Source for wool

[scott2978]

I'm going to try my hand at making some 14th century civilian clothes and wondered if anyone can suggest a source for wool. I've heard that certain kinds aren't real itchy as others, and I imagine some are more "period" looking for medieval clothes than others.

[Ian]

Scott, I get a lot of my wool at Woolrich Woolen Mill.  Their fiber arts line has a lot of colors that are achievable with medieval dye techniques, while others are not.  So depending on how crazy you want to be about it you can use all of their colors or restrict yourself to the more appropriate.  The wool's not cheap, but it's a nice quality.  If you order from the wholesale you need to buy a minimum of 15 yards of wool to get those prices.  They also have an outlet that you can order smaller yardages, but they are more expensive per yard.

My hosen are not lined, and they do not itch.  Same with my chaperon.  Some people may be more sensitive to wool.  The gown's collar is lined with linen, and the entire doublet is lined (hence doublet...).

Everything I'm wearing in this photo I made from that line of Woolrich wools (chaperon hood, gown, split hose, doublet (better photo next):



Same with this doublet which was hidden under that green gown (before I did the button holes, but I apparently don't have a photo of it finished):

[Sir Wolf]

i thought only old men could sit like that?

[scott2978]

Thanks Ian, that looks perfect.

Also could I ask if you could recommend a reading source on medieval dyes? I understand the techniques used but not really the pigments themselves. Could be supply, sumptuary, cultural, religious or other reasons for certain colors over others in different periods and locations, and it's an area I could use more knowledge of.

Scott

[Ian]

There's a small but good appendix on the dyes found in the London finds in the MoL Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450. 

I am not the textile expert, so whenever I need to buy wool, I buy swatches, get the swatches and dye colors vetted, and then purchase wool.

[Sir Humphrey]

Here is another source that was pointed out on the Elizabethan Coustme FB page.  They have worsteds and flannels at similar or better prices than Woolrich.  It appears there is not a minimum purchase amount (15 yards) that Woolrich requires. 

http://www.bblackandsons.com/index.php

Humphrey

[scott2978]

Scott, I get a lot of my wool at Woolrich Woolen Mill.  Their fiber arts line has a lot of colors that are achievable with medieval dye techniques, while others are not.  So depending on how crazy you want to be about it you can use all of their colors or restrict yourself to the more appropriate.  The wool's not cheap, but it's a nice quality.  If you order from the wholesale you need to buy a minimum of 15 yards of wool to get those prices.  They also have an outlet that you can order smaller yardages, but they are more expensive per yard.

My hosen are not lined, and they do not itch.  Same with my chaperon.  Some people may be more sensitive to wool.  The gown's collar is lined with linen, and the entire doublet is lined (hence doublet...).

Everything I'm wearing in this photo I made from that line of Woolrich wools (chaperon hood, gown, split hose, doublet (better photo next):



Same with this doublet which was hidden under that green gown (before I did the button holes, but I apparently don't have a photo of it finished):

Ian,
What patterns/techniques did you use for the split hose? When wearing armor do you wear split hose then, or stick to braes and chauses?

[Ian]

I patterned my split hose myself.  Just make sure you cut your wool on the bias or they won't stretch.  If they don't stretch you can't make them form fitting.  I've only made one pair so I haven't worn them with armor, but there's no reason I can't.  I use my regular hose/chausses to wear under my leg harness just because they're already kind of set aside for that purpose.

To suspend my split hose though I made a pair of braes with a braes girdle and four points (two in front and two in back) to suspend them.  The only tricky bit about split hose is pointing them in the back.  If you point them tight when you sit or raise your leg like the Captain Morgan pose you will pull and potentially tear out the back.  So what I do is put my foot up on something and point it tight from that position so that they're already pointed with my leg in a flexed position.  It still covers your butt when you stand up straight but doesn't tug at your braes girlde or preferred pointing method when sitting down.  Pointing split hose to your doublet directly is also a historically appropriate method.

Here's the thread on the braes I use for this.

My red doublet has a short peplum (the skirt part) so I have to wear split hose with it.  The 'visible braes look' is not really present in manuscripts except on people doing manual labor.  A gentleman is exceedingly rarely seen with his braes exposed (don't know of any examples off the top of my head).  The exposed braes in the back look is more of a re-enactorism than it is historical for our time period.  Split hose fix that for the late 14th century if you're wearing a shorter outer garment on the upper body.  If you're wearing a gown or tunic then you can get away with lower cut hose.

[scott2978]

Without uh... exposing too much shall we say... would you mind showing how you shaped the split hose?

[scott2978]

I want to mention that a manuscript I saw posted over on AA specifically mentions black hose worn with armor. Has anyone ever heard that before?

Scott

[Ian]

I want to mention that a manuscript I saw posted over on AA specifically mentions black hose worn with armor. Has anyone ever heard that before?

Scott

I think you're referring to the passage from the King's Mirror ca. 1250.  What they mean by 'thoroughly blackened' is unknown.  But that doesn't sound like it was dyed.  It sounds more like it was slathered in pitch or something, who knows?  This is specifically for wear under maille chausses too, so it could be related.  It goes on to suggest wearing additional textile protection over the chausses as well:

THE KING'S MIRROR

The rider himself should be equipped in this wise:
he should wear good soft breeches made of soft and
thoroughly blackened linen cloth, which should reach
up to the belt; outside these, good mail hose* which
should come up high enough to be girded on with a
double strap;