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.