Yikes

I have let this blog become terribly terribly outdated. In my defense I have been very busy, although that's kind of a week defense. All my work on mead has now moved to a new site, now everything mead related is being done at The Mead Hall, my personal little slice of the intertubes. As I stated, I have been quite a busy little bugger of late, my fighting has been left by the wayside and my A&S projects are booming along at a good pace.

I am now officially the Seneschal of Trinovantia Nova, Patrov tricked me into the position a few months back (joking). I am enjoying the role, sort of, but it is keeping me busy. For those of you that are following this because you know my modern persona (Jeff Johnston) and know nothing of the weird cult of the SCA (not really a cult mom, don't worry), the Seneschal position is basically the equivalent of Chapter President. In medieval terms the seneschal was either a steward of a noble's house or (in the French Administration system) the King's representative charged with the application of justice. So in short, I guess I am now the "big man on campus" around Trino. In reality it translates to the guy who gets none of the credit yet all of the blame.

My biggest project to date has been re-engineering a sport, particularly Stoolball. This is a 14th century game which somewhat resembles cricket. Specifically I have been championing the creation of a Cider League Stoolball group of teams. So far we have only one team, the Trinovantian Merpegacorns. Sure I strong armed some people into it using my "clout" as a seneschal, what of it. Seriously it took almost no strong arming, people were quite excited about it. We had our first demo at Masq fairly recently. It went over very well. John of the Goldsworthy clan is not officially the league leader in stolen stools, despite the fact that stealing bases(stools) is not a legal maneuver. In my work at creating this I made (with my own two hands) two balls, two stools (milking stools), and a bat. The bat was the most interesting one to make, as the first attempt was so unwieldy I almost tossed it right out, but after the judicious use of a planer I manged to get it light enough to use.

I have started making my own garment, it started with an attempt at embroidery, that actually turned out quite nice. Since the embroidery turned into such a nice embroidered collar I am planning a whole outfit with considerable embroidered embellishments as part of my Pent entry. I know those who know me are going to have to re read that, yes I am sewing, I know I know I have told everyone I can't sew, well apparently even a big useless oaf like me can learn, who knew.

Well that about catches you up, hopefully I can keep this blog up to date.

More on Pent

So I have thought some more on entering Pent, and I think I will, however I have refined what I thought I will do for the entry, now I am considering:

Category III Technological Sciences

Weapon Making - atlatl making and using

Woodworking Construction - making and using a pole lathe

Category IV Studio Craft

Bookbinding - Coptic Binding

Pigments and pens - do a comparison of various inks on various papers

Category V Domestic Arts and Sciences

Wine/Mead/Beer/ale/lager - Period beer brewing with a beer bread made from the remains.

The pigments and pens instead of a calligraphy was because I was researching for doing calligraphy and decided I'd do home made period paper and home made period ink, and in researching ink recipes I discovered that there are a number of factors in choosing the right ink for the right paper, so a straight out comparison would be interesting, since I couldn't find such a comparison I decided to do one myself.

Contemplating Pent Entry

I am considering entering Pent in the 2011 Kingdom A&S. Now I know don't have a hope in hell of winning, but I figure it could be a fun experience, plus get me working on more A&S. Pent is an arts and sciences competition where you enter five arts and sciences projects covering a range of categories.

You cannot enter more than two entries in any one main category, and only one per sub category. The categories are:

I. Performing Arts  

• Bardic recitation  

• Dance: Middle Eastern  

• Dance: European  

• Dance: Original Choreography  

• Dramatic Performance  

• Juggling/tumbling  

• Musical Performance: Mixed ensemble  

• Musical Performance: String Instrument  

• Musical Performance: Voice  

• Musical Performance: Wind instrument  

• Music Composition1  

• Poetry1  

• Prose/Playwriting1  

• Research1  

II. Textile and Needle Arts:  

• Costume accessories  

• Costuming: European pre 1200  

• Costuming: European 1200-1351  

• Costuming: European: 1351-1451  

• Costuming: European: 1451-1600  

• Costuming: Non European  

• Free-form embroidery  

• Lacemaking  

• Counted thread work  

• Miscellaneous needle work  

III. Technological Sciences:  

• Armour: cloth/leather/Horn  

• Armour: mail/plate  

• Ironwork/tool making  

• Miscellaneous crafts  

• Musical Instrument making  

• Scientific Instruments  

• Weapon making  

• Woodworking: construction  

• Wood, Horn and bone carving  

• Animal Husbandry  

IV. Studio Crafts:  

• Calligraphy  

• Ceramics/pottery  

• Drawing  

• Decorative metalwork  

• Pewter casting  

• Glasswork  

• Illumination  

• Lapidary  

• Leatherwork  

• Miscellaneous crafts  

• Painting  

• Sculpture  

• Bookbinding  

• Pigments and pens  

V. Domestic Arts and Sciences: 

• Wine/Mead/Beer/ale/lager  

• Cooking: illusion foods  

• Cooking: multiple dish  

• Cooking: single dish  

• Dyeing  

• Knitting  

• Knot work  

• Spinning  

• Weaving  

• Miscellaneous crafts  

Quite a wide variety of categories eh! This is what I am considering entering:

Category I
Research - A paper on beer and bread

Category III
Woodworking: Construction - Making a Pole Lathe and using it to turn bowls

Category IV
Calligraphy - Do some Calligraphy Scroll work
Bookbinding - Do some Japanese bookbinding or Coptic bookbinding

Category V
Wine/Mead/Beer/Ale/lager - Well I am becoming known as a mead maker so what would an A&S entry from me be without some mead. My idea is to find as period a mead recipe as possible (preferably sixth century Irish to fit my persona if I can) and make that.

In any A&S competition there are three levels, Advanced Intermediate and Beginner. Generally speaking Pent entries don't stand a chance unless they are all advanced, but I am not entering Pent to win, am entering Pent (assuming I DO enter pent) for the experience, as such I probably won't be entering every entry as advanced, though the mead would probably have to be advanced since I am gaining such a reputation as a mead maker (even if my mead isn't up to the same level as others). Most entries will probably be at the intermediate level.