I hate the Documentation...

[mightyjesse]

Project: Tabby Woven Wool fabric with Z-spun warp (commercial) and weft (hand spun) representative of fabric found in London during 1300-1400 CE.

This project was two-fold in that it represents 2 separate skill sets that I have learned for the purpose of enriching my re-enactment experience: Spinning wool yarn using a spinning wheel, and weaving fabric.

The specific techniques that I used to reproduce the end product are not representative of the technology commonly used during that period in England (Mostly due to space restrictions.), however the resulting product is still quite similar to what would have been available.

For this project, I made use of an Ashford Kiwi double treadle spinning wheel to produce skeins of 2-ply z-spun wool yarn which was used as the weft of the finished weaving project. Pictures seen in the Luttrell Psalter demonstrate that the spinning wheel was in use during this period, but it was the great/walking wheel that was being used and not the treadled variety that was used for this project. It should be noted that spinning wheels didn’t come into common usage until 1600 or so when the treadle/flyer were invented, because of noted quality issues in the finished yarns produced by walking wheels. (Crowfoot et al. p. 17) What I am able to produce on my double treadle spinning wheel is closer in quality to what would have been produced by hand with the use of a drop spindle; however I am able to produce fiber at a rate that is approximately 4 times faster than that which can be produced with a drop spindle. The speed advantage was duly appreciated, as spinning is not my full time job.



ABOVE: Image of a woman at her spinning wheel as depicted in the Luttrell Psalter, c 1340.

To produce the fabric, I made use of an Ashford Rigid Heddle loom. By the 1300-1400’s a version of the treadled floor loom was already being used for the mass production of woolen fabric (Crowfoot et al. p. 22) as can be seen in this image from the Egerton Genesis Picture Book, which was published c. 1360. While the rigid heddle/frame loom was known and used, it was generally utilized for making smaller projects such as trim. Although the mechanisms involved in creating sheds are different when using a treadled loom versus a rigid heddle loom, the overall process of weaving is the same, and the final product of one method is virtually indistinguishable from that of the other. For my purposes, despite the fact that it is more awkward to use for yardage weaving, the rigid heddle loom has a much simpler design in addition to being more compact. Differences which are somewhat more ideal for my budget and living space.



ABOVE: Naamah, the daughter of Lamech and Stella, working at her loom. Image taken from Egerton Genesis Picture Book. Originally published/produced in England; circa 1360.

While z-spun wool used for both warp and weft was not the common practice of the era that I am attempting to replicate (1300-1400), it was certainly in use during that time. Far more common was the use of an s-spun warp with z-spun weft; however, I chose to use a commercially produced z-spun wool for the warp of my project. This was my first attempt at warping a loom, so having a nice, even yarn helped to reduce frustration and errors. S-spun yarn is difficult to come by in the modern era, thus my project is of the less frequently seen z-spun warp with z-spun weft variety. All of the weft yarn was spun by my hand as a 2-ply, z-spun wool yarn as documented above. The highlighted portions of the table below represent the weave and spinning type applicable to this project. Here you can the frequency of usage of various spinning and weaving techniques as seen in pieces of woolen textiles excavated in London during various periods.



Finally, I leave you with some photographs of extant textiles that were excavated in London that are representative of the weave and style that I was attempting to reproduce.

[Insert pictures not yet scanned.]

References:

Crowfoot, et al. 1992, 2001, Medieval Finds from Excavations in London: 4, Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450, London. p17-76
Egerton Genesis Picture Book, c. 1360, England.
Luttrell Psalter c. 1325-1335, England.

Shoot me now. Discuss.

Comments

[rustmon.livejournal.com]

woot. coolness. I don't know, I understood it...

[mightyjesse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the encouragement. I feel like such a n00b trying to write this stuff... Somehow I don't feel nearly as intelligent in writing these little ditties as I did writing them when I was in college (Usually on 30 minutes sleep, 45 minutes before class.), and I was an A grade Engrish Major, for pete's sake.

[valkyr8.livejournal.com]

I think that looks pretty good. I was going to comment that you should site the source in the text (with use of a footnote or other method) when you state facts from the time period. However considering that there is only one source used for your documentation one could assume that your information is coming from that source. Someone might comment that you should site the page, but I think you are fine.

You've clearly identified what you were trying to make, where it is from, what technique it uses and the time period. You've described your steps in making this, what tools you have used, what changes you have made and why. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the documentation with the weaving types and the finished work.

I think you have done a good job!

[mightyjesse.livejournal.com]

Bah, I was dislexic and got the z-spun warp and s-spun weft backwards, and therefore my justification is crap. Further reading has provided equally valid justification from other sources, but now I will need to re-write...