Mmmm, Fiber-y Goodness And Other Delicious Projects

Hey everyone! What an amazing weekend! For those of you who don't know, this past saturday (July 9) was A Day in the Park, and it was AWESOME! I could have done without the 2 hour drive there and back, but it was well worth the trip! Classes were attended, friends were made, and good food was had. What more could a guy ask for!?

Well, first off let my gawk about the classes (formal and informal) that I took! First was learning how to spin wool on a drop spindle by Mistress Lydia. It was sooooo much fun! My only regret is that I didn't take a picture of the first yarn I spun. Oh well......... There will be more, and I hope it will be just as fun! I also watcher Mistress Lydia spin on a wheel. I didn't actually try it myself this time, but I got the concept and the theoretical motions down. All that I need to develop now is the muscle memory and technique!

Next was the lampwork bead class! Yes, I took another one and had just as much fun. ^_^ That's always a good sign. I have learned that I like the thicker mandrils for making beads on. They're just so much easier for me to turn. The thinner ones take waaaaay too much concentration for me right now. A funny thing I've noticed though, bead release has a really bad habit of not releasing my beads. I think it should be re-named. Just sayin'. Once they finish soaking so I can get them off the mandrils, I'll take pictures of them. I made three this time. One of them has this AWESOME metallic black glass. Two words; LOVE IT! 

I also took some time later on in the day to learn some viking wire weaving from Lady Serena. It was so cool! You think I'd realize the things you could make with loops, but somehow this snuck up on me! 

Now, you might be wondering what Etienne was doing this whole time. Well, fret not, I shall answer your question, you inquisitive grasshopper, you. He made a basket! It's so freaking cool!! It's most likely going to be used to store my weaving yarn, which I am totally okay with. I mean, come on, awesome basket, for my yarn, uh.......duh! I'd be stupid not to jump on that like white on me. 

Then there was the food.........*drifts off, drooling* Oh the food was so delicious! Egill Gullbjarnarson was kind enough to open up his home to host the BBQ/Potluck extravaganza! BBQ pig, various fruits and veggies and salads, and who can forget the desserts? I still want more pie <_<. Just sayin'. 

Oh!! I almost forgot! I learned how to use a marudai! It was so freaking cool!!! The ease and flow of using this device compared to the foam disk is night and day! I was able to make a lanyard on the marudai in about 1/3 of the time it  would have taken me on the foam disk. I am a convert, and I will get one now.

All in all, I had so much fun. I met a lot of people and got to know others much more. I wouldn't have traded the experiences I had this Saturday for anything. It was perfection.


Edit: Holy crap! How did I even forget that I had a display!? I displayed 7 of my woven pieces. 3 belts, 3 pieces of trip and 1 brocaded bookmark. I feel sooo silly for not remembering to put that in. >_< Quitting smoking has really made my short-term memory get messed up. Also, I got my second commission there! YAY!!

Fire, Pointy Things and War

Drums of War has come and passed, and what an event it was! From competitions to classes to the fighting, there was something for everyone! I chose to partake in a few things that I've been wanting to do for a while, and was rewarded with a great time, and (hopefully) new paths to venture forward into!

Where to start? I guess I should start with Saturday morning when I got to play with fire (hehe). I finally got to learn how to make lampwork beads! Oh, how much fun it is! Now, having watched a few youtube videos and doing some reading, I had the basic theory of what to do, but what I didn't have was the experience. The first part of class consisted of those taking the class watching our instructor, Chavah Miriam, make a bead after giving us the basic safety rules and some history. After that, it was time to sit down and have some fun. Admittedly, I spent a good two-three minutes just sitting there twirling the mandril and glass rods without the fire on to get the movements at least feeling somewhat comfortable, and then it was time to don my goggles (safety first kiddos) and get creative!

These are the pretties I was able to create! I loved every second of making them. So much in fact that I didn't realize an hour had past after bead #5 was done! Wow how fast time can fly when you're having a blast. All in all, I'm extremely happy with what I was able to come up with for my first time. I do have to say that I am a little dissapointed with the one that completely cracked (far left). I was really excited about how I was able to texture it. I think I made it too thin for the texture. Oh well, that all comes with experience, and I'm sure I'll have an opportunity to make some more in the future. My favorite one (and this seems to be unanimous with everyone who saw them) is the white and green bead. It's sooooo pretty!

Now, I am a little sad to say that I missed the fighter fashion show due to me playing with glass and fire, but even over the sound of the torches and the occasional glass rod shattering (thank heavens for the safety glasses. remember kids, safety is important) I could still hear the hollering and laughing. It sounded like a blast and I'm glad everyone seemed to have fun. 

I have to say, what I attempted next was something I was a little nervous about. Being a little clumsy and sometimes (read as often) prone to hurting myself, I couldn't help but think twice about going up to the thrown weapons range, but boy am I glad I did. Johannes of Middlegate and Lady Eleanor of Grey helped teach me how to throw axes and in general, be awesome (hehe). For my first time throwing sharp things, I think I did pretty darn well. Since I've been looking for some sort of martial activity to help me experience a different part of the SCA and meet new people, I will definitely be looking into this more in the future. 

Oh, did I mention the torrential downpour that decided to grace us with its presence? I didn't? Silly me. By the way, it happened. Fast. There I am, just sitting under one of the pavilion things, minding my own business and getting my weave on, then 10-15 minutes later, BAM! It was rain-a-palooza out there! Tents were ripped, people were soaked, and in the end, it brought people who hadn't met before together and gave us all an opportunity to get to meet those we wouldn't normally be around due to different interests. 

Now, unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the Dancing Under the Stars that night due to migraine, but I have it on great authority that it went amazingly well. I have to say that Lady Caitlin MacDonoughue did an amazing job with this event, and even after that downpour she still managed to look flawless as usual. Whatever deal she made to always look like that, I need to find out so I can do the same thing. hehe

As always,

Bless Your Face