Do you remember what gauge the helm is? I am interested in purchasing it if it's heavy enough.

I'm interested in the clam shell gauntlets. PM sent.

I think you can avoid that look and get closer to the design pictured above with a few minor changes. A lot of guys seem to only wear white braies--that definitely adds to the problem. Linen is harder to dye and less likely to remain colorfast than wool, which is part of why undergarments were often...

In what style? What materials?

Hmmm, I think you need to go to Jas Townsend or one of the other later-period reenactor suppliers. None of the fabric suppliers I deal with ever stock it. The short staple of the second-cut flax makes it hard to spin on modern machines, so it's pretty rarefied at this point. Most tow now goes to the...

Oh, and cotton was reserved for the most wealthy because, compared to wool, linen, and silk, it is a complete and utter pain to work with up until it's time to weave. Picking, cleaning, carding, and spinning cotton without mechanization is a bear. It's much more labor intensive to produce cotton yar...

towsacks are made from tow And tow is spun from short-cut flax, i.e., the leftover fiber that remains after you spin the good flax bast into fabric. I know of some places where you can buy tow yarn, but I wouldn't want to weave it, or wear it in any way where there would be weight or abrasion like ...

I'll expand on the wool info, because I must. Staple length and spinning method: It is only necessary to separate short from long fibers in fleece in certain breeds of sheep, like Icelandic and Shetland, which are double-coated. Double-coated do tend to be "primitive" or ancient breeds, and they als...

I don't need a new helmet at the moment, but you know I am always in the market for camp cooking equipment and the like. Also, I have some silver for you to melt. Should I drop it into the mail or just hand it over at Pennsic?

But it's museum quiality! It says so, right there in the description on Ebay!

azure d'or wrote:Mwah ha ha ha ha! Lanea, I can't believe you went there. Ah, the jokes for the next 11 months.

Just keeping up my old standards. If I'm not mean often enough, I'll lose my pension.

azure d'or wrote:Seth is finally starting to heal. He fought left handed at Border Raids, producing more Jamie Lannister jokes.

Looks like Seth, acts like . . . .

Thank you for all of your hard work and beautiful photography, Ursus, and congratulations for taking a step back and making sure your self-imposed obligations don't ruin your vacations.

The no-rinse wool washes I mentioned are available online and at yarn shops.

Konstantin is right--shampoo is a great option for washing wool or any other animal fiber. You will need to rinse it, but it's available everywhere and is nice and cheap.

Do watch out as you're fulling the wool that you're keeping things even and not overdoing it. Sometimes a wool fabric will full unevenly or get tangled up in the machine and leave you with thick and thin spots in the fabric. Rather than fulling wool really thoroughly before I sew it into something, ...

Warcry, what else do you want to know? I can help with book recommendations and research directions, but I don't want to drown you in info.

Lanea (resident Master Celticist)

I always prewash wool before sewing with it, and after I weave wool, I include machine washing on gentle cycle as part of the finishing process. Different breeds of sheep and other wool or hair producing animals will produce wools or other protein based fibers that felt or full at different rates an...

I'm teaching a class on Bardic research and performance on Tuesday at 1pm and one on Early period embroidery on Wednesday at 3pm, both in Early Period Life.

I might buy a pair just in case. I loved my Blau gauntlets.

Hubba hubba! That would make a fine gift.

Ursus, thanks for taking so many wonderful photos and for getting some stellar shots posted so quickly! I haven't even glanced at my poor neglected camera since we got back.

The low-light images are particularly beautiful--and Na'la and Mavi are always so easy to look at.

Ironbadger wrote:Riveted cook pot?
Any chance of pics?
-Badger-

I can't promise to try, but I'll try to try . . . the post-pennsic cleaning and organization is particularly hectic this year.

Gordy, don't do it all for them. If you make armor for yourself and 4 other guys, you may just be making your own kit plus loaner armor for four people you haven't met yet. If they're not hungry to get on the field and actively involved in making their armor, they're not going to stick it out in the...

Richard, thank you so much for the amazing riveted cook-pot! It has evicted an unworthy old clunker from our kitchen pot-rack, and will be feeding folks hereabouts all autumn and winter.

I wonder how Swordbrother Sir Angus is doing, haven't seen him in a while.... :D My Swordbrother Angus is thriving, and he has a beautiful new hand-woven belt--strikingly similar to Johann's new adornment--to taunt other folks with. Speaking of which, Johann, how do you feel about swordbrothering t...

How could I not, Johann!? (ah, interrobang, why are you not on my keyboard . . . ) The original poster did link to my blog. I may be slack about viewing trackbacks, but I get to them eventually. Hortobatchibichikotek has turned out to be one of my favorite words to say, and it's a bit of a cult word...

Hey Veruchka, I wanted to make sure you heard about the amazing reception your work got at Gulf Wars. I was wearing the one I have and received a bunch of compliments on it, and I directed all the gawkers to talk to Kelby about the ones he had to sell on your behalf. I swear, your work gets better a...

And here I was thinking I wouldn't get to see the Rose Tourney since I . . . didn't get to see it. Well fought, Kelby. I know Cealleagh took it as a great compliment that you fought on her behalf again this year. This Gulf Wars was so hot and sunny! I could barely get out to take any photos and I di...

As Russ said, they aren't truly waterproof, but they do shed water well. I kept my flint, tinder, and steel in mine for ages and never found my supplies to wet to use, no matter how much I hung out in the rain. We've had some real gullywashers over the last few Pennsics and Gulf Wars and I haven't h...