Nine (9) days until Whitetail Hunting Season opens (and several other critters too).
We sound our horns for our Patrons' grace,
Guard and Guide us upon the Chase.
May our hearts be filled with Strength and Cheer,
And our hunts yield Game through all the year.
Or something like that, I did not bother to look it up. ;)
In any case, all of my medieval gear is ready...well, all that is necessary to hunt in medieval style at least. There are partially finished projects that will augment existing kit and clothing, but they aren't necessary right now.
Sharpening of swallowtail hunting points, trimming arrows to better length, changing out points, making whistler arrows, completing pants, that sort of thing.
I tend to prefer pants for medieval pursuits, finding them rather more convenient than braies and hose on the whole. One cannot really tell the difference when tunics and shirts and boots are worn in any case. Fortunately, pants have been around for a lot longer than the middle ages. ;)
I found my Cor du Roy (Corduroy) shirt. This one features a lace up front and the lacing is not done shoe-lace style, but medieval spiral style. It is a dark green, which is nice, and it will work well with the black pants I am finishing up. Also the black boots...since the brown ones aren't yet fitted to my feet, a process that takes time and patience, as well as not walking in the damned things until the requisite stretching cycle is complete. I have turn shoes, but I prefer boots in the bush whenever practicable.
I have not decided on the use of a vambrace yet..I may, or may not. Shooting with proper style really tends to negate the need. Certes I will have my hooded mantle. A blaze orange (short) cyclas/surcote is ready should I hunt medievally during gun season, as does a blaze orange coif.
My longbow, the ash one, is still usable, and I do have the tri-laminate longbow too, not to mention a reflex-deflex bow, which style was known. Bamboo, on the other hand, isn't so those bows do not really fit so well. Nor does the Magyar horse bow, although 'Turkish' bows were known.
I tried contacting Taurus bows to order a proper medieval bow, but I got no response. Given the last entry on his site seems to be sometime in 2012, it is more than a little possible he's no longer in business.
This year is a bit different; my youngest son is 18 and I am free to get out nice and early, as in before dawn, and get back after dusk if I so choose. :) Woot!
I have a good camera, an Olympus Tough, which is waterproof, shockproof, etc, and for which I have nice small tripod stand that can be velcroed to a tree or branch too. All I have to do is figure out how to use the timer function and I can record various static things..like me with any game I might take. :)
I have a new belt up for construction, and some pouches to complete. Generally, though, I can hunt as is easily enough.
Time to get into the forest and go all medieval ranger on things. ;)
Eledhwen
The Ranger-Harper of Minhiriath
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Hanging On
However much I might be sliding into the Sage aspect of things, I still manage to cling to the Ranger aspect. There is no reason that I should not; I am still healthy and hale enough to get about in the forests, to draw a bow, to hunt, etc. So long as I can do those things without being a danger to myself or to others, there is no reason not to continue.
Among other things, I am turning my attention back to the building of an 'eket'...a Númenorean shortsword. Isildur wore one. When he tried to flee the Gladden Fields ambush he discarded all of his gear except for his eket.
We have no idea what these blades may have looked like. The only description calls it a stabbing weapon of short stature. In the everyday world we have a lot of examples of short stabbing weapons. Now the eket is not a knife, so that's one thing. The best examples in the manifest world are the Gladius of the Romans, and the leaf shaped blade of the Celts. Some might argue arming swords, and they are short relative to other weapons, but beyond a certain point a blade is no longer a shortsword, stabbing oriented weapon simply because the length is not efficient at close quarters.
I have two of them under construction, to be honest. One is being made from an old Deepeeka Gladius from a whole lot of years ago. This one has the familiar rattail tang they used for so long so I may well decide to re-work that into a proper tang. I have removed the pommel, grip, and guard (obviously), and new ones are being designed. The scabbard that came with it I have completely deconstructed to just the wood halves...it will get a lining, a nice leather covering, some brass work, and a goodly bit of sea-related decoration. Master Tolkien clearly indicated the Númenoreans kept their sea-oriented life close to heart, even after the Akalabéth. Even the crown of the Sea Kings has gull wings and Gondor is full of such iconography.
The other one is a Celtic leaf blade by Kriss Cutlery. A very nice blade, I might add. I have not yet removed the pommel and such so I am not entirely certain I can as of yet. I may give it a go, or use a cheaper one. The thing is, I am not sure a leaf blade is quite right at this stage. I think early on, after Elves had taught men in the ways of weaponcrafting, their blades probably resembled Elven blades to some degree. I think, however, that at the height of their own culture this would be a lot less common and the influence of the Elves might have been more decorative than shape. By the Third Age I suspect their weapons looked much like manifest weapons do. Certainly the Gondorian spear as portrayed by Peter Jacksons' films looks much like a Yari in the length of blade and straightness...but it has the little wings at the base, more like a Norman or Frankish spear of the manifest. I think it quite lovely, and of all of the notions of PJ vis a vis weapons, this one and the Elven weapons he got closest to 'right'. If there is such a thing. I fully plan to make myself a good spearhead of this sort, with appropriate seabird designs.
So yes, at some point I will have a full set of Second Age weaponry....minus the bow since those were hollow steel and we do not know what they looked like. Some say they look like compounds but I recall no description of pulleys in them, so I doubt it.
Anyway, a good spear, a hand axe, and an eket, along with my bow. These are the weapons of a Númenorean Legionary of the Second Age...and they have survived down here into the 4th and beyond. Heirloom weapons, yes. They seem to have been quite common in the works of the Master, although few of them were actually magic I think, most of them being just superior workmanship.
As a Ranger I would carry the eket (if the law allowed, which it does not here), my bow (the composite one I nabbed from Far Harad), a good spear, and my knife, the axe being in the pack. All of these are generally small or slender and lightweight, excellent things for a Ranger. Even the axe would be more like a 'hawk than a proper axe...but only like a 'hawk, not an actual tomahawk. A good belt axe could work too, really.
Rangers wore no fair thing save one...and I plan to follow that for the most part. In this case I shall define 'fair thing' as something like brooches, pins, etc. I shall exclude tooling of leather, which is hard to see at anything other than close range. I shall eschew bright colors too, for the most part. However, the design I created for the Forandiri will be present. In at least one instance, its proper colors of black and white. Otherwise, just the tooling. The one fair thing will be my stainless Ranger Star. Probably with a black leather roundel behind and used as a cloak catch, much as described.
A helm..yes. Built around a Norman conical helm. Nasal, but no faceplate. I would love to have a Númenorean helmet of the Second Age..but we are speaking of a helm made to resemble the shell of a nautilus type creature...gorgeous, but beyond my ability to make without a good forge I can keep set up. So I will settle for something more 'primitive' and more likely of the Third Age...similar to the ones PJ has the Gondorians wearing in the early depictions of the defeat of Sauron. I absolutely disapprove of the barbutes and plate armor worn by them in the films in the latter parts. According to the books, only the Knights of Dol Amroth under Prince Imrahil wore full plate armor. Everyone else, including Aragorn as King, wore mail. There we go.
So yeah, busy on the Ranger front. New pics to come soon
Eledhwen
Among other things, I am turning my attention back to the building of an 'eket'...a Númenorean shortsword. Isildur wore one. When he tried to flee the Gladden Fields ambush he discarded all of his gear except for his eket.
We have no idea what these blades may have looked like. The only description calls it a stabbing weapon of short stature. In the everyday world we have a lot of examples of short stabbing weapons. Now the eket is not a knife, so that's one thing. The best examples in the manifest world are the Gladius of the Romans, and the leaf shaped blade of the Celts. Some might argue arming swords, and they are short relative to other weapons, but beyond a certain point a blade is no longer a shortsword, stabbing oriented weapon simply because the length is not efficient at close quarters.
I have two of them under construction, to be honest. One is being made from an old Deepeeka Gladius from a whole lot of years ago. This one has the familiar rattail tang they used for so long so I may well decide to re-work that into a proper tang. I have removed the pommel, grip, and guard (obviously), and new ones are being designed. The scabbard that came with it I have completely deconstructed to just the wood halves...it will get a lining, a nice leather covering, some brass work, and a goodly bit of sea-related decoration. Master Tolkien clearly indicated the Númenoreans kept their sea-oriented life close to heart, even after the Akalabéth. Even the crown of the Sea Kings has gull wings and Gondor is full of such iconography.
The other one is a Celtic leaf blade by Kriss Cutlery. A very nice blade, I might add. I have not yet removed the pommel and such so I am not entirely certain I can as of yet. I may give it a go, or use a cheaper one. The thing is, I am not sure a leaf blade is quite right at this stage. I think early on, after Elves had taught men in the ways of weaponcrafting, their blades probably resembled Elven blades to some degree. I think, however, that at the height of their own culture this would be a lot less common and the influence of the Elves might have been more decorative than shape. By the Third Age I suspect their weapons looked much like manifest weapons do. Certainly the Gondorian spear as portrayed by Peter Jacksons' films looks much like a Yari in the length of blade and straightness...but it has the little wings at the base, more like a Norman or Frankish spear of the manifest. I think it quite lovely, and of all of the notions of PJ vis a vis weapons, this one and the Elven weapons he got closest to 'right'. If there is such a thing. I fully plan to make myself a good spearhead of this sort, with appropriate seabird designs.
So yes, at some point I will have a full set of Second Age weaponry....minus the bow since those were hollow steel and we do not know what they looked like. Some say they look like compounds but I recall no description of pulleys in them, so I doubt it.
Anyway, a good spear, a hand axe, and an eket, along with my bow. These are the weapons of a Númenorean Legionary of the Second Age...and they have survived down here into the 4th and beyond. Heirloom weapons, yes. They seem to have been quite common in the works of the Master, although few of them were actually magic I think, most of them being just superior workmanship.
As a Ranger I would carry the eket (if the law allowed, which it does not here), my bow (the composite one I nabbed from Far Harad), a good spear, and my knife, the axe being in the pack. All of these are generally small or slender and lightweight, excellent things for a Ranger. Even the axe would be more like a 'hawk than a proper axe...but only like a 'hawk, not an actual tomahawk. A good belt axe could work too, really.
Rangers wore no fair thing save one...and I plan to follow that for the most part. In this case I shall define 'fair thing' as something like brooches, pins, etc. I shall exclude tooling of leather, which is hard to see at anything other than close range. I shall eschew bright colors too, for the most part. However, the design I created for the Forandiri will be present. In at least one instance, its proper colors of black and white. Otherwise, just the tooling. The one fair thing will be my stainless Ranger Star. Probably with a black leather roundel behind and used as a cloak catch, much as described.
A helm..yes. Built around a Norman conical helm. Nasal, but no faceplate. I would love to have a Númenorean helmet of the Second Age..but we are speaking of a helm made to resemble the shell of a nautilus type creature...gorgeous, but beyond my ability to make without a good forge I can keep set up. So I will settle for something more 'primitive' and more likely of the Third Age...similar to the ones PJ has the Gondorians wearing in the early depictions of the defeat of Sauron. I absolutely disapprove of the barbutes and plate armor worn by them in the films in the latter parts. According to the books, only the Knights of Dol Amroth under Prince Imrahil wore full plate armor. Everyone else, including Aragorn as King, wore mail. There we go.
So yeah, busy on the Ranger front. New pics to come soon
Eledhwen
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Eledhwen the Green
It has been a bit.
I've been considering a lot of things of late. I am getting older..who isn't?...I am 58 at this point. I am still hale and nearly 100% in terms of walking, hiking, etc. I am in pretty good shape, mostly, all things considered. But it is not only physical things that change with time...it is also the mind.
I am still a raging fangirl of Tolkeins' Middle Earth, that will never change. But my early years were characterized by the Warrior aspect of things. Later the focus was more Ranger and Archer, which dovetailed with other things (medieval hunting). I still do the latter a great deal, but more as a huntress than anything else. More to the point, the flame of my spirit burns steady, but not as hot as it once did, and I find much comfort in a pint of ale, a goblet of wine, a good fire, some friends, and good conversation. There is nothing wrong with this..it is the natural order of things. I have no problems with it.
As long as I am able I will still occasionally galivant around as a Ranger...but these days I am really more....Sage? Druid? Wizard?....something of that sort. Certainly in the manifest world I am a Druid. I would not presume to claim to be a Sage. Wizard...well, a Sorceress perhaps. In my Druid guise I am an Adept, Archdruid, and Ovate...as far as the Orders I study with are concerned. My color is green for most of this...many Druid Orders use colors to signify grade.
Given all of this I perhaps ought to be Eledhwen the Green...a 'sage' (small s). I have the staff, it is easy enough to make the Wizards' (Witch) hat, should I choose to do so. I have a green woolen hooded mantle. Yeah, I could easily be Eledhwen he Green. Perhaps I already am.
I have a long 'wizards' pipe..made of ash. I once used a pipe...I love the smell of pipe tobacco even as I cannot stand the smoke of cigarettes or cigars. Weird perhaps, but there it is. Often unknown by folk is the fact that women have smoked pipes for a very long time. Centuries, in fact. Perhaps not always tobacco in them, but certainly pipes. I have not lit this one...I tend to use it more as a 'thinking' prop. Mind you, I do have a substantial store of Old Toby. ;) I just don't use it.
Then there's my absolute love of hot coffee.
I guess I am in that transitional period from Ranger to Wizard (Witch). Or something. The 'Wizard' (Witch) role fits better these days, in a lot of ways. I do, however, have a lot of friends who are Rangers.
Eledhwen the Green
Note: The word 'Witch' is put in parentheses due to the rather negative connotation it often has in Tolkiens' works.
I've been considering a lot of things of late. I am getting older..who isn't?...I am 58 at this point. I am still hale and nearly 100% in terms of walking, hiking, etc. I am in pretty good shape, mostly, all things considered. But it is not only physical things that change with time...it is also the mind.
I am still a raging fangirl of Tolkeins' Middle Earth, that will never change. But my early years were characterized by the Warrior aspect of things. Later the focus was more Ranger and Archer, which dovetailed with other things (medieval hunting). I still do the latter a great deal, but more as a huntress than anything else. More to the point, the flame of my spirit burns steady, but not as hot as it once did, and I find much comfort in a pint of ale, a goblet of wine, a good fire, some friends, and good conversation. There is nothing wrong with this..it is the natural order of things. I have no problems with it.
As long as I am able I will still occasionally galivant around as a Ranger...but these days I am really more....Sage? Druid? Wizard?....something of that sort. Certainly in the manifest world I am a Druid. I would not presume to claim to be a Sage. Wizard...well, a Sorceress perhaps. In my Druid guise I am an Adept, Archdruid, and Ovate...as far as the Orders I study with are concerned. My color is green for most of this...many Druid Orders use colors to signify grade.
Given all of this I perhaps ought to be Eledhwen the Green...a 'sage' (small s). I have the staff, it is easy enough to make the Wizards' (Witch) hat, should I choose to do so. I have a green woolen hooded mantle. Yeah, I could easily be Eledhwen he Green. Perhaps I already am.
I have a long 'wizards' pipe..made of ash. I once used a pipe...I love the smell of pipe tobacco even as I cannot stand the smoke of cigarettes or cigars. Weird perhaps, but there it is. Often unknown by folk is the fact that women have smoked pipes for a very long time. Centuries, in fact. Perhaps not always tobacco in them, but certainly pipes. I have not lit this one...I tend to use it more as a 'thinking' prop. Mind you, I do have a substantial store of Old Toby. ;) I just don't use it.
Then there's my absolute love of hot coffee.
I guess I am in that transitional period from Ranger to Wizard (Witch). Or something. The 'Wizard' (Witch) role fits better these days, in a lot of ways. I do, however, have a lot of friends who are Rangers.
Eledhwen the Green
Note: The word 'Witch' is put in parentheses due to the rather negative connotation it often has in Tolkiens' works.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Ranger Immersion
Working on a pair of Braies this morning, hand sewing of course. When finished I will use powdered walnut hulls to dye them a rich brown color...or well, as rich as linen gets when dyed. ;) In fact, I have a couple of pairs that need the color change; white is no friend of mine in the forests outside of Winter.
I am also planning to make a padded leather and linen coif although I have not yet decided if I will sew it into the maille coif or leave it separate. Probably the former, but we shall see.
Dark green tunic, short sleeved and long sleeved, in the works. Brown hosen, brown leather soldiers' boots (medieval), a green dyed belt with black pouches on it, a rucksack of brown leather, very light weight grey shirts, and of course the flights on my arrows are grey and grey-barred white, the shafts being natural ash darkened only by the linseed oil I work into them. My quiver is brown, my blanket roll is green, and my glove gauntlets are brown.
I have a 'Robin Hood' style hat in dark olive green, but also a mantled hood in green with a black lining and green with a grey lining. I have a dark heather grey hooded cloak too. I also have basic linen coifs...but they need dyeing badly. My bow is of ash..although it is aging and I need to replace it soon. It is the only difficult part as my other bows either have bamboo backing or are a sandwich of bamboo, epee, and hickory. I am thinking I will take advantage of the deal St. Huberts' Rangers get with Taurus bows and have him sort me another traditional bow, but we will see. I am, after all, working on making bows myself.
With these colors I fade into the forest very easily...and they all do double duty for my St. Huberts' Rangers activities and my MER pursuits. I more often wear pants with the latter, but that's about the largest variation.
I wander, or patrol, the forests in all kinds of weather. To be effective one must learn to operate in any weather and terrain...and wet or snowy forests and hills are very different from dry Spring, Autumn, or Summer forests in the level of cover, concealment, footing, and whatnot. One must know the area of operations so well that anything unusual is instantly noticed. The patterns of game movement, changes they make in the terrain, these things are constant and can throw an unfamiliar person. The locations of edible and medicinal plants are important. Crossings of various streams and rivers. Prevailing winds, storm sign, stone and soil type. All matter.
Being a Ranger is no easy task, for the person who wishes to immerse themselves. It takes a lot of time, resources, and an open and agile mind.
Eledhwen
I am also planning to make a padded leather and linen coif although I have not yet decided if I will sew it into the maille coif or leave it separate. Probably the former, but we shall see.
Dark green tunic, short sleeved and long sleeved, in the works. Brown hosen, brown leather soldiers' boots (medieval), a green dyed belt with black pouches on it, a rucksack of brown leather, very light weight grey shirts, and of course the flights on my arrows are grey and grey-barred white, the shafts being natural ash darkened only by the linseed oil I work into them. My quiver is brown, my blanket roll is green, and my glove gauntlets are brown.
I have a 'Robin Hood' style hat in dark olive green, but also a mantled hood in green with a black lining and green with a grey lining. I have a dark heather grey hooded cloak too. I also have basic linen coifs...but they need dyeing badly. My bow is of ash..although it is aging and I need to replace it soon. It is the only difficult part as my other bows either have bamboo backing or are a sandwich of bamboo, epee, and hickory. I am thinking I will take advantage of the deal St. Huberts' Rangers get with Taurus bows and have him sort me another traditional bow, but we will see. I am, after all, working on making bows myself.
With these colors I fade into the forest very easily...and they all do double duty for my St. Huberts' Rangers activities and my MER pursuits. I more often wear pants with the latter, but that's about the largest variation.
I wander, or patrol, the forests in all kinds of weather. To be effective one must learn to operate in any weather and terrain...and wet or snowy forests and hills are very different from dry Spring, Autumn, or Summer forests in the level of cover, concealment, footing, and whatnot. One must know the area of operations so well that anything unusual is instantly noticed. The patterns of game movement, changes they make in the terrain, these things are constant and can throw an unfamiliar person. The locations of edible and medicinal plants are important. Crossings of various streams and rivers. Prevailing winds, storm sign, stone and soil type. All matter.
Being a Ranger is no easy task, for the person who wishes to immerse themselves. It takes a lot of time, resources, and an open and agile mind.
Eledhwen
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Constant improvement.
It must be said up front; my concept of Rangering ala Middle Earth revolves around the writings of Master Tolkien with a bit of historical flavor. This really does not make it differ much from 12th century stuff, or even 14th century stuff save perhaps in decoration. The clothing types remain essentially the same with pants more often in ME and hosen more common with the Middle Ages...although both existed in the latter.
I do not include things from Rangers' Apprentice, although I love that series and world, nor anything from Emberverse...which I am not terribly enamored of anyway.
I am about to majorly upgrade and augment a fair bit of my gear. Among other things, I am going to experiment with a skirt similar to a wrap skirt...but having a pleat in the back rather than the wrap. We have no idea what the attire of women looked like in ME save for perhaps a bit of Eowyn and very generic descriptions of other females.This leaves some leeway but also brings with it caution; not to get too wild with it.
Dresses are not a problem being essentially a 'T' type tunic with gores in the skirt, which would come down no lower than the knee I think. This is from experimenting with petticoats and long dresses in the forest. Just no, not for being a Ranger or hunting dense forest. Tauriel in the Desolation of Smaug, while being invented, is quite plausible in her appearance. She can be looked to for inspiration. Too, Haleth, leader of one of the Clans of Men in the Elder days in Beleriand can be looked to as well. We have no idea what she wore; most folk put her in gowns ala the Middle Ages...but she was a warrior and a fierce one at need. Smart and courageous, I doubt she would go to war in gown and barbette.
The skirt I am thinking of is more problematic since we have no reference to skirts at all. Since they are simple to make and seem to have existed right alongside dress-tunics from the start, I do not have a problem including them. A wrap skirt is certainly possible. The Scythians had drawstring skirts and even some with waistbands and laces. As I say, I do not mind having a go.
All of that being said, I am looking at a kind of skirt-leggings combination...something else that has been with us from the beginning...even back to the early bronze age. Having shirt/blouse/tunics for tops is not a problem. The place to be wary is when some begin to put in waist cinchers and bustiers and whatnot. Armor yes, even, perhaps, a heavy 'cincher' belt with plates on it maybe. Not much though; we are talking Rangers here, not Light Infantry or Heavy Infantry, nor Cavalry.
I have tentatively settled on grey, green, and brown for the primary color combinations with both Summer and Winter weight variants. Hoods and cloaks, of course, and naturally the footwear.
All of this while keeping the minimalist concept firmly in mind.
All of it will be hand sewn. Might take me a little bit...but for one of the tops I have some nice hanky weight linen of a lovely mid-tone grey. Heavier linen for the skirt of a nice green. Brown leggings, probably with integral feet, and of course, the dark grey cloak and brown or black footwear.
Lots to do. Already diving in. :)
Eledhwen
I do not include things from Rangers' Apprentice, although I love that series and world, nor anything from Emberverse...which I am not terribly enamored of anyway.
I am about to majorly upgrade and augment a fair bit of my gear. Among other things, I am going to experiment with a skirt similar to a wrap skirt...but having a pleat in the back rather than the wrap. We have no idea what the attire of women looked like in ME save for perhaps a bit of Eowyn and very generic descriptions of other females.This leaves some leeway but also brings with it caution; not to get too wild with it.
Dresses are not a problem being essentially a 'T' type tunic with gores in the skirt, which would come down no lower than the knee I think. This is from experimenting with petticoats and long dresses in the forest. Just no, not for being a Ranger or hunting dense forest. Tauriel in the Desolation of Smaug, while being invented, is quite plausible in her appearance. She can be looked to for inspiration. Too, Haleth, leader of one of the Clans of Men in the Elder days in Beleriand can be looked to as well. We have no idea what she wore; most folk put her in gowns ala the Middle Ages...but she was a warrior and a fierce one at need. Smart and courageous, I doubt she would go to war in gown and barbette.
The skirt I am thinking of is more problematic since we have no reference to skirts at all. Since they are simple to make and seem to have existed right alongside dress-tunics from the start, I do not have a problem including them. A wrap skirt is certainly possible. The Scythians had drawstring skirts and even some with waistbands and laces. As I say, I do not mind having a go.
All of that being said, I am looking at a kind of skirt-leggings combination...something else that has been with us from the beginning...even back to the early bronze age. Having shirt/blouse/tunics for tops is not a problem. The place to be wary is when some begin to put in waist cinchers and bustiers and whatnot. Armor yes, even, perhaps, a heavy 'cincher' belt with plates on it maybe. Not much though; we are talking Rangers here, not Light Infantry or Heavy Infantry, nor Cavalry.
I have tentatively settled on grey, green, and brown for the primary color combinations with both Summer and Winter weight variants. Hoods and cloaks, of course, and naturally the footwear.
All of this while keeping the minimalist concept firmly in mind.
All of it will be hand sewn. Might take me a little bit...but for one of the tops I have some nice hanky weight linen of a lovely mid-tone grey. Heavier linen for the skirt of a nice green. Brown leggings, probably with integral feet, and of course, the dark grey cloak and brown or black footwear.
Lots to do. Already diving in. :)
Eledhwen
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Doings
Been a couple of months. I have been busy.
Lots of hand work...sewing in particular. I used to avoid it like the plague, hand sewing, but now I find it preferable to machines. No clue why.
Nalbinding, crochet, knitting...all in the learning stages.
Beading...big time here, for straps of various sort, garters and whatnot. I have done a lot of Woodland Indian type work of late, from lovely madder red wool leggings to a madder red wool wrap skirt and trade shirt. There is little real difference between hosen and braes and leggings and breechclout saving only that the braes are like shorts, completely enclosed and the hosen tie to them, and the breechclout is tucked through a waist belt or sash to which the leggings are connected. Also, hosen have feet, leggings don't. Generally speaking.
Honestly, there is enough overlap in these areas that I have no qualms about using much of it interchangeably. Much of the NA garment selection is almost identical to Scythian and Paleolithic examples...and pants were worn too. Hoods are present all around, and the rest of it is very similar. This is no surprise really, but apparently it is not well known among many folk.
Bows and arrows under construction. Beadwork and leather work under way. Fabric and basketry too. I may be ready to float some items for sale on Etsy before long...perhaps even start vending a bit at various events. The beginning, maybe, of a family trade.
Certes I am set to build a small and ultimately temporary forge along Japanese lines into the garden setup this year. I wish to make some metal items, mostly tools, and this is likely the only way I can do it without causing undue concern or attention.
Gardening to kick in soon; there are many new crops to have a go with this year. Many more herbs too.
Lots of outdoors time; I am out of doors more often than not now. Hiking, scouting, simply living life in the wider world. :) A grand tonic for this...thing...our species has created and called civilization.
Eledhwen
Lots of hand work...sewing in particular. I used to avoid it like the plague, hand sewing, but now I find it preferable to machines. No clue why.
Nalbinding, crochet, knitting...all in the learning stages.
Beading...big time here, for straps of various sort, garters and whatnot. I have done a lot of Woodland Indian type work of late, from lovely madder red wool leggings to a madder red wool wrap skirt and trade shirt. There is little real difference between hosen and braes and leggings and breechclout saving only that the braes are like shorts, completely enclosed and the hosen tie to them, and the breechclout is tucked through a waist belt or sash to which the leggings are connected. Also, hosen have feet, leggings don't. Generally speaking.
Honestly, there is enough overlap in these areas that I have no qualms about using much of it interchangeably. Much of the NA garment selection is almost identical to Scythian and Paleolithic examples...and pants were worn too. Hoods are present all around, and the rest of it is very similar. This is no surprise really, but apparently it is not well known among many folk.
Bows and arrows under construction. Beadwork and leather work under way. Fabric and basketry too. I may be ready to float some items for sale on Etsy before long...perhaps even start vending a bit at various events. The beginning, maybe, of a family trade.
Certes I am set to build a small and ultimately temporary forge along Japanese lines into the garden setup this year. I wish to make some metal items, mostly tools, and this is likely the only way I can do it without causing undue concern or attention.
Gardening to kick in soon; there are many new crops to have a go with this year. Many more herbs too.
Lots of outdoors time; I am out of doors more often than not now. Hiking, scouting, simply living life in the wider world. :) A grand tonic for this...thing...our species has created and called civilization.
Eledhwen
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