Knitting in history or "I'm getting faster!"

This weekend in Seaside, Oregon there was a living history exhibit.
They are called the Saltmakers and twice a year they "return" to the
beach at Seaside. It is pretty cool, but I'll let those who are
interested check out the details for themselves
http://www.lewisandclarkcoast.com/saltmaker.html.

Anyway, so set up on the beach are these guys who are in character for
the men who did this in 1806. They are living out on the beach
boiling salt water down to get the salt. People can go out there and
visit them but the men never get out of character. If you talk about
the helicopter flying by they will say it is sad you suffer from
madness. You can also barter with them. They like to get cloth,
needles, tea, tobacco, etc. I thought that they could probably have
used a wool scarf since it is supposed to be February.

I didn't get around to starting the scarf until 9pm the night before.
After about 4 hours I had a scarf 3 feet long. I decided that was
enough and left it at that. I was a little nervous they wouldn't
trade for it because it was wool, but a bright navy blue. I didn't
know if wool could be dyed that bright in 1806. Well, they really
liked the scarf. The first guy tried to tell me it was too short with
"it only covers the neck." I let him know that was all that needed to
be covered and actually I noticed they were wearing kerchiefs that
short so maybe mine was OK.

I got a bell and 5 beads for it! A pretty good bargain. I might have
gotten better if I brought tobacco but...

The captain took one look at it and said that the guy who got it had
better hide it as the Seargant would take it from him (meaning it was
nice). That tickled me.

3 feet in 4 hours is a huge improvement in my speed (and it looked
good) and it was fun trading for my work. The soldier said my bell
would attract the single men in my tribe (they traded with the local
Native Americans so theoretically, that was who I was) so I'm gonna
put that bell on a string and jangle it around town! :-)

Oh, and they said they didn't want to trade for my dogs because they
were too skinny to eat (I have greyhounds).

Laurie
Washougal, WA

In article ,
(Laurie) wrote:

This weekend in Seaside, Oregon there was a living history exhibit.
They are called the Saltmakers and twice a year they "return" to the
beach at Seaside. It is pretty cool, but I'll let those who are
interested check out the details for themselves
http://www.lewisandclarkcoast.com/saltmaker.html.

Anyway, so set up on the beach are these guys who are in character for
the men who did this in 1806. They are living out on the beach
boiling salt water down to get the salt. People can go out there and
visit them but the men never get out of character. If you talk about
the helicopter flying by they will say it is sad you suffer from
madness. You can also barter with them. They like to get cloth,
needles, tea, tobacco, etc. I thought that they could probably have
used a wool scarf since it is supposed to be February.
so I'm gonna
put that bell on a string and jangle it around town! :-)

Laurie
Washougal, WA

Laurie, even though the North American Indians would not have known about
kumihimo braiding, the South American Indians sure did....(even though
their braiding would not have had a Japanese name, but an Inca name).
Lets assume that the sailors you traded with, had traveled down to the
South Americas and they had learned to do the braiding....It would be
totally in style to make a kumihimo braid for your bell.....would you like
the instructions for such a braid......E-mail me your snail mail address
and I will mail you out a little kit. You will be one of many in this
group that will have braided this very old technique. The South Americans
did this braid making over 5000 years ago and the Chinese...(later also
the Koreans and the Japanese) over 4000 years ago. We are the latests on
the scene to create these great braids.

Els

--
delete doba to email me.....:=))

Laurie,

I just hope it was a little cooler there or they must have been really hot and
it was the middle of winter, LOL.

Hugs,

Nora