A floor loom has been on the wish list for ages. So what do you do when a friend asks you if you want one? Say YES of course! It is a vintage Glimakra Viking Jack Loom. Glimakra is a Swedish company still making loom, although they don’t seem to make this model any more.…
DetailsWeld and Woad are historically important when it comes to natural dyeing. It’s a peculiar quirk of natural dyes that no one dyestuff produces a good, true green. The only way to achieve green is by overdyeing a yellow dyed yarn with a blue. For centuries weld and woad was the go to combination in…
DetailsCopper mordant. Why not? Plus it’s something I haven’t tried until now for dyeing wool. Alum and cream of tartar is my go to mordant, being easily available and non toxic. I have used copper as an afterbath occasionally, but only on previously mordanted yarn where the change to the colour compared to using iron…
DetailsThis micro elite sewing machine is the latest addition to a growing collection of vintage sewing machines. It is a collection that has gathered of its own accord over the last few months. There will be another post shortly going through the whole collection (now 5 machines). They’ve featured on my Instagram if you can’t…
DetailsLaundry room and dyeing room, a little outhouse at the end of the verandah. This outhouse is just 5ft x 6ft. But is very important for washing and for yarn dyeing, There is a loo in there too which is handy, plus housing the boiler and fuse box. It was the first room to get…
DetailsLace making comes in many forms and has a rich history. In lace making ‘proper’ there is needle lace and bobbin lace. Then there is tatting, plus fine open worked crochet and knitting which might also be described as lace. Lately I’ve been poking my toe in the water of tatting and bobbin lace. And…
DetailsTablet weaving is a technique for making braids and bands. It uses tablets or cards to create the shed through which the weft is passed. It dates back millennia and was much used by the Vikings to create trims around their overwise plain garments. I have had a dabble before with mixed results. But now…
DetailsWoodturning has been a quiet itch waited to be scratched for a while now. Since before the move last year. It was one of the reasons for wanting a ‘proper’ workshop (with cottage attached). The main aim for this woodturning itch, as well as the challenge for its own sake, is to be able to…
DetailsWe all need a proper tool shed. Although, after clearing A LOT of crap, the workshop had plenty of space. But there was no organised space for tools and chicken feed. The obvious place was directly in front of the main entrance. A door to the left leads into the workshop proper with the ‘storeroom’…
DetailsSo last time in Part One we were looking at Textiles in Medieval Wills and finding primary source evidence of the value put on clothing and other textiles in bequests. There were gowns, some lined in fur, kirtles, sheets and smocks a-plenty and it was proof positive that these items were of worth. These transcripts…
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