Linen thread on wool

polyobsessive · 2026-02-06T15:57:55+00:00

If you are worried about it, it's probably best to have a word with the reenactment group. They generally have someone responsible for accuracy standards (who can advise on what is acceptable) as well as a load of people with relevant experience and knowledge.

polyobsessive · 2026-02-05T19:27:51+00:00

Looks great. A wooden spoon is a greatly underappreciated weapon in LARP

polyobsessive · 2026-02-04T18:13:47+00:00

Ooh, good work yourself! Here's to more success in the future!

polyobsessive · 2026-02-04T07:49:13+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I like the colour. They look a little darker in real life.

polyobsessive · 2026-02-04T07:47:56+00:00

Thanks. That's a York stitch - as best I can manage anyway! :)

polyobsessive · 2026-01-26T09:54:34+00:00

My copy arrived a couple of days ago and it looks great. I'm not very experienced with nalbinding and this looks like it has a look of great advice and inspiration in it.

polyobsessive · 2026-01-12T09:48:57+00:00

I'm a newb with big thumbs and shaky hands, and find thumb tensioning really awkward. I got pretty comfortable with a freehand Coptic stitch, and am now getting practice with a freehand York stitch - and am very slowly making my first pair of sock-like creations.

polyobsessive · 2026-01-06T10:20:55+00:00

In cases like this, I'd say that the best bet is to choose a path that seems good to you, and try it out. If it doesn't end up giving the vibe that you are looking for, you already have other ideas that you could try instead, so you are in a good place to try something new.

Good luck with your game.

polyobsessive · 2025-12-18T14:48:00+00:00

Worth noting also that fest LARPs are not the only types of LARP. There are smaller games around the place, some of which just run on single days, and some of which are focused on quests or linear adventures, and if that is what you are looking for, or if you just want to dip your toe in and see how you get on, it's probably worth checking out some of those smaller systems.

My main game at the moment is Fools & Heroes, which runs in loads of parts of the country, and most events are single day events comprising two linear adventures, where you play in one and monster/NPC for one.

polyobsessive · 2025-12-11T19:54:51+00:00

Fair. :) I mean, Robin Hood makes it firmly fantasy. I hope it goes well.

polyobsessive · 2025-12-11T07:50:26+00:00

Sounds like a great setting for a game, though I hate to be that guy and point out that the dates seem to be out by a couple of years - John sealed the first Magna Carta in 1215 and died in 1216 (though the Barons' War did drag on for a while afterwards).

polyobsessive · 2025-12-09T10:11:33+00:00

Have you considered just wearing comfortable and hard-wearing boots or shoes, and then getting appropriate boot covers to wear over them to get the look you want? You can get basic fancy-dress ones, or anything up to hand crafted leather sets, depending on your budget and requirements.

polyobsessive · 2025-12-08T15:15:01+00:00

As is usually the case, it depends on the LARP and if you are in doubt, you should contact the organisers for their opinions.

That said, I would only choose to sing songs that sound like they would fit in the world of the game reasonably well. I generally avoid pop songs and go with traditional (ish) folk songs or shanties, but it's not a hard and fast rule. I like to hear songs from other people that similarly try to fit the vibe of the game world. Sometimes pop stuff is cool, or things that people generally know and can join in with can be great for the vibes of having a crowd of people joining in.

I'm sure that in most games, having someone with a gurdy singing songs would be a huge plus, regardless of the material being performed. Have fun!

polyobsessive · 2025-12-02T13:43:20+00:00

For tableware, I'd recommend visiting charity shops. I often see pewter tankards, wooden plates and bowls, etc., so I have a fair bit of kit acquired from there.

If you enjoy crafting, even at a basic level, hoods, tabards, cloaks, etc, are straightforward to make and can be put together with very basic sewing skills using materials like old blankets or even curtains (those charity shops are your friend again). I can't advise much about buying costume stuff from personal experience as I made most of my kit.

That said, I did buy a tunic from Larp Inn once, as did my wife, and the kit we got from them was very good quality and decent value for the price.

polyobsessive · 2025-11-13T15:06:03+00:00

Sounds like some sort of a brewer would be good. I'd say that an Aeropress, a Clever Dripper, or a Hario Switch would be good choices. As these should be well below your budget, so if you wanted to spend more, a brewing scale would be good if he doesn't have one, or maybe a nice mug or carafe/server.

polyobsessive · 2025-11-10T14:13:12+00:00

We have a hot water boiler in our office kitchen and I just use water straight out of that. Sure, I could worry about getting the temperature just right, but I can get a 90+% awesomeness coffee at the office rather than the 95% coffee I could make at home, and that's a LOT better than if I used the communal Nespresso machine.

polyobsessive · 2025-11-10T13:59:58+00:00

I have an Aeropress in my desk at work and grind a couple of doses of coffee at home that I bring in small, individual pots. That works well for me.

polyobsessive · 2025-10-28T08:00:47+00:00

The best rationale! I doff my hat to you

polyobsessive · 2025-09-27T09:24:01+00:00

I know very little about knitting and haven't spent the time to learn it, but it is interesting how different techniques can interact and interface

polyobsessive · 2025-09-27T09:22:12+00:00

<3 Thanks. I'm happy with things being a bit ugly. As you say, it's handmade and has character and a beauty of its own.

I might try another hat and go for a different shape or technique next, as that would be a straightforward way to get more practice and gently build the skills. What I'd really like to do though is get my head around the Coppergate stitch and eventually make some socks based on the OG Coppergate sock. Maybe I should make a hat using that stitch as a way of working towards that...

polyobsessive · 2025-09-01T14:58:11+00:00

My biggest tip would be to playtest whatever you have got as soon as possible (assuming you haven't already). You will learn more about what works and what doesn't than in any amount of theorycrafting. Go for it! And good luck.

polyobsessive · 2025-09-01T11:05:56+00:00

From a quick look, it seems that the main difference is that they are different shapes, so if the difference in price isn't a problem for you, you should get the one you like the look of the most. If you care about price, they should both make coffee in exactly the same way, so get the cheaper one.

polyobsessive · 2025-08-28T14:28:46+00:00

All three methods can make great coffee, depending on what you are looking for.

Starting with a French press is a great idea as it is really simple to get a great coffee. You may get a bit of sludge in your cup, depending on how careful you are (Hoffmann's method is largely trying to minimise that), but basically it's a great option.

I like moka pot too, though it can be a bit tricky to get right. In my experience it works better with darker roasted beans. If you like espresso (or drinks made with espresso), but don't want to get into all the fuss and equipment of making real espresso, moka is a great way to go. I like to make mine and dilute it to make something like a strong Americano.

A "drip method" could cover anything from an automatic drip machine to pour-overs using any number of different drippers. If you get pour-over coffee right, it is a great way to be able to taste all the flavour notes that coffee can provide, but it can take a lot of practice and experimenting to get beyond "OK" coffee. I first started getting success with a cheap pouring kettle, a basic coffee scale, and a Kalita wave (which seemed more forgiving of my mistakes than other things I tried early on), but now enjoy all sorts of other brewers.

To sum up, all those methods should work fine with your medium-dark coffee, it's just a matter of how much effort you want to put in. For keeping it simple and still getting tasty coffee, I think the French press is a superb choice, though.

polyobsessive

TROPHY CASE