Largess: Gift Giving at it's Finest

I've been busy the last few days procrastinating on finishing my Trillium Exchange entry by creating Largess for an upcoming Dirty Dozen Largess Competition. But I seem to have become rather addicted to making things, twelve things, to give away to the Kingdom and to my Barony.

Largess is anything that is donated to the Kingdom or Barony that can be regifted to other people to show appreciation or  congratulations and that enhances the experience, feel, and atmosphere of the medieval game. Some people makes things that feel medieval or are replicas of something medieval. Others purchase items with the same effect. However, it seems to me that more people make their gifts as opposed to purchasing them.

The Dirty Dozen Competition is a Largess competition where the entrants, either individuals or groups, choose a theme and then enter twelve items for that theme. Some people will do twelve different items, while others will simply make a dozen of the same thing. Each entrant then chooses whether the Largess go to Kingdom, Barony, or split between the two. Our new Baroness is hosting this event to not only show off the artisans of out Barony but to also fill the coffers of the Barony and the Kingdom with items that can then be shared around to the rest of the known world.

The first thing I did when I decided to participate, after promising our Baroness that my Canton would help if I had to drag them kicking and screaming to the event, was to join the Largess group on Facebook. I got lots of ideas from the files section. Ideas for things that would be easy to make and relatively inexpensive that felt Medieval. I also found a few ideas for actual Medieval things that were easy to reproduce as long as you were willing to make a few pieces that were not of a decent quality but taught you the skills you need to make them. It also helps if you are a little insane about doing Arts and Sciences and willing to try your hand at anything at least once.

With ideas in hand I started thinking about themes and deciding on whether to do individual or group entries. After discussing with other members of my Household I decided I was going to do both individual and group entries. It is a well known fact in our Canton that I am slightly insane and totally gung-ho for any and all Arts and Sciences, so really no one was surprised when I announced I was doing both and asked the Canton to make a group entry as well.

My first individual entry is Archer's Abacuses.We have a lot of archers in Ealdormere and Skraeling Althing and I really liked the Archer's Abacus idea because I know it is hard for me to score my arrows, find missing arrows, and chat with others on the field at the same time. I figured if I needed the abacus then so would other people.

The Abacuses are very easy to make and can be as cheap or as expensive as you choose to make them. I found some painted, wooden beads at the local Dollarama, used some waxed linen cord I had with my leather working supplies and went to town. Ideally, I would have preferred to make the beads the colours of the Kingdom and Barony respectively but I could not pass up the deal on the beads. Each string is 30 beads long with the colours in sets of 5 to make it easier to tally at the end of the round. Since I was able to get some larger square beads I chose to use them at each end of the string so the archers can attach the strings easily through a loop or under their belts. Since the beads were so cheap I was able to make twelve for Kingdom, twelves for Barony, and I still have 13 left over to be used as site tokens or Largess for the Canton.


My next idea was to make Temple Rings with beads and wire based on the article found here. 1) I like playing with wire and 2) There are a lot of resources for people playing later period English, French, and Italian in our area but few for those playing Dark Ages and / or Eastern Europe. The packaging is some boxes that were purchased years ago for my business but having not used them I decided they worked for presenting and storing my Largess items. Writing the information on the inside lid and designated recipient (Kingdom or Barony) was just as excuse to practice my calligraphy while accomplishing something useful at the same time. Because I made twelve each for Kingdom and Barony.

My next project was to make some replica Anglo-Saxon rings. My reasoning, see the above paragraph. Wire and early period are all the excuse I needed but it turns out that there are some really easy wire wrap type rings that date from the Anglo-Saxon period. I was amazed when someone on the Largess forum linked to a museum showing a very simple wire wrap ring. Here are just a few of the images for wire wrapped rings from the Anglo-Saxon period.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/8272370.stm
http://www.obsessionistas.co.uk/historical-artefacts/0018-buried-treasure/9715903
http://www.time-lines.co.uk/anglo-saxon-twisted-wire-finger-ring-011013-22852-0.html
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=13944&cat=205
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=29806&cat=205
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=27643&cat=205
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=25909&cat=205
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=25909&cat=205
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1341148&partId=1

Pretty freaking cool that I can now make myself authentic looking jewelry for my early Norse/ Pict/ Anglo-Saxon persona just from some wire that I already have. Of course I am using brass and coloured copper but eventually I want to try making myself one of the rosette rings from sterling silver. So far I have only made 12 of the rings and am trying to decide if I should go ahead and make twelve more or just give 6 of each to the Kingdom and Barony. Making more will take time but it will give me more practice and make my chances of making a nice one of silver that much better later on.

Another gift I have planned but have done little more than purchase the supplies is to create sampler packs of Medieval Spices. the sampler pack will include 9 spices, mostly hard to find spices, and a little booklet containing a recipe for each spice. I purchased most of my spices from The Silk Road Spice Merchant in Calgary, Alberta and a couple from Herbie's Herbs in Toronto, Ontario. The spices I chose were based on Medieval Cookery's list of essential spices for Medieval cooking and include Ceylon (Sri Lankan) Cinnamon, Cubeb Berries, Lesser Galingale, Grains of Paradise, Hyssop, Summer Savory, and Saunders (Red Sandlewood). I would love to include Saffron in that list but true saffron is very expensive. Instead I am going to include Green Cardamom and Sumac. If I run out of any of these spices during the assembly I will use Rosemary, Oregano, and Coriander as suggested by other members of the Largess group.

My final entry will be with other members of my household - House Adis North. The theme we have chosen is items that would have been taken on Crusade. Some people are doing banners, others are doing chests, and I have decided I am going to do Paternosters, an early form of the modern Rosary used by Catholics around the world. I have only just started researching and looking at period examples but I think I have decided on wooden beads, if I can find enough, strung on silk yarn I got in a box of partial skeins from the Potsdam Artist Council sale last year. I am still trying to decide if I am going to use a tassel or a charm of some kind on the end.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Hat #19

Wool Cap #19

Brand of Wool:Unknown Brand
Colours: Light grey
Stitch: Dalby stitch
Notes: This wool is very fine and is from a cone of wool I purchased at an event. It was left over from the Potsdam Arts Council and was being sold for donations. I made this hat very big so it could be felted down to fit the Spouse's head. Because the Dalby stitch creates a very smooth even fabric I plan to embroider the hat once it is felted.

I did the embroidery with a bone needle I created. It is to large to use on finer weaves but it worked very well for embroidering on the finished cap. I used the split stitch, the chain stitch, and the unequal cross stitch to create the different patterns.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #18

Wool Cap #18

Brand of Wool: Homespun
Colours: Light Green
Stitch: Dalby stitch
Notes: I dislike this wool intensely. It is lumpy and tended to catch on itself while pulling the yarn through the loops. The wool is very course and feels stiff but not waxy. I started this hat at the brim but it ended up being to small for me. To make it larger, I went back and added more rows to the brim. Finally just stopped as it did not seem to be working at all.

At some point I started making a different stitch of an unknown name. I completed a row just for effect but had issues with how it looked and occasionally the yarn would break creating holes. I want to use this new stitch to make a hat.

The new stitch is a Oslo in the second loop and a York in the first creating an equals sign bracketed on top and bottom by right slants.
/
=
/
Update: In May of 2013, I figured out that the "new stitch" was in fact the Dalby Stitch. So all the previous hats listed as Dalby are incorrectly labeled and I have no idea what stitch they are actually made with.  I figured this out while looking at Neulakinna's Nalbinding and I found a video she did of the Dalby Stitch.

Now that I have figured this out I need to make some hats from the real Dalby stitch and figure out what I did on the others. After analyzing it I think maybe I was just doing a reverse Aisle stitch with an F1 connection.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #17

Wool Cap #17

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Fall Variegated
Stitch: Coptic
Notes: Second run at the coptic stitch. The stitches are looser  than on the first coptic hat. It is obvious that I have figured out how to increase with the coptic stitch. As with the last coptic hat the working edge curls severely, making it hard to measure width or depth of the hat.

The variegated yarn creates some interesting stripes with this stitch, rather than blocks of colour like other stitches. I assume this is because the coptic more closely resembles knitting and the yarn was made for knitting.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #16

In my book this entry is described as a fall variegated colours Aisle stitch with a B1+F1 connection that makes a ridged surface on one side and a flat surface on the other. I worked from the brow to the peak and as I make decreases the hat gets tighter and tighter on my head.

I think this is a double entry for hat number 10, and therefore throws my actual caps off by one.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #15

Wool Cap #15

Brand of Wool: Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Colours: Brown
Stitch: Broden's
Notes: Very comfortable hat. I consider Broden's to simply be a variation on Oslo just as the Mamman stitch it. With Oslo you pick up one loop, Mammen two, and with Broden's three. I Assume I could continue on with these variations picking up 4, 5, or even 6 loops but I suspect that after a certain point it would become unyielding and to stiff to take up more loops.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #14

Wool Cap #14

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Fall Variegated
Stitch: Finnish turned Stitch
Notes: This stitch is similar to Broden's but the 3rd loop is twisted before it is picked up. Also there is 1.5 thumb loops where you go under the first thumb loop and over the working thread that creates a braided loop in the rows.I find this stitch to be very slow, even slower than Aisle.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #13

Wool Cap #13

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Varigated Green
Stitch: Dalby Stitch
Notes: Second hat with the newly learned Dalby stitch. The stitch does not look right but I can not figure out why.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #12

Wool Cap #12

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Bright Red
Stitch: Supposedly Dalby
Notes: After finishing this hat I found out that I pulled my stitches to tight and the hat is to snug for my head. Yet another hat that will gifted to someone else.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Nalbound Cap #11

Wool Cap #11

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Yellow
Stitch: Coptic Stitch
Notes: Started with the Josephine knot but got the slip know backwards. As I was working the top row came undone. I laced a piece of yarn through and tied a knot to close the peak. I ran out of yellow so I used red for the rest of the hat. It actually looks nice and has a nicely shaped peak. I think I would prefer if all my hats were either smooth or shaped like this, instead of the pixie acorn cap shapes I get sometimes.

The coptic stitch is the only nalbound stitch that I know of that looks like knitting, and will unravel like knitting. Near the top my increases were quite sloppy but they became much smoother as I worked further down. The mistakes and sloppy increases are easier to see in the red than in the yellow.

A&S 50/50: Nalbound Cap #10

Wool Cap #10

Brand of Wool: Paton's Classic Wool
Colours: Fall Variegated
Stitch: Aisle Stitch
Notes: The Aisle stitch can be made using either the F1/ F2 connection of the B1 connection. B1 is the same as F1 but it is from the bottom of the previous row instead of the top. This creates a heavily ridged hat on the outside but a completely flat row on the inside. It seems that the Aisle stitch with the B1 connection uses more yarn to create the same amount of hat as other stitches. However, the thickness of the resulting fabric makes it more likely to shed rain or snow and keep your head warm.

Costuming: Basic Tunics

 I've started several new pieces these last few weeks. Mostly I have been working on custom sewing for other people but there has been the occasional nalbound pieces including mittens, slippers, and hats. I plan to make more detailed entries for the nalbinding at a later date. I must admit that after hand sewing my own pants a few months ago, I truly appreciate the speed and precision of the sewing machine.

The scarlet tunic on the left is an archers tunic based on 13th C French over tunics. The person asked for short sleeves and the keyhole for the neckline.

The next is a very light weight charcoal wool made in a very similar style to the last one but the arms were left long and the sleeves were belled to more closely reflect the image of the original in the costume books. It was made for a young man who is very tall and quite thin.

As you can see from the model it fits someone heavier than the intended recipient. To correct this problem I sewed a dart from the beginning of the split up to the neckline on both the front and back seams. By the time I reached the neckline the dart was over two inches, removing a total of 5 inches from the chest area of the tunic. Prof that mistakes can be correctly without starting over or making ugly alterations.

Trilliem Exchange: #8

 I have had to start over on the box. I was finding the wood quite chippy and recommendation on the carving forums was to soak it for an hour in water. Unfortunately, the glue I used was water soluble and the pieces came apart. The next morning I found the long narrow panels had warped to the point of not being able to glue them back together again.

Of course before I could make a new lid, life got in the way and I am only now coming back to this project. I have decided that instead of deep relief I am going to use chip carving to create the images from the original onto the one I am making. After all the images are chip carved I will go back and do a very shallow relief work on the clothing just to give it some texture.

Trillium Exchange: #7

I have made some more progress on the carving. I did end up ordering some miniature carving tools. They have helped tremendously. Now the only set back is my skill at relief carving, which it turns out I am not very good at, and my own eyesight. I wear glasses for detail work but wish I had some of the magnifying glasses you can wear over your prescription glasses. It would go a long way to helping see the work more clearly.

I have discussed this project with my mentor, who is not part of the Trillium Exchange, to see if she thinks I am on track time wise. She has full confidence in my ability to at least get the idea across if not create a perfect replica. But, she agrees that considering the time it has taken to get this much carving done (12+) hours, that I may need to shrink the scope of the project. Her suggestion was to complete the lid but leave the rest of the box uncarved.

The perfectionist in me says no way, all or nothing, the realist sees her point and the merit in her suggestion. I can spend the rest of my time making thing lid look as good as possible. Getting a really good looking lid will provide the recipient with a nice display piece, that showcases my skill, without making me stress to the point of illness over getting the whole thing done.

Trilliem Exchange: #6

I carved the first panel in the lid of my box. Turned out the tools I have are just to large to get int and make the details seen in the original. My eyes and skill may be an issue as well. I've ordered some new micro carving tools to get into all those tight spaces and can hopefully salvage the carving I have done and do better on the carvings still to come.

I do know that who ever made the original box had a high degree of skill and great eyesight. Or possibly some way to magnify the work so he or she could get in all the detail they did. I zoomed in on the front panel of the box and realized that every single person is holding something in their hands. Goblets, scrolls, and what looks like a feather quill are just a few of the things I was able to identify.

I know my skills will not allow me to recreate the box perfectly, I do hope I can at least get the feel and idea across to my recipient.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Stitch Types by Margrethe Hald - Type I, Type Ia

I was extremely lucky to find someone who had a photocopy of the nalbinding chapter from Margrethe Hald's book "Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials", a book that is now out of print and very hard to find. When I was told this person had a copy of the entire nalbinding a.k.a. Needle-Looping chapter (pages 285-312) I begged, pleaded, and generally made a nuisance of myself until they shared their copy with me.


Now that I had a copy of the nalbinding section the fun of trying to figure out the stitches she lists and match them with the stitch names I know. To accomplish this I took a needle and some heavy white cotton cord and followed the directions in the book, compared the results with the pictures and drawings from the book, and finally matched stitch type with the modern name that I know the stitches by.

There was some difficulty with the text and images being labeled differently. An example is the first stitch Mrs. Hald analyses on page 285 and illustrates on 286. The text refers to the stitch as Type I while the illustration refers to stitch Type Ia. Since she never mentions Type I again I must assume that Type I and Type Ia are in fact the same stitch and list them as both.

I also found the text descriptions of the stitches hard to understand. But this was not a surprise. I learn easier by seeing something being done and following along, rather than reading the text and doing after, or even during the listed steps. Because it is taking me so long to replicate the stitches in the book and then find them online if they are unknown to me I have decided to make separate entries for each stitch type.

Along the way I took pictures and here are my results.

Type I, Type Ia - Not a stitch I am familiar with. Searching Neulakinnas Nalbinding and comparing it to all the stitches she lists I found  directions for the Danish stitch. I was pretty sure I had used the Danish stitch before but the needle motions are unfamiliar to me. Have I actually been doing the Danish stitch or is it one that I simply skipped over in my project to date?

Hald's version is created in the round, and as far as I can tell she does not create the stitch in a chain. Would she still consider it Type I or Ia if it was done as a chain? One advantage to using the Danish Stitch to start a loop is that fact that you can pull on the starting thread's tail and close the loop in on itself.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Cap #9

Wool Cap #9

Brand of Wool: Lion Brand Wool
Colours: Yellow
Stitch: Double Danish
Notes: This stitch is the normal danish stitch but there is an extra twist in the middle of each loop. This stitch is very open and stretchy making an almost lacey cap. But, it is also hard to work since the stitch does not use the thumb for tensioning and loop sizing. I do think it will make a nice summer cap.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Cap #8

Wool Cap #8

Brand of Wool: Lion Brand Wool
Colours: Yellow
Stitch: Mammen with an M1 Connection
Notes: This is the first time using the M1 connection. The stitch looks normal on one side but heavily ridged on the other. The M1 connection seems to draw the fabric tighter than the F1/F2 connection. I am getting the smooth scullcap look that I wanted but I started with a folded caterpillar instead of the Josephine knot so the peak looks awkward and ugly.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Cap #7

 Wool Cap #7

Brand of Wool: Bulky Wool - Bernet Roving I believe
Colours: Blue/ Grey
Stitch:Oslo
Notes: I made this hat very large so it could be felted. I still have the "spike" on top. I am definitely not increasing enough in the first three or four rows. After felting the hat is quite stiff and doesn't mold around my head when I wear it like some of the others. I believe this is due to the thickness of the original yarn and the thickness of the fabric after it was felted. Over all, I am not terribly pleased with this hat though the colour is awesome.

A&S 50/50 Challenge: Cap #6

Wool Cap #6

Brand of Wool: Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Colours: Brown
Stitch: Mammen
Notes: Mammen Stitch with F2 connection. Again I did not add enough at the start so I have this weird little "spike" at the top of my hat. I need to go through Hald's section on nalbinding to verify which stitches I have to include from her notes, along with other stitches used elsewhere prior to 1000 A.D. Once I have made sure I have all of the documented stitches I can start working on stitches that are still in use in Finland.

At this point I believe the stitches I need to do are: Coptic, Danish, Oslo, Mammen, Broden's, Aisle, York, and Finish Turn. But I will not know for sure until I verify and find documentation on each.

Trillium Exchange: #5

I've been rather remiss in documenting the creation of the box, which will eventually be carved with scenes of the life of Christ. I will Also trying to make a pair of brass hinges decorated like the single piece on the extant box. I have about a month and  half left to get the box finished and into the mail. Here are some photos of the progress and completed box, along with one of my first hinge trials.

Trillium Exchange: #4

I tried open sand casting this pattern but I failed. I mixed two packages of molasses with the sand to make it hold the pattern and packed it firmly into a form. However, when I pressed the sculpey forms into the sand they broke. After removing the forms from the sand I realized the sand was to course any way to successfully take the amount of detail in the forms themselves. Even the really simple one did not work in the course sand.

To find and purchase the required molding compound will cause me to go over the $25 limit set my the organizers. I am also feeling like the time is slipping away from me since the project is due in February. As such I have now reverted back to another project I had in mind. A box carved with a scene of some nature. I have cut pieces of red cedar and will build a box as a base for my carving, Should that fail I have ordered some pieces of Linden (Basswood) which I know are fairly straightforward to carve.

The inspiration came from a box found at an Antiquities Dealer's shop. It is a greenwood carved box made from a solid piece of wood, with scenes from the birth of Christ on it. Since the SCA tends to discourage religious imagery I have asked the organizers to get Rylan's preference. If she wants religious, I will do religious. Otherwise I plan to carve a scene from Beowulf, a classic Anglo-Saxon Myth.

Trillium Exchange: #3

I have definitely decided I want to make a strap end based on one I found at the British Museum's Online Collection. The moment I saw the strap end I fell in love and thought it would make a very appropriate gift for a Anglo-Norman Lady, if I could make a decent replica or at least something close to the right size and shape. AS a backup plan I also cut out the wood for a small cedar reliquary box that I could carve a scene from either the life of Christ or a Saint, as was common in the day.

My initial efforts to recreate the strap end in wood failed. The original is only 4 cm long and has a lot of detail in it. While I was able to cut out the shape, I was unable to carve in the amount of detail required to make something I would be proud to gift to someone of Rylan's status. I have been told to ignore her status, but I can't help but feel the gift must live up to her and be something she would proudly display every day.

Earlier this year we bought some bronze grains and some pewter grains, with the intention of making a soap stone mold and learning the art of metal casting. The same problem arose with the soapstone mold making as it did with the wood. I was not able to carve the required detail into such a small surface area. Creating the carving in reverse also is far more difficult that I expected.

Now that I have decided I must at least attempt casting a strap end I moved on to Plan B - Sand Casting. I dug out my old, stale, Sculpey and went to work creating a 3D model of the piece. Even using something as easy to use as Sculpey, this turned out to be far harder than expected. I know 3 cm is just over an inch long but apparently my fingers can not, or will not, work with something that small regardless of the medium. On to Plan B.a - Create a mold that looks reasonably decent and as small as possible, which turns out is about 7 cm. It isn't an exact replica but I would call it a very good "inspired by" piece.

Now I just have to mix some fine sand with some molasses, as recommended by the Spouse who has read up on sand casting. Something about it making the sand hold the details better and the heat from the bronze will heat up the sugar and form a film that will make the finished piece release more readily.

Unlike the sand casting methods that the Spouse has investigated before, I plan to press my Sculpey model into a layer of sand and pour the bronze into it. The back of the model, and the inspiration, have flat backs so there is no need to do a 3D casting. I may move on to a 3D casting if my idea doesn't work. The great thing about my mold is it is reusable and so will afford many attempts.

Should the sand casting fail all the way around I will move on to lost wax casting. I hope I can make a wax mold as easily as I did the plasticine one. I also hope I can make the wax mold smaller, at least a little closer to the original's size, while maintaining the level of detail I want.