maredudd1066

Japanese clothing

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:20:08 GMT

For those who didn't get to see it at Raglan or the Shire revel, here is my Japanese clothing (apologies for not getting everything straight - it was a very rushed photo):

As always with my Japanese persona I am deeply indebted to the work of others for anything I got right (and anything I got wrong is my fault); in this case both Saionji no Hime http://www.wodefordhall.com/kosode.htm and Effingham-sensei http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/index.html
Permission is hereby given for the reproduction and dissemination of this photograph by any means that may be found useful to others.

My new armour

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:40:10 GMT

Here are a few detail pics of the individual parts for those who are interested:

On the stand ready for use.

Kabuto

Guruwa

Sode

Suneate

Kote

Haidate

Do front

Do back

Kegutsu
The patterns for everything came from http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/index.html and even where there was no specific pattern given I could not have attempted this without the information given therein - Domo Arigato Effigham-sensei

A couple of projects

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:22:30 GMT

A fan shaped buckler for use with my Japanese armor (the holes are for the strapping); the prize for the bear-pit tournament for heavy combatants at Raglan; and a mug for Duarte that I did at the local pottery painting centre.

Many holes become armour.

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:44:04 GMT

I handed over the Japanese armour to K. at the Mynydd Gwyn revel on Saturday. Still need to make the Suneate (lower legs) and Nodowa (gorget)
I think he was pleased - I know I was.

Sode for Kevin

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:05:47 GMT

Here is the start of the result of those too many holes I talked about:

Too many holes!

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:07:58 GMT

As I have a day free and the weather was cooperating I've spent the whole afternoon drilling holes. 878 of them!
That is a small part of the Japanese armour I'm making for caomhinmaca .
The Sode (shoulder boards) and the Iyo (small rectangular plates) for one side of the Haidate (thigh guards) are now drilled.
Another 350 holes for the other side of the haidate, plus about 500 for the Kusazuri (upper thigh/groin/buttocks), then an indeterminate number for the Kote (arms) and I'll be able to lace it all together.
My own armour, when I get to it, is even more complex!
I guess I'd better get used to standing in front of my pillar drill for a while ;-)

Tudor Shirts

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:51:55 GMT

A request - specifically for Peronel, but also for anyone with information.
Does anyone have any online links to pictorial sources for, or information about, shirts and shifts with decorative seams/seam-inserts?
I know 'Nel has made one.

Larp weapons

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:15:12 GMT

As some of you (who read blue_dormouse) will know, I've been experimenting with constructing some weapons for LARP use.
Here are some pictures:

Comments welcome, especially from LARPers.

College of Heralds on fire.

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:18:18 GMT

This just in on Independent news services. No details as yet. Garter KoA is unavailable for comment. Firefighters are reported to be removing artefacts.

Warm at home.

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:17:37 GMT

Today would not have been a fun day to work. My job as a sandwich delivery driver is almost entirely based on minor roads which will not have been cleared. OK, so there's less than an inch of snow here but, there was about the same when I wrote off our car a couple of years ago trying to avoid someone who was travelling too fast and not slowing down despite my indicating that I wished to turn (end result I tried to corner too fast rather than let him run into me).
Instead of the carnage that UK roads become in such weather, I have a day at home because last night was Superbowl and I had the day booked as holiday to catch up on sleep.
Now as long as Marian can get home OK... (Should be. Her lift is a Council 4x4 truck)

Yay or Aargh?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:59:25 GMT

So the BBC has has informed me that the likely new Prime Minister of Iceland is an acknowledged and openly practicing lesbian. Should I feel pleased that there is somewhere that ones sexual preference does not preclude one from high office (I do feel pleased about this), or should I (as I rather more strongly do) feel frustrated that this is the only fact about this lady that the BBC thought worthy of note!
Is she an experienced politician? What are her views/proposals with reference to Iceland's current financial mess? Has she perhaps been given the job because she HAS no experience and therefore cannot be blamed for the current problems.
The only reason I can see for her sexuality being the major relevant fact about her would be if she had been elected solely on a platform of Lesbian/Gay rights.

divers delivery debacles

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:35:01 GMT

Last weekend I bought a renaissance style drum and last Wednesday I ordered some materials for building LARP weapons. The LARP suppliers sent my stuff via TNT guaranteed next day delivery on Thursday. The supliers wrote on the package instructions that I would be in from 1 p.m. to receive it. On Friday we were due to set off to some friends for a "making" weekend so I wanted the bits. At 3.30 I phoned Marian to ask her to make her own way home so that I didn't miss the delivery. At 5.20 I phoned the supplier to check that they had sent it (there had been some talk of snow in their area). They gave me the tracking number and the telephone number for TNT.
TNT put me through to my local depot who assured me that my parcel had been delivered and signed for by an "E. Partridge" that morning. I informed them that whildst I had no knowledge of this person I did know that the first initial of none of my immediate neighbours was E.
They promised to contact the driver and find out what he'd done with my parcel.
Whilst waiting for the return call I set off up the road knocking on doors. I found my parcel five doors away. It had been delivered at 8.45 a.m. and no card left.
We set off for the weekend...
On our return on Sunday evening we found the box containing my drum by the front door where, presumably, it had been since Saturday morning (since Parcelforce stop work at lunchtime on Saturdays). This is a renaissance drum, with thin wooden walls, and parchment skins - you know: the sort that really don't like cold and damp - left open to rain and frost! (quite apart from the risk of a large, interesting looking parcel, this close to Christmas, being stolen!
The drum is actually fine and is now in the least cat accessible part of the least temperature and humidity variable room in the house.
Marian pointed out that I should include another example of delivery ineptitude:
A few weeks ago I returned from a day out to be told by Marian that someone had tried to deliver a large Avon cosmetics parcel. As she knew she hadn't ordered anything from Avon (and it was unlikely in the extreme that I would have), she made the driver take it away again.
The following day I returned home from work to find a card through the door telling me that they had tried to deliver an Avon package.
Through a process of (frankly brilliant) deductive reasoning I figured that as we live at number 1, the most likely candidate for a slip of the pen would be number 11. Although there was no-one in at number 11, their neighbour confirmed that they did indeed do Avon.
I phoned the Avon parcel helpline number given on the card, where I was asked to enter on my phone keypad my Avon distributor number....
Which I don't have...
Googling provided an alternate number where, eventually, I managed to talk to a real person (and one who spoke good English too!). Between us we managed to dig enough information up to identify the correct recipient on their computer - I never did find out if the parcel got to the correct address though.

Book Meme

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:21:46 GMT

Book Meme, taken with thanks from Sharikkamur

* Grab the nearest book.

* Open the book to page 56.

* Find the fifth sentence.

* Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

* Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST

The sentence

"If the dough is very springy, be determined with it."
From "Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course" 1992 revised paperback edition.

My first redaction.

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:33:48 GMT

Over the weekend, whilst not up to travelling to Viceroy Tournament, I did some preparation for a non-SCA event we're cooking at.
Whilst I've cooked from authentic recipes that other people have "translated" into modern terms before, this was my first attempt at working from the period version.
I made "Toronjas de Xativa que son Almojavanas" from Ruperto di Nola's "Libra del Coch" which had fortunately been translated into English already. http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html
What they are is effectively cheesy doughnuts which sounds very strange but for my first attempt actually tasted OK. What I'd like to do, when making them as an Arts and Sciences project rather than catering for 30+, is to make the soft "curd" cheese myself first. I'll be talking soon to those who know how.

Vegan Beer

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:11:11 GMT

Of interest, possibly, to some of my friends: Atlantic Red beer available from ASDA (They also do Atlantic Blue, but that isn't vegan).
Warning: when opened it turned into a beer fountain after standing still for 24 hours.
Tasted reasonable - the description of "... a citrus hop finish." was certainly accurate but I think the brewers were going for the "organic" tag in too big a way; the beer never really cleared, and I could swear there was real soil left in the bottle.

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:32:18 GMT

Many thanks to the good people of Klakavirki (the Icelandic SCA group) for a fun and productive trip.
I left home on Thursday lunchttime and, after a brief stop in Bristol to deliver some shirts to jpgsawyer , got to Purple Parking near Heathrow in plenty of time. I was very impressed with the technology that actually helped rather than hindered. My number plate was read by a camera at the gate and, by the time I was at check in, the person behind the desk was able to address me by name and hand me my documents without delay.
A short minibus ride to the airport, where I found a copy of "The High Lord" by Trudi Canavan in the bookshop. I had been intending to read armour books on the flight, but well... We already had the first two books, and I'd been looking for an excuse to buy the third.
An uneventful flight on the Snorri Thorfinnson (the name of the Icelandair plane that I flew in, in both directions, and that should be a "thorn" not a "th" but I can't get my computer to speak Icelandic yet)) mostly spent reading, and I was met at Keflavik by Martha from the Shire of Klakavirki.
Martha drove me into Reykjavik, to stay overnight with Hrafngunnur. By this time it was well after midnight, so after a quick coffee I collapsed.
In the morning I was given a hearty breakfast - it seemed to me that every time I paused for breath the whole trip someone would try to provide food or drink, but then Klakavirki is developing a reputation, amongst those lucky enough to visit them,for their hospitality - during which I had one of the dishes that my guidebooks had recommended, smoked lamb. Visually it is the same as smoked ham (and I can say this with some confidence as there was the latter on an adjacent plate) but in taste it is sweeter (not a sugary sweet, but the actual meat flavour) and I really liked it. The other notable point about staying with Hrafngunnur was that she had a "Senseo" coffee machine. Now I have looked at these in the UK and avoided buying one due to the cost of the sachets and the risk that at some point the sachets would cease to be available. This was solved by some little capsules, the same size and shape as the sachets, but you could open these and fill them with the coffee grounds of your choice. I may reconsider the whole thing. They're certainly quick. Decent coffee in seconds.
At about 10 we were picked up by Martha and went shopping for some rivets that the main body of the Shire in Akureyi had been unable to obtain. As is so often the case, we first directed to the "pop-rivets", and then got the "I haven't seen those in ages" treatment from the assistant. We bought some flat headed nails and washers to fit them, which is a substitute that I've used in the past.
We were also picking up some computer parts, but when we arrived at the shop, first there was a problem with the payment which was quickly resolved (we were just collecting not paying), then the parts were not in the shop! Whilst waiting, we went across the road to a Thai restaurant for their "set lunch". I can't tell you what was in it as I haven't eaten Thai before, but I had as much Star Anise on my plate as I used in cooking a feast for twelve last Christmas.
After lunch the parts had arrived so we then picked up another shire member and headed north.
Route 1 circles Iceland, and has a 6km long tunnel under Hvalfjorur that I really liked because it was mostly unlined. Concrete tunnels have much less character.
When we finally reached Akureyi we were lucky enough to spot a whale and her calf that are hanging around in the fjord (we stopped on the way back south on Monday but after a glimpse of a fin as we pulled over, there was no more sign).
We bypassed our venue for the weekend and went straight to Myvatn hot springs where we met the rest of the group.
Mynydd Gwyn needs a hot spring!
After a couple of hours we returned to the farm where we were based (and Mynydd Gwyn also needs a farm with workshops and room to hold events) and had the first of many excellent meals cooked by [Bad username: âsharikkamurâ] .
We made an early start with the main focus of the weekend - Armouring the Shire of Klakavirki. The whole purpose was to start the process of making armour, and make sure that the Shire had the skills to carry on and finish the making (and hopefully move on to more complex armour later) themselves.
We took the patterns that I'd brought out with me and adapted the sizing. Whilst some of the Shire cut out parts, others first filed the edges and then started bashing the metal for the elbows and knees.
By the end of the weekend we had elbows and knees for all in steel; plastic gorgets cut and shaped; plates for coats-of-plates, rerebraces and vambraces cut; solid basket hilts cut and some shaped; and one left handed full gauntlet made.
I hope that all this means that the Shire know how to cut and shape plastic and steel; how to set rivets; how to roll an edge; and how to make an articulated joint.
As a fun finish we also made a mace - and then beat up a poor defenceless barrel.
On Sunday afternoon I was taken for a bit of local sight-seeing on the way back to Akureyi. Actually the first sight was the waterfall at Godafoss which was in the opposite direction. I stayed with [Bad username: âsharikkamurâ] for a couple of hours at her flat, playing on her Wii console and eating hot rolls and good cheese. Martha was making some eyelet holes in her new cotehardie that she will have finished for Raglan this coming weekend. She then drove me back south to Reykjavik, to leave me with Hrafngunnur again for a final night's rest.
Hrafngunnur and Olafur Freyr took me out on Monday morning to Geysir and Gullfoss. Geysir is of course the site of the world famous waterspout from which all others get their name. Although the actual geysir called Geysir only spouts twice a day, so I didn't see it erupt, the surrounding ones were impressive enough for me. Gullfoss is another waterfall - the biggest that I've seen yet and very imposing. Also very wet! The spray creates a mist over the whole area. We didn't spend much time there as it was time to get me to Keflavik for my flight home.
I bought a fluffy seal for [Bad username: âblue_dormouseâ] at the airport and didn't have to wait or queue at all, but pretty much ambled through the aiport to the gate where my flight was just ready to board.
Another uneventfull flight, although with a fair amount of turbulence, and I got home to find that it had been "a bit damp" in the UK but I was home just before midnight.
And so back to work, and crazy rushing around preparing for Raglan.

Calling Klakavirki...

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:06:19 GMT

Helloooo Iceland (and Y-M who is somewhere on the Discworld).
The measurements for armour that you sent out were in a format that I couldn't open - even after threatening my computer with a big hammer - and the emails I've tried to send telling you this have bounced back to me. Can someone try resending in one of word, richtext, pdf, jpeg or html. Those are the ones I know I can open.

Going to Iceland

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:06:17 GMT

Yay! I have my ticket and I've just booked my airport parking - I did consider using public transport but it was: a. more expensive; b. less reliable and; c. if my flight was delayed, non-existant.
I will be spending a long weekend with the good people of Klakavirki, making armour (more people in armour means more fun all round).
As soon as all the folks needing armour get some measurements to me I will be drawing out some patterns to save time when I get there - I'm going to be taking the minimum of clothes and stuff so that I can take random armour making stuff.

3 things Meme

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:31:40 GMT

From A Bunch of Folk.

Post 3 things you've done in your lifetime that you don't think anybody else on your friends list has done.
See if anybody else responds with "I've done that."
Ask your friends do this in their journals to see what unique things they've done.

1) Rowed halfway across the Atlantic
2) Qualified as a "Master of Misery" in the Lyke Wake Club
3) Stood for Parliament

Laugh or cry...?

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:44:25 GMT

Joke from today's Daily Star (which I deliver to a customer):
"What's the difference between Mugabe's Zimbabwe and the European Union?
One of them is a repressive dictatorship that doesn't care about the views of its people, only maintaining its own power; and the other is a country in Africa."

Hooray and Booh!

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:17:36 GMT

Hooray to the Irish people who voted No in the referendum on ratifying the Lisbon Treaty.
Booh to the President of the European Commission (unelected), and to the British government, who immediately said that, despite it being their own rules, that this did not after all mean that the treaty could not be implemented.
(Of course our own government still doesn't believe it to BE a treaty, despite the cunningly concealed word "Treaty" on the cover.)

Do you have a lute habit?

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:50:51 GMT

Thanks to Lutr for posting this elsewhere.
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=tIkc1_zqaC8
Copy and paste the whole thing 'coz I'm computer illiterate.

Atlantic rowing

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:34:46 GMT

As previously posted by my darling wife, my brother has just completed his second Atlantic crossing by rowing boat. He and his rowing partner were raising money for "Sense" ( the Deaf-Blind charity). Pictures and how to donate are at www.atlanticrow4sense.com/docs/photo_album/index.php
Many thanks to those who've donated or followed his progress. This was a ridiculously tough crossing (even by the standards of ocean rowing)as the weather acted against its usual patterns and directions for most of their time at sea - ocean navigational charts are covered in little circles showing the expected wind strength and direction, by percentage of likelihood, for each given month. It is fair to say that they were dealing with single figure percentiles most of the way.
Many congratulations to Matt and Alan. It is now my Sister-in-law's turn to do something crazy/adventurous whilst Matt stays at home with the kids!

Physics funding

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:21:40 GMT

So the government have sent me an email, because I signed the online petition about physics funding, saying that the Commitee has met and decided, and that basically the opinion of lots of people has had no effect at all and that we are to become a science backwater...
The joy of Democracy in action.

Brother at sea.

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:09:55 GMT

My brother Matt has just left port to row the Atlantic again. He slipped his mooring at 12:15 G.M.T. and passed the breakwater 8 minutes later.
Full details at www.atlanticrow4sense.com/docs/daily_progress/positions_chart_all.php
updated 4 times a day.
Please consider donating to "Sense" the Deaf-blind charity; again details on the website.