End-of-the-year Musings

Post by **Greg** » Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:47 pm

This evening I was reading "I sit by the fire and think" from Bilbo's writings in my chair in our new home. I'm surrounded by boxes full of our worldly crap, still packed.

We had our first snow last week, though it's long since melted. I made some dramatic leaps and bounds forward with my kit completion leading up to this season's newsletter, and am shopping for winter Wool. These things combined made something abundantly clear in my mind:

I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.

Anybody else? Where are you headed?

Udwin · Post by **Udwin** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 12:52 am

Bilbao? Two threads ago you confused California and Catalonia, and now you're peppering Spanish cities into posts on your own? : P

I guess I'm getting in the conditioning phase, but I did beat the bounds on a few walking adventures yesterday. First one probably 5 miles all barefoot, crossed over to proxy-Buckland on the footbridge, scrambled down a rockslide, fended off a large dog with my stout stave, and gathered my Yule-decorating supplies (spruce bough and mistletoe, and holly for pinning over doors and windows to keep the Dark away). Windy in the low 50s. Dressed in 1940s wool shirt and linen trousers rolled up; modern hat but my hood would've been much warmer.
And then probably another 2-3 miles last night, using Another walking bridge, to go out for drinks (it's actually easier for me to park in one state and walk across river to another state, for the nightlife). Mid 40s. Total mileage forthcoming. Wish I'd had my stave!

Post by **Greg** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 2:12 am

I hate writing on my wife's tablet. HATE.

Iodo · Post by **Iodo** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:43 am

Greg wrote: I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.

Anybody else? Where are you headed?

Well, that's a difficult question

right now I have a lot of collage work to do, not necacerily a bad thing since this includes finishing my forge. I'm still making kit and almost everything I asked for for Christmas is rangerish, my family think I'm mad but I don't care

im gradually getting better at making stuff, yesterday I made a pair of trousers for the first time ever, and I'm quite pleased with the result. I wouldn't say I've had an adventure yet but I've been out walking in varying degrees of kit quite a few times now. Last weekend I got quite a few funny looks when in kit with a plastic sledge (I wasn't going to take it but couldn't resist) and i discovered throwing snowballs with a sling which is a bit of fun most of the time but if there compacted hard, is bordering on a powerful weapon and a good solution to not being able to find rocks under snow

Udwin · Post by **Udwin** » Mon Dec 18, 2017 8:07 pm

Udwin wrote:a few walking adventures yesterday. First one probably 5 miles all barefoot...And then probably another 2-3 miles last night...Total mileage forthcoming..

Clearly I need to add "estimating distances" to my new year's resolution list! Thanks to handydandy googleearth, first trip was 6.67 miles, and second was 4.5! No wonder my feet are a little sore...wild trails are so much easier on them than pavement!

Manveruon · Post by **Manveruon** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 8:27 am

Greg, how I do love your contemplative posts of this sort.

For my part, I've been battling my own inner balrogs lately (on and off for at least a year, if I'm being honest), and that has kept me somewhat sequestered away from the rest of society - which is making me more than a bit stir-crazy. So with that in mind, I certainly agree - I am quite ready for another adventure!

I'm hoping that if I can get my head just a bit clearer I will have a few events and projects forthcoming that warrant sharing here - not least of all some new garb and perhaps one or two small overdue obligations I've been slowly catching up on - but I'm really looking forward to doing a winter trek or two if possible. Hence the abovementioned garb. I still lack a nice wool tunic, and that's really holding me back. I have the wool, now I just need to start sewing.

Elleth · Post by **Elleth** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:42 pm

Oh yes.

Winter here tends to be more of a "cuddle up inside with dogs by the fire and work on neglected projects" season, but yes... it would do me good to get a proper trek in this winter.
So far it's shaping up to be a cold and snowy one - it's my understanding snowshoes are an Americas thing. Anyone know about pre-contact European solutions?

Post by **Greg** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:28 pm

Manveruon wrote:I have the wool, now I just need to start sewing.

Right behind you! I found the wool...now I just need to make the budget match the material. New wool tunic time is ALWAYS happy time.

Manveruon · Post by **Manveruon** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:47 pm

In your opinion, would waxed linen thread be appropriate for hand-stitching on a wool garment? Or would I do better to try and find wool thread?

Elleth · Post by **Elleth** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:50 pm

I think waxed linen is exactly what you want - wool thread (embroidery floss really) just doesn't have the strength for the job. At least that's my experience - once a piece has gone through the fabric a few times it wears straight through and snaps while sewing. I certainly wouldn't trust it for shoulder seams or the like.

Manveruon · Post by **Manveruon** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:23 am

Thank you! That was precisely my concern.

Post by **Greg** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:30 am

Agreed. For my bocksten project, I found a silvery linen thread on eBay that, though lighter than my material, didn't seem out of place. Seller claimed it was its natural color...jury's still out on that, but it worked great.

Elleth · Post by **Elleth** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:04 am

Out of curiosity, what manner of wools are you gentlemen using for tunics? I'm finally getting about ready to sew a proper medium-weight informal gown, but I'm not partial to most of what I'm seeing in the usual places. The broadcloths are too heavy, and worsted seems overly.... thin? even? The latter I think.

Anyhow I'm starting to look through tweeds and think it might be a good direction - but before taking the leap I'd like to know what your experience has been.

Manveruon · Post by **Manveruon** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:39 am

I love tweed! It has a great texture!

For my part, the wools I'm using are sort of unknown. One of the wools I have is a dark green medium-weight coating, and it was picked up a few years ago for me in the LA fashion district by a friend of mine who I specifically asked to find a nice forest or olive green wool. Alas though a burn test reveals it's at least partially a blend. Not sure how much, but definitely at least a little synthetic. Still, looks good and feels good, and it's heavy enough that it should be a lovely insulator for the colder months.

The other material I have is a complete mystery. I think I got it from the bargain bin at my local fabric shop, which is crazy because it is FANTASTIC. Burn tests suggest 100% wool (leastways, there's zero plastic-y melting going on, and it smells like burning hair, sooooo WOOL!), and it has a really cool texture! Below are a couple pics I just snapped of it on my phone, enhanced a bit to show something close to true color. It's a lovely olive green with brownish undertones. It's much lighter weight than the other, but I absolutely adore the texture, and the fact that it appears to be 100% wool.

: JIMG1.jpg (177.28 KiB) Viewed 14233 times

: JIMG2.jpg (213.27 KiB) Viewed 14233 times

Mithdir · Post by **Mithdir** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:23 pm

Manveruon wrote:I love tweed! It has a great texture!

For my part, the wools I'm using are sort of unknown. One of the wools I have is a dark green medium-weight coating, and it was picked up a few years ago for me in the LA fashion district by a friend of mine who I specifically asked to find a nice forest or olive green wool. Alas though a burn test reveals it's at least partially a blend. Not sure how much, but definitely at least a little synthetic. Still, looks good and feels good, and it's heavy enough that it should be a lovely insulator for the colder months.

The other material I have is a complete mystery. I think I got it from the bargain bin at my local fabric shop, which is crazy because it is FANTASTIC. Burn tests suggest 100% wool (leastways, there's zero plastic-y melting going on, and it smells like burning hair, sooooo WOOL!), and it has a really cool texture! Below are a couple pics I just snapped of it on my phone, enhanced a bit to show something close to true color. It's a lovely olive green with brownish undertones. It's much lighter weight than the other, but I absolutely adore the texture, and the fact that it appears to be 100% wool.

JIMG1.jpg

JIMG2.jpg

Thatâ€™s similiar to a listing I found on Etsy while looking for thick wools. They describe it as a â€œcable knitâ€. The weaving looks very much like the one in your pictures. https://www.etsy.com/listing/548395828/ ... fav_more-3.

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