Bocksten Hood

When I first decided to hand sew garb for myself, I decided to make two sets. A winter set made from wool, and a rest of the year set made from linen. I also thought why not start from the top and work my way down. After looking around I decided on the Bocksten hood. Even though it is believed to be 13th to 15th C, many centuries later than I am playing, I thought it general enough I could get away with it. I also thought the hood would provide some protection for my pale, easily sunburnt skin.

Like most of my garb patterns I got the one for the hood from the internet. This one was no different coming from the pages of a re-enactment group The Vikings. I looked at others but this one was the easiest to read and recreate so of course I chose it.

My first hood was made from wool, or possibly a wool blend, I picked up cheap at the local fabric store. I say wool blend because it doesn't look like other wools I have seen, like the wool that kilts are made of, and it isn't as itchy as I was led to believe all wool is. I used a wool embroidery yarn to stitch it together and to make a decorative blanket stitch about the edge of the mantle.

It fits well when on, but the neck hole is a little tight when I pull it over my head. The wool is heavy enough that the point sticks out, which it is supposed to do, but it looks like the back of my head is hatching a baby Rodan. I had originally thought to add some rabbit fur from an old fur coat I was given but I am still flip flopping on that idea. Partially because if the nose tickle factor and partially because I think it would be to affluent for a merchant.

I used the same pattern for the linen hood but I added extra fabric in the mantle so that it is looser. I also changed the neck hole dimensions so it slips easily over my head. The linen does not hold its shape as well as the wool does, drooping here and there. I actually prefer the way the back of the head looks on the linen hood over the wool hood, but I do wish the bit framing the face would droop less.

The seams of both hoods were done with a running stitch to hold the fabric edges together then a blanket stitch was added to keep the fabric form unraveling.  After having done the pants with a felled seam, I am wishing I had done the front and back seams on the mantle with a felled seam using a contrasting thread to make it somewhat decorative.

Eventually I will add some embroidery to both the hoods mantles and to the line hood around the face. I expect in the end I will opt for embroidery around the face of the wool hood as well, though for now I am keeping the rabbit fur option available.

Update:

A dear friend of mine pointed out that there is a hood from an earlier time period. It is still later than my persona but at least it is a little closer. He also pointed out a mistake in me earlier post so you will find the date of the Bocksten Hood has been corrected to reflect it's true age, 13th to 15th C.

The new hood, the Skjoldehamn Hood, looks to be 11th to 13th C from a bog find in Norway. I'm going to do some more research on the pattern but from my initial searching it looks like it would be pretty simple to recreate. Essentially it is just a rectangle of fabric with two square gores to make it fit over the shoulders. It looks like the Bocksten hood but there are gores in the front instead of cutting the mantle in a half circle.

Further Research:
http://www.expo-conv-svcs.com/Pennsic40/SkjoldehamnClassHandout.pdf

http://www.ceilingpress.com/Resources/SkjoldehamnFindInLightofNewKnowledge.pdf

http://www.ceilingpress.com/Resources/Nye%20tanker%20om%20Skjoldehamnfunnet.pdf