I seem to have abandoned my discussions under pressure of school - you know how it is for teachers! Finally, I have come up for air, probably because I just completed report cards and need a stiff dose of sanity.
In the months since my last post, I have gone fiber-happy. I have been reading Elizabeth Barber's fascinating Mummies of Urumchi, which explores the implications of mummied remains from a prehistoric civilization up on the steppes between Russia and China. Her emphasis on the fiber arts makes this a fascinating and accessible read.
I was brought to this book by my current course load which includes ancient and medieval history. In particular, Viking textiles and the Oseberg ship burial remains have become an obsessive interest. I am currently beginning nalbinding and thinking with longing about sprang and table weaving. So far, I am keeping a firm - or at least SOME - grip on myself by refusing to engage in textile activities that are not knitting/embroidery based. In other words, weaving is OUT! But those tablet-woven pieces are so enthralling ....
Vis-a-vis nalbinding, I have looked at some great u tube videos and bought a few books. So far, I have successfully nalbound(?) a few chains and a couple of ovals. Hopefully, one of the books I ordered will have a pattern or two. Currently, my nalbinding activities look as if I'm creating a model of a worm farm complete with little lakes for the worms. Photos to come...
As for sprang, it requires a frame which doesn't look too hard to make. I'll probably save it until some project or other looks to be approaching completion. Generally, that is my time for a new enthusiasm!
Fortunately, embroidery does not fall under the "no new craft areas" rule (nor is it an outlier I must justify like sprang - is it woven or netted, early knitting or early weaving ...), or I might actually complete something I have begun. I am currently looking for a reproduction piece from the Bayeux Tapestry. I thought i had found a piece of a coronation scene; unfortunately, however, it is no longer in stock. Drats! However, the ongoing search is bringing forward new and interesting information...
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