Jul/Yul

Billeder virker stadig ikke, så er det ikke lige så sjovt at blogge...
Hvorom alting er, jeg har haft en dejlig julemåned, tilbragt sammen med venner og familie (og familie og familie...). Jeg fik en topmadras i julegave, den glæder jeg mig til at teste. Min kæreste gave mig en ring, en replika af en jernalderring fundet på Bornholm. Oh...og jeg fik The Compleat Meadmaker, lige hvad jeg havde brug for.
Vi spiste for meget, spiste småkager og ris á la mande, spillede spil og fejrede morfars fødselsdag. Dejlig jul, nu er jeg træt og trænger til ferie....og jeg har lyst til at leve af havregrød og grøntsager i et par dage...

In English:
No pictures, then its not as fun to blog...
Anyway, I've had a very nice jul, spending time with friends and family (and family and family). Jule-presents: Most notably I got a new mattress, looking forward to testing it. My boyfriend gave me a lovely ring, a replica of one from the Iron Age, found on Bornholm. Oh...and I got The Compleat Meadmaker, very useful indeed!
We ate too much, had a lot of jule-cookies and the fantastic ris á la mande. We played boardgames, and celebrated morfars birthday. Lovely jul, now I'm tired and need a vacation...and I feel like "fasting" on oat porridge and vegetables for at few days...

Packages from SP

Got a package from my secret pal today. Unfortunately my computer has suddenly decided that it doesn't recognize my camera (Grrrrr....), so I can't post any pictures of the wonderful wooden knitting needles, three skeins of hemp yarn, and three skeins of aloo (asian nettle) yarn.
But I like it very much, thank you SP.

Opdatering: Garn og mjød/Updates on yarn and mead

Bejdsningen klaret - for denne gang. Her er et billede, der tydeligt viser, hvorfor jeg synes, at det er så ufattelig kedeligt at bejdse; garnet ser ud (næsten) præcis som før. Picture1: Mjøden bobler løs. Jeg blev nødt til at tage gærrøret af og lægge et viskestykke over ballonens åbning, fordi det boblede så kraftigt.
Endelig fik jeg et godt billede af bobleriet (prøv at forstør det, man kan tydeligt se boblerne). Mjøden ser lidt blegere ud end den er i virkeligheden. Picture2:
In English:
Picture1: Mordanting done - for now. Here is a picture that clearly shows why I find modanting so boring; the yarn is almost the exact same colour as before ;).
Picture2: The mead bubbles away. I had to remove the fermenting pipe and cover the opening af the carboy with a towel.
Finally I got a good shot of the bubbles (try enlargening the picture, you can clearly see the bubbles). The mead looks a little paler than it really is.

Lørdagshygge/saturday cosy

En hyggelig produktiv lørdag hvor jeg får ordnet nogle af de ting jeg holder af at gøre, men har udsat:
- Lave honningvand og hælde det ned til resten af mjøden, klaret. Picture1:

- Komme igang med at læse i "Blot". Info: http://www.fagboginfo.dk/lutreen/ltreena.htm Picture2:
- få bejdset noget garn til plantefarvning
- få sat to hylder op ude i køkkenet
- få sat de sidste ting på plads, nu hvor jeg har fået 3 meter reol mere, jubi, og har plads til alle mine ting.
Og så burde jeg sortere gamle papirer....bliver nok udsat igen....

Foresten har jeg fået lidt garn, det hele er farvet med krap bortset fra de to yderst til højre, der er farvet med svampe, den gyldne med fyrsvamp/tøndersvamp, den anden med en svamp af ubekendt herkomst. Picture3:

Nu hvor det er blevet koldere, har Fuga udviklet et særligt bånd til min solllyslampe. Den bliver nemlig dejlig lun efter at have været tændt et stykke tid, skøre kræ. Picture4:
In English:
Looking forward to a nice relaxing and productive saturday. I will:
- Make some honeywater to pour into the carboy to the mead, done. Picture1.
- Start reading "Blot, tro og offer i det førkristne Norden" (Blót - faith and sacrifice in the prechristian Norden/Nordic countries). Picture2.
- Mordant some yarn for plant dyeing
- Put up two shelves in the kitchen.
- get the last of my craft stuff organised. Now that I have got 3 meters (2,5 yards) of bookshelves (not for books though), I have room for it all.
And I ought to sort some old papers...I probably postpone it again....

By the way I have recieved some yarn. Its all dyed with madder, except for the two on the right. The golden is dyed with tinder fungus and the other one with a fungus of unknown heritage...Picture3.

It's getting cold. Fuga has developed a special affection for my sun light lamp, that gets nice and warm after having been turned on for a while, silly cat. Picture4

How to add a hit counter in Beta / hvordan man tilføjer en hit counter i Beta

Jeg brugte en masse tid på at finde ud af hvordan jeg fik min Hit Counter tilbage i bloggen, nu da jeg har skiftet til Blogger Beta. Diverse sider der skulle forklare hvordan gør hjalp ikke meget, for meget computersprog. Men jeg fandt ud af det til sidst, og det var MEGET enkelt:

Jeg bruger bravenets hit counter. Meld dig ind på hjemmesiden.
Klik på "Web Tools". Her kan man vælge en masse gagdets.
Vælg "Hit Counter" og tilpas den så den ser ud og gør hvad du vil have den til.
Under "Utilities" (det er i Hit Counter) er der en der hedder "Copy/paste code".
Gå derind og kopier koden.

Gå tilbage til Blogger Dashboard.
Gå ind i "Layout".
Klik på "Add a Page Element" i sidebar'en.
Vælg den der hedder "HTML/JavaScript".
Indsæt koden du kopierede før... og giv hit counteren et navn (f.eks. Hit Counter ;)
Klik på "Save changes" og derefter "Save" i Layout-billedet.

Vupti, hit counteren er kørende igen. Dette kan også bruges til at tilføje mange andre spændende ting, glæder mig til at se hvad jeg kan bruge det til.

In English:
My Hit counter got lost when I changed to Blogger Beta, and no help-pages on how to add it in Beta, made much sense. However I eventually figured it out. Maybe some other computer-challenged people will appriciate this (very step-by-step) description:

Choose a hit counter. I use bravenets. The counter is in Web tools.
Customise it to suit you needs.

Under Utilities in Hit Counter you can choose "Copy/paste code" go in there and copy the code.

Go back to Blogger Beta Dashboard and choose "Layout".
Choose "Add a Page Element" in the sidebar to the right.
Choose "HTML/JavaScript".
Paste the code you copied before...and give the hit counter a name (e.g. Hit Counter ;)
Click on "Save changes" and then "Save" in Layout.

Voila, the hitcounter is back. This can be used to add other interesting things. Looking forward to see what I can use this for...

Det bobler! / bubbling!

Mjøden står på mit badeværelse og bobler lystigt. Hvor er det egentlig fascinerende at lave den slags selv. Ikke underligt at man var (og er) vældig overtroisk omkring brygning; transformationen af simple ingredienser til velsmagende, alkoholisk drik er som magisk - omend moderne hygiejne gør processen noget mere forudsigelig...

Mjøden er sat på ballon
Picture1:
In English:
The mead is in my bathroom bubbling away. How fascinating to make something like this oneself. No wonder people was (and is) superstitious about brewing; the transformation of simple ingredients into tasty, alkoholic drink is as magical - although modern hygiene makes the process a lot for predictable...
Picture1: The mead has been poured into the carboy

Mjødbrygning / brewing mead

Så er jeg gået igang med at brygge mjød, med min fars overskudshonning (det fra sidste efterår og noget som krystalliserede). Jeg bruger (stort set) Mjodvitnirs opskrift. Jeg er meget spændt på resultatet, som jeg jo først får til sommer (der er meeeeeget lang tid til....).

Gærkulturen, dag 1
Picture1:
Stormgæring, dag 3
Picture2:
In English:
I have begun brewing mead, with my father's surplus honey (some from last autumn, and a some that crystallized). I'm using Mjodvitnirs recipe (in Danish). I am very impatient to see a result, but I'll have to wait until summer, that's just the way it is.
Picture1: The yeast culture
Picture2: Fermenting

Eksotiske fibre og en håndten/Exotic fibers and a spindle

Ihhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Pakke til mig!!! Endelig!
Den indeholdt lammeuld (Corriedale, islandsk og Bluefaced Leicester) , yak-, lama- og babykameluld....uspundet vel at mærke. En rigtig god motivation når jeg skal lære at spinde her i vinter. Det kan være belønningen at spinde dette, når jeg har fået taget på at spinde.
Picture1 (meget nysgerrig kat):
Desuden en smuk håndten med tenvægten i toppen (det havde jeg gættet SP ;).
Picture2 (MEGET nysgerrig kat;):Jeg er meget glad for tingene. Mange tak SP.

For dem der ikke kender fåreracerne ovenfor har jeg fundet lidt info på nettet: Corriedale og
Bluefaced Leicester
God side i øvrigt, med brugbar generel information om rigtig mange fåreracer.

In English:
Ihhhhhh!! A package for me! Finally!
Picture1 (very curious cat): It contained sheep's wool (Corriedale, Icelandic and Bluefaced Leicester), yak fiber, lama fiber, and baby camel wool....unspun! A very good motivator for when I'm learning to spin this winter. It can be the reward to spin this, when I have got the hang of it.
Picture2 (VERY curious cat;): And also a beautiful top whorl hand spindle (I had guessed that I would get one, SP ;)
I appreciate it very much. Thank you, SP!

By the way, when looking on information about Corriedale and Bluefaced Leicester (which I didn't know, we don't have them in Denmark) I found this page with very useful overall information on sheepbreeds.

Det glemte efterår/Someone forgot autumn

Hov, hvad skete der?
...... (indsæt foretrukne gud) må have spillet kort og glemt alt om efteråret. Kigger på kalenderen, og det går op for ham at november lige er begyndt. "Hm...jeg giver dem bare det hele nu, ingen vil opdage det" Hm, jo! Fra indian summer til vinter henover natten, syret.

In English:
Wow!!!

After a record warm october (avarage day temp 15,3 C) with lovely calm and sunny weather we woke up to this today, 1 November:

"Cloudy with rain, sleet or tøsne (melting snow). Day temperature between 1 and 5 C and strong winds (15 m/s) with risk of heavy gusts, by the coasts up to storm. Night temperature between +2 and -5 C."
- The Danish Meterological Institute

Now...its not that we aren't used to weather like this, quite the contrary. But until now we have had VERY good weather with record high temperatures, and record number of sun hours, in august, september and october.
And then ......... (insert god of choice), who has been playing poker with his mates, accidentally looks at his calender, and realises that he has forgotten time completely; november has just begun, and autumn is way overdue. "I'll just give it all to them now, no one will notice." ......Oh yes, we do!

En god dag / A nice day

I dag er en dejlig dag!

Først og fremmest skinner solen, det har den ikke gjort den sidste uges tid. Jeg tog et billede til hukommelsen, for fra nu af bliver det koldt, blæsende, vådt og overskyet. Og siden det er oktober, bliver der jo stadig færre lyse timer. Men i dag skinnede solen!
Picture1:Desuden gik det i dag (så'n rigtigt ;) op for mig, at hvis der er noget jeg ikke bryder mig om, kan jeg enten ændre det (eller gøre en indsats for forandring, hvis vi taler om verdensfred og den slags ;) , eller også er jeg forpligtet til at holde op med at brokke mig og acceptere det. Det gjorde mig faktisk i ret godt humør.

Og så læste jeg en historie i MetroXpress: En kioskejer der nægtede at lade sig berøve, og jog røveren på flugt, som nu er fængslet. Bonusfonden hørte om det og belønnede ham med 25.000 kr. Viser sig at manden er matematikprofessor fra Irak og måtte flygte fordi han nægtede at udlevere facitlisterne til eksamen til Saddams søns kæreste. Personligt mod, idealisme og integritet. Respekt!!! Må det gå ham godt.

Og sidste men ikke mindst var der en pakke fra min Secret Pal 9. En meget interessant bog om at spinde med håndten.
Picture2:Jeg troede først, at den ikke ville være brugbar for mig, da den er om spinding på en håndten med tenvægten i toppen, og de få personer jeg kender, der spinder, bruger en, hvor tenvægten sidder i bunden.
Men jeg tjekkede det på internettet bl.a. her:
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/spindles.html
Det viser sig, at begge typer var i brug i Skandinaven i vikingetiden, og der optræder gradvist flere tene med vægten i bunden jo senere tidsperiode. Så jeg kan lære fra denne fine bog, og stadig være autentisk. Mange tak for gaven Secret Pal9.

In English:
What a lovely day!

The sun is shining, it hasn't for the last few days. I took this picture (picture1) to remember what blue sky looks like, because from now on (tomorrow according to the meterologists) it is going to be cold, windy, wet, and with a thick blanket of clouds. And since it is oktober, we're going to have ever fewer light hours. But today the sun shone!

Today I realised that if there is something I don't like, I can either change it (for attempt to make a difference, if talking about world peace and such things...), og I should stop mouning and accept it. That realisation actually made me in a quite good mood.

I read a little story in the newspaper: A convenience store owner refused to be robbed by a guy with a knife. The robber is now in prison. A foundation heard about it and awarded him 25000 kr. Turns out that the man is a prfessor in mathematics from Iraq, that had to flee because he refused to hand over the correct answers to the exam to Saddam's son's girlfriend. Personal courage, idealism and integrity. Respect to the man!!! May he do well.

An finally there was a package from my Secret Pal 9. Yiiih!!!It was this vey interesting book on spinning with a hand spindle (picture2).
At first I thought it wouldn't be able to use it, since it was about top whorl spindles and the few people that I know that handspin, my colleague at work and the ladies at the weaving house at Lejre Experimental Centre, use a bottom whorl spindle.
However, I looked it up on the internet and as it turns out, in Scandinavia in the viking age both were used, with gradually more bottom whorls being used in later periods. Relief! Conclusion: I can learn about top whorl spinning from this beautiful book, and still be authentic! ;) I will be really cool to be able to do both!
Thank you very much Secret Pal, I appriciate it very much.

Efterårsferiens bytte /The loot of the autumn holiday

Jeg har endelig fået en garnvinde, juhu! og den kostede kun 100 kr. Nu mangler jeg bare en garnhaspe (en garnvinde er til at vinde fed af garn af (til nøgler) med, en garnhaspe er til at vinde garn op i fed med):
Og hvad er så dette? Kompost? Affald?:

Nej, det er 30 liter valnødde-yderskaller som jeg skal bruge til at farve brun med. Adr, de er temmelig ulækre lige nu, men det skal være skidt, før det kan blive godt. Jeg glæder mig meget til farveprocessen og til det endelige resultat:

Og jeg har været på Lejre Forsøgscenter sammen med Frimændene. Sindsygt godt vejr for dette tidspunkt af året...

In English:
Picture1: I have finally got a yarn winder, and it was only 100 Dkr. (since the only truly global thing seems to be fast food(...), I will equal the amount with that: It is as much as two fast food menus).
Picure2: And what is this: Compost? Waste?

Picture3: No it is 30 liters of walnut hulls/husks that I'm going to use for dyeing brown. Eek they are disguisting right now, but "it has to get worse, before it can become better" (= All good things come to those who wait. Amazing how many silly proverbs and fixed phrases that exists...but in this particularly instance, the best thing to do is actually to wait passively and patiently, since the husks/hulls has to ferment for at least a few weeks). I'm looking forward very much to the dyeprocess and to the results.

I've been to Lejre Experimental Centre. Lots of pictures, lots to tell, but none now (teasing). There is so much, that I'll spread it across a few posts.

Farvning med krap/madder dyeing

Jeg farvede en lille portion (500 g) garn i den emaljerede gryde.

Det mørke garn (nr. 3 fra højre) var gråt.

Det lyserøde var i badet i 10-20 min.

Og det gulorange var gult (birk) garn, der lå i det afkølende bad i ca. 15 min.

In English:

Did a little dyeing (500 g) yesterday.

The dark yarn (3rd from the right) was grey.

The light red (pink?) was in the dye for 10-20 min.

And the yelloworange was yellow (birch leaves) yarn, that was in the cooling dye for about 15 min.

Jernalderfarvninger2 / Iron Age Dyeings2

Rejnfanblade. Nøglet med dybere farve kølede af i farvebadet natten over. Picture1:
Bregne. Nøglet til venstre er gråt garn. Det gav ikke så meget farve, det er nok lidt sent på året at farve med bregne. Picture2:
Fyrsvamp. Picture3:
Krap. Nøgle til højre er farvet i efterbadet. Picture4:

Røllike. Picture5:

In English:

Picture1: Tansy leaves. The darkest one cooled off overnight in the dye pot.
Picture2: Fern. The skein to the left is grey yarn. Only gave a little colour, it's probably a little too late in the year to dye with fern.
Picture3: Tinder fungus

Picture4: Madder. The skein to the right is dyed in the same dye pot, 2. batch.
Picture5: Milfoil/yarrow.

SP9 questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Like:
- 100% wool. I am interested in the properties of the wool of different races, and
what they are especially good to use for (so expect to be asked about which race the wool came from).
- yarns from other animals, such as goat wool, musk ox wool, cow hair (but that I can't find anywhere anymore!) aso. Not dog hair though.
- And plantfibers such as hemp, nettle, long fibred flax.

As I do viking age re-enactment I restrict myself to animals and plants whose wool were acsessible to people in the Nordic countries in the viking age.

Don't like:
Synthetics. Mohair also tend to annoy me very much when knitting with it.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A fabric case that rolls up. Bought it with paint brushes in...but soon thought of a mush better
use for it.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
My mother taught me how to knit when I was 6 years old, but I was about 10 before I really started
knitting.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Subtle! Or no smell at all, I like natural stuff.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
A little. High quality dark chokolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Plantdyeing, sewing, nalbinding, enjoy to do DIY work in the house (fixing,
painting, decorating). Leather working, wood working. Learning to spin and weave.
Everything really, most often in relation to my living history hobby.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Rock, classical, metal, neofolk, everything that isn't shallow. MP3s ok.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
The colours that plants will dye. They aren't nessasarily muted, just look through my blog,
but they are never harsh. I love deep red, and dark green nuances.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Living my myselv, with my cat, a Russian Blue called Fuga.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I would be a very stupid person not to, up here in the north ;). Ponchos? No, that fashion
has faded.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Bags.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A complicated lace scarf for my neighbour in lilac colour. It will be lined with offwhite
silk. She looks after my cat everytime I'm away, and she refuses to recieve any money so I
wanted to thank her this way.
I am also beginning an emerald green bag, that is to be felted.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Depends on what I'm knitting. They all have some best uses.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Have a yarn swift, my father will be making me a garnhaspe for Yul. Haven't got a yarn winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
½ year.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
May 1st (spring celebration).

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn. I like to find unusual yarns (from special races mainly, but also interesting multicoloured yarns, or from strange animals/plants)
Old wooden textile tools. Books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Not really, I find patterns on the internet a modify them to my needs. I mostly buy books on
history.
Want, but haven't been able to find alloo/aloo/allo yarn (nettle yarn) and soft thin hemp yarn.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Knittingwise? I think I know most of them. I ought to practise my skills in working with
several colours at the same time, though.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
A little, my feet are 22,3 cm long. My other toes are very small in relation to my big toe,
so I tend to knit socks that are assymetrical at the "toe end".

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
January 25.

Barda Live Rollespilsmarked/Barda Live Roleplay Market

Tro det elle lad være. Vi tog faktisk til et rollespilsarrangement! De ville gerne have nogle middelalderfolk og vikinger - vel til at inspirere børnene. Så vi tog afsted et par stykker fra Odd og teamede op med Frimændene, sparkede røv på kamppladsen og brugte sammenkomsten som en lejlighed til at få trænet en masse.

Det var tåget, MEGET tåget om morgenen, så høj luftfugtighed at det burde have regnet. Det er i øvrigt sortelverne (....) der er i gang med at male hinanden.
Picture1:

Billede fra ca. samme vinkel senere på dagen. Nævnte jeg at det var tåget om morgenen? Picture2:
Vi legede (fedtpind). Picture3:
Og vi sloges. Picture4:
Og middelalderridderne red dystløb. Picture5:
...og så tog vi hjem igen.

Jeg tog også en masse billeder af mærkeligt klædte gæster (nervøs velour, indianerbemaling og gaffavåben i overstørrelse er tilsyneladende hvad der anses for at være rollespilspåklædning), men da jeg ikke vil udsætte dem for almindelig latterliggørelse, nøjes jeg med at have billederne liggende i mit private fotoalbum og kun selv grine af dem....;)
Vil lige bemærke at jeg her taler om gæsterne, de fleste af deltagerne var ret gennemførte i deres kostumer, omend en historienørd som mig blev lidt forvirret over nogle af sammensætningerne, men det handler jo netop om fantasy og ikke re-enactment, så det er tilladt at tage hvad man vil fra forskellige perioder og tilføje ahistoriske elementer.

In English:
Will you believe it?! We went to a live role play market. They wanted some viking and medieval fighting re-enacters, so Odd teamed up with Lokes Frimænd, showed the children what fighting is about and trained a lot, as we do every time we meet.
Picture1: It was foggy, VERY foggy in the morning. Black elves painting each other by the way.
Picture2: Same angle later in the day!
Picture3: We played games.
Picture4: We fought.
Picture5: The medieval knights jousted.
And then we went home...

I took a lot of pictures of the guests (appearantly people think that roleplay = lots of velour, randomly painted faces and oversized ducttape weapon), but I wont ridicule them in public, so I'll just kepp the pictures in my private album and laugh of them there ;).
I remark that I'm talking about the guests. Most of the participants were more thorough in the costumes, though the costumes were somewhat confusing for a history nerd like me. But we are talking fantasy, not re-enactment, and its allowed to pick and chose from different periods and add your own imagination.

Jernalderfarvninger/Iron Age dyeings

På Næsby Jernalderlandsby (min arbejdsplads) farves der hver dag sammen med de besøgende børn. Fremgangsmåden er således:
En keramikpotte på ca. 10 liter fyldes halvt med vand, garnet (ca. 50 g) kommet i og krukken sættes til opvarmning ved bålet.
Når det er godt varmt, kommes planterne i (så krukken er mellem totredjedele og helt fuld alt efter hvilken plante der bruges), og krukken står i et par timer ved god varme (75-85 grader). Hvis det begynder at koge tages krukken lidt væk fra ilden.
Garnet ligger i krukken, der står på det varme ildsted (uden bål), natten over. Plantedelene fjernes fra garnet, det skylles godt og hænges til tørre i skyggen.

Krap. Ubejdset garn(venstre) og bejdset med alun (højre):

Tagrør, blomsterne (hvis de hedder sådan på tagrør, det der fluffy noget, ikk) når de er røde, lige inden de springer ud. Fed 1 og 3 (fra venstre) er 2.gangsfarvninger (altså farvning i et farvebad der allerede er blevet brug én gang). Længere farvetid, jo mørkere farve:
Prikbladet perikon:
Hasselnøddeblade:
In English:
At Næsby Iron Age Village (my work place) they dye every day with the visiting children. It's done like this:
A ceramic pot (10 liter) is filled with water and is heated by the fire. When it is quite warm (so you can't have your fingers in it), the plants are put in. The pot must be to thirds full to full depending on type of plant. The pot stands by the fire for at couple of hours at good heat (temperature in pot: 75-85 C). If it starts to boil, the pot is removed from the fire a little.
The yarn rests in the pot overnight on the warm fireplace (without fire). The plant bits are removed and the yarn is dried in the shade.

Picture1: Madder, on unmordanted (left) and mordanted yarn.

Picture2: Reed, the flowers (if thats the name, the fluffy bit), when they are red, but before they blooms. Skein 1 and 3 is 2. batch dyeings. The longer the dye period, the darker the colour.

Picture3: Common St. Johnswort (hypericum perforatum).

Picture4: Hazelnut leaves.

Jeg har købt en gruekedel!!!/I have bought a copper!!!

Jeg har ENDELIG fundet en gruekedel.
Ikke bare en gruekedel men en gasfyret gruekedel i god stand, som ikke er rusten (plantefarvning og rusthuller er en rigtig dårlig ting for både kedel og garn), til en pris der er til at betale og (ikke mindst) solgtes i omegnen af hvor jeg bor. Endelig lykkedes det, og en af mine pragtfulde kolleger gik med til at lægge bil til afhentningen.
Jeg skal farve, jiii, jeg skal farve, hoppe hoppe ;D. Jeg har en gruekedel!

In English:
I have FINALLY found me a copper.
Not just any copper, but a copper that runs on gas, is not rusty, is fairly cheap and (not least) sold at a place within a reasonable distance from where I live. It finally worked out, and one of my lovely colleagues (with a car) drove with me to pick it up.
I am going to dye, jiii, I am going to dye, *jumping with joy*. I have got a copper!

Får og garn og deslige.../Yarn and sheeps and such things...

Næsbys gutefår (beskrivelse af racen på http://www.dk-lam.dk/avl/racer/index.htm og vælg Gutefår). Meget tamme og bræger efter mad hele dagen...

















Har været ude at plukke skræppebalde nede ved åen til brug i Næsbys madlavning. Der er så smukt derude i åsen.













Plantefarvet garn, farvet af Mary og børnene i lerkrukker ved ilden (jernaldermetode).













Opstadsvæv. Fantastisk og enkelt design, er den ikke smuk.

















In English:
Picture 1: The Gute sheeps at Næsby. They are very tame and begs for food all day long..
Picture 2: I went out to pick docks for use in Næsby's cooking. There are so beatutiful in the landscape around the stream
Picture 3: Plant dyed yarn, dyed by Mary and the children in ceramic pots by the fire (iron age method)
Picture 4: Warp weighted loom, such simple and useful design, isn't it beautiful.

Den nye smedje i Næsby Jernalderlandsby/The new smithy in Næsby Iron Age Village

Det er her jeg arbejder: Næsby Jernalderlandsby.

Der er ved at blive bygget en ny smedje. Jeg har også gjort min lille del, som bestod i at efterfylde revner i lerkliningen.

Gert klapper lerklining:
In English:
Picture 1: This is where I work: Næsby Iron Age Village.
Picture 2: We are building a new smithy. I have done my bit too, by filling cracks in the mud-built walls.
Picture 2: Gert claps the walls.

Horsens Middelalderfestival / Horsens Medieval Festival

/Var til Horsens Middelalderfestival for lidt tid siden. Det var hyggeligt at mødes med jer (I ved hvem I er), og jeg fik købt et par sager jeg manglede...og nogle jeg ikke manglede:
Picture1:
(og nej, garnet er ikke plantefarvet, men det er Kauni garn og det var en god pris ;)

Jeg har et lidt ambivalent forhold til festivalen; der er en god stemning og en masse gode bands, men de fleste af boderne er enten madboder eller sælger totalt uautentisk gejl (dog ikke fra vikingetid, for det holder de skarpt på, ikke må være der, men pseudo-middelalder-rollespils-fantasy-lir er helt i orden, grrrr) og der er mange halve løsninger mht. at skjule moderne ting...men hva', jeg fandt da de gode boder, atmosfæren er fed, og der er altid god fest.

Nåh ja, og så købte jeg garn (som om det overrasker nogen :D) Et lille snigkig:
Picture2: Masser af fynsk spelsaugarn: En bunke i mellemtykkelse på (ca. 225 m/100 g), en stak tykt, blødt garn, der er....lidt tyndere end islandsk-sweater-tykkelse og desuden lidt entrådet garn.
Det mellemtykke er mest ufarvet, men der er også en bunke i en genial grøn farve, som jeg vil strikke og filte en taske af. Den er inspireret af den her:

Picture3:
Det tykke beder inderligt om at blive nålebundet med, så det må jeg jo gøre. Det er også på tide at jeg får nålebundne sokker, istedet for at rende rundt i strikkede på markederne.

Til Mary: Billede af garn farvet med lyng. Det er en anelse blegere i virkeligheden, lidt mere over i det cremefarvede.
Picure4:
Det var vist det, tid til weekend!

In English:
Was at the festival and bought a few things I needed (and a few I didn't needed), Picture1. No the yarn is not plant dyed, but it is the lovely Kauni yarn...couldn't resist it (why they sold it at the festival? Well....fantasy-live role play-the town celebration/medieval festival, you see). But if you look around a bit you'll find some good booths as well, that sells authentic reconstructions. And well...maybe it's just me, to most people HMF is the most authentic feeling medieval town.
Oh, and I bought "a little" yarn (as if that surprises anyone ;), pictur2. Its all spelsau. All natural white, except for about a kilo of a gorgeous emerald green. I'll knit and felt a bag of it, It's inspired by this one (picture3).
The really thick yarn will be lovely to nalbinde with.
Oh and I took this picture (picture4) of some yarn dyed with common heather (the one that is most common here anyway...don't really know what its offical name is). I LOVE the colour, I have to try to dye with that.

Tanker om garn og markeder/thoughts on yarn and markets

Jeg har haft alm. lammeuld ("strikketykkelse"), gotlandsk pelsuld og et hårdttvundet kamgarn med ude på markederne. Det har været interessant at se hvad folk kan lide:
* Besøgende, der er interesserede, er oftest kvinder som selv laver håndarbejde.
- De er interesserede i ting, som man kan bruge til noget/lave noget af, og i boder der viser hvordan man laver tingene.
- De er ofte(st) interesserede i garn med en spændende tekstur, i klare farver, som føles rart og har en god historie.
- De fleste besøgende værdsætter oplevelsen af noget velkendt i vikingetidssammenhæng. De fleste laver i dag ikke ret mange ting selv og mange af håndværkene/håndarbejderne virker eksotiske og/eller for svære til at de ville kunne udføre dem selv. Selvom de netop derfor kan værdsætte at se dem, virker de nærmest lettede over at se noget de kender godt.
- Jeg er kommet frem til at garn, og især plantefarvet garn, er bærer af mange minder, oplevelser og erindringer om samvær, indlæring og følelser. Og af ønsker, planer og længsler.
- Desuden er der en eller anden kvindeting....noget med at sørge for....garn er omsorg? ;). Det er lidt luftigt, jeg ved det, men altså!
Under alle omstændigheder har garnet givet god mulighed for formidling omkring vikingetidens håndarbejde.

* Vikinger bruger garn til at væve brikbånd, til at brodere, til at sy tøj sammen med og til nålebinding. Til de tre første skal garnet være stærkt, tyndt det skal ikke fluffe. Kamgarn, som hårdttvundet og meget stærkt, er uovertruffent til det. Det er uden sammenligning(!) det bedste uldgarn på markedet til de formål (jeg køber det hos Glaipnir og har henvist interesserede købere til dem). Det er en kvalitet som ellers er svær (for ikke at sige umulig) at finde, da det ikke er et specielt "hyggeligt" garn (blødt, fluffy og tykt), og strikkerne derfor ikke er særlig interesserede i det. Der fås godt nok merino, men merinofåret blev fremavlet EFTER vikingetiden.
Til nålebinding bruges oftest tykkere og løsere tvundet garn. Det kan findes i butikkerne, men det er jo ikke plantefarvet...


In English:
I've broght some of my yarn with me to the markets, and have made some observations:
*Interested visitors are most often women that themselves do håndarbejde (crafts/needlework, the Danish word literally means work of the hand, so it has a broader meaning = most things you can do with yarn/fabric (e.g. also sewings and plant dyeing).
They are interested in usable things, and in booths that show how to use the things that are sold. Most often interested in yarn with an interesting texture, in bright colours, that feels nice and has a good story.
Most visitors values the experience of something wellknown in a Viking Age context.
Yarn, especially plant dyed yarn is carrier of many memories, past experiences and memories of social gatherings, learning experiences and of feelings. And of wishes, plans and desires.
Furthermore there is that woman thing...somthing to with caring about...yarn is affection? ;) I have gotten may interesting stories from people because the yarn made people remember something they ascociated with yarn.
Anyway the yarn has given good opportunities for me to teach about viking age håndarbejde (see above).

* Re-enactors use yarn to do tablet weaving, for embroidery, to sew clothes, and for nalbinding . It must be strong, thin and not fluff. For nalbinding is most often used thick yarn.

Skriv om "Min sommerferie" sagde læreren

Pyhhh...så er markedssæsonen så godt som ovre. Jeg har været omkring mine forældre, et par dage på Lejre med Odd og Lokes Frimænd, på Trelleborg og Moesgård med Odd, og på Ribe Vikingelandsby (som "ferieviking") og Bork med Wunjo. Her i weekenden er der marked på Bytoften, men det er her på Fyn, så det er jo lige i baghaven.
Det har været spændende at se nye markeder, få mere øvelse i showkamp og og møde en masse nye mennesker. Jeg har haft mit garn med rundt og har haft muligheden for at fortælle rigtig meget om garn og plantefarvning - og det elsker jeg jo at få lov til ;). Jeg har vænnet mig til at spise med ske og fingre, har bandet varmen langt væk og hygget mig med nye og gamle venner og bekendte.
Nu er jeg så startet på Næsby Jernaldercenter. Nogle arbejdsopgaver er ganske velkendte, men er der er også nogen man ellers ikke render ind i ofte. I dag var jeg f.eks. med til at lerkline en bindingsværksbygning, den nye smedje. Det er spændende at være et sted, hvor jeg får mulighed for den slags opgaver. Jeg håber at få lejlighed til at prøve mange af de forskelligartede opgaver der er på centeret.
Min lejlighed har de sidste par uger mest været afsmidningsplads for ting, jeg ikke skulle bruge til det næste marked, og jeg har brugt min tid på alt mulig andet end at være hjemme, så den er virkelig bombet.
Glæder mig meget til at få ryddet op, har også nogle planer om at rykke om, så mit opholdsrum bliver mere værksted end stue, det er alligevel det jeg mest bruger den til. Hm...med god opbevaringsplads, et passende arbejdsbord, en stor opslagstavle og...og...og ;D

In English:
Phew...near the end of the market season. I visited my parents, were at Lejre Research Center, at Trelleborg Market, Moesgård Market, Ribe Viking Village and Bork Market. This weekend there is market at Bytoften, it's on Fyn, where I live, nice with at market in ones back yard.
It has been exiting to visit new markets, get more practise in show fighting, and meet a lot of new people. I brought my plant dyed yarn to the markets, and have had the oppotunity to talk a lot about yarn and plant dyeing - which I love to do ;).
I have gotten used eating with spoon and my fingers (haven't got a eating knife yet), have sworn at the unusually HOT weather, that we keep on having (enough thank you, plenty enough. Can we please have some slightly colder weather, we aren't made for this!), and have had a good time with new and old friends and acquaintances.
Now I have started working at Næsby Iron Age Center. Some tasks are familiar, but there are also some that you don't often come by. Like helping building the mud walls of a half-timbered house, the new smith's workshop. It's interesting to work at a place where I have the opportunity for that kind of tasks. I hope that I get to try many of the various tasks at the center.
As I have spent very little time at home in the last weeks, except to leave stuff there that I didn't need for the next market, my apartment is so messy. I'm looking forward to get it cleaned up. Have some plans for making my main room into more of a work shop and less of a living room, I use it mostly as the first. Too bad that I have a carpet and not wooden floors, but it will be really nice with proper storage and a nice big work table and...and.. and ;D

Sommer i Danmark

Hvad tager man egentlig med i rygsækken på en endagstur på dette tidspunkt af året? Jeg morede mig lidt, da jeg fik kigget på, hvad jeg havde pakket: Solcreme, bikini, solbriller og vand - samt en sweater og en paraply. Forberedt på alle eventualiteter ;)
En uge til Trelleborg...jeg skal lige have syet det sidste tøj, så deter vist meget godt at der er en uge endnu.

...med andre ord: Jeg nyder sommeren, laver ting jeg kan lide, og laver ellers temmelig lidt. Når markedsugerne begynder, bliver dagene fyldt mere op med gøremål, så jeg nyder at dovne lidt nu.

In English:

What to bring for a day trip at summertime in Denmark? Obviously sun screen, bikini, sun glasses and water - plus a sweater and an umbrella (picture). Prepared for anything ;) That's summer in Denmark.

A week till Trelleborg Market. I have some sewing to do, so it's probably good that there is a whole week until the market.

....in other words: Enjoying the summer, doing things I like, but generally doing very little. When the market weeks start I'm going to be more busy, so right now I'm enjoying being a little lazy.

Saga i regnbuefarver ;) / in the colours of the rainbow

En ven lavede mig en smart metalring med lukning (TAK!) som jeg kunne sætte mine garnprøver på. Og her er det så, farvehjulet:
Jeg er så glad for det, men jeg har allerede brug for en ny ring, for der er er ikke plads til flere garnprøver på denne...sagde nogen noget om plantefarvningsfanatiker ;). Og jeg holder altså meget af regnbuer! :D

In English:
A dear friend made me a metal ring with closure for my dye samples. And here it is: The colour wheel (pictures).
I walue it very much, but I already need a new ring, there isn't room for any more dye samples on this one....did I hear anyone say plant dye fanatic ;). Oh...and I love rainbows! :D

Lindholm Høje Vikingemarked

Jeg var på marked i weekenden, jeg havde lidt af mit plantefarvede garn med som jeg viste frem og trættede folk med detaljer om plantefarvning ;)

Jeg havde ikke mit kampgear med, da jeg jo skulle være håndværker sammen med Wunjo, men det er en af de dårligere idéer jeg har fået. Jeg havde virkelig lyst til at fatte scram og skjold. Hvor hyggeligt håndværkere end har det, giver det ikke det adrenalinkick som kamp gør.

Derfor var det også fint, at jeg fik tilbudet om at være med til træningen, men de kunne ikke finde mig, da de skulle til at træne (var gået død i teltet, og gik åbenbart i den grad i ét med soveposer og uldtæpper). Æv. Ingen tvivl om at jeg fremover også tager gearet med, når jeg er afsted som håndværker. Nu ser jeg bare med manglende tålmod frem til Trelleborg, hvor jeg IKKE er håndværker, men kun kriger. To hele uger, der er alt for lang tid til.

Jeg synes, at jeg til en forandring fra kampscener, ville poste lidt billeder af døde og døende krigere. Ja, ja, jeg er lidt morbid, men det er skam en væsentligt ting at kunne dø godt ;). Ask og Ulfhednir krigere viser, hvordan det gøres (Nå ja, og lige en ting til: Kvindelige krigere styrer!!):

Tre enkle skridt til at dø godt

1. Først skal man slås ihjel:

...så han kan mærke det! ;) (picture1)

Skal du også smage mit sværd?!! (picture2)

2. Dernæst skal man dø spektakulært og dramatisk:

Kunsten at dø, version 1 (picture3)

Kunsten at dø, version 2 (picture4)

3. Og sidst, men ikke mindst, skal man mestre at ligge og se ud som ravneføde:

Er du helt død nu, så? (picture5)

Hels ejendom, dog får hun ikke lov at beholde ham længe, (picture6)

for kampgrupper har den skik at vække vore døde, efter at de er blevet slået ihjel. Nogle undrende tilskuere til det grusomme slagteri undrer sig af og til over at de døde ikke efterlades, men så ville de endnu levende blive meget få....og så er der jo ikke nogen at slås med.

In English:
Was at the Lindholm Høje market this weekend, as plant dyer. So I didn't bring my fighting gear, which turned out to be a really bad idea. I missed fighting very much. At future markets I will bring my fighting gear also, when I am at market as craftswoman.

The art of dying (not dyeing;) ) :
1. To be killed properly (picture1 and 2)
2. To die spectacularly (picture3 and 4)
3. To look like ravens feed (picture5 and 6)
And then... the dead are resurrected, so they can get killed again another day ;)