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Medieval Rosaries and Ebeds.

Ebed was the term commonly used to describe the strings of beads used by medieval Christians as a mnemonic device to count and remember their prayers. Today we are more familiar with the word ‘Rosary’; a term derived from the latin Rosarium meaning ‘wreath’ with its etymology linked to popular piety and in popular use in later period. 

Use of Ebed’s in the western world can be traced back to the 13th Century Carthusian and Dominican monks. Between the 12 to the 15th century, the Ebed came in many styles to suit the purse and taste of the owner. The 2 main types were either circular or linear strings of knots or beads. 

The beads were called ‘bede’ in old English -meaning to request in prayer’. The exact number of beads in a string or group was by the request of the owner as was the presence of paternosters and other accessories (eg wounds of Christ). The formalisation of beads into groups (or ‘mysteries’) was not common until after the 15th century.

Typically, medieval period depictions show linear Ebeds worn by men, and circular by women, but there are also plenty of exceptions. The string can be worn attached to the belt/girdle, pinned to the upper chest, around the neck or looped around the wrist. 

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What are the different weights of linen thread used for?

If you are new to sewing, then the different numbers in front of the linen thread can be confusing. What does it mean? What are they for? We wrote an article about how they compare to sewing machine threads here but that doesn’t really clear up the question of, but what should I use the different weights for? Below, we discuss what we use the different weights of linen thread for

90/2 – What we call “Extra Light”. This sewing thread is very fine and is good for delicate fabrics, like light weight linen, which aren’t going to have a lot of stress put on them. Napkins, veils and cuffs of shirts are where we would use this thread. It’s also good for lace work.

60/2 – What we call “Light” – Slightly heavier than the extra light, and good for construction seams on light linen – such as shirts, smocks and underwear.

35/2 – What we call “Medium” -This is our most common thread and used for constructions seams in linen and medium weight wools.

25/3 – Our “Heavy” thread. It’s what we use for construction seams of wool garments and other medium to heavy weight fabrics.

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Why is our horse shoe pendant upside down?

The modern superstition is that a horse shoe should be positioned such that the horse shoe looks like a U with the ends facing the sky. The superstition is that by tipping the horseshoe – the luck will run out of the shoe, making it unlucky and so the horseshoe is always kept upright.

But the medieval superstition in the late 14th and 15th century is that by having the horseshoe upside down, the luck pours out over the wearer- making the wearer lucky. So good luck tokens such as our reproduction pendant, are always worn so the luck pours out over the wearer.

Why not get a lucky charm of your own with the Keystone Forge horseshoe pendant which is dated 1375-1424 and based on an original found in The Netherlands.

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St Valentine’s Day -it’s always Chaucers’ fault

It’s probably Chaucer’s fault that we associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love.
February 14th was a day to remember the deeds and martyrdom of Saint Valentine, with no particular romantic significance, until Geoffrey Caucer penned ‘Parlement of Foules” (Parliament of Fowles) in 1381. Chaucer’s poem describes all of the birds being brought together by mother nature on Saint Valentine’s Day to choose their mates.

This noble emperesse, ful of grace, Bad every foul to take his owne place,
As they were wont alwey fro yeer to yere, Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there.

By mid February, as winter frosts thawed, people would see birds becoming more active around them, seeking each other out. Medieval people took to the idea of a day in late winter where we seek out a mate and bring them shiny gifts, and St Valentines Day has become cemented as a secular celebration of romantic love.

The rebrand hasn’t been bad for St Valentine, with many modern people celebrating his saint’s day long after St Frumentius and St Godelva passed into obscurity.

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What do I need to start hand sewing?

Historical hand sewing requires a few different supplies to get started, which might not be easily available from your local sewing store.

That’s why we’ve curated our beginning hand sewing kit with everything you need to start handsewing the medieval way.

In the kit is, high-quality linen thread in the appropriate weight should be waxed with beeswax before use. This helps strengthen the thread and makes it smoother which makes for easier sewing as the thread glides more easily through the fabric. Linen thread, especially hand sewing linen threads, can have slubs and the beeswax helps that go through the fabric more easily as well.

Good quality needles are also worth having for long sessions of hand-sewing and the thimble drives the needle without hurting the fingers, a necessity for a long sewing session.

The tailors awl is for the common task of eyeleting and the snips are for snipping the thread.

The kit contains:

  1. Linen thread – 10m samples of Swedish Bockens Lingarn 35/2, 60/2 and 90/2 on wooden spools
  2. Good quality assorted sharp and crewel needles
  3. Pins
  4. Needle storage cloth
  5. Thimble
  6. Beeswax
  7. Thread Snips
  8. Modern tailors awl
  9. Cotton bag.

Buy your hand sewing kit here

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Comparison of Linen Threads to Sewing Machine Threads

You might have noticed that our linen hand sewing threads have a Nel number code to describe their thickness, like 60/2 for our ‘light’ thread. The first number refers to the weight of each strand, with higher numbers being lighter weights, and the second number being the amount of ‘plies’, or strands, that are twisted together.

A handy way to think about thread sizes is by dividing the weight number by the ply number to get the total weight. A 60/2 linen thread is 2 plies of #60 linen, so 60/2 is the same weight as #30, also known as 30/1.

Standard sewing machine thread converts to be equivalent to 120/2 in the Nel system, so 60/2 is twice the weight of standard sewing machine thread.

90/2 extra-light thread = 1.5x sewing machine threads

60/2 light thread = 2x sewing machine threads

35/2 medium thread = 3.4x sewing machine threads

25/3 heavy thread = 7.2x sewing machine threads

This same handy rule shows us that:

25/3 = 8.3

and

16/2 = 8

So 25/3 and 16/2 are very similar weights, but 25/3 is 3 ply, and 16/2 is 2 ply.

At the extreme end, hand-stitched shoes often use 8/5 to stitch on the sole, so that thread is #1.6, or the weight of 37.5 sewing machine threads bundled together!

Is that any clearer? Do you have a different way of making sense of Nel numbers?

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Extant Examples of Whistle spoons

Whistle spoon

Various examples of whistle spoons can be found, particularly in the netherlands

2 examples of whistle spoons – both have lost the stem/bowl of the find – which can be common in soil finds due to the more fragile nature of the stem in the Rotterdam museum. Both spoons are dated to the 1350- 1450 time period and are made of lead pewter

https://bodemvondsten.rotterdam.nl/objecten/?_object=fluitjeslepel

In this Article from the Dutch Tin Association, whistle spoons are talked about in detail, including a whistle spoon found whole, expected to be dated around 1280. It also have several fragments, including one of the two in the Rotterdam museum.

https://www.nederlandsetinvereniging.nl/wp-content/uploads/001-100/0031/031_Tinkoerier-2012-jrg-20-nr-1.pdf

16th Century English – Pewter

https://ryedaleauctioneers.com/catalogue/lot/6f2090b26541b596041968303f1605cd/9d11f60be671b513983083c71f4b193c/monthly-antiques-interiors-collectables-lot-670

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Charcoal Incense Burners

Brass Incense Burner

We’re big fans of incense. We love making it, and smelling the fragrance as it burns away on charcoal. But it’s a bit of a dying art these days. So here’s some tips about burning loose incense on charcoal.

All charcoal burners require sand at the bottom. Charcoal is an intense heat and this sudden heat can damage the burner, especially ceramic ones. A level of about a cm at the bottom is required to smooth out the heat transition.

Firstly, find a good place to set the burner while it’s burning incense. (You shouldn’t move the burner once the charcoal inside). Make sure the burner is either on stone or on something which won’t mind the heat.

When lighting the charcoal, use tongs and a constant flame – either a candle, gas stove or a BBQ lighter. Once flame has touched the charcoal DON’T TOUCH THE CHARCOAL.

Lit charcoal looks extremely similar to unlit charcoal so don’t touch it if there’s a possibility it’s caught.

If you hold your hand above the charcoal, you should be able to feel the warmth emitting from it. If you’re in a quiet place, and you listen carefully, you should be able to hear a slight crackling sound – this also means that it’s caught. If you aren’t sure, put it back into the flame.

Once it’s lit, place it on the sand in the burner and then sprinkle a small amount of loose incense, or a cone, onto the charcoal tablet. The scent should release almost instantly. Be careful not to add too much or you could smother the charcoal.

A charcoal tablet burns for about 45 minutes. You may need to add more incense onto the tablet during this 45 minute period.

Our incense products

Want to learn more about charcoal burning?
Pamphlet on different types of charcoal and what they were used for

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Happy New Year!

We’re now back from holidays and looking forward to a new exciting year of medieval events.

Check out the calendar of exciting events happening in 2024 and we looking forward to hearing from you about all your Mainly Medieval needs.

Paul, Loreena, Elden and Roxy