The Armour Archive

Since I have no medieval group out here in southwestern Minnesota, I have to make due. Every 4th of July week I attend a black powder/mountain man rendezvous in eastern South Dakota and, with permission, I bring my pavillion and all my 1350's archery gear and have great fun portraying an English archer amongst all these 1750-1840 guys. They all know me and it's cool. (By the way I took 3rd in archery with my 60 lb longbow while all these guys were shooting 25-35 lb bows)

Not lots of activities for an English archer, so there is a lot of sitting. I wore my woolen chausses and man did the knees stretch and get really baggy. So much for the 'shapely leg' look. I looked like I had keg of beer on each knee. Any way to get them back into shape without shrinking the heck out of them? I have muscle tone but have the families slender long legs. Too bad I wasn't a woman. So in order to keep the chausses to look shapely, I wear garters. That may be why they stretch so badly because there is no give in the legs from below the knee up.

Suggestions? Jehan suggested once some type of chausses from Gwen that were more form fitted but I can't find his reference. Plus, I got those damn skinny legs.

Did you roll the hoses down to your knee? I've never had my chausses get mis-shapen and I even wear them for combat. But I never roll them down my leg like some peasant.
On the other hand, it could be that Gwen (H.E. is where I get mine from) just knows how to make them on the bias just right, or knows just the right wools to get.
-Cian

Yep, never had my HE/Black Swan hose stretch out. You could try putting them in the drier and see if they shrink back a bit. I have never tried this so beware, you may end up with action man sized clothing

I've been able to re-shrink hose by just doing a hot water wash and letting them hang dry. Drying them seems to make this process go further than desired.

Were these cut on the bias?

Thomas, you MUST put your hose in the dryer!! Your hose are stretched out 6 ways from Sunday, and are making my eyes bleed.

Wash them in the machine and dry them in the dryer, just like the care tag says to. I put that care tag in there for a reason. I guarantee you will not wind up with action man sized hose.

If for some reason you do manage to shrink them to an unwearable size (It's not happened to anyone in 10 years but hey, there's always a first time) I promise to replace them at no cost to you. This I swear before the 10,000 readers of this forum.

So wash 'em man, or stop telling people you got 'em from me.

Gwen

:-/ . Gwen, email sent!