Summer crown

Back and rested from crown.
It was a very good event. I will admit that I had my doubts on having the tournaments on the Sunday, but it turned out amazing. Saturday was very relaxed and laid back. It gave me the opportunity to hang out with people and get to know them a little better.

I weaved a bit. Weaving in period surroundings really brings a little something. I was surprised by the amount of people that came to me and said that they were amazed by what I did, how it looked like magic and that it was so complex. I love explaining the mechanics behind the "magic". It's really really simple. And I thrive when I see them understanding. Everything makes sense when you take one detail at the time. It's a lot like fighting, it's all in the small details and understanding mechanics.

There was something in the air Saturday evening, when evocation of the list took place. The sky turned grey and the wind picked up. The atmosphere was strange. The wind was strong but it felt like the air stood still, similar to when a storm is rising on the ocean. For a brief moment on Saturday evening, it felt like I was back on the shoreline, I was energized the same way I used to get when I made offerings to Njörðr before my husband and/or my brother were getting ready to sail. This gave me the courage to offer myself as a banner bearer to my Knight and his inspiration. The wind calmed down after the invocation procession.

 I made new friends and managed to chip off a bit of my shyness barrier with other friends. The SCA is such a great place for shy and insecure people to grow in a safe environment. It's surprising how I manage to break out of my shell and overcome my insecurity when I'm at an event. I do feel stronger emotionally when I'm around SCA people. I also have more and more people that I feel safe when I'm around them, I feel like I don't have to constantly be on guard or watch my back. It's a relief to feel some of that stress go away. I feel lighter.

Sunday was epic. I did not fight in crown out of respect for my inspiration and a promise I made to him but I volunteered to marshal and I fought pick ups between rounds. I've noticed that I'm way more attentive to details and my surroundings after fighting, marshalling with fighter-brain was a pretty cool experience, I noticed details that usually slips away.
After crown, I fought in the squires tourney. It was interesting, I had no "meh" fights. They were either very very bad or very very good, I've learn from both. I've had good feedback and very useful tips from a lot of people. My fighting is improving. Maybe not at the speed that I want, but from what I've learn in the past year it's better for me to learn at the pace my brain and body let's me and really let that become second nature and grow into a good fighter than to rush it and be an ok fighter. Every fights starts in my head. If my head is not at the right place, it's a wasted fight. I proved to myself this weekend that if my mind is cleared and my head is at the right place, I can hold my ground and fight. I've had fights where I was in the perfect head space and some that I wasn't. Now I need to remember how to switch that on. Sunday it kinda came and went but I didn't notice a pattern.

Most importantly, this weekend I learned that I'm not where I want to be; I'm where I need to be and I embrace this. This journey is getting more interesting each time I pick up my sword.

Training Continues

Just came back home from a good event.
I need to concentrate on fighting more. I don't practice as much as I did the past years and it shows. My progress is slow. But there's still some progress, so that's good. I won't give up. I may not have 4+ hours per week in helm anymore but my will to improve is the same. Let's just say that things are more challenging and I'll end up being better because of it. I still had fun fighting, it's always great to fight.

I also had the opportunity to shoot and even participate in my first archery tournament. My goal was to see if I could reach the targets. That was a success, even managed to hit it a few times. My score was poor, but I went out and I shot, that's a good first step considering it's been over a year. The archery community here is very different from Tir Righ. The dynamic is different. I've learned a great deal about making arrows and I'll try to make some this summer. I wanna try to spin silk to attach the fletching and make my own hide glue. Eventually I would like to get carded as a marshal so we can start shooting up here.

But first... learn to fight better. i know i can be much better and I will be much better. I don't see this time in the eric as a failure, I see it as a motivation to exceed the limits that my mind is trying to impose on me.
I'm not dead yet.


þrír nornar ek biðja
at líf skulur du spinna
þrír nornar ek biðja 
at líf skulur du garna 
þrír nornar ek biðja 
at líf skulur du binda 
...bindar við rótana... 

Æsir, nornar, 
víssa vanir 
thursamærar 
þrá valkyrjar 
álfar dvergar 
guðar vǫlva 
efsta véurr 
Yggdrasil

The Oseberg Loom

For Jól, Aldric made me a loom based on the one found in the Oseberg burial ship. It's a small version, a prototype for the one he will make with the proper measurements.

I warped it today.
I have no idea if this is how they warped it in the 9th century, but this is how I did it. I still have lots of research to do to find more about how to use it properly. I decided to warp a band that was found in the same burial mound. It's not the band that was on the loom when they found it, but it's possible that this band was woven on a similar loom. Also, my tablets are inspired on tablets found in the same era. I've got chills.
Weaving a period piece on a period loom with period cards..
*kermit arm flail*

 

Warping on my warping board to make things simple

All 10 tablets ready to go

Not sure if this is right but... it looks ok

*kermit arm flail*

The Oseberg loom

All the fighting I could do

This weekend was made of awesome.
Practice on Saturday and practice on Sunday. I'm convinced that I gave all I had in me on Saturday and I kept just enough juice to make it home today.
I've changed most of my kit lately so I'm getting used to all of that. It's crazy how one little difference changes everything. A lot of little differences changed a load of stuff. The cardio training is paying off, I have a bit more stamina. I don't have as much as I would like but it's going up. I'll keep killing it at the gym. I'm maintaining a 1000+ calorie diet. I want to reach 1200 minimum a day. I'm still pretty  proud that I made it to 1000 and kept it there.
Im back at doing stupid mistakes when I fight, I will fix this. Adding everything up isn't as easy as it's seems. If I'm taking care to do one thing, everything else goes out the window.
Still have the breathing issue. Or should I say the not breathing issues.
I need to stop fighting myself. I need to stop expecting success at first try. Fighting is awesome to teach me how the real world works. Nobody will hurt me if I make mistakes or if I don't exceed expectations. My brain still needs to register that. I love how fighting is a gentle teacher when it comes to stuff like this. I'm my worst enemy. I won't let myself fuck me up.
I'm sore, the good kind of sore. The "I gave it all" kinda sore and I will most likely sleep like a champion tonight.
Tomorrow I need to do some armour repairs. I'll also add some things to my drilling routine.

Things will only get better from now on. The first year of my journey taught me that I could stand up. The second year taught me that I was worth something. The third year is teaching me that Attitude is everything and that I might just be stronger than I thought.

I ❤️ You, Epsom salt.