As archaeologists uncovered bog bodies in Northern Europe dating to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, there was quite a variety of clothing found on the bodies, often very well preserved. Evidence of woolen garments was widespread, along with animal hides and plant fibres such as linen. The acidic bog environment presents a preservation bias …
Category: Celtic Weaving
Bog Coat
I have been looking forward to making a bog coat for a long time! It feels like the ultimate combination of archaeology and weaving, and in the aim of making a useful piece of clothing. In fact I think I may make another different bog coat next month - I have a couple of blankets …
Sprang
The word Sprang is originally from the Swedish language (meaning to spring or jump) and it refers to a unique kind of textile. It’s neither weaving nor netting - it’s more like a type of braid. Sprang is created when warp threads are systematically twisted around one another, and as a result looks a bit …
The ancient (and modern) practice of sharing yourself through craft
Anthropologists and archaeologists are often interested in how research from a related field can bring new insight, especially on the level of theory. And this has come home to me in the past few weeks while I’ve been attending a series of lectures about the art and literature of the English Renaissance. The reason I’m …
Continue reading The ancient (and modern) practice of sharing yourself through craft
The Huldremose Woman has more to tell us
There is an interesting story I’d like to share - which has emerged from the research of Margarita Gleba and Ulla Mannering. Their articles are referenced below. It was sometime in the 2nd century BC, and a woman living in north-eastern Jutland, Denmark was about 40 years old - an advanced age in this period. …
Diamonds and Broken Diamonds
Diamond twill is an ancient weave which has been identified in textiles dating back thousands of years. I think it is a beautiful, symmetrical and versatile pattern that combines well with borders in a point twill, or with variations of beautiful 'bird's eye' designs. (It also works quite well with a stripey warp, as you can …
A warp-weighted Tablet Weaving Loom
I’m enjoying teaching myself about tablet weaving, through some reading and a lot of trial and error. Over the past few months I’ve spent quite a while experimenting with ways to make sure that I’ve got the right tension on the warp. And after a few false starts, the very ancient idea of using loom weights occurred …
Celtic Knots
I found an interesting pattern for weaving a Celtic knot design, so I am giving it a try. (Thank you Robyn Spady. http://www.weavezine.com/content/kiss-me-i%E2%80%99m-irish) Of course it won’t be authentic as far as Celtic weaving design goes. As I have written about already, Celtic weaving originated in pre-Roman Europe and consisted largely of checked patterns and …
The earliest Scottish Tartan
I am ready to get back to weaving Celtic designs again, after a couple of months of working on those two blankets. This time, in recognition of the resounding vote by the Scottish in last week's British election, I am weaving a Falkirk tartan - generally described as being the earliest known example of a …
The Celts of Iron Age Europe
Sometimes discussion of the Celts can inspire romantic or fanciful notions which bear little relation to the archaeology of the European Iron Age. In fact, archaeologists and historians continue to debate the meaning of the word 'Celt' as it relates to these Iron Age cultures, since it doesn't seem to correlate well with either their ethnicity or socio-political …
Celtic Weaving 