(no subject)

[ursula]

I spent most of the weekend at the An Tir Arts and Sciences Competition. I went because aelfgyfu was competing; she displayed all sorts of different pieces including a stunning (though sadly lacking in bronze) Byzantine polycandelon. It's a sort of lamp or chandelier made of glass cones filled with water and oil, which hang in a circle. (Since aelfgyfu is about to graduate and become either a starving artist or a starving grad student, I should remark that such reproduction medieval wonders are available to you, too, O Reader, for a reasonable price.) And aelfgyfu won! and is now the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Champion, which comes with impressive regalia and an obligation to travel.

Meanwhile, I finished embroidering the pair of Tudor socks I've been working on off and on for ages, and gave them to aelfgyfu to whom they had been promised, and glasseye and I were frighteningly cute, and I threatened to make nobu medieval hats. I also found myself strangely non-invisible; my Barony's Arts and Sciences Minister asked me if I'd consider her job (I said, "Eek! Ask me after prelims!") and aelfgyfu half-informed me that I am competing in Kingdom A&S next year. (I could probably make a creditable showing, especially if I counted translation as an art, or forgot the aforementioned prelims; I think I'd have to learn to spin or make ink to compete, though.)

Comments

[flammifera.livejournal.com]

What kind of medieval hat?

and congratulations to aelfgyfu. :) The polycandelon sounds very cool (partly because it's Byzantine, so that means it's inherently cool) -- is there a picture of it? I saw the picture of her on the website, and she looks pretty. :)

[ursula]

I don't have a picture yet, but I'm sure there will be some.

Not that my friends aren't all stunningly beautiful, but are you sure you've got the right person? I think the A&S website has last year's champion, still. This is aelfgyfu, otherwise known as Vandy. You may have met her-- she visited me when she was doing an internship in DC.

And the hat would be a wool hat, maybe like a beret with a brim, maybe like two berets in a stack with a brim at the bottom.

[gwacie.livejournal.com]

ooo... you know I am in the market for one of those late fifteenth century men's caps, you know the ones? Acorn shaped hat with the brim turned up, like the one Richard the Third is wearing in one of the few portraits of him that are around. Just... you know, if you're feeling the undenyable despirate need to make a hat *innocent look* ;)

-Mi
:)

[ursula]

You mean like this?

nobu shaved her head . . .

[gwacie.livejournal.com]

Yeah! that's it exactly! :)

Need to get one of those for Edward :) you know he's all about anything Richard the Third. ;)

[ursula]

This is a nifty article on acorn caps . . .

[flammifera.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, since I don't know her, I have no idea whether it's her or not. I'm not sure whether I've met her or not...

Are you really making medieval hats? ;)

[ursula]

Yeah, I made glasseye and Jeremy hats that look a bit like this (the photos of the original, not her pattern) for Christmas.

[flammifera.livejournal.com]

Oooh, they look very cute!

Might look good in dark green, with a little grey brim... ;)

[ursula]

Black's good enough for me ;)

Walnut Ink

[gwacie.livejournal.com]

Okay, Drop spindle's pretty easy I'm told, for spinning. Though it'll take you a coon's age to get enough for a sock, and I know making ink is real easy. :)

Walnut ink: take some walnuts and soak 'em in water for ever and ever -or- boil 'em in a pot (preferably iron) and add some gum arabic to the mix for um, gum arabic-ness. voila! I don't think walnut ink is medieval, but walnuts are easy to come by.

You can make ink from lamp black too, collect your soot, mix with water and gum arabic just like you would paint. Easy peasy.

But dude, An Tir's A&S rules have to be a lot harder than the Midrealm's if you've got to go to such lengths just to enter ;)

Re: Walnut Ink

[ursula]

I didn't say enter. I said compete, as in "be competitive."

I could always document buying yarn ;)

Re: Walnut Ink

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

Well, reply to an old comment, *but*, I *did* document buying glass... :-)