Ancient Cultures by Helene Jacobs.

Double-weave chains in red and gold.

For the second set of three chains, I used the same materials and again made one of each color, but this time I used a six-loop, double-weave pattern.

Experiment in progress.

I didn't stop at six chains, though: I experimented with a new single-weave pattern that alternates colors. My theory was that it would create vertical stripes after it was drawn. I think my theory was correct, but the chain needs to be woven around something much thinner than a Tide-to-Go pen. Or maybe it needs to be double-weave. In any case, it still made a pretty chain, so I included it in this lot for largesse.






Because I have a lot of down time at work, I made a couple more chains as well. All-in-all, I had nine of them finished and ready to mail.

Nine chains in assorted weaves and colors.

With a deadline of June 24, I still had some time to round out my contribution to the largesse pool. I decided to do a handful of fingerloop-braid cords, which could also be used for award medallions. Using my favorite pattern--"A Grene Dorge of vj Bowes"--I made six red-and-gold and red-and-silver cords.

Red and gold fingerloop braids.