New winter tunic for Lars

Little vikings grow up ...

Lars is our 'adopted viking' as you might remember and each time we see our nephew it is a miracle to see how much this guy grows! Last winter I made him a kaftan, and of course it doesn't fit him anymore. One of Einarr's aunts found some great molton in her attic which was perfect for a warm tunic for Lars.

The molton was white initially, so with the help of some Dylon I dyed it a lovely soft green. Molton is a very thick wool and you don't have to hem it since it does not fray. I love that stuff because it gives you the opportunity to make a quick tunic for children who grow up fast... you can make a new piece of clothing in no-time this way!

I made the tunic in children's size 158 which should be big enough for Lars to use until December of this year at least, but you never know ...

When the garment was finished I used some threads of embroidery wool to embellish the collar. I hope he likes it!

Lars can test his tunic next month when we will have an early spring weekend in the north of our country. We've named the weekend Nord Setur, which means 'settlement in the north'.
I'm sure though that Lars won't be cold in this!

greetings, Arda

Instructions on YouTube

Dear All,

Naalbinding is a great craft, but I [like many others] have had some difficulty in learning to master the skill.

I found several great instruction clips on YouTube, so hopefully this is something you'll find useful.

These are in English about the York stitch:
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=2gBknsoqi8U
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=McX84c67ny0

These are in Swedish:
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=AzZLmMHxX6Q
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=NATKKwOe0eE

Enjoy it!!

Greetz, Arda

Archeon Easter Viking weekend 2008, day 3

Easter Monday was already the last day at Archeon for this year. We look back on a great event where we saw most of our Viking friends again. We hope to see them again soon.


Look at how beautiful the Dorestad barn looks. The layers of clothing both Einarr and I were wearing made us look like 1000 pounds, but nobody could take away our fun!

Archeon Easter Viking weekend 2008, day 2

The second day at Archeon, Easter Sunday, started as any normal day, a bit cold in March but for the rest rather uneventful. We lived in the Dorestad barn again, doing our crafts and for lunch Einarr made a lovely vegetable soup.

The audience was very nice this day, and we got some really nice guests in our house. But then... at about 2 pm, it began to snow...

It was fabulous!! The picture you see hereabove is right across the pond from the Dorestad barn, the view is the 15th century houses and the two oxen.

Then some more snow fell... it was getting better and better! Bad weather was expected, yes, but in our opinion this was not bad weather!! Sitting by the fire this was quite romantic. Re-enactment bliss!

This is another view from one of the Dorestad windows, on the Iron age farms. Oh yeah, and I managed to finish Einarr's socks.

Archeon Easter Viking weekend 2008, day 1

Initially, Einarr and I wanted to go to Archeon with our tent but since he had some back troubles we decided to leave our tent at home and see if we could use the Dorestad barn for ourselves during the Easter training weekend. It was a long shot, since we hadn't made any reservations of some sorts. Not that you can make reservations in Archeon, but okay...

Luckily, we bumped into the inhabitant of the barn that weekend, archeo-interpreter Bart, and he was most happy to have us co-habit the place. Not long after, a cozy fire was burning and we went on happily crafting.

Einarr's socks are done as well

This weekend, during the Archeon Easter weekend, I managed to finish Einarr's socks. Whilst sitting by the fire in the Dorestad barn, I finished all of the socks but the heels on Saturday.

It is quite 'annoying' when museum visitors call this beautiful craft crochet, but hey, who I am to enlighten the ignorant? No, seriously, I always diligently explain to them that it is not crochet, but the ancient craft of naalbinding. But I can't help but feel like the proverbial broken record when telling this for the zillionth time...

As I said, I finished Einarr's socks without the heel on Saturday as you can see hereunder.


The rest of the Sunday, I managed to finish the rest of the socks, i.e. the heel parts. Einarr wore the socks all day on Monday and found it difficult to part with them when we got home Monday evening ;). Here he is wearing them with the leg straps he has for the Rusvik pants.


Einarr said they socks are indeed as comfortable as they look!

Socks for Einarr

Well, I've started on Einarr's socks as you can see. I've used Larry Schmitt's Simple Sock pattern again, but I've started at the toe, because somehow I wasn't entirely pleased with how the rough edges at the beginning of the sock looked.

I prefer to have those 'rough edges' at the toe end, since they end up inside the shoe and you can't see those! I hope to finish the socks soon, so will keep you posted!
greetings, Arda

Socks are DONE!

Boy, am I PROUD!!! The socks are done and they turned out really well, no, GREAT!


They are warm and comfortable too! On to pair two, because I intend to make socks for Einarr as well =).


Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because I have so much (non-authentic) wool at home I can make socks for decades to come and I am really inspired to make more, so keep an eye on this section of the blog.
greetz, Arda

More sock news

Well, here's a bit of sock news for you!

I managed to finish the toe-part of the sock in just one evening. It is incredible how easy Larry Schmitt's 'Simple Sock' is and with the wool being so thick it is really great fun to learn this craft of naalbinding!


All that is left to do is the heel-part of the sock and I can start making sock number two. It is important, I have noticed, to keep careful track of any alterations that you make whilst making the sock. The pattern in Schmitt's book is excellent, yet for a perfect fit you need to make a few changes. Make sure you write those down otherwise the second sock of the pair will be different and we won't want that of course.

I have it on good authority that this really thick Coda Merinho wool is not authentic enough. Be that as it may, I am very much enjoying making these socks!

Apparently, excavated socks were made of a less bulky yarn and very often the threads were not even twined. Okay, so noted, but I'm going to use these socks in camp nonetheless.

When it is done I intend to use a nice blue or brown for a decorative edge, but let's finish the pair first!

Fresh start

Everything I've done so far where naalbinding is concerned, was a try... Trial and error I guess.

The pouch was the first project I was able to finish without setting the house on fire with my endless whining about how difficult naalbinding is...

A few days ago I bought some super bulky yarn and with Larry Schmitt's booklet "Lots of Socks" I am starting again with the Simple Sock in Danish Stitch. Here's the first bit that goes around the ankle.


Not bad, huh? The wool is so thick that this is quite a quickie sock to make so, so far the item honours it's name for being simple.


Will keep you posted on the sock development!
greets, Arda

God of Wooden Furniture

Last year at one of the Viking Markets, Einarr and I fooled a member of the audience big time. He asked us about the deities of the Vikings and so we started talking about Odin, Freya, Loki and quickly, and with a certain matter-of-factness, we also included the God Ikea, the god of wooden furniture.

The gentleman was quite surprised. "Really?" he exclaimed "I had no idea Ikea was a god!" Both Einarr and I nodded in a very serious scholarly way. "Wow, thanks!" he said and wandered off still shaking his head in amazement.

LOL!!!!

Guess what I found on the Net yesterday...