Atlantia KASF 2017

In years past, I have displayed at Atlantia's KASF as part of a group--the first time with my household, and the second time with the Barony of Lochmere. This year, I displayed by myself, as the A&S Champion for the Barony of Concordia of the Snows. Because I'm a champion of the East and not Atlantia, I did not participate in the Inter-Baronial Champions' Competition. Rather, I entered the open display. I received some delightful feedback about my work, particularly from the Baron of Nottinghill Coill (who was also astounded when he learned I had traveled from upstate NY to attend the event!).

Documentation text:

Comparing Copper and Silver as Used in Viking Wire Weave

A few years ago at Pennsic, an old friend sat down with me beneath our baronial pavilion and taught me to make Viking Wire Weave chains (sometimes also called Viking Knit or Trichinopoly). I took to it almost immediately, and began entering pieces in A&S competitions and displays shortly thereafter.

In one such competition at the Feast for St. Brigit in the Barony of Lochmere, I entered two necklaces. These were woven of what had become my go-to material: 26-gauge, dead soft, enameled copper wire. I like that it was inexpensive but still easy to work with – less prone to kinks and tangles than cheaper options at my local Michael's. I also like the array of color options available, because I could achieve a period look (most extant examples are woven of silver wire) or a less-period, heraldic chain, as desired.

Copper was a solid and reasonable substitute for silver, with valid reasons for its selection. On a molecular level, copper is very similar to silver and behaves in much the same way when worked. Additionally, as stated above, it was available in a silver-colored enamel. And, of course, it was far less expensive than actual silver wire.

In her judge's feedback that day, Mistress Mary Isabel of Heatherstone suggested I try working in real silver, even if only once, so that I could gain a deeper understanding of how it differs from copper by actually feeling it as I work, rather than just reading about the differences.

It has taken me two years to work up the courage, make the investment, and take that plunge. I have to admit that I was skeptical before I started. How different could it actually be, anyway? By this point, I had worked with copper in gauges ranging from 20 to 28 and in tempers from dead soft to half hard. I expected this experiment to demonstrate only which temper produced a similar feel, and perhaps to reveal a slight difference in the silver color of the chains.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

For the purposes of this experiment, I selected 28-gauge, dead soft wire in enameled copper and sterling silver. I used the same mandrel, and wove identical chains of six-loop, double-weave knit. I began with the copper chain.

From the moment I began to weave with the silver, I could feel a difference. Though it was the same gauge as the copper, it felt more substantial in my fingers. More stable, perhaps. It was certainly less prone to kinking as I worked with it. It was somehow smoother, too. It made me think of satin. I was somewhat confounded as I continued to work. How could something be sturdier and softer, at the same time?

Unlike with the enameled copper, I didn't have to worry about friction with the silver as I wove. With the copper, there's a risk that the scraping will damage the enamel finish, causing the color to flake off.

Containing the loose ends of each piece of wire seemed easier with the silver as well. In running my hands along the woven chain, there are noticeably fewer “poky bits” protruding from the silver than from the copper (You are welcome to try that on these pieces, but please slide your fingers lightly and slowly! I wouldn't want you to injure yourself).

For this display, I left the chains incomplete (when finished, they will be necklaces). I drew them through a wooden drawplate for about half of their length, so that I would have examples of the chains both drawn and undrawn.

The finished pieces are all enameled copper, displayed to show the variety of weaves and designs possible with Viking Wire Weave.

I look forward to working more in silver (as finances allow) in the future – it was a true pleasure to work with!

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.

Nobelese Largesse Swap 11: Kingdom/Household Pride

The theme for Nobelese Largesse Swap #11 is Kingdom/Household Pride. It's actually a theme I suggested--I figured we could all learn a little about someone else's kingdom while we were at it! My recipient is Lady Izza bint Amat al-Rahman, who lives in the Shire of Arenal in Meridies.

Meridies is crazy. That was my first impression, anyway, as I began browsing around the kingdom website. Did you know they have FOUR populace badges?! Four! So, I had to find out a bit more about these badges if I intended to incorporate them into my project.

Other items I considered incorporating into my project were Meridies' kingdom arms, the arms of the Shire of Arenal, and Izza's own arms. Putting all of these things onto a single item would be WAY too busy, so I decided to pare it down to the Kingdom badge (but ...which one?!) and a single set of the wings from Arenal's arms. I planned to do a limp-bound book (hooray for new skills!), with the kingdom badge on the front and the wings on the back.

I tried to find out about the Meridies badges on my own. Google didn't reveal anything, though. Then I tried asking in various groups on Facebook, still to no avail. Finally, I had to ask my recipient (via the swap coordiantors) which badge she preferred to use, since as best as I could figure they're all interchangeable.

The answer came back: Izza prefers the third option above. Great! The leather I had chosen for the project was white already, so it should be easy to tool and paint the black bar and the three stars on the front, and the blue wings on the back.

I've only ever done plain books before, so I wasn't sure exactly how to place the designs to be centered on the covers. I figured, though, that I could just bind up the book and *then* tool the decorations, because I could open it to lay the covers flat on the marble slat for tooling.

The binding went well: I did five folios of ten pages each, for a hundred-page book (5 folios x 10 sheets = 50, front-and-back = 100 pages). After folding the flap over and securing it with a white leather cord (photo, right), I worried that the Meridies badge would look really squished in the visible front cover space. But then I realized that the flap itself could be one third of the badge design! This made me really happy.

That happiness was short-lived.

I don't know if it was the dying process or the tanning process (or both) for this particular leather, but it did not take to tooling AT ALL. And then the paint wouldn't adhere to the surface, either. And in the process of fighting with it, several of the pages got stained. All in all, it was a catastrophic failure--completely unsalvageable.

I was not at all eager to jump into anything else even remotely experimental at this point--the deadline loomed, the holidays were upon me, AND we were in the late stages of buying our first house. So I opted for a tried-and-true item: a Viking chain necklace. They are from the correct time period for Izza's persona, and I was 100% confident I would not experience any project failures--catastrophic or otherwise!

Actually, I made two necklaces. Both necklaces are woven from 26 gauge enameled copper wire (I sure do love that wire!), with five starting petals. I used a trusty Sharpie marker as my mandrel.

The first one I made was not entirely period--it's my own created design of single-weave in one color over double-weave of another color. In this case, it was single black and double silver -- Meridies colors. The inner core and outer layer are woven concurrently and drawn together.

Single black over double silver in progress.

Then, because this is not technically a period design, I also made a standard Viking double-weave chain in just silver.

Silver double-weave, before drawing.

They went in the mail today, and should be delivered on Friday. I hope Izza likes them!

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: