Dark age meet up?

[xylaria]

Here is my kit. I tested for warmth outside today clearing the paths of snow.
I was perfectly warm,

The hangerok is from a very old wool blanket, I managed to make daughters out the same one. the kirtle is wool, the underdress is wool mix suiting and the there is a linen shirt dress under the lot. I have light modern trousers on my legs, and brown leather non lace up shoes. I have aimed for at least two layers of wool and a linen underlayer in everyones costumes.

I found when my hands got cold I just had to shove them under the apron at the front to warm them up. I have fastened the hangerok with a pair of kilt pins for now but will think of something else. I moment I am just glad I have kit that functions well in cold weather. In fact I found it warm and not sweaty, which is more than I can say for the modern stuff I did the school run. The only problem I have is that whole thing makes me look fat.

 

[Wayland]

That looks great Fi.

 

[Toddy]

*everybody* looks fat in female Vik kit........except Helen who is six feet tall, big busted and no backside

It looks like you have been incredibly busy
I've got strings of glass beads that will fasten on at your pins, though you could make the 'braces' bit of your overgown from some of your braid and fasten the beads onto that.

I find the same thing, my Iron Age or Bronze Age kit actually suits our climate. It's layers of natural fibres, and they come off or go on depending on the weather
The only quibble I have with some of our accuracy is the length..........can you really see any woman working in a farmyard happy with her skirts all the way down to her ankles ? I reckon ballerina length with either wraps or boots when really cold and bare footed the rest of the time.
Trailing skirts kind of implied wealthy enough not to need to do manual work, I suppose.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[xylaria]

I found it was easier to work if I hitched the whole caboodle to mid calf length, but even then the front apron wicked up grubbiness. Females have a long history of stupidly impractical fashion but I agree with you about the lenght of working clothes

I had some adult kit left over from doing LARP. The blue dress was a 10 year old larper maternity dress, and the brown kirtle was made from wool that has hay/baler twine contaminant that I got very cheap, and no-one would wear it since making it. It itches like nits unless it is over two layers. His kirtle is also old larp kit that I have tarted up. The kids I have made from fresh. My daughters dress was an afghan wedding robe I picked up in charity shop. It is very thick wool, but I had to unpick a massive amount of embroidery, and it's dodgy pool table green. My sons is from a past-it wool blanket that I experimentally dyed with the all those haws I picked and retted. I am quite proud of the finshed result of his kit.

 

[nickg]

That look really good Xylaria - well done

 

[firecrest]

yes well done! Ive got the same colour pinny (army blanket coloured!) I was going to dye it blue but Im still procrastinating.

Ive some practical questions I hadnt thought of....
Presumably we need to bring our own food. Do we need our own cooking pot?
Ive bought a wooden bowl, but do we also need viking accessories like this eg eating utensils and alike?
Can I eat pot noodle on site?

 

[Wayland]

You can eat anything you like in the evenings, breakfast or out of sight of the public.

There is a cafeteria if you don't want to cook too.

I will bring some spare cooking pots and there are probably some that the site can lend us although they may need a clean up.

Wood bowls are good and I'll bring spares, wood spoons are good so now you know what you've been carving them for. ( I'll bring some spares as well.)

We can probably borrow some pottery cups or wood ones are good too.

In general, most foods that look OK are fine but we need to lose the plastic wrapping before the public sees it, that can be done in advance or just out of sight.

I don't want any of this to sound too stressful because it's really quite easy with a bit of thought.

Remember there will be big gaps when the public are not there at all so It's easy enough to wait a bit and do stuff when they are gone.

As I think I've mentioned before, we're not expecting you to be experts. The public will be just as interested if you say you're a bushcrafter, it's your first time on the village, and it's all new to you too.

If they really want to know something you don't know, send them to me or Debs.

 

[Singeblister]

well the boots i was thinking of wearing for the meet I tried out in the workshop today and my feet were froz , will have to have a rethink if its as cold at the meet as it is now , I have been boiling old strips of blanket tonight in old tea bags and onion skins to make leg wraps what a smell , they came out nice and manky looking though

 

[Eric_Methven]

Gary, I'll take you up on the sleeping mats please.

Eric

 

[Toddy]

Eric I have a blow up airbed that I can bring along for one of you......and I will remember the pump

I'll shop too so don't worry about groceries, it's as easy cooking for three omnivores as it is for one, my funny gluten and dairy free stuff I'll manage for myself unless anyone is feeling brave enough

Gary, technically my cast iron pots aren't in period, but they kind of look the part and they are good to cook with; will they be okay ?
My dyebaths won't do, though some of the little terracotta ones might be fine.

atb,
M

 

[xylaria]

I have some scrap pewter that could be workable, I could bring.

 

[Cobweb]

I've got to make some leg wraps....

The Coffee hessian sacks came this morning so I can bring them to stuff kit in. They smell of coffee yum I think if they are turned inside out then they'll look period-ish.

I've nearly finished the pleated underdress... it's taking ages!

I have a pewter tankard, is that authentic enough for drinks? if not, I have pewter goblets.
I've also got a large cast iron dutch oven (from the group buy ages ago) that still needs proving, I haven't been able to get out and make a long fire since it came, so if I do bring it it'll need proving first.

I've got a gypsy style skillet that hangs from a chain for frying in but I don't have any normal sized cast iron cooking pots or wooden dishes/plates, perhaps I could burn a dish in at the meet? I do have a spoon tho

 

[nickg]

Folks

I mentioned before that i will be bringing a big pot & 1.5kg of venison for a huge stew & ill pick up a mess of root veggies & etc for a huge stew that will certainly stretch 8-10 people or more, omnivore with no dietry issues - do we yet know how many are coming? it would help to know if a general community cook is possible for the bulk and that would leave those requiring particular omissions/inclusions in their diet to either pick & choose or fend for themselves. Assuming that goes for saturday night meal what is left for friday eve & sat/sun lunch & breakfast becomes much simpler. I plan a basic fryup for breakfast and i will possibly have some packet soup (batchelors soupfuls) that will look perfectly authentic cooking and requite no great effort for lunch. I might try to bake some flatbreat type thingies if time allows or may just use pittas/nans for the sake of appearence and ease. Some biscuits and heavily un-authentictea bags for whe the public are gone and a good stock of cider & mead for the evening & ill be a happy little teddy - er saxon.

Cheers

Nick

 

[Eric_Methven]

That all sounds great Nick. I'll muck in wherever I can.
Brilliant on the food Mary. I'll have enough to lug down as it is. I have your rigid heddle done too.
I can't get into my workshop though. The roof blew off a while back and it's covered right now with a massive blue tarp tied down with cargo straps. The only light I had was from what came through the transparent roof so now I can't see what I'm doing in there. Not good for using a bandsaw. So, I won't get any tablet weaving cards made. I am however going to make a few sets from leather and wax them to make them stiff. If they work, I may make more for future use. So I'll have some for people to play with but not as many as I was intending to make from wood.

Eric

 

[Toddy]

You make me leather tablets (could they be made fine and wax hardened and still stay flat ?? ) or a mini heddle, and I'll happily feed you and Cameron for the weekend.

If Nick's up for dealing with a major stew that means Saturday night dinner is organised.

Does Cameron like tablet ? and is there anything either of you don't like to eat ?

cheers,
M

 

[nickg]

I have been making some tablets in beech - I will have 20 or 30 spare and a few Shuttle/beaters so we will have enough to go round, not sure if they will be up to Erics standard but if anybody wants to keep some we can arrange it.

Nick

 

[nickg]

Toddy

Woss tablet then Eh??

 

[Toddy]

It's the best sweetie

Think sugary, buttery, melt in the mouth sugar rush and you're close Commercial stuff is vile, like a hard mint cake texture instead of soft and light coloured.

And I can't eat it anymore

I'll bring some down with me.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[nickg]

Best not bring any for me - Diabetic you see - or have we fallen out??

 

[Wayland]

Eric, consider them yours.

Gary, technically my cast iron pots aren't in period, but they kind of look the part and they are good to cook with; will they be okay ?
My dyebaths won't do, though some of the little terracotta ones might be fine.

They'll be close enough for our needs, you'll see when you get there that so long as the the look is OK a lot of things will pass that a strict living history group would frown at.

Folks

I mentioned before that i will be bringing a big pot & 1.5kg of venison for a huge stew & ill pick up a mess of root veggies & etc for a huge stew that will certainly stretch 8-10 people or more, omnivore with no dietry issues - do we yet know how many are coming? it would help to know if a general community cook is possible for the bulk and that would leave those requiring particular omissions/inclusions in their diet to either pick & choose or fend for themselves. Assuming that goes for saturday night meal what is left for friday eve & sat/sun lunch & breakfast becomes much simpler. I plan a basic fryup for breakfast and i will possibly have some packet soup (batchelors soupfuls) that will look perfectly authentic cooking and requite no great effort for lunch. I might try to bake some flatbreat type thingies if time allows or may just use pittas/nans for the sake of appearence and ease. Some biscuits and heavily un-authentictea bags for whe the public are gone and a good stock of cider & mead for the evening & ill be a happy little teddy - er saxon.

Cheers

Nick

Can I request no onion in the stew please or some venison to make our own.