Wow.. I haven’t posted in a while. Real life has kind of knocked me for a loop. I’ve been student teaching since August 25th and things are definitely nuts. I question on a daily basis my choice in careers. I do love the kids, and I’m enjoying it, but man..its tough work. Everyone….GO HUG A TEACHER!

Anyway…the economy and gas prices have really sucked the life out of SCA for us. *pouts* Our eventing is much less than we’d like and just everything is generally all around icky.

I did compete in Steppes Artisan again this year. I took my stockings, my lampwork beads, some of my weaving and I made Shortbread. I was chosen as a favorite by Mistress Ameline! I love this arts competition. It’s very laid back and fun and so much less stressful than other competitions.

After Artisan, several of the ladies from Rosenfeld went to another lady’s house and got fitted for custom cotehardie patterns. We got our patterns several weeks later in the mail. I have yet to get started on mine, but I hope to make that and a viking apron before the next event we attend (November 22nd I think).

We made it through Three Kings and I think the event was a big sucess. There were a few changes in the scenarios and I think that most of the fighters enjoyed the changes immensely! I did lunch for the crown and their entourage and Their Majesties and everyone said it was very tasty! (I did box lunches)

Yesterday we were at the Central Regional Rapier Academy in Athens and we had a good time. Even though Ian is not a rapier fighter and neither am I, we both sat in on a few classes and learned quite a bit. Ian also got some time to charter paint. I think he might have a new hobby! Lady Carletta said that he is quite talented, and after seeing his charters, I’m inclined to think so too!

I haven’t finished any more stockings, but I’m working on two more pairs. I started a green pair just like the yellow pair below, and I started a red wool pair from the pattern Stockings with Clocks in the Folk Socks book. I’ll try to get some pics and post them soon.

That’s all I have for now. Next event is Bordermarch Autumn Melees. I hope to see you there!

I kind of have this thing for stockings. I am collecting knitting patterns for them and I’ve knit a few of them.

The first one (yes one, I only knit one) I made from cotton yarn. I actually entered this one in with my body of work at Steppes Artisan last year.

I like the pattern and I want to do more from this pattern. Hopefully I’ll do them soon.

The next stockings I knit, I used a silk/wool blend yarn.

These are SOOOO soft!! I love them very much and they did keep my legs nice and toasty at a very cool fighter practice we went to early this year.

The 3rd pair of stockings I just finished a few days ago.

These are also made of cotton, but unlike the first pair they have a very small percentage of elastic (I know..not period, but hey..it helps them stay up better!) Love these as well!

Now.. I just started these stockings on this past Saturday night. Hopefully, they won’t take to long. Please excuse the really bad photo, it was nighttime and the light was really bad.

These stockings are Medieval Egyptian or Muslim stockings, based off extant stockings. They’re mentioned in Rutt’s book, as well as a few others. I’m using cotton for these as the originals were made of cotton. The band around the toe there, it says “Allah.” I have since turned the heel and worked a second Allah band and now I’m on a band of blue/white zig zags. They’re turning out a little large, but I think they’ll probably shrink some if I wash them.  I will need to make some kind of matching garters to go with these, so I may try to do something with the Allah chart in card weaving. (yeah..I’m so not that good yet, but I’m willing to try!)

We’re going to Squires and Cadets in Houston this weekend. Yay!! Finally an event. I haven’t been to one since Candlemas in February. So other than fighter practice and a couple of demos, it’s been rather SCA free around here. I’ll be glad to see my friends again and camp in my tent and all the things that I love. The event is about 4 hours south of here so hopefully I’ll get some knitting time in the car.

I got Carmen to model for me again and got a couple of shots of the new hood.

I like how this one turned out. The mantle is closer to the size I want (though I’d like it a bit bigger) and the hood seems to fit the head better. I haven’t cast on the red one yet, but I’m sure I will soon and I’ll have plenty of wool hoods to wear for winter.

So far, I have knit two hoods (chaperons) with Liripipes. As far as I can tell, there’s not much documentation as to whether knitted hoods existed, but they are mentioned (somewhere - I’ve not finished reading it yet) in Irena Turnau’s book. I just finished a purple wool hood tonight. Yay! just in time for summer!

There’s a shot of it blocking after a good soaking. I’ll try to put up some photos of it being worn as soon as it dries. This hood I adapted from a pattern I found on a blog “Greet’s Middle Ages” The changes I made were to do a large “heel” on the top to form the hood, add the liripipe and garter stitch around the face instead of ribbing.

The other hood I’ve made, was finished back in February. I posted about it before I deleted everything, but I decided to post about it again. This one came from Alianora’s Virtual Chateau. This one I did as written. (Modeled by the lovely Carmen de Versilia)

I like how this one turned out, but I think that I’m going to make a few changes to it when I do it again. (I have some LOVELY red wool that I want to make it out of.) I want it to be longer around the shoulders so I’m going to knit a bit more before i start the neck parts. Also, for some reason the counts are off and it comes out bigger on one side than the other. I’m going to redo the math so it comes out even on both sides.

Next up….finding documentation (or at least an excuse) for having a knitted hood.

Ok..Brangwyne shouldn’t be allowed near her blog after 10 pm and without caffeine. Well..maybe not near the blog, but near the ftp server. I posted a nice lovely post with photos and things, and then went in to clean up some things on the server because the sites have been running slow. Guess what I did? I deleted the whole dang thing. Yep..my whole blog…BYE BYE!

Guess I’m starting over from scratch huh?

Ok..so I’m going to try to recreate the post I posted earlier though I probably can’t remember it all.

We ended up not making it to Gulf War this year and we were very disappointed. I think it will just strengthen our resolve to get there next year. We haven’t been to an event since Candlemas in February and haven’t camped since Bordermarch in November. I’m starting to miss it. We’ll be attending an event this weekend for the Shire (Canton?) of Glaslyn. Ian’s squire and his brother will be there and I’m sure we’ll have a blast. It will be good to see them and to get out and camp again.

I have been very busy with school, but I have been doing some crafting. I have been working on some more stockings. I started these stockings out of cotton yarn, because I wanted some that would be cooler for summer here in Ansteorra.

I have started the second stocking, though I don’t have a photo of it. I’m just about to start the increases for the calf section. I should finish these in a week or so.

I have also been working on some lampwork. I got behind the torch a day or so ago and made a few beads.

I think they turned out pretty good, though this bead is my very favorite.

I think it is rather pretty. The two small blobs next to it are my attempt at seed beads. I bought some small mandrels that are for making the seed beads, but they are much much harder to do than the larger beads. More practice necessary I think.

That’s about all I think. Please bear with me as I try to get things rebuilt around here.

~B~