Off to War we went

This was our fourth year going to An Tir - West War and the second time we drove down ourselves. Brandon really took advantage of that backseat space and had us packed to the gills! We left town a few minutes before Dawn-Marie and Ryan but they caught up with us in Coos Bay where we all stopped for lunch before heading into camp.

It was hard to describe where we wanted our site, but we did get a tree and so had some shade. We were set up in good order and then Jenna arrived. So four out of six of us were there. Susan had popped out a rib so wasn't able to come after all. Andrea ended up letting us know that between a migraine and misplacing of a wallet that she wouldn't arrive on Thursday.

Friday morning after breakfast we headed down to get signed up for Arts and Science classes, but not early enough! The only class I was able to get into was the Hemming and Smocking an Apron class. Brandon and Dawn-Marie ended up in the Favors class. It was on his list and she opted to also take it since all the others were full and had full wait lists. Both classes were 10am on Saturday.

It's a funny thing about this site. It's in a valley but it can get some strong gusts heading towards the ocean. We ended up losing one of the pop-ups. We really thought we would lose the one on the right, but it made it to the end.

After we got signed up, we swung by the war field to walk to the parking lot then we headed into town to get some forgotten milk, eggs and ice for the coolers. It's fun to go into town in garb. We actually ran into a number of other campers with the same goals. Back in camp Andrea and her new boyfriend, John arrived and setup. Got them into garb and walked around Merchant's Row looking at all the goodies. Thankfully one merchant had alpaca that didn't tempt me to buy fiber. I have way too much alpaca in my stash to spin up.

Jenna, me, Andrea and John coming back from Merchant's row.

The war field

After dinner we left Andrea and her boyfriend in camp and headed out to say hi to friends camped elsewhere on site. We brought along a couple of meads that we had brewed. I had made a weak mead type of grape pyment the week before War. It was made from last year's juiced table grapes from our arbor. I just had to add a little bit more water to the juice to get a full batch. It got Dawn-Marie a little tipsy Thursday night and was well received by brewer friends that tasted it. So I'm looking forward to this year's batch of grapes!

Saturday we did the classes in the morning, Dawn-Marie finally got down to Merchant's Row. Andrea and the boyfriend bailed and took off for the beach. I was busy working on my sock for the Splendid Socks Hosen War. I had a slight hiccup in time management with Finn showing up and asking for a massage. I did get to a good point and after a bit of detective work was able to get the sock turned in.

Brandon took chairs down for us for Court and we all headed down. I was even working on my sock during court, when I was surprised to be called up as a winner for the Sock War.

My prize - Lion pin snip holder

I added the diamond row while in court

Saturday after court, really must remember to bring shawls to those things, we tried finding friends and ended up finding them all at the Period Underwear Party. Only a few brave souls were wandering around in their chemises and such. It was very cool and breezy. A fun time was had by all!

Sunday morning is was all about packing up and heading home. Only downside to leaving is that not that far out of camp we had the bungy cord holding the firepit on the roof of the car snapped and slammed it into the rear side window of the car. We lost the bowl in the impact, or didn't see where it landed from where we pulled over to check out what that loud noise was. 

I brought drop spindles with me, and never got them out. I was lucky to get the knitting done that I did. I did the heel and all the leg visible in camp. 

Coffee Cozy and Votive holders

June is chock full of birthdays! My Aunt Polly starts out the month on the 1st, my dad's is the 7th, Aunt Mary on the 14th along with Whitney. Mine on the 15th along with fiber friend Duffy, friend Lisa on the 16th, my nephew Keefe on the 17th, more friends along the way and my mother on the 24th, three friends on the 25th and there's still more birthdays showing up on my Facebook calender.

Danna invited us to her birthday party BBQ this last Saturday. It was a popular day to have a BBQ because we were also invited to one for Barry. Yes, they have the same birthday! The 25th. :-)

While camping at Grand Thing VIII we found that there were three French Press pots in use. I thought it might be nice to have something to help keep the coffee warmer and to also help differentiate them. Susan's birthday was in May after Grand Thing, but was sick so she'll have to wait to see if she gets one. ;-)

I had found several possible patterns, only problem is mine is packed away in the trailer and Brandon wasn't willing to half unload the trailer to get it for me. So I'm having to knit and guess that it fits. (Insert eye roll here.)

I'd recently gotten a bunch of yarn in a Goodwill auction, I'd been trying to get the Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool for projects, so all the Paton's Chunky was a bonus. I thought it would make a good one for Danna's cozy, machine washable, so didn't need to worry about an accidental felting.

Danna's is the Frenchy French Press Cozy pattern. It doesn't look like it from the pics on the blog, but looks like stacked owls to me:

Brandon tried out a couple different attempts at making a votive candle holder for her. These are the ones that he ended up being happiest with:

Will have to see if he plans to make a few more for camping. Danna loved them as she loves votives she said.

Barn Raising Blocks

I mentioned that I had the ear infections and sinus infection that lasted a couple weeks. Then when I started to feel better, I was out and must have been around someone who had a cold because of course I caught it! Still coughing over it as well as William, then Brandon either got what we had, or a new one. By the end of the week I was sniffling and coughing with that one. UGH!

So June has been the month of illness and I wasn't inspired to jump into a project that might take thought. So I reached for my bag with the handspun ready to start a Barn Raising Block. I had added the leftover Portland Punch from my shawl, found a bit of mystery burgundy-purple that I can't find a record of spinning in my stash. There was also the bit of green that was a sample of Opulent Fiber that got over-dyed and knit into another block. This bit was the stuff that hadn't been over-dyed. I found a bit of Malabrigo Lace that couldn't be used for much so started a striped block, ran short so used some Misti Lace Alpaca on the edge. It makes a pretty block.

I went through the handspun yarn bin and found that I had called one block a Knitted Wit Lavender sample incorrectly, so decided to go ahead and use that to finish a block, make another block, and even start a striped block. There was the Crocus yarn that I had leftover from making fingerless mitts - the Kunigunde mitts. I did a whole block out of that. Washed and blocked it and found it was too big, so ended up frogging several rows back. Since I was in that mode, I pulled out the orange and cream striped block that was too big and corrected its size too. The leftovers of those reductions went into a block with pretty results.

I ended up with eleven new blocks. One fixed block and one that was just totally to use up the handspun yarn and doubt that it will end up in the blanket because its so different in weight and size to the others.

The one on the right is the one with Malabrigo lace and the Misti Lace Alpaca

The one on the right is the oddball yarn and a smidge small

I'm waiting for a nice day again to take all the blocks out and play with layout again. I suspect that I'll need another block of 'natural' colors to make a nine patch for those. I'd do another out of the camel, but that just seems to be a waste when I might get a pair of cuffs out of it. I have other natural color handspuns that might become blocks if needs be.

Tour de Fleece is coming up so there's more handspun yarns that can be made. So possible sources for more blocks. I also think laying out the blocks will help me decide how many more blocks are needed to make a blanket. Couch blanket? Bed blanket? Will have to see.

Rus Hats or Viking Fur Hats

I have accumulated a collection of fur collars from some Goodwill auctions. They've been put to use on a cloak, and I had tried to make a hat with one. Dawn-Marie had a fox fur hat for herself that she made off of my idea last year at West War.

I wasn't happy with how mine came out, so while helping another friend find a pattern for the Rus Hat, I found this one.  I also knew that Whitney's birthday was coming up and thought she might like to have a hat for camping and winter events. Her birthday is the day before mine. ;-) I also know her favorite color is dark forest green, but I had a nice olive green velvet and some pretty black mink. With all the supplies gathered, I just needed her head measurement. Thankfully she came with the family to a Revels night so I was able to get that. We have the same head size, so that further made it easier for construction.

With Brandon's help, he created the pattern template piece, I was able to create a mock-up. Figure out that I needed to round out the top a bit more and then go on from there. I was going to use silk as the liner but Brandon thought that linen would be better. I had some scraps from Will's tunic from last year that worked. Then cut out some red velvet that was a short curtain panel or something that Brandon had brought home from a sample sale at work. Just enough to make my hat!

I had sewn the linen pieces together and the velvet pieces together and before we left for Grand Thing VIII had sewn those together. I just needed to sew closed the turning point and then sew on the mink that I was using to band it. The mink collar piece I had was a few inches longer than needed, so I was going to have to cut it or do something with the extra. I really needed the extra though for Whitney's hat. The collar piece for her's was just a bit short.

Brandon took a video of me petting the collar before I could cut it while in court. I imagine its something similar to getting ready to steek a sweater, but that's another adventure I still have to face! I did make the cut and put the bit in my basket to go for Whitney's.

Later while stopping in to give personal congratulations to Sara and Mike on their engagement, Lonnie asked to try on the hat and immediately wanted one of her own. I think I'm lucky I got it back! LOL

You can see the join in the back, maybe should have cut a smidge longer.

Isn't the mink gorgeous?

Me in the hat

Whitney's hat. The extra was a smidge long, so I tucked and hide. Just a little blood  from stabbing my finger while sewing. 

Whitney had her birthday party a week early since they were planning to go to Honey War. With mine, I didn't add any decoration to the top of the hat. It's not really visible while wearing, so wasn't sure how necessary? If anything, I might have added a few pearls to the center of the points for Whitney. She was very happy with the hat too!

I brought my bag of furs and let Lonnie go through and find the one she wants to use. It's also black and furry, but I'm not sure its mink. Dawn-Marie had also gotten to go through the furs so she could make a new hat for herself and for Larissa. So lots of Rus hats of this style will be showing up at events. ;-) I also had some blue velvet that Dawn-Marie could use. Can't wait to see how hers came out!

I can see that a few more hats will be made for the other ladies of the household once they see them at An Tir-West War. ;-) Andrea already has one out of faux fur, but I think some white rabbit might go her way to make a new one?  We'll see.

Grand Thing VIII

Memorial Day weekend is the Barony of Stromgard's Grand Thing event. It's held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. This is the first SCA event that we went to four years ago. It was known as Mud Thing because of the rain and mud from cars driving on the grass (they stopped allowing cars on the grass after this). This year while no mud there was plenty of rain!

Between cloud bursts on Friday we setup camp. We had more people camping with us than we have had in the past. Will and Luke were camping with us again. Andrea has a boyfriend that came too. We have Susan and Danna with her family (fiance Shawn, his daughter Reagan, and grandson Matthew) and this year Jenna was camping. We had 19 people in camp!

Saturday was drier and we all got out and checked out the merchants. There was some archery done by some. Some of us watched the Monastery Raid at the barn. Got to chat with Dafne on the grass. Then it was a matter of getting all the potluck dishes ready for the dinner. I made a rice tart, mushroom pasty, makerouns (pasta and cheese with an added twist of mushrooms), and ryse. I even got the almond flour and made the almond milk from it. Everything must have been good, by the time we got to any of the dishes, everything was gone!

That was a bit of a disappointment about the potluck. They were having rows of tables go up to get their food. People were piling their dishes high with food with heaping spoonfuls of things. When you see piled plates go past you while you're waiting and you're the next to the last row of tables and when you get there and there's hardly any food left? Rude! I was frankly shocked and horrified at what I was seeing.

We stayed for court, since we did have King UlfR and Queen Caoimhe (Keeva) in attendance there was a lot of awards handed out. We also saw Baron Tiernan and Baroness Miranda step down and the new Baron Ivon and Baroness Hlutwige step up. The exciting part of court wasn't until the end when Mike proposed to Sara in front of court. Luckily two friends were right behind her ready because the shock about dropped her right there.

Mike/Hal stepping out 

Sara is the blonde on this side of the man in red shirt

So lovely to see! We had a lovely campfire in camp with two fire pits going. 

Sunday started out wet again and we woke up to find chairs and my sheep skins in puddles of water, so tried to lay things out to dry. By mid-day and checking online with weather reports of more rain, decision was made to pack up camp and go to the pig potluck and then head home. 

Danna had woken up with a sore back and could hardly move at all. So they were going to be packing up and heading out. I tried to help find someone to drive the truck for her because she couldn't even sit down for a couple of minutes without being in excruciating pain. I checked with Duke Almaric, since they were on the other side of us and Danna thinks of him as a mentoring knight. He referred me to Earl Ed. So, trekked off to find Earl Ed over at Iron Ring. He didn't have anyone that would be able to drive her over that might be going home early. So I stopped and talked with the court herald I had seen on my way over. He said that a request could be made at court. Shawn and Jeff made the request and no one stepped forward. He was really disappointed that there weren't any offers. Jeff volunteered, and we find out later he was in a lot of pain himself with a toothache. 

On the walk to Jenna's car so that I could get our car and move it closer to start loading, the encampment across from us had a rat terrier and either a large Sheltie or small Collie. We had escorted the Collie back to its camp when we found it wandering around dragging its leash on Saturday. Sunday as we went by the rat terrier saw Leeloo and came running from their communal shelter straight for her attacking her. I yelled at the encampment that dogs were to be kept on leash at all times! Gerard was coming towards us and one of the squires from their encampment came to help get the rat terrier off of Leeloo. Luckily no cracked heads happened as the three of us were reaching in trying to separate the dogs. I think what kept Leeloo from being hurt was the fact that she was wearing a thicker doggie sweatshirt of Norbert's and a padded body harness. Couldn't find any blood or cuts on her. I was shaking and hyperventilating and took me a few minutes to calm down and take a look at her. Lord Chrodec is the squire who came out to assist and helped me calm down and check things out. He later helped with a couple of other men from their encampment to get out trailer hooked up to the car and he did help me with one of my wagon loads. It was an awful thing to have happen at an event!

This kind of tipped the scales for us to be heading home rather than staying for the potluck. I sent Jenna off with the rice tart so she had a contribution and gave half of the mushroom pasty to Susan to take home. Gave some food to Tyra since she was on our food plan and we were all leaving early. She had a couple friends that had shown up Saturday and asked if its okay if they camped at our site - no problem! More musicians! 

Monday morning I woke up with a fever and stuffy head. By Friday I was in seeing the doctor because my ears were plugged. Turned out I had two fairly bad ear infections as well as a nice sinus infection. High pain tolerance was not my friend according to Dr. Kwon. (I was supposed to be screaming in pain by what she was seeing in my ears.) So antibiotics and bed rest. Thanks Grand Thing!