home from war
Aug. 14th, 2011 08:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stakebait Pennsic was great. This has, I admit, mostly to do with the weather, which was hot and humid for the first part of war week, but not as awful as last year, and for the second part of the week was perfect. I wished I could have gone for both weeks, which was a first. I doubt work would let me, but am vaguely considering trying to do so next year.
(This also has something to do with the additions to my gear since last summer -- getting up off the floor being a prime priority for my back, I bought a collapsible bedframe and crates to improvise a dresser, and unearthed my camping table from mom's, and Cian made me a clothes hanging rod, and they all worked great. All I need for next year to complete the ensemble is a board to put across the top of the crates, to fix my hanging light so it hangs again, a second tiny crate for tiny things, and a battery for my travel clock. And of course a new ground cloth, since we trash them every year.) And Sir Edward wants all of us with period pavilions to make silk banners for the top, and Cian is going to make me a few more poles for my tent so it doesn't sag. I have reconsidered painting "please wipe your feet" in Latin and/or on the top of the tent -- it doesn't hang straight enough for the effect to work. Resisted buying green-edged dagging from Panther for the same reason. But we'll see what the new poles do. And I am still considering finials for the tops of the poles.
As usual I filled my class wishlist with dance and then didn't dance hardly at all -- it was Just Too Hot most days. I suspect I should just give up on dancing at Pennsic and prioritize getting to local practices during the year. I was, however, thrilled to be in East Kingdom Court to see Wilhelm, who runs those practices, get the Order of the Maunch. [apologies for spelling; I've never seen it written.]
I did however take more classes in general than usual, including a great one on women troubadours in Occitania and a Life of Women roundtable that make it clear that several times and places during the middle ages gave women a lot more rights than I realized. The myth of the smooth upward progression is shattered, and i have a lot more reading to do. I also successfully re-learned lucet (and labeled all my feast gear that has a hole in it with green and white lucet loops) and made a wire and bead ring, which is already losing its finish after a week but which confirmed for me that the ideal class level for me is "ages 7 and up".
I also hardly read at all. I never have at Pennsic, which is very unusual for me, but I always thought that was because I was only bringing books that existed in period, which are not exactly light reading. This year I relaxed the rule and brought novels, and I still hardly touched them. Something about being immersed in one fantasy environment makes em not want another, I suppose.
I missed my girls Lizabetta and Leofwyn something awful, not to mention Boots and Cathy Dean, and I didn't see nearly enough of Karyn either. Did get to hang with Astrid a bit and ran into Jill and Katrina briefly. But I did make some new friends and get to know some existing ones better. Got down to the bog a lot less without people to go with, but I went to some schnazzy parties instead. Camp full of fighters did sometimes make me cranky with their constant hammering and duck taping and interrupting of here-and-now tasks to rehash battles, but there's a plan to move the first two out of the main tent next year, and I suppose I can live with the last, even if it does make me feel like the mom. They are certainly a big help in the matter of digging and hauling and taking down tents, and they had a great idea about classes on stretching and warm ups and proper nutrition for fighters.
Got to play with the kidlets a lot. Did one total wipeout in the mud so I barely got to wear one dress for an hour and a half, but I bought a new pale yellow linen tunic to supply its place. (Also bought a thimble ring, a bone hair stick and a pair of Viking pants for Cian.)
Must give shout out to vendor Moresca, who took back a bodice I bought from them at least 14 years ago to fix the holes and shorten the bones that caused them. Red bodice I bought on Fatshionista or curvy_exchange also turns out to be too big, so I'll have to have that altered locally. Starting to think my tape measure must be defective -- not the first time I've bought something based on measurements that turned out to be too large. Fortunately the new blue bodice that barely came in time fit perfectly.
Had some brief excitement as my new pewter goblet was mistaken for a loaner and given away at the Hoity Toity party; fortunately I got it back the next morning, only slightly dented at the rim. (Cian thinks he can grind it out.) Maybe my newfound obsession with putting my arms on everything is not as juvenile as I thought. Anyone know somebody who does reasonably priced engraving? Or have a paint that works on metal?
Have come home full of enthusiasm for garb projects -- veils, wimples and barbettes; a sideless surcoat in green and white, which are the colors of both the province of Ostgardr and my personal arms; and oversleeves for my blue and gold tudor at least. Aifric has kindly volunteered to help me, and Ysenda our seneschal as well, and Jessica (one of the new friends) showed me a great cheat for the sleeves. It remains to be seen how much of this, if any, will get done. I have at least finally been progressing on the knitted bag which was supposedly to be finished for *this* Pennsic. Am also planning to lucet medallion cord for next year -- for myself at least, and maybe for the rest of the household.
Personal purchases for next year -- shorter and wider sleeved linen dresses from Neverland Garb when she comes out with them; affordable linen skirts from Hidden Dirk Merchantile; Walkstool folding stool. And am looking forward to a sprang water bottle cover by Leofwyn in her copious free time. :)
While at war I had an idea for making our provincial event site tokens pilgrim badges, and awarding something to those who complete the pilgrimage by attending them all, which I pitched to the newly knighted Sir Guy, his Nextcellency, who will become Viceroy at Barleycorn this fall. I also had an idea for a fortress building/seige weapons contest, to be held on the peace day -- prizes to those whose fortress stands the longest and who knocked them down the quickest -- which I described to Sir Edward. He seemed to think it held potential, but I must pick his brain after Pennsic and find out who the proper person to propose it to is. And a third idea which I haven't pitched to anyone yet, though I talked it over with a few campmates and Tormunder seemed to think it had potential -- it is far more ambitious and time consuming -- running a Pennsic recycling program.
Now I am wallowing in the embraces of my cat and air conditioning in roughly equal measure.
Edited to add: I forgot to mention the woman who came up to me in my Tudor w/ hoopskirt and asked "are you hovering?" because she couldn't see my feet. The eventual conclusion we came to that I need to make a Dalek Tudor, and later that evening I decided I also need to find out how to say "Exterminate!" in medieval Latin, so I can have somebody calligraph it round the hem.
(This also has something to do with the additions to my gear since last summer -- getting up off the floor being a prime priority for my back, I bought a collapsible bedframe and crates to improvise a dresser, and unearthed my camping table from mom's, and Cian made me a clothes hanging rod, and they all worked great. All I need for next year to complete the ensemble is a board to put across the top of the crates, to fix my hanging light so it hangs again, a second tiny crate for tiny things, and a battery for my travel clock. And of course a new ground cloth, since we trash them every year.) And Sir Edward wants all of us with period pavilions to make silk banners for the top, and Cian is going to make me a few more poles for my tent so it doesn't sag. I have reconsidered painting "please wipe your feet" in Latin and/or on the top of the tent -- it doesn't hang straight enough for the effect to work. Resisted buying green-edged dagging from Panther for the same reason. But we'll see what the new poles do. And I am still considering finials for the tops of the poles.
As usual I filled my class wishlist with dance and then didn't dance hardly at all -- it was Just Too Hot most days. I suspect I should just give up on dancing at Pennsic and prioritize getting to local practices during the year. I was, however, thrilled to be in East Kingdom Court to see Wilhelm, who runs those practices, get the Order of the Maunch. [apologies for spelling; I've never seen it written.]
I did however take more classes in general than usual, including a great one on women troubadours in Occitania and a Life of Women roundtable that make it clear that several times and places during the middle ages gave women a lot more rights than I realized. The myth of the smooth upward progression is shattered, and i have a lot more reading to do. I also successfully re-learned lucet (and labeled all my feast gear that has a hole in it with green and white lucet loops) and made a wire and bead ring, which is already losing its finish after a week but which confirmed for me that the ideal class level for me is "ages 7 and up".
I also hardly read at all. I never have at Pennsic, which is very unusual for me, but I always thought that was because I was only bringing books that existed in period, which are not exactly light reading. This year I relaxed the rule and brought novels, and I still hardly touched them. Something about being immersed in one fantasy environment makes em not want another, I suppose.
I missed my girls Lizabetta and Leofwyn something awful, not to mention Boots and Cathy Dean, and I didn't see nearly enough of Karyn either. Did get to hang with Astrid a bit and ran into Jill and Katrina briefly. But I did make some new friends and get to know some existing ones better. Got down to the bog a lot less without people to go with, but I went to some schnazzy parties instead. Camp full of fighters did sometimes make me cranky with their constant hammering and duck taping and interrupting of here-and-now tasks to rehash battles, but there's a plan to move the first two out of the main tent next year, and I suppose I can live with the last, even if it does make me feel like the mom. They are certainly a big help in the matter of digging and hauling and taking down tents, and they had a great idea about classes on stretching and warm ups and proper nutrition for fighters.
Got to play with the kidlets a lot. Did one total wipeout in the mud so I barely got to wear one dress for an hour and a half, but I bought a new pale yellow linen tunic to supply its place. (Also bought a thimble ring, a bone hair stick and a pair of Viking pants for Cian.)
Must give shout out to vendor Moresca, who took back a bodice I bought from them at least 14 years ago to fix the holes and shorten the bones that caused them. Red bodice I bought on Fatshionista or curvy_exchange also turns out to be too big, so I'll have to have that altered locally. Starting to think my tape measure must be defective -- not the first time I've bought something based on measurements that turned out to be too large. Fortunately the new blue bodice that barely came in time fit perfectly.
Had some brief excitement as my new pewter goblet was mistaken for a loaner and given away at the Hoity Toity party; fortunately I got it back the next morning, only slightly dented at the rim. (Cian thinks he can grind it out.) Maybe my newfound obsession with putting my arms on everything is not as juvenile as I thought. Anyone know somebody who does reasonably priced engraving? Or have a paint that works on metal?
Have come home full of enthusiasm for garb projects -- veils, wimples and barbettes; a sideless surcoat in green and white, which are the colors of both the province of Ostgardr and my personal arms; and oversleeves for my blue and gold tudor at least. Aifric has kindly volunteered to help me, and Ysenda our seneschal as well, and Jessica (one of the new friends) showed me a great cheat for the sleeves. It remains to be seen how much of this, if any, will get done. I have at least finally been progressing on the knitted bag which was supposedly to be finished for *this* Pennsic. Am also planning to lucet medallion cord for next year -- for myself at least, and maybe for the rest of the household.
Personal purchases for next year -- shorter and wider sleeved linen dresses from Neverland Garb when she comes out with them; affordable linen skirts from Hidden Dirk Merchantile; Walkstool folding stool. And am looking forward to a sprang water bottle cover by Leofwyn in her copious free time. :)
While at war I had an idea for making our provincial event site tokens pilgrim badges, and awarding something to those who complete the pilgrimage by attending them all, which I pitched to the newly knighted Sir Guy, his Nextcellency, who will become Viceroy at Barleycorn this fall. I also had an idea for a fortress building/seige weapons contest, to be held on the peace day -- prizes to those whose fortress stands the longest and who knocked them down the quickest -- which I described to Sir Edward. He seemed to think it held potential, but I must pick his brain after Pennsic and find out who the proper person to propose it to is. And a third idea which I haven't pitched to anyone yet, though I talked it over with a few campmates and Tormunder seemed to think it had potential -- it is far more ambitious and time consuming -- running a Pennsic recycling program.
Now I am wallowing in the embraces of my cat and air conditioning in roughly equal measure.
Edited to add: I forgot to mention the woman who came up to me in my Tudor w/ hoopskirt and asked "are you hovering?" because she couldn't see my feet. The eventual conclusion we came to that I need to make a Dalek Tudor, and later that evening I decided I also need to find out how to say "Exterminate!" in medieval Latin, so I can have somebody calligraph it round the hem.
