*Moderators please delete if this change of address announcement is not appropriate* We have been busy Moving House over the last couple of months - Handmade HQ has moved to HEREFORDSHIRE . The website, email and mobile numbers remain the same - so our basic Contact Details haven't changed (except f...

Not sure whether they are on his website - an email direct to him would be best. He generally has the makings to hand, but sells them as soon as he makes them.

Try Richard at 6 of 1 http://www.6of1.biz/

He makes excellent authentic brushes.

btw Gunnister is a bit later than your period, but I originally posted because I thought it was useful to know that people did point knitted hose to their other clothes.

*I* don't know - it's what he was wearing when he was buried.
Not sure what you are finding so funny that you need to Lol

border reiver wrote:so that would mean extra pointing holes? or very long points, lol

Long coat.

For over the knee hose/stockings, try garters tied below or just above the knee, different people find different arrangements comfortable. For 'all the way up' stockings to wear with very short trunkhose, we've been experimenting with pointing the knitted stockings either to the garment or to anoth...

We have a variety of drop spindles: from reproductions cast off lead whorls, to ones made from potsherds, slate or stone, plus wood. Probably best if you call into the tent/stall and have a chat next time we are at an event. (We'll be at Rufford at the end of the month if that helps) Would be happy ...

Just to throw another button into the mix - the "Monmouth Cap" is always described as having a button on top. (It's not actually a button, more a knop of wool, but that's beside the point). Monmouth caps were often supplied to the military. Monmouth caps are also related / confused with Mo...

Shawl was the wrong word. Arisaid is better. Plaid belted round waist and drawn up over head. More a Highland style but Highlanders were expert reivers and came south to Falkirk Tryst etc. That would be fine (and thanks for the word Arisaid - I didn't know that was what they were called)- I just do...

If it's 1570s ish, then yes you could have a knitted bonnet - so long as it's fulled & dressed i.e. not just raw knitting. Shawls: afaik there's no evidence for knitted shawls at this date - certainly none turn up in the records of the Scottish knitting industry and I have no reason to suppose t...

If an archeologist found a piece of nalbinding they could well say, that's knitting, There have been a lot of pieces of fabric mis-identified over the years - that's one of the reasons why the history of knitting is shrouded in doubt & misinformation. But Knitting and nalbinding are Topological...

The best advice for moths has always been fresh air, sunshine, regular inspections/shaking/airing/hoovering. If you search around in "Make Do & Mend" archives from WWII there's a lot of advice because allowing clothes to get moth eaten was seen as unpatriotic. The advice they gave (as ...

Just checked my paperwork, time for a smug moment - I posted our form in August

I'm filling ours in now - just need to get the stamp for the SAE and it's good to go.

Thanks for all your hard work Hamster (and the rest of the team).

Hi there. This is the guy to talk to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Douggie-the-Wood/136389689767623 Or there are this couple: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonandHughsHandmadeThings?fref=ts Thanks for the recommendation Stitch, yes, we can definitely do something to suit you - have a look at our we...

We've had ours thanks Hamster.
Alison & Hugh's Handmade Things will be there!
Tewkes is always a high spot for us. Really looking forward to it.

Wool is naturally waterproof; it contains lanolin. Someone more knowledgable than me can tell you how well that lasts after it's turned into medieval cloth. You can make modern processed wool more waterproof using a wash-in water proofer. It's not just the lanolin. Wool is unusual in that it keeps ...

I didn't watch the drama but wonder whether the sentence is actually "My left hand is not my write hand". Children were often punished for writing with their left hand.

Now the ignorant bit, what are cotton wool pleats? Cotton wool is eithern sold in fluffy sheets which are pleated/folded to fit into a bag or as a collection of small balls loose in a bag. It's usually found in either the baby section or the cosmetic section of a chemists' shop If I take natural fl...

The earliest surviving one that I'm aware of is from Dura Europos, mid 3rd century AD. I think the jury is out on that still Matt? It's a bit flimsy for anything to help pad a helmet out I'd have thought, just being a knitted outer and thin felt inner? It certainly could fit under helmet although t...

I can get you some un-spun cotton fibres, but why not use either fleece or combed wool (both of which I already have in stock)?

Left Handed?

We sell traditional beeswax and turpentine polish which does an excellent job.

What sort of knitting are you looking for? When?If you can give me an idea of what sort of knitting you are looking for I can point you to more info but it's a huge subject and "the middle ages" is a long time period The MoL book certainly has a bit on knitting - but not a lot. There are s...

If you've used teasels to prepare wool then you were carding (the Latin name for teasel is Carduus - same etymology) even if you used the resulting thread for warp. I should have been a bit more specific in my earlier post - combing allows you to produce a worsted spun yarn which is suitable for war...

We also have some carders which might suit - . All of the early medieval (Saxon/Viking) combs I've seen are a lot more vicious-looking than that, handled lumps of wood with nails sticking out of them. I think teasels were used as well though, they're free. What you are describing are wool combs, no...

We have stone, slate, wood & potsherd spindles, all of which would be good for Viking - all have hand cleft ash spindles and we've had very good feedback from archaeologists who've seen them. We also have some carders which might suit - the card cloth is modern, but with handmade backs - we aim ...

A lot of people make their dough far too stiff - it needs to be slack enough to rise properly otherwise the bubbles can't expand. If you make it a bit wetter than you think you should have done initially, then knead it well it will probably be about right by the time it has proved a bit. As with man...

What sort of pipes?