Speaking of knitting: My pair of Alice's illusion socks is actually nearing their point of completion. I am planning very, very much on finishing them before New Year (or I will have been dragging them around for more than one year). Somehow, this shows how little knitting I have managed to do this year. I hope next year will be a bit better, or one day I'll run out of socks...
If you are interested in Vikings and Viking Archaeology, you probably know that there is L'Anse aux Meadows, a Norse or Viking settlement in Canada. This was the first, and up to now only, known proof for the arrival of the Norse in Vinland (that's how they seem to have called the fabled continent way, way over the sea).
Now I have stumbled over an article published in National Geographic, and there is a second settlement where finds very, very strongly indicate that it was not made by indigenous population. The finds are from Baffin Island, in Canada, far above the Arctic Circle and north of Hudson Bay. Archaeologist Patricia Sutherland looked at the finds, made in the 1980s by a missionary, in the archive of a museum in Quebec in 1999 - and found out that the yarn which was part of the finds is a match for thread finds from the Norse colony in Greenland. Since the indigenous people of Baffin Island did not spin, this is the first very strong hint it was a Norse colony.
Recent excavation in the place seem to corroborate this - they found whetstones. But isn't it nice that the yarn finds opened up the way?
On the website of Uni Innsbruck, there is a nice little spindle typology. It's bilingual, and it includes sub-sites with pictures and descriptions of spindles from about all around the world, plus some additional picture galleries.
If you enjoy looking at spindles, that site is really worth a visit!
I've mentioned the new Lab for Experimental Archaeology quite a bit on this blog already, mostly in context with the Textile Forum, and I hope to have reasons to mention it in the future at least as often. It's a wonderful concept that fits in perfectly with the Textile Forum and with a lot of the work regarding spinning and textile techniques that I have been doing, merging crafts knowledge and practical craft with scientific methods and archaeological research. The LEA consists of two big workshop rooms, one of them fitted with installation for blacksmith work. It will have a special kiln for firing ceramics, there's a laboratory extractor hood for stuff you don't want to breathe, a smallish but comfy kitchen to eat, drink, and merrily conspire or read papers, a work/lab room that fits three desks and several cabinets with lab equipment and glassware, the office for the two people running the whole thing, a separate hall for papers, seminars or other things needing a large indoor space, and very generous space outdoors, partly graveled and covered, partly open. All rooms (well, except for the office, obviously) are multi-purpose, with lots of moveable furniture and moveable equipment to be able to make space where it is needed. And those working or researching a project can be housed directly at the lab: There are two bedrooms, each sleeping up to five persons, with lockers for valuables, and the necessary sanitary installations. Altogether, the place feels very welcoming too.
I've already posted that the opening was a big success, as was the experiment we did, which we hope to present at a conference as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you can have your own look at the premises of LEA (at least some of them) and at the things that happened at the opening weekend. A local TV station sent a team to film the opening, and here it is:
Both linked things (the LEA page and the film) are in German, but you can just look at the pictures... and you will see me spinning in the film as well!
I'm at the Textile Forum this week, and thus there will be no blogging. Since I will be away from home for a few more days after that, blog as normal will resume on September 25.
Meanwhile:
The Textile Forum is from today to Sunday, September 16; the programme is here. Day passes are available, so please drop by to meet other textile persons!
On the weekend after that, there's the official opening of LEA, where I will be showing wool preparation and spinning techniques.
And finally, Maney Publishing offers free access to its Journal of the Month, the European Journal of Archaeology, until October 15. All articles from the last three years are available.
In case you are interested in trying medieval embroidery, I will be giving a course in Erlangen on the 27th of October and the 28th of October 2012. The first day will be dedicated to counted-work techniques (canevas), while the second day covers the techniques with free pattern design. The two days are bookable separately in case only one of the two variations is of interest for you, and the course fee includes materials (a piece of linen fabric suitable for the work and the silk (and partly gold) threads). Course language will be German (of course).
You can book both workshops, counted work and pattern embroidery via my new online shop. Workshop places are limited, of course, so that the group does not get too large.
Embroidery workshops are great fun, and I'm already looking forward to this!
A friend pointed me to the existence of a small book called "The Manly Art of Knitting", written by Dave Fougner. It seems to be available used only, and that to a steep price - 90+ USD from the Big River Store, at least.
However, for those of you just curious about the contents, like me, with no actual need to buy it, there's a very nice review on the Historic crafts blog. (They have since moved to a new location, here on blogspot, and it looks like a nice blog, but unfortunately with no new posts done during the last year.)
Anyways - manly art of knitting. The book appears to contain instructions on how to knit a hammock, among other things (I like that idea). A hammock would be just the thing to lie in during this summer heat we have here (though that would also mean we'd need two conveniently spaced trees... which are not to be had in our garden).
