My vacation

The last couple of days were vacation days for me. The weather has been beautiful, and I have been so enjoying it. All I had scheduled was to sleep late and play with projects, none of which has a really pressing deadline. So I've been bouncing around from one to another. I have bits of some new tops for spring sitting on the sewing machine ready to be sewn up, as well as an outfit for the Renn Faire.

Our Spring event this year is a Viking Althing. I haven't done early period since I first joined the SCA 20 years ago (came into the SCA in a "late period group" so I did early, then moved to an "early period group" so I do late - go figure). I decided to go with it this time and did my research on the tunics, apron dress and of course the accessories. The beads are cool and I have a few pieces I intend to cast to complete a treasure necklace. I was very disappointed that the Vikings just didn't seem to care about pearls. I can't spend a day of dressing up without pearls, can I? No, not me, not a firm believer of "a lady can never have too many pearls". Therefore, my court outfit for the day, is Byzantium - they know what to do with pearls!

I am working on these two outfits, for the same event and trying to get as many of the details right as possible. I even took up nalbinding a few months ago to make my own socks. I have however determined that while nalbinding isn't bad, it's just too slow to keep me interested. I have a friend who doesn't seem to have the same issue with nalbinding. She showed me her socks recently completed and my first thought was crotchet. It wasn't until touching that I could disconcern they weren't crotchet, but nalbinding. That's when I felt relief that my thoughts that I could do my socks in crotchet way faster and who would know that I didn't tell? It's not like I'm planning to enter these in an A&S competition or such. And if I'm going to crotchet and not think about the felting possibilities, then this silk-bamboo yarn would do just fine for my socks, right? This yarn is some of the most delicious yarn I've ever touched. I have one sock done and the other has the toe cap done. Later today when my back protests the sewing, I'll finish the sock.

Another project nearly finished is my Byzantium necklace, and the earrings are finished! The earrings were a pair I'd picked up at the flea market a couple of months ago. They have the right shape and feel, and places for dangling bits. The ear wires were of some alloy that my ears burned when wearing. - I have a metal sensitivity that requires pure metal - 14 k gold or better, sterling silver or pure copper- or there will be itchy, painful swelling of the lobes. Some metal alloys like surgical steel or the hypoallergenic I can wear for a few hours before this happens, but this was an immediate reaction. So that part of the original earring had to go to be replaced with 14k gold wires. I had to do some testing to see if I should replace the whole top portion of the earring or just the ear wire. I ended up taking it all off, since a. that was easier and b. it shortened the earring by half an inch. With the dangles I added of pearls and garnets, they still touch my shoulder so this is a better length.

The necklace was another project. I'd purchased some pieces from Big lots of all places, so they were about a dollar a piece, sizable, solid metal of a silver tone. Sigh, see the silver tone in those earrings? Yeah, neither did I. My first step was to change these from silver to gold tone. I did not get a before picture, didn't think about it until after the first coat of this paint went on. It isn't a solid shiny gold, but it does alright. While doing the gold I realized there were these little cups all over the plaque. I thought about gluing in some garnets or pearls, but I didn't have anything small enough. So I went for the enamel effect and added dabs of enamel paint. I really thought it brought the feel up to something really "wow". Then I started adding the dangles and joining the plaques together. My fingers are still sore from yesterday's efforts and I have three more plaques to attach. I'm going to give my hand a chance to recuperate and sew today, then pick the necklace up in a few days.

So that's where I am today, ready to strap on the back brace, dose up for the coming back pain and go at it at the sewing maching, and there's a basket of handwork, crotchet and so on that I can do later when I can't otherwise move.

Sure do wish this vacation had been longer. Well, in a month I'll be eligible for more vacation days, so maybe I'll take another stay at home and do projects vacations.