"I'm Not Dead!"

It has been some time since I have written about my projects. Admittedly, I have been posting more on my SCA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.guyton), but since not everyone is a facebook fan, I will update here. (Long post incoming with lots of pics) 

In no particular order...

ALL THE SOCKS!!! I am always knitting socks. Its my favorite thing to knit. Here are some images of the ones I have completed. I think there were some I didn't photograph.

I did knit several other pairs as Christmas gifts for family members, but those I did not photograph sadly. I should have.

Next... A friend was elevated to the Order of the Pelican back in November. I was asked to make her a Pelican themed Byzantine collar.  I used silk and linen fabric, silk embroidery threads and many, many fresh water pearls.

She was very happy with it and it looked wonderful on her.
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I made and donated a small blank journal with an embroidered cover to a silent auction. I was very pleased with how it turned out and fetched a good price from the buyer. I used silk ground fabric and threads to embroider. Gold palions were used as well for embellishment. The flower came from a period binding that is housed in the British Library.

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Two friends, who are the baron's for their local SCA group, asked if I would make them hoods with their arms and the barony's arms on them. These are constructed of wool and linen. The arms were embroidered in silk and hand stitched on. They are modeled by my two sons as I had to mail these off to the recipient.

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 The date is eluding me, it was earlier in summer that I was asked if I could embroider two napkins for a gift basket that was being given to a set of visiting royals. I embroidered with cotton threads for durability onto cotton napkins.

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I bottled another batch of limoncello. I always have a batch steeping away.  My last batch I made some orangcello. I was sad it did not have the brighter orange color that the peels were but it was tasty.  (hubby started sampling a bottle before I was able to take the pictures)

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Another friend was elevated to the Order of the Laurel. She requested that friends embroider a leaf to be appliqued onto her elevation cloak. The leaf i embroidered is below executed in silk threads onto a wool leaf provided by the recipient.

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Lastly, was a modern geeky cross stitch. I have been cross stitching since I was 7 years old. A friend had this pattern and let me copy it so I could make this myself. I love it. I am planning on framing it and hanging it in my "She Shelter" (the basement is my crafting area that hubby appropriately named).  Love me some Doctor Who!

I will make a concerted effort to update this blog more often. It didn't help I was injured by faulty equipment at my job in June that had me on disability for three months (and then they "eliminated my position" and am now job hunting).  Thank you to everyone that reads my blog and gives me encouragement and inspiration.

Ciao!

DING!!!

So, for the past few weeks I have been working on a peerage cloak for a friend of mine who was given her writ at Birka in January. Last night at East Kingdom 50 Year, she was elevated to the Order of the Laurel and I can safely post the finished pictures of the finished cloak now.  I am so very pleased with how it came out. Sadly, the heat from the day forced me to leave early and I was unable to present the cloak myself and see her face when she saw it.  I found this picture of her wearing it online this morning.

Materials:

• Cloak is constructed of navy blue wool and golden linen
• All embroidery was done by hand in split stitch, blanket stitch, stem stitch and satin stitch with Splendor Silk embroidery threads on linen and then hand appliqued onto the cloak. 
• There is tablet woven trim that was made by a friend of hers in her shire. 
• 90% of the cloak was hand sewn except for the joining seam of lining to outer wool fabric. 
• She chose the design and style to span her two persona's. 

Mistress Christina Jenevra de Carvalhal

Order of the Silver Crescent

Order of the Maunche

Her device

East Kingdom Tiger

Full shot of embroidered laurel wreath trim down front of cloak. 48" long

Pelicans....again!!

I was asked to do some knitting and embroidery by a friend for a mutual friend. How could I say no??!! It's two of my favorite things to do!  But...there is a twist! :D My friend Mary Jo asked me to knit socks for our friend Patricia. One pair in her favorite colors, purple and green and one pair in the colors of the Order of the Pelican: red and ermine.  I asked my dyer to dye me up some pelican colored yarn and then I got to work.  Here are pictures of the socks..pretty self explanatory. They are superwash merino and nylon.

Afterwards, I started on the medallion embroidery she wanted me to do.  I used silk embroidery threads on white linen base.  She wanted it small, so I made it small. I am fairly certain this is the smalled Pelican I have ever made in any medium.

Since her favorite colors are purple and green, I incorporated them into the medallion. It was turned into a pin by Mary Jo and given to her this past weekend, along with the socks, when Patricia was elevated. 

The twist to this is, Mary Jo didn't know she was being elevated to the Order of the Pelican as well. So I made her a pair of the red/ermine colored socks as well. It was a tearful wonderfully happy time and I am glad to see two friends honored and could...wait for it.... SOCK IT TO EM!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!  I slay myself!

Well, onto the next project!!!

New Projects! SQUEEEE!!

New projects always excite me! I have three on my plate right now..two have no deadline. One is a commissioned book for a friend's elevation. He was given a writ so he is aware of the impending honor.  I am currently doing research on that project. Im contemplating embroidering a scene on one half of the cover, in a similar manner as the alms purses were done (pictured below is an example that is housed at the Met in NYC). More on that when I have a more concrete design.

My other projects are a blackwork set of cuffs and collar for a friend, per her request. Ive started one here. I am going over four spaces because over two on the fabric she provided would make me blind. Im fast approaching that with age so I dont want to hurry it along. ;)

I am using Splendor twisted black silk, one strand, over four as I said. I like how it is coming out.


My other project is a norm...a pair of socks. This is great for me to have at work for when its slow or if I have a particularly chatty client, which is quite often when you work in the antiques market.

This yarn is a 75/25 Superwash merino wool/nylon blend, fingering weight.   I figured with Christmas coming, a few handmade presents for family and close friends is in order...and I do so love to knit.

Well, back to work!