First A&S Competition - The Plan

The next SCA event that we are attending is Ymir XXXVI in Reidsville, NC on February 18-20th, 2011. Ymir is a Viking themed event but one doesn't have to garb like a viking to attend.

This year at Ymir the A&S competition with include three different entry options:

As Plundered:  The As Plundered Competition is designed to get new people entering Arts and Sciences competitions.  Since the items in the entry represent plunder, documentation is not required nor rewarded (unless the entrant is entering a research paper).     The competition categories will be the same as those of the Kingdom A&S Persona Pentathlon competition, and the judging sheets will be the same (sans documentation points).  However, since this competition represents selling the items in the marketplace at Hedeby, the ability of the plunderer to talk up the items fine points will be taken into account.   One bonus point is awarded the item if it is NOT from Nordic lands during the Viking Era, but could have been plunder brought back.  Two bonus points if the plunderer can quote a period stave from memory identifying the item as one belonging to a hero from the sagas.

Persona Triathlon:  The Persona Triathlon is designed to get more experienced artists to stretch their abilities into a number of different fields, plus do the research necessary to tie three items together into one persona.  It will use the same rules as the Kingdom A&S Persona Pentathlon competition, except that the entrant only has to supply 3 entries in 2 categories.  One bonus point is awarded if an item is from Nordic lands during the Viking Era.

From the Ground Up: The From the Ground Up competition is designed to get artists to learn to make their own tools and general purpose materials for their projects instead of using commercially available tools and materials.  The artist is not rewarded for the quality of the work in any way, shape or fashion.  If the artist completes the item, they get 1 point.  For every unique tool they create to build the item, they get 1 point.  For every unique general purpose, re-usable material they make and consume in the item, they get 1 point.  For each of the preceding that is documented, they get 1 point.

I am intrigued by all three of these options but I think I am going to concentrate on option three for the moment.  I have decided to make a Norse hat using nalebinding with a tablet woven trim for my entry.  So, for this competition I started mentally deconstructing the finished hat to determine which tools I would need to complete it and which tools I could make for the entry.

Here is my list so far:

Nalebinding hat -

• 100% Wool bulky yarn
• Combs
• Drop Spindle
• Soapstone whorl
• Wood spindle shaft
• Distaff
• Bone nalebinding needle (done 01/18/2011)
• Soap (for felting)

Tablet woven trim -

• Back strap loom
• Leather tablet weaving cards
• Bone or wood belt shuttle/beater

That is all that I can think of so far.  The hat will be for my son once finished.