Gift giving and largesse

Lisa's birthday was actually earlier this year, but it was a new one for me so I wasn't prepared when her birthday came up. I felt bad and finally just asked her what she would like out of a couple of items I could knit her.

She asked for fingerless gloves as something that she would wear. I found a nice cable pattern, Delovely and some nice red wool and knit these:

 Do you see what's wrong above?  I had the one on needles done first and thought there was something a little odd going on at the thumb cable area. It bugged me to no end so I undid the bind off and put them on needles.

 Found the four guilty stitches and then

 dropped down to that point.

 Redid the cables and gave them to Lisa at Earl Ed's birthday party.

We had also been invited to his birthday party and I was in a dither as to what to make him. I finally settled on a period pattern for a small pouch that he could hang off of his belt to carry wallet and cell phone or whatever he desired at events. I actually had the bag done while sitting at his birthday party. Thing is it needed the ties for the pouch and the pom poms. So he didn't get it that night. It wasn't finished. The pattern called for worsted weight yarn, but I wanted a nice sport/dk.

As the largesse coordinator for the barony, I try to get others to help put together things that can be filled into bags and then donated at Kingdom events, or Baronial events so that others have things to give to say thank you. The Baroness had asked about making some wood thread winders. She thought it was something for Brandon/Ignatius to make. I thought they were pretty simple and a little beyond him. So I said I'd make them.

I cut little blocks of wood and then took them to the belt sander and sanded them into their final shapes:

 Here they all are together.

During the sanding process one of them caught the sander and pulled my finger in and gouged a nice chunk out of me:

Thankfully it didn't keep me from finishing, just was painful until it healed up. Some of the thread holders have already gone out into the world.

Carnevale 2013

I'm late posting about this event, so I'm catching up!

This is the fourth year that we've had the Carnevale di Venezia. Before the event I met at Lady Ana and Jose's house along with Lady Helena and Lady Mairghread for some scroll painting in preparation to give to people. These are the two that I painted and the first ones, I've done:

The people they were intended for didn't attend so they'll be used at a future event.

This year was a bit different for me. I've taken on Largess Coordinator for the barony along with Lady Amelia. Lady Amelia has been the one up at court behind the thrones, but with her foot she wasn't going to be able to do that, so there I was. I had gotten the bags that Baroness Svava made out of wool and filled them, so it was kind of cool to hand them forward to be given to each recipient.

We arrived before opening gate so that we could help with setup. I helped get the tulips cut and put into the vases. Ignatius helped with getting banners hung. Then once Lady Amelia arrived, I learned what wording was to go into the Thank You cards for items received from the baronies of Glymm Mere, Three Mountains, and Terra Pomaria and the Prince and Princess of The Summits who attended. I was also receiving largess made by members of the populace for the event as well as future largess donations. Plus after Lady Eulalia had her hair done in an Italian wrap hairstyle, I asked for mine to be rebraided and wrapped:

Lady Eulalia wearing Italian garb. She looks good in orange! Like her green German glass too.

I had hoped to attend two glass painting classes held during the day. One was on a drinking glass and the other was a ceramic tile. Maestra Rafaella d'Allmentejo was teaching both and since she is local she has promised to teach another class in the near future. Lord Ignatius taught a dice class for the kids and it was well attended and appreciated I'm told.

We also have our rapier championship at this event. There were several people, besides the current champion who came down from the Barony of Glymm Mere to participate:

Herr Klaus our current champion in the red/black/white German and Lord Octavius on the left and Lord William on the  right.

Lord William is closest among those petitioning to become the next champion, and did become champion.

Herr Ignatius carved and made the rapier champion's feast box. It has been said that Lord William saw it and spoke his desire for it. He was successful!

Lady Amelia was the only one from the household that opted to eat the banquet. Eodain joined us in sharing food for the day and evening and that worked out well, if not as fancy as what was served. I did get to try a few dishes along the way, but the fish scared me. I'm not a fishy fish eater. I like halibut and some smoked salmon, but I was afraid trout would be served so opted out. It was tunafish on zucchini, I didn't care for it.

Part of the theme of the night was "Dinner with the Borgias". You had to sign up with the head of retinue, Airamid to be part of it so you could win a prize, there were several categories. So through dinner we had some very interesting 'deaths' as people were enacted. Towards the end it was proposed that Airamid was the poisoner and even poisoned Baroness Svava! Baron Refr though was able to revive her with a kiss. :-)

There was the usual children's garb contest as well as the adult garb and mask competition. Eodain competed in the adult. She made her entire outfit from the skin out including the shoes!

Children's 

Adult's

Lovely first garb work!

So again another fun time was enjoyed by all! Afterward we stayed to help with clean-up. Found out that Lisa's car had issues that we were finally able to get a hold of Matt and he was able to talk Brandon through the process of getting it so she could get home that night. So a very late night!