Follow the Bouncing Esme!

 It’s been an eventful week or two!   I attended the Fashion Through History conference, headlines by the Tudor Tailors, Dr Jane Malcolm-Davies and Ninya Mikhaila.    It was FABULOUS!    I was nervous, being a relative novice to period clothing creation… but I couldn’t pass it up.  TT put out their Typical Tudor book in recent years, and it’s filled to the brim with what the “typical Tudor” era person would have worn…. Including handknit stocking, sleeves, garters and hats.     Right up my alley!   

Friday night, TT (shortened from Tudor Tailor for brevity) were both on stage, introducing themselves and actually getting dressed on Friday night. Dr Jane clothed herself as someone of Nobility, maybe a well to do merchant’s wife, while Ninya clothed herself as befitting a Lady’s Maid.  It was a delight!  Others can speak to the proper fabrics and the farthingale sleeve placement, the way Dr Jane placed her bum roll and looked terribly proper.    I was watching Ninya.   She was dressing in good quality woolens, as I hope to be able to do in the near future.   The shift/chemise was linen, and the kirtle, front lacing, was wool.   It. Was. Beautiful.   I can admire what Dr Jane was wearing.. but maaaan…. Y’all know my affection for wool.   

And then…. Ninya gartered her handknit stockings.   I saw how it’s supposed to be done!   Wrappedfeont to back, crossed and tied in the front, if I’m remembering correctly.  On went the kirtle, which had CAP SLEEVES!  My eyes had to be size of dinner plates.   Check it out…. Next?!  She pinned HANDKNIT SLEEVES (the simple version) to the cap sleeves!  NIT over the curve of the shoulder, as I’ve been doing!

Right there, man…. Right there, the conference was made for me.

The workshops, the following day, were a whirlwind of knowledge gathering, fabric swstches, touching the recreations (knit by Leslie O’Connell Edwards), setting a gore into woolen hose feet…. So so much

The Frolic, Saturday night…   I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb   Wearing modern clothes, when most people were in period clothings..  it was a lovely evening.. and I met two of the most wonderful people!!    Isabel, the Attack Laurel…!   And Mathew Gnagy, The Modern Maker!   I talked knitting (and spinning!) with Thw Modern Maker!   Swoon!!!   

I can’t wait until the next.   I know that it will be different workshops, different classes, different presenters..  and im hooked!  I can’t wait!  

Dorset Horn Sheep!

Dorset Horn are a medium wool (28-34micron) with a varying crimp.  The ewes are like 200lbs, and can bear TWICE A YEAR!  They’re a dual use sheep - meaning they’re suited to both Dairy and Wool production, and can grow up to NINE POUNDS of wool per year!

Dorsey Horn are on the Conservation list, while their cousins, Dorsey Polled (hornless) are not.

The extra special property that I’ve come to love in Dorset?!   It’s naturally felting resistant!!   Yes, it WILL felt.. but it takes some effort and work 🙂.   This most awesome of properties is one of the huge bonuses of using Dorset for socks!  

My friend, Gail Parrinello, of Cornwall Yarn Shop, sold me the most beautiful skein of sock yarn, last time I was up there.  It is a Dorset and dyed with -INDIGO-!  She went into some detail about its ability to be even machine washed with only the most slight of fulling…. Her husband, bless him, was a test subject, I think she said lol. 

Dude!  Wash on gentle, amirite?! 

So..  when Mary Pavis Egbert of Camaj Fibers, put up that she was going to have some Dorset Horn, a breed on the Livestock Conservatory’s list, available..  and after being reminded by Vlad 😉 ....   after several weeks of waiting for the group sale, we now have a pound! 

I’m figuring a pair of the Typical Tudor stockings..    feel me?!    NOT A MEDIEVAL BREED!  But hard wearing and most likely not for competition (since they’re not a medieval breed as far as I have been able to find).  

Man.. the List grows…and grows… and GROWS!