Have you ever bought yarns online and found upon receiving them that the colours were significantly different to the reference picture? Happily, the most common reason for the visual discrepancy is one you have control over: the calibration of your monitor.

While the visual fidelity of computer and television displays has dramatically increased in the past few years, one thing remains unchanged: the default settings for a variety of LCD/LED screens are not optimized for the viewing of images (specifically, the accurate rendering of colour).

In order to fix this shortcoming, you need to calibrate your screen. Right, so you're about to get really techy now, I hear you thinking? No! Luckily, both the Windows and Macintosh (Linux, too, but its users are invariably tech savvy) operating systems contain calibration tools that are easy to use:

Windows: Calibrate Display Color
- To access, go to Control Panel > System and Security > Display (or press Windows key + R, then type 'DCCW.exe' into the 'Run' box).
Mac: Display Calibrator Assistant
- To access, go to System Preferences > Displays > Color.

One thing, though: for the best result, ensure that your monitor is set to its native display resolution - often 1360x768 (laptops) or 1920x1080 (desktops) - before running the calibration tool. Also, some recommended that it's better to run the tool around 30 minutes after powering on your screen.

For an overall guide on PC and MAC screen calibration, see this helpful CNET article.

Tablet and smartphone displays cannot be calibrated. However, the IPS panels used by the major brands generally display colour more accurately than their computer counterparts. In some cases, fiddling with the brightness slider can make a difference. For example, with some displays the 100% setting makes yarns appear to be lighter than they actually are. You can get around this problem by setting it to 75% or thereabouts on some devices. One way of verifying that your tablet or smartphone is rendering colours adequately, is to compare and contrast a yarn image with one displayed on, say, a laptop screen you've just calibrated. If they look significantly different, try adjusting the tablet/smartphone's brightness setting until you reach parity with the calibrated display.

That's pretty much it - happy calibrating!

 

Japanese knitting books are my obsession. I didn't realise just how many of these things I had until we moved recently. Boxes and boxes later, I finally came to the conclusion that I have a problem: I think all knitters know 'that' feeling!  But I admit it's a good problem to have.  These books are SO worth the post-move backache; I look through them regularly and they never get 'old'.  So, today, I thought I would share with you 10 reasons why I think these books are the bees knees.

 

1.

The first thing that always takes my breath away is the photography.  Every Japanese knitting book that I have ever seen has beautiful photos, with simple yet stylish backdrops. Their use of light and props gives such a fresh modern look; it's total eye candy and very inspirational.

 

2.

The second thing is the styling. I love perusing the outfits and the way the knitwear is incorporated into a 'look'.  If you're ever after ideas about how to wear your knitwear, check out these books - they are full of inspiration.

 

3.

The layout of these books is always so pleasing: simple yet organised, making them easy to navigate.

 

4.

Oh, and let's not forget about the knitwear!  Interesting design elements, style, stitch patterns - makes you want to knit EVERYTHING!

 

 

5.

Crochet is featured heavily in these books; usually there is an equal number of knitted and crochet items. There are always beautiful garments, shawls and cowls which will make you want to get out the crochet hook and cast on!

 

6.

Each book has its own self-contained instruction section, which is usually located at the back of the book. There are LOTS of detailed diagrams showing you how to do all the stitches mentioned in each pattern, as well as special technique diagrams.

 

8.

Unlike the western use of written instructions, the Japanese use symbols and graphs for all of their knitting and crochet patterns. This means that their patterns can be read universally with no language barriers.

 

9.

There are always lots of detailed schematics which provide a wealth of information about size and shape.  It's also very handy if you need to make pattern alterations.

 

10.

There is a HUGE variety of these pattern books available: basic knitting, fair Isle, cables, children, babies, men, blankets, slippers, amigurumi - the list goes on. There's also fabulous stitch dictionaries for both knitting and crochet.

 

So, if you haven't yet discovered the wonderful world of Japanese knitting books, here's where you can find them! 

• Japanese Amazon (you can search in English).
• YesAsia - great shipping rates if you live in Australia.
• Kinokuniya - both online and in store.
• Etsy - I highly recommend Pomadour's Craft Cafe

(I have found that it is easier if you have a book's ISBN number when searching amazon.jp and YesAsia.)

And, if you want more information about how to read Japanese knitting and crochet patterns, check out these links:

• Knitty
• Dancingbarefoot blog
• ABCs of Knitting
• Knitting and Crochet Symbols and Video Guides (scroll to bottom of page for links) from Pierrot Yarns.

Plus if you're keen to tackle a Japanese knitting or crochet patterns, I highly recommend these two books, both of which cover all stitches and symbols that you will find in a Japanese pattern:

• Clear and Simple Knitting Symbols (ISBN 978-4-529-02413-6)
• Clear and Simple Crochet Symbols (ISBN 978-4-529-02412-9)

Happy knitting!

 

We are absolutely delighted to be a part of the Curious Handmade Summertide Mystery KAL!  Over the past week we have been having lots of fun putting together colour combinations for this two-coloured shawl, and have finally settled on a group of 12 colourways that will mix'n'match perfectly together. 

 

 

Now for the fun part, colour combinations!  Here are a few ideas and, if you need help deciding on a colour combination, then feel free to contact us.


1. Boho

 

2. Bold and Bright

3. Chic

 

4. Chilled Out

 

5. Minimal

 

6. Natural

 

7. Romantic

 

8. Touch Of Whimsy

 

These colourways are now available for pre-order on Top Draw Sock - check them out over on the shop.  This shawl calls for two skeins in two different colours, so pick two that you love and you're ready to cast on!  Orders will ship the week beginning September 7.  The Summertide Shawl MKAL pattern goes on sale September 1, and the first clue will be released  September 10.  For more information about the Summertide Shawl MKAL, head on over to the Curious Handmade blog.

You may have noticed above new colours, that's because we have just released our new season colourways!  You can now see all of our new colourways over on the website.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

This week, we are testing out a new update format that we think is better tailored to suit you! Here’s how it’s going to work:

• We will be adding three yarn bases to the shop.
• Using a drop-down menu, you will be able to choose the colourway/s YOU want. We have pre-selected 18 colourways that can be dyed onto any of the three yarn bases.
• Your yarns will be dyed up and shipped to you by September 3.

The yarn bases offered for this update will be:

    

• Uptown Sock
• BFL Sock - 150g skeins
• New!! Voyage DK

Colourways offered for this update will include:

• Caramel
• Early Morning Mist
• Ghost
• Highlands
• Hot Mess
• Ice On The Windowpane
• In The Navy
• Lovey Dove
• Majestic
• Milky Way
• Penny Arcade
• Perfect Day
• Smokestack Lightning
• Thistle
• True Love
• Whisper
• Wintertide
• Wood Smoke

Yarns will be available in store for pre-order from Wednesday 26th August at 12pm AEST until Monday 4th September (unless sold out before).

If you have a certain colourway or yarn that you want to see included in a future update, please head on over to our Ravelry group and tell us in the ’Wish List’ thread. We will try very hard to see that all requests are met.

 

ALL NEW VOYAGE DK

We are welcoming a brand new yarn to the shop this week called Voyage: a super soft DK yarn that knits up to produce a wonderful, cushy fabric with great stitch definition. Here are the specs:

100% Superwash Merino
230 yards/210 metres in 100g
5-6 sts / inch on 3.75-4.5mm or US 5-7
Gentle machine wash in cold water
Price: $29 AUD

Voyage is available in this week’s pre-order update!

 

 

Reading variegated colourways is a handy skill to have. Firstly, it enables you to plan which project will suit a particular yarn more effectively.  Secondly, there will be no nasty surprises like unexpected pooling, because you would have known in advance to alternate skeins. Predicting what a variegated yarn will look like when knit up, however, is easier than it sounds. Basically, it all comes down to dye techniques and knowing - just by looking at a skein of yarn - which method the dyer has used. Once you learn how to identify these dye techniques, reading colourways will become a breeze. 

 

Long-Repeat Colourways

 

These type of colourways are made up of long repeats of colour that have been placed systematically by the dyer. You can see in the picture above that there are long blocks of colour. When the skein is unwound, the colour blocks become even more obvious:

 

 

These type of colourways will stripe, pool and flash (unless you decide to alternate skeins!).  Here's an example of what these colourways look like when knitted up:

 

Randomly dyed Colourways

 

Speckled and blotchy, these type of colourways have had dyes randomly applied. You won't find long blocks of colour, only short spots and speckles here and there in random places. These colourways are easily identified in a skein, and here is what the above looks like unwound:

 

 

Unlike the long-colour repeat yarns, these ones will knit up to produce a fabric that is speckled with colour. The random placement of colours actually prevent striping, flashing and pooling from occurring in knitted fabric; instead, colours will distribute evenly across the knitted piece. Here's an example of a randomly dyed colourway knit up:

 

 

Still unsure which colourway you have? Read on!

Sometimes reading variegated colourways can be difficult, particularly if you're looking at a skein of yarn that has been rewound. Some dyers like to rewind their skeins, a process which breaks up colour blocks, making it difficult to determine what type of colourway it is. There is a simple solution, however: wind the skein into a cake using a ball winder, and long-repeat colourways will form a pattern similar to this:

 

 

You can see there are areas of yellow and areas of grey, and that the colours have pooled together in the cake. If this happens, you know it's a long-colour repeat yarn. 

On the other hand, random-dyed colours look like this when caked:

 

 

Lots of random colour, but no colour pooling.

 

Now some homework! 

1. Find some variegated yarn in your stash.
2. Determine which dye technique was used.
3. Make a prediction of how it will knit up. 
4. Cake up your yarn and cast on - let me know your results :)

 

Until next week, happy knitting!

 

 

This week, we are welcoming a new yarn to our shop!  MCN DK is a super soft, cushy yarn that knits up to produce a warm, snug fabric with wonderful stitch definition. The addition of cashmere adds a touch of luxury, while the Superwash DK and Nylon makes this yarn ideal for easy to care for items. We are completely in love with the versatility of this yarn, and here are a few patterns that would suit it perfectly:

 

French Cancan by Mademoiselle C

 

The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower Yarn (free pattern)

 

A Grey Loop by Helen G (free pattern)

 

Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig

 

Surry Hills by Maria Magnusson (Olsson) (free)

 

Campside Cardi by Alicia Plummer

 

Asheville Boot Liners by Pam Powers

 

Hinagiku Hat by 87knit (free)

In this week's update, we have chosen a mix of speckled and semi-solid colourways, which are perfect for showing off texture and lace. Colourways include:

• Ice On The Windowpane
• Whisper
• Wood Smoke
• Wintertide
• Majestic
• Ghost

MCN DK is priced at $31 AUD and is currently in store and ready to ship. There are limited amounts available, so be quick!

Happy knitting!

Many of us are drawn to variegated yarn: it's fun, colourful and looks wonderful in a skein. However, what do you knit with it? Finding patterns that will play nicely with variegated yarn can be daunting, but there are a few stitch patterns and techniques I'm going to share with you today that actually compliment variegated colours. Once you know what these are, you should have no trouble finding patterns for those beautiful skeins of variegated yarn that you have in your stash.

Look For Patterns With Small Lace Repeats.

You might think that combining variegated yarn with a lace pattern is a no no, but this is not true!  Small lace and eyelet patterns that are repeated over and over look great with variegated yarns. Here are a few examples:

 

Brickless by Martina Behm

 

 Monkey by Cookie A

 

Baby Chalice Blanket by Karen S. Lauger

 

Wave by Kristen Finlay

 

Slipped Stitches And Variegated Yarns Are A Match Made In Heaven

It's true! The technique of slipping stitches actually alters the progression of colours, which in turn mixes them around. So next time your looking for a pattern to go with your variegated yarn, look for one that incorporates this technique. Here's some examples:

Bryter by Justyna Lorkowska

 

Caulfield by Amy Herzog

 

Scylla by Fiona Bennett

 

Field of Wildflowers by Joji Locatelli

Add Some Texture

Textured stitch patterns work in a similar way to slipped stitches, in that they alter the colour progression of variegated yarns.  Seed stitch, bobbles, textured patterns or cables over reverse stockinette stitch - even garter stitch - really show off variegated colour. Here are some examples:

Nelumbo by Asja Janeczek

 

Broken Seed Stitch Socks by handepande

 

Glitter by Ela Torrente

 

Prim Cardigan by Katya Frankel

Combine with a Semi-Solid/Solid Colour

Variegated yarns look fantastic when used together with semi-solid and solid colours in both colourwork or striped patterns.  The semi-solid/solid yarn helps to break up the variegated colour into smaller pieces; this approach can be really effective when used with fair-isle patterns. All you need to do is find a semi-solid/solid colour that contrasts well against the variegated yarn. Here are some examples:

Great Divide Shawl by Michele Brown

 

Marvelous Mitts by karendipity

Choose a simple design and let the yarn speak

There are so many simple patterns out there that are perfect for letting the yarn take centre stage. Choose a plain stockinette or garter-stitch pattern (if you don't like pooling make sure you alternate skeins) and wear your variegated yarn with pride!

Need some inspiration?  Check out what others have knit using variegated yarn over on Ravelry.

If you enjoyed this post please let me know in the comments below or, if you have some pattern suggestions for variegated yarn, I would love to hear them.

Until next week, happy knitting!

 

Today we released our newest pattern, Shearwater. Designed to use only one skein of Top Draw Sock, Shearwater features short row-shaping, relaxing garter stitch and a very simple and eye-catching lace border. The result is a light, crescent-shaped shawl that is perfect for summer. 

 

 

Quick and easy to knit, Shearwater is available now as a free Ravelry download.

Need some Top Draw Sock? Look no further. We have dyed up nineteen colourways that would be perfect for the Shearwater shawl.  All yarns are in stock. Simply select your favorite, download the pattern and, voila, your next summer shawl is ready to go!

 

This week, Paul provides an interesting summary of the economic and political importance of textile production in medieval England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands - hope you enjoy!

Part 2 – Wool and Warfare

In the 1330s, wool’s status as a crucially important economic commodity was highlighted by King Edward III (r. 1327-77) of England’s negotiations with the county of Flanders (north-western France, Belgium, and part of the Netherlands), where the great wealth of its merchants was based on the large-scale production of cloth. The demand for this commodity reflected a change in the sartorial tastes of well-to-do Continental Europeans: in the second half of the twelfth century, the preference for coats fashioned from linen was replaced by the desire for more elegant ones made from wool, and the Flemish capitalized on this new demand with aplomb. As industry in Flanders was primarily focused on textiles, it was weak in other vital areas: most importantly food, for which the Flemish – subjects of the French crown – relied heavily on imports from France. Another critical import on which the Flemish relied was English wool, which was generally sold to them by Italian and French middlemen. Accordingly, when King Edward III’s unsuccessful bid for the French throne was followed by a campaign to seize it by force (1337), the Flemish found themselves in a particularly difficult situation. In addition to requiring continental allies against the powerful French kingdom, Edward knew that war could not be financed without the upkeep of the lucrative wool export trade, on which both he and his predecessors had imposed onerous, unpopular taxes when preparing earlier military campaigns (discussed below). If the wealthy towns and cities of Flanders chose to support the French side in the coming war, the royal coffers would suffer a debilitating blow. Eager to prevent this from happening, Edward attempted to force Count Louis I of Flanders to support the English side in the impending war by embargoing exports of wool to the Flemish in August 1336. Unsurprisingly the embargo was not well received; indeed, English merchants were imprisoned at Bruges in the following month. Nevertheless, faced with an unyielding threat to their economic livelihood, the Flemish finally decided to throw their lot in with the English kingdom, choosing to do so formally by recognizing Edward as King of France at Ghent in 1340. While they benefited from the alliance in the short term, ultimately the decision proved to be a fatal one. Not only did the French eventually gain the upper hand in the so-called ‘Hundred Years War’ (1337-1453) – lasting 116 years in total, it was actually a series of wars punctuated by truces – but the English had by the close of the fifteenth century supplanted the traditional Flemish stranglehold over cloth production and exports.

Pastoral scene from a mid-thirteenth century French Bible.

Equally interesting is how wool came to be such a vital part of the kingdom of England’s economy after the Norman conquest. As mentioned in the previous post, in the 1080s William the Conqueror had royal assessors itemize much of his new kingdom’s possessions, who collated their findings in what later became known as ‘Domesday Book’. As is clear in this monumental work, the most important animals in the kingdom, at times comprising up to 75% of a given region’s total number of livestock, were sheep. The situation was much the same in later centuries and, even in those regions where wool was relatively less important, it is evident from both written and archaeological evidence that up to 50% of livestock on the various manors and farms consisted of sheep (the other primary animals being cattle and pigs). In addition to being important for their milk, sheep were naturally valued for what could be sheared from their bodies. Luckily for the kingdom, at the same time sheep-rearing increased, so too did the demand for wool. Flanders became increasingly connected to England when William the Conqueror became king, for Queen Matilda (d. 1083) was the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders, and present among the troops who defeated Harold Godwinson’s force at Hastings were cavalrymen from the region led by Count Eustace II of Boulogne (who was granted much land by William in return for the support). It was in the same century that the Flemish invented broadcloth and, by the second half of the following one, the symbiotic relationship between the Flemish and English economies had become entrenched. As more and more factories appeared in the principal industrial centres at Ypres, Ghent, and Bruges, the demand for English wool increased exponentially. The English wool industry was up to the task. By the early 1300s an astonishing 40,000 sacks of wool, gathered from around ten million sheep, were exported per year.

 

...the most important animals in the kingdom, at times comprising up to 75% of a given region’s total number of livestock, were sheep.

 

Isaac van Swanenburg's 1595 depiction of Dutch textile workers.

What is perhaps most interesting about the wool industry in medieval western Europe, is its international and interdependent nature. Prior to the fifteenth century, when all stages of wool and cloth production – washing, spinning, carding, combing, weaving, felting, dyeing, and selling – were handled in the kingdom of England, almost all of these processes were taken care of by the Flemish and Italians. The latter, already noted for the buying and selling of English wool, also played a part in the dyeing process. While both Italian and French merchants were known to supply the Flemish with a sizable proportion of their dyes, some uncoloured cloth was taken to Florence, dyed, and thereafter sold in other Mediterranean markets. While the reliance on foreigners might seem at first sight to expose a weakness of the earlier English wool industry, and the slow but sure rise to pre-eminence in the production of cloth to be a triumph over that weakness, the fact remains that a great deal of money was earned from simply selling the unprocessed wool to foreign merchants. A case in point is the tax imposed by King Edward I (r. 1274-1307) in 1294. Known as the maltolt (French for ‘bad tax’) – like their Norman predecessors, the Plantagenet kings of England were from France – Edward I used the proceeds to fund an expensive campaign known to historians as the Anglo-French War (1294-8, 1300-3). Wool exports were already subject to customs duties (6 shillings, 8 pence), but the maltolt added an extra level of taxation fixed at 40 shillings per sack of wool. Given the large-scale output of wool exports, this extra layer of taxation substantially increased Edward’s war chest which, importantly, needed to be of substantial size owing to the reliance on paid troops (the same applies to the ‘Hundred Years War’).

 

By the early 1300s an astonishing 40,000 sacks of wool, gathered from around ten million sheep, were exported per year.

 

Wool, then, was clearly an important commodity in medieval western Europe, and its social, economic, and political value, especially in regard to Flanders and Plantagenet England, cannot be exaggerated.

Church of Our Lady, Bruges. Built during the age of textile-fueled prosperity.

Further Reading
- David Nicholas, Medieval Flanders, London, 1992.

- Edmund King, Medieval England: From Hastings to Bosworth, Stroud, 1998.

- Robert Bartlett, England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225, Oxford, 2000.

- The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England, ed. Nigel Saul, Oxford, 2001.

- Maurice Keen, England in the Later Middle Ages, 2nd edition, London, 2003.

All images derive from Wikimedia Commons.

About the author
Dr Paul Brown specializes in ancient and medieval history, and is particularly interested in culture, language, and warfare. In addition to writing scholarly articles and chapters, his first book, Mercenaries to Conquerors: Norman Warfare in the Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Mediterranean, will be published in 2016 by Pen & Sword Books.

 

This week I am very excited to introduce a new series of blog posts written by the historian Dr Paul Brown, called 'Fibre Through the Ages'. This series will focus on the history of wool and silk, and the cultural and economic importance of these commodities. The series begins with the eleventh-century Bayeux Tapestry - hope you enjoy!

Part 1 – The Bayeux Tapestry

What is it?
Completed during the 1070s, the famous tapestry is actually misnamed: as it is not woven but stitched, it is an embroidery. In the late fifteenth century the work was thought to commemorate the Norman conquest of England and, while it certainly features a depiction of the famous battle at Hastings (14 October 1066), the embroidery’s aim was to educate its viewers about the dangers of perjury. According to the surviving, largely pro-Norman historical tradition, the Anglo-Saxon earl of Wessex Harold Godwinson swore an oath at Bayeux (Normandy, France) to support the accession of Duke William II of Normandy to the throne of England. The duke, better known as William ‘the Conqueror’, had been promised the succession by the childless King Edward the Confessor (r. 1042-66), whose mother Emma was William’s great aunt. Harold’s oath was both of secular and religious importance: not only did he become William’s vassal, but he swore his oath of fidelitas figuratively in the presence of God – that is, by placing his hands on reliquaries (vessels housing the bones of saints) during the public ceremony. Accordingly, when Harold violated this oath by having himself acclaimed king upon Edward’s death in January 1066, he was held to have violated both human and divine law. Transgressions of this nature were regarded to be serious indeed, and accordingly William’s subsequent invasion of England was supported by various European rulers and by Pope Alexander II. The embroidery was almost certainly commissioned by William’s half-brother Odo who, among other things, was bishop of Bayeux. As Bayeux’s refurbished cathedral was dedicated on 14 July 1077, it is likely that Odo intended the embroidery to be hung in the church’s central area (nave). This was certainly the practice until as late as 1773, the year in which the ‘tapestry’ was noted to have adorned the nave from St John’s Day (24 June) until the traditional date of the cathedral’s (re)dedication (14 July). So, while the embroidery certainly glorified the Norman conquest of England, its intention was to impart a religious message rather than a historical one. In Old Testament fashion, effectively the Normans were chosen by God to punish the perjurer Harold Godwinson, who paid for such sinful behaviour with his life (Scene 57).

 

... the famous tapestry is actually misnamed: as it is not woven but stitched, it is an embroidery.

 

Scene 23: ‘Where [Bayeux] Harold made an oath to Duke William’.

 

Who produced it?
There are various theories regarding the origin of the embroidery, but the most convincing one is that it was created in the county of Kent; more precisely at the abbey of St Augustine in Canterbury. Firstly, in addition to being the bishop of Bayeux, Odo was earl of Kent, the south-eastern region of England well known for the skill of its seamstresses. In addition, the Latin captions feature various Anglicized spellings, and there are also certain inaccuracies depicted throughout the work: e.g. Anglo-Saxon infantry wore chainmail leggings, not Norman cavalrymen as the artisans would have us believe. Lastly, two of the most significant sections of the embroidery (Scenes 30 & 57) that portray the coronation and death of Harold, label him as rex (‘king’). This is a particularly important anomaly, for as the famous catalogue (Domesday Book, 1086) of King William’s territories in the kingdom of England made clear: William, not Harold, was Edward the Confessor’s legitimate successor, a claim reinforced by contemporary historians who variously referred to Harold as a perjurer or tyrannus (most notably by the Conqueror’s classically educated chaplain, William of Poitiers).

 

There are various theories regarding the origin of the embroidery, but the most convincing one is that it was created in the county of Kent; more precisely at the abbey of St Augustine in Canterbury.

 

Scene 54: Odo of Bayeux rallying fleeing cavalrymen at the Battle of Hastings.

 

How was the embroidery made?
The skilled embroiderers stitched the various scenes onto nine pieces of linen of varying degrees of length, and impressively the seams joining these sections together are quite literally seamless. Presumably to reinforce the 64m-long (211ft) embroidery, in 1724 it was affixed to an additional linen backing. Probably in the same century, numerals were added to delineate between the various scenes, a system still in use by historians. Given the remarkable vibrancy of the embroidery to this day, clearly only the best quality wool and dyes were used in its production. As will be related in a future blog post, England was well known for the production of premium quality wool. The dyes were probably made from vegetable extracts, and eight distinct colours have been identified. To use the words of eminent French scholar Lucien Musset, the colours used were ‘red, two shades of yellow, two of green, and three of blue (one of them almost black)’. As Musset further relates, two types of stitches have been detected: stem stitching for both the outlines and Latin captions, and the couched or laid stitch for everything else. There are also some sections featuring the chain stitch, but they are the product of modern restorative work. Although there is no evidence for the use of tracing on the original linen sections, it is feasible that the seamstresses used a smaller version as a guide, or perhaps a painting or sketch.

The dyes were probably made from vegetable extracts, and eight distinct colours have been identified.

 

Scene 6: Harold Godwinson; note stem (outline) and couched stitches (interior).

Further Reading
- The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers, ed. & trans. R.H.C. Davis & M. Chibnall, Oxford, 1998.

- R. Allen Brown, The Norman Conquest of England: Sources and Documents, Woodbridge, 1995.

- E. van Houts, The Normans in Europe, Manchester, 2000.

- L. Musset, The Bayeux Tapestry, trans. R. Rex, Woodbridge, 2005.

- M. Chibnall, The Normans, Oxford, 2006.

All images derive from Wikimedia Commons.

About the author
Dr Paul Brown specializes in ancient and medieval history, and is particularly interested in culture, language, and warfare. In addition to writing scholarly articles and chapters, his first book, Mercenaries to Conquerors: Norman Warfare in the Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Mediterranean, will be published in 2016 by Pen & Sword Books.

 

We all know how wonderful wool is to work with and to wear, but did you know that wool also has natural UV protection or that it has anti-bacterial properties?  This week we'll be looking at seven wondrous properties of wool, which I'm sure will make you love it even more.

 

#1. Wool has natural UV protection

Sheep wool has a natural UV protection factor of up to 30+!  Wool naturally absorbs the suns UV rays before it can make contact with your skin; by wearing wool you will be protected against the sun harmful rays.

 

#2. Wool has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties

The thin waxy coating of wool fibre contains fatty acids that inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.  The same coating repels water that can cause mildew and mold to grow. This means that woolen items do not need regular washing and will smell fresh after repeated use, unlike synthetic fibres.

 

#3.  Wool is stain resistant

The waxy outer coating of wool helps to repel liquids, meaning if you spill anything on your knitwear it is most likely to roll off, and what is left is easily wiped off. 

 

#4. Wool is easy to care for

It's a well known fact that woolen items do not need regular washing. Bacteria causing odour is naturally inhibited by fatty acids that coat wool fibre. Static, which attracts lint, dirt and dust, is also inhibited by this waxy coating. The scaly surface area of fibre acts to block dirt and stains from being absorbed. Instead, particles sit on top which means they are much easier to remove.

 

#5. Keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer

Wool is renowned for its ability to regulate body temperature. In the winter, wool’s insulating qualities trap dry air and warmth near the skin. Wool's natural insulating quality and its ability to shed water results in a fabric that keeps the body warm, even when it's raining. In the summer, wool’s coil-like shape pulls excess heat and moisture from your skin, helping the wearer to stay cooler. 

 

#6. Insulates even when wet

The inner core of wool fibers can absorb just under half of its own weight in moisture. Not until wool is saturated with 60% of its own weight will it feel wet to the touch. Since it retains 80% of its insulating value even when saturated, wool will keep you warm even when wet. This fact reminds me of the Gansey fisherman sweaters, which I'm sure have saved many lives.

 

#7. Wool is durable

Wool can withstand being bent 20,000 times without breaking. In comparison, cotton breaks after 3,000 bends, silk after 2,000, and rayon can only be bent 75 times without breaking. Its natural elasticity means that the fibres are less likely to break, and fabric made from wool less likely to tear. The ability of wool to "spring back" into shape, means that woolen garments tend to retain their shape better than garments made from other fibres.

 

 

 

There are so many places to source inspiration for colour combinations, whether it be online, in print or from the surrounding environment. You'll be surprised to find that if you start consciously looking, you'll begin to see colour palettes everywhere.  In today's post, we'll be exploring some of the places you can go to find colour inspiration.

 

Online

The World Wide Web - what a fantastic source of information and inspiration!  There are so many websites dedicated to colour; it's hard to narrow them down to a few. But here are some of my favorites.

Design Seeds

A fantastic resource for colour combinations, Design Seeds uses photos to create colour palettes.

 

COLOURlovers

Browse thousands of colour palettes or create your own!  COLOURlovers also helps you keep up with colour trends, plus they have a great blog.

 

Adobe Colour Wheel

Adobe Colour Wheel is a fantastic online tool for creating colour palettes.

 

Pinterest

Create a colour mood board and pin pictures that you love onto it. You can then refer to it later when looking for colour inspiration.

 

Print Media

Magazines are a fantastic source of colour inspiration: I find fashion, lifestyle and design magazines are particularly good for finding colour inspiration. Here are a few of my favourites.

       

 

Surrounding Environment

Whether you live in the country, by the sea or in the middle of a bustling city, the environment that surrounds you is packed full of colour inspiration. From nature to man-made structures, photograph whatever catches your eye and use the resulting images for colour palette inspiration. There are online colour palette generators that can help you to create colour swatches from your images (like Pictaculous), or use imaging editing software like Photoshop to make your own.

And don't forget to share them with others through social sites like Pinterest, Instagram or Tumblr.

 

To Sum it all up

• Search for colour inspiration online via websites and social sites.
• Find loads of inspiring colour ideas through magazines and other print media.
• Look around where you live for colour swatch ideas; keep a record of them by taking pictures and creating swatches.

And that is the end of our series!  As always, if you've found this post or the series useful, please be sure to let me know in the comments below, and feel free to share it with your fibre-loving friends.