Triangular Tidbit

A number of years back I became enthralled with Central Asian triangular amulets. Where did this all start? Reading "The Afghan Amulet: Travels from the Hindu Kush to Razgrad" by the intrepid Sheila Paine, and her book "Amulets: Sacred Charms of Power and Protection," not long after. Many of the triangular amulets I have spotted in pictures since then are really simple, barely more than triangles of fabric scraps. Some are more elaborate, and naturally I needed to make an elaborate one. I'm also quite smitten by mirror embroidery, so mine needed a mirror. And, lest the result be too stuffy, a googly eye. (Against the evil eye, get it?)

The mirror and the eye are attached with shisha stitch, and supplemented with smatterings of [uninspired] embroidery. At some point I produced a fingerloop braid to hang it by, and then it went dormant. It was in this stage for at least--yikes, maybe four years? Ladle Bug*** is observing:

(Seriously, Blogger? Why do you insist on rotating this?)

Recently I came across it--still miraculously in concert with its fingerloop braids and its assortment of cloves. Cloves were used on some amulets, and I had cloves, so I thought I should include them. The ones I used I believe I salvaged after making chai. While they were sodden, I stuck them on pins to make holes for eventual sewing purposes, and left them on the pins while they dried to prevent the holes from shrinking so small I couldn't get a threaded needle through them. So there were two or three straight pins full of dried cloves tagging along with the other ingredients.

Here it is--made three dimensional, cloves attached, tassels in progress. I wanted fancy tassel heads, and so I figured a bit of padding was in order (hence the black circles). Each bunch of cloves is on a short piece of wire with a rolled up loop at each end to stitch through. I think I would just use thread another time.

A close-up of buttonholing in progress, and a view of the tassel fringe. It is overtwisted and plied back on itself after a bead was positioned at the bend--so, no cut ends.

Linen is not satisfactory for this, being resistant and not having much body once you get done. Also, there has to be a better way to do it; I would love to watch a Central Asian woman make this kind of twisted fringe--they manage to do the overtwisting and beads AND incorporate that into a woven or twined band. I have to ponder a bit more and maybe do some experimenting. Or maybe I'm on the right track and the reason I used shortish lengths of string is why they change colors frequently...they are also using short pieces of string, because maybe it's just a pain to do.

Here is the amulet, finished:

And one more of the in-process photos, so you get the shiny mirror effect:

I think the only reason this remained unfinished for so long was that I got stuck on what to do with the embroidery. But this summer when I found it I decided--whatever, I just want it done, and I left the embroidery as it was. It is nicer done than waiting in limbo for a solution. It has been hanging by my desk at work for almost two months now; I cannot attest to noticing any effect. I think evil eye may not be a problem in Hillsboro, and this particular amulet doesn't seem to alleviate any normal work irritations--but I enjoy looking at it, so it helps in that way!

***Ladle Bug, aka Spoon Bug, joined my household a few years ago. I have a card saying, "Briana Kaufmann and Peter Neufeld."

Minute Progress

Not much concrete got done over the weekend; I tried to tell myself at least I was resting up for my WEEK OFF NEXT WEEK. It was further proof--well, not proof, more of a Serious Reminder--that I need to make lists or basically nothing happens, especially because I am not feeling particularly motivated. I want the paper sorting/stuff organizing to be done, but it is not a short-term project, and it is not finite (since the accrual of paper and Interesting, Potentially-Useful Stuff will assuredly continue).

Two pictures:

I made my first spiral fingerloop braid (bottom). It is carefully posed so that the mistake doesn't show. It was roughly four times as big around as what I wanted, and after a brief consideration I didn't want a fingerloop braid so much as something done, and I did a twisted cord instead. (This is for couching around the edge of an embroidery.) Both are made of a non-DMC embroidery floss. The braid is eight loops of 6 strands; the cord was two l-o-n-g pieces tied end-to-end, overtwisted, and plied, then the result was overtwisted and plied.

...I guess there is no second picture. I must not have put it on the flash drive. I'll have to look on my computer tonight.

Second Post

January 3, 2008

Here is the picture, somewhat more intensely-colored than in actuality:

I really must do the “real” Project before long...

Last night (that would be Wednesday, due to internet-access lag) I finished spinning the last of the two ounces of mohair I bought in Santa Fe on my 30th birthday consolation trip. I decided that it would be good if I'd actually get it made into something before I turn 40, and that time is coming sooner than I realize. Or rather I realize it, but wonder how it got to be that close. (I know, I know, one day at a time...) That time-warp effect has recently entered another phase of Heightened Awareness, due to the relatively large percentage of my immediate family who are in reproductive mode. I must remind myself that I'm making Art (and Projects), not babies. And I have an adorable cat. Eventually there will be an inordinate number of pictures of my cat. (I'm practicing, in order to have Cat stories to retaliate with against Baby stories.)

I'm contemplating launching a new Project: fingerloop braids. I know how to make the basic 5-loop one, but it would be most excellent to test out a few more, as well as timely, since I just got a batch of enticing string from Stringpage Supplies. (Purple, lime green, orange...silk, linen and rayon delights.) Other fingerloop information: Phiala's String Page (under braiding), Sample Fingerlooped Braids from a 15th Century Ms (the pictures don't load for some reason, but there is a nice bibliography). I also have a copy of The Compleat Anachronist #108 (the authors have a webpage with numerous links, as well as errata for the publication). And the marvelous website On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics has an excerpt from Natura Exenterata, published in 1655, which excerpt includes a section on “laces.” It's worth looking at just for the title page. (This is available in a transcription on the fingerloop webpage.)

Because I can effortlessly make anything infinitely more complicated, I'm probably going to print the fingerloop braid section of Natura Exenterata in such a way that I can bind it into a cute little pamphlet. At the same time, I can also dismantle my copy of the The Compleat Anachronist #108, and re-bind it with the errata.