You get a great deal of satisfaction...

[martelvonc]

when you can knit a pair of socks and then are able to repair a hole in the heel so they can continue to be worn. (this morning saw me darning a hole in the heel of the very first pair of socks I knit)

I have learned a new appreciation for why medieval people did not have a lot of clothing.
Everything-
*from growing the flax or sheep,
*to processing the fiber,
*to spinning and weaving the fiber in cloth,
*to acquiring the cloth if you did not make it yourself,
*to hand sewing the garment
takes SO LONG.

Forget the cost, forget the sumptuary laws, making clothing by hand is SLOW work. You just cannot make oodles of clothing and have time for all the other things that were done by hand with no electricity or gas engines. Folks in the middle ages probably did not feel badly about this because it was what it was. They had no other method of work to compare to like we do today. To clothe a family of four by hand was a never ending process. Then add in the time for repairs to existing clothing. This does not include time for decorative needlework. Modern people do not have a clue with our bulk machine made garments. We run out and there it is on a rack.

Comments

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

indeed. a solid cloak was a years work.
there are reasons why women would spin or knit constantly, and why children wre taught to spin or knit early.

and congarats on the repair , it looks quite good.

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Thanks!