My Historically Accurate Viking Dress Project - How Accurate? Scouring the Wool

I have wanted to start this project for years but I was holding myself back because I set an impossible standard of historical accuracy. I want to address the concept of "historical accuracy" so I can reframe it in a way that is helpful for moving my project forward, and then I'm going to actually get started by scouring this Icelandic fleece from a sheep named, "Kol."
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Video Sources
Valkyrie's Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic by Michèle Hayeur Smith- www.amazon.com/Valkyries-Loom...
Washing Fleece www.spinningforth.com/articles...
Viking Women: Aprondress By Hilde Thunem urd.priv.no/viking/smokkr.html
North European short-tailed breeds of sheep: a review pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22444...
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[@kathywinn2617]

Here's the thing, my fellow perfectionist, we tend to forget that our modern times and equipment have eliminated the need for lots of people to be involved in the making of clothing (well, anything really). It takes/took a village. No single person did all the steps alone like we do nowadays. So, don't sweat the small stuff in your time travel quest. I can't wait to see your process. It's gonna be spectacular! (Kol's fleece is gorgeous BTW)

[@catherinebuttrick5678]

I was thinking the same! Well said!

[@victoriajankowski1197]

This! we don't even have some of the systems that would have existed in the time in question! Some times 'historically accurate' is what gets the job done, I imagine any village woman at the time would have jumped at the option to do parts faster or less labor intensively, the tools and tech used where not used from a place of a perfection judgment but the limiting factor of the age in question

[@zombiedoggie2732]

This! our community spends so much time complaining about historical accuracy when truth is, we don't have access to 100% historically accurate cloth. We can do what we can, sure. Personally I won't sweat on interior seams being sewing machine stitched. The outer layer hand stitched is what I'd personally judge by. If a garment is polysatin but isnt like, obviously so, then why should it matter?

[@jasminehoover5359]

Wow well put and makes me feel better. I'm doing a project of Ancient Middle Eastern/Israelite textiles and I've been so upset about my inability to find goat hair from the right breed of goat common in the region at the time. Like, even saying this, it still feels like it needs to be that. But this is a good reminder

[@alexisnguyen168]

This is so true. Those cheap woven baskets from Vietnam? My sister in law produce some of them. For the napkin holders she gets the equivalent of US25 cents profit. Please don't boycott. Let me tell you the journey in my husband's village. A cousin is married to River dredger. He pulls reeds from the river for his mother in law. She dries them on her land and sells them in bundles. Another relative and his son weld the metal frames. My sister in law buys the frames and reeds. She can weave really well. And her husband helps once she starts it off. The woman down the road who I believe is another relative makes the glue/sealant for the baskets, which my sister in law also buys. My nephew paints the baskets after school and homework is finished. My sister in law then sells the baskets to a man and his son who ride around the farms once per week. You should see how.many they can fit! And then they sell it to a man who has a storage area that he onsells to a larger organisation with a truck. And so on and so forth till it fills shipping containers and comes to us. So many kids get educations and even trades because of this cottage industry. I like to think that is how spinning and weaving and assembling happened. Everybody contributing their unique skills. Looking forward to seeing more of the project.

[@amandaleighbump2161]

If a Viking woman had access to a sewing machine and spinning wheel, she totally would have used them so I say use whatever tools you are most confident with and will enjoy using the most.

[@FinC1_]

Wool from black sheep should really make a comeback (and wool/natural fabrics in general). It's still amazing wool and has so much natural variation in the colour from deep, rich blacks to glossy reddy brown and smokey greys that look beautiful in cloth.

[@JillianEve]

Absolutely!

[@Mpkw-er9bi]

Agree! I love natural black wool!

[@lisaschweitzer7767]

Yasssssss.

[@NickUncommon]

Just bought a hand full (about 160 gramm) of dark wool from a local to the area sheep where my Rehab takes place. I had a 11 km single trip bikeride through, a beautiful landscape and was able to look at the whole gerd still in winter quarters. They had a newborn just a few hours old, so we did not go close.

[@rachelmaynard2042]

I raise angora goats (mohair). From what I’ve seen in the agriculture world the more colorful animals seem to be more in demand. Currently I have red, white, and black angora goats and haven’t dyed any of their hair.❤

[@Undercoverbooks]

To be historically accurate, you'd also have to make it by the light of homemade rush lights, with bone needles, in a room heated only by fire...:) I think you've found a great balance! I loved this discussion and look forward to watching as things develop. Good luck and have fun! (And "spinning in the grease" sounds like a t-shirt slogan I need.)

[@kristinewatson3702]

I find experimental archeology so fascinating. I appreciate both this amazing project you are doing and your thoughts on historical accuracy. This is why I love KZbin.

[@mermaidstears4897]

I am sooooo excited for this! On a side note, I often tell people in my group that we have to pick which anachronisms you can live with. I’m not a weaver (yet), so I look for commercially available fabric that hopefully mimics what would have been available. I use modern needles for sewing. I alternate between natural and commercial dyes, depending on my goal for the finished product/project. I think as long as you’re cognizant of the realities of your costuming and eschew obviously out of period choices, you’re good. If I had to be 100% accurate, I’d wind up naked. In a tent. That’s probably made out of machine spun and woven fibers, probably not linen anyway. So pick your anachronisms.

[@LionsLamb79]

As a fellow perfectionist, I also suffer from "analysis paralysis" on projects very often. I had to just learn to accept my limitations and proceed with the best, most informed path forward. I am so excited to follow this project.

[@sonjanordahl3158]

As you said "Historically Accurate" is a never ending game of chasing your tail. I'm all for learning the basic techniques but for the majority do what makes you happy. Sally Pointer has a great series on making, dressing, and weaving on a warp weighted loom. After watching these videos I would be willing to bet that your Wheel Daddy could make you one.

[@april5666]

That and much more. Sally Pointer is an incredible and delightful resource on experimental archeological textiles (and hedge bothering, as she calls it, which is for food forage as well as fabric resources). I think I found her after I found you and have been delighted by both of you ever since :)

[@monicamccoy8875]

I love Sally Pointer!

[@CrowingHen]

Love your analogy of the two dresses. Your project looks amazing. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Keeping in mind, I'm currently in the middle of Lambing Season where I help the little ones being born so I can have enough fibre to spin, weave, and sew into historical clothes... I often worry that "Historical Accuracy" does more harm than good. Historically accurate excels where we get to learn a new technique, or teach something, or like in your case, a whole bunch of both. But it also provides some nasty gatekeeping. I see this a lot in the environmental and permaculture side of things. During the first year of growing a garden and they often feel like failures because they didn't grow everything they needed to eat. But that's not 'historically accurate'. There aren't many gardens in this world (old or new) where the soil is right for every single crop. Humans lived (and live) in communities. Someone has great drainage for growing Fava beans and another person has enough ducks to keep away the lettuce-munching slugs so they grow leafy greens. People interact and everyone gets enough to eat. What the new gardeners forget is the simple act of growing carrots is a revolutionary act - much like knitting a pair of socks. Small actions make big differences in the world and it's easy to forget this if we listen to gatekeepers. Likewise, historically accurate cloth takes a village. By the middle ages we see a lot of separation of tasks so that different people might wash or card or spin or weave... this varied between places and times. So every little bit we do we can learn something, we don't need to be perfectly accurate. It isn't so much about reproducing history, but learning from it. What does it feel like to take a raw fleece and wear it? (extremely good!) What can we learn from working with different wool? How can we combine what we learn from trying these things with what we have available today? Better bottle-feed my bummer (orphan lamb) before she plans the woolly rebellion. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

[@JillianEve]

I was very much looking forward to your thoughts on this topic! "It isn't so much about reproducing history, but learning from it." I love that so much. 💜💜💜

[@CrowingHen]

@@JillianEve Lately I've been falling in love with "historically adequate". There are a lot of historical clothes I want to try making (and possibly growing) but I also want to adapt them for everyday wear. Historybounding meets fantasy practical projects that I can play with historically accurate techniques.

[@ShannonMakes]

I have never clicked on a video so fast, and I'm so glad I did... what a wonderful take on a topic that I think consumes many of us more than we'd like to admit. And the first thing I thought of when you said that you were going to lean into your strengths (spinning) and not worry about the hand-stitching as much, was that.... hey, who knows, maybe THAT'S WHAT THEY DID TOO! Viking era is not something I know much about, but it seems very plausible that, at least in some situations, a similar division of labor (hey, you weave two chunks of fabric, and I'll sew them, and then we'll BOTH have 2 very cute aprons) would have been used! The concept of "not enough time in the day" certainly applied as much then as now!! (wow, you basically just said that same, last thing... serves me right for writing a comment before finishing the video)

[@ShannonMakes]

..."let's all give up and buy a dress from SHEIN" 🤣🤣😭

[@JillianEve]

I promise to climb out of the spiral before I buy anything from SHEIN! 😂😂😂

[@Amanda-yf7vj]

I love your videos too shannon!!!!

[@MijnWolden]

The mental image of the sheep going full viking mode to raid my neighbours' alfa alfa made me snort out loud 😂

[@ashleyweldon3140]

I've only made it about halfway through the video (thanks to my toddler)...but here's something I'm having to learn in my own life: you can't do it ALL. People are set in communities for a reason. They didn't ALL do ALL the jobs to make their clothes. In all likelihood, you'd trade your skills for help in other areas. You'd spin & your friend would sew it.

[@ritaorr766]

Historical accuracy would only happen if you were actually living during that time period. I love your videos and learn a lot from you. So just do what you love.

[@HandcraftedbyRLS]

One of the things I love about you is you feel, feelings are hard especially when its over a love for what you do. It took me a long time to get over the same emotions when it came to my handmade projects eventually I came to the realization that perfection is for machines. It's the imperfections that make handmade projects special and unique. I look forward to watching your journey in this project :)

[@diekje8728]

As an archaeologist, when people tell me “do you even know if this is right?” I always answer, “unless you were there 300 years ago to check, I won’t claim it is *right* “

[@georgiabaddeley6606]

I don’t know if I’ve ever been so excited for a series of videos on KZbin!! 🤓

[@raynelouisiana5631]

In the historical garment sewing community, there's the concept "historically adequate." You do the best you can with what you have, what you can afford, and what your skill level can achieve. Just because someone cannot hand sew does not mean she or he should not machine make a garment that would traditionally have been hand sewn. Also, when worrying about if you have enough fabric for the project, there is the adage -- "piecing is period." Or, as I like to say, "Piecing is. Period!" Basically, it comes down this: if the final result makes you happy, you did it right. Spin on!

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

Lol i draw that same line in historically accurate scouring! I don't care that that's how it was done in the past, if anyone tries to put pee in my wool we are going to have problems

[@miserybutane298]

Hearing the history of the sheep and spinning practices for those fleeces and learning about Kol himself made my spicy brain go burrrrr!

[@PNWwonder]

You are no imposter! Your teaching background shines in these type of videos. They are full of information, history and you share your process. Thank you for taking the time to share with us. Appreciate your fun approach and your skills.

[@myrany8407]

One of the most disastrous things to happen to the world was the shift to fast fashion. When a person was fortunate for 1 new article of clothing a year (or every other year) it was far more possible to produce the cloth and make the item of clothing entirely by hand. They also took care of what they had far better and reused everything they possible could by handing it down or repurposing in other ways. When we look at clothing as something precious, something to be cared for, something to be kept for a long time, we take ourselves out of that cycle of running out for a new skirt just because we want it, wearing it once and donating/throwing it out when we realize out closet is full. Most donated clothing? ends in the landfill immediately anyways. Stuff we toss out ends in the landfill. If it is modern it likely has manufactured fibers which do not degrade and simply add to the pollution problems we all face. Even if you do not do the entire project in the historically probable manner. It is still a labor intensive project. You will treasure this dress all the more for the work put into it. That is a big step in the right direction.

[@Amanda-yf7vj]

Ahhhh Kol is lovely!! And he looks like my Icelandic buck! I have to agree! They have personality for sure! Super independent minded. He rules the roost! He runs off the horses cows and the llama at my house lol nobody wants to mess with him! I love all your videos!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!

[@helenedumoulin9092]

Hi ! I scoured a 🐑 last summer and the neighbours think I am weird lol so funny !

[@dawanariley4183]

Over the years I found do what makes you happy. Please don’t listen to hateful jealous people. I love Viking history excited to watch you make a Viking dress Just remember make it the way you want to. Be happy and proud of what you make. Lol I’m like you I’m not going to pee on my fiber I have few Icelandic fleeces I have not tackled due to dual coat. Love ❤️ Finn to.

[@jayedwards647]

Nice to open my Spin-off and see your smiling face. Well done!!

[@micahmilne]

Lol, the wool neps at the end remind me of a present I was given as a small child, which surely must have been given by someone who either had no experience with children, or who bore a deep, vengeful grudge against my parents: 1000 assorted plastic beads in a big tub. We were vacuuming those up for years.

[@valeriehandmadewithheart]

Ok I'm still at the beginning of the video and I have to say, I'm loving the hair color!!!! 😍

[@tracybird4547]

As a textile fanatic, I always appreciate when people teach me things about historical methods, styles etc. I personally don’t need for every aspect to be completely accurate in one single project. I gain valuable insight and knowledge from learning about a component. It’s enough for me to talk about how they would have hand sewn the whole garment while demonstrating the spinning or weaving. I can extrapolate. But I am blown away when I see that someone shows their fleece to dress work and tells me how long it took! I guess I’m trying to say it’s about the learning for me - did I learn some aspect of this? Yes? Excellent! We’re good then. It adds to my knowledge base. Probably my one pet peeve of Hollywood movies is the crazy abundance of clothes they show. Cloth was so precious that most people just didn’t have the wardrobe changes we see in the movies. I enjoy the costumes but think hmmmmn, they have NO IDEA of what it would take to produce that!!

[@VivasPuertorriquenos]

I am a philosopher with an associates in philosophy on pause due to financial difficulties. I am so so so grateful for this they should call you the fabric philosopher you use your degree excellently.

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

Very nice reflection on historical accuracy. So nice to see the fleece form one know sheep.

[@elainemblakely282]

Greetings from the Texas Gulf Coast, USA. Congratulations on the Spin Off Article (Spring 2023).

[@JillianEve]

Thank you!! 🥰

[@bubblez3177]

Its so interesting to see the process to be as historically accurate in producing historical garnents. I also can't help be smile at the thought that a majority of individuals would have spun and sewn these garments as fast as they could. So if they had access to a spinning wheel they would have most likely have used it. So you can say you were being historically accurate in desiring to complete the garment within the set time you planned for and therefore used a spinning wheel to speed up the process. :)

[@lenoreball8798]

Oh the historical accuracy of it all! I belong to an historical group that re-enacts the War of 1812. I was shamed at my first outing many years ago, for: not having a fichu, where is your cap, are you wearing a chemise? :( Now I have a full wardrope of wonderful clothing, including a wonderful Kinsale cloak with a fantastic hood. Don't get me started on footwear as there is not any historical reproduction that I have found to fit my feet, with the exception of moccasins. While I do sew with a machine, I hand stitch what will be visible. I have been a novice spinner for many years, and am not a weaver, so, I have always looked for fabrics that would suit the historical time, and have patterns from several companies that produce them. Thank you for sharing your lovely project. Kol's fleece is to die for, no dyeing needed! Your tutorials are helping me greatly as I start again my spinning journey. And, as one of my re-enactor friends always says 'If they had it, they would have used it'.

[@AmandaHanleyDalzell]

Evie, I am so excited for this project! I love how candid you are. Thanks for being you.

[@sararassner]

The question is what is your goal? Sounds to me like you want to produce a Viking age type cloth and turn it into a nice Viking age dress. In which case, using a plastic bucket for scouring or modern metal needles for sewing is not going to really make any difference. You would still get a dress that behaved and felt like the proper thing. If your goal was to spindle spin your own yarn to make your own fabric, then of course you would not want to use a spinning wheel, but be happy for it to take longer. If your goal was to prepare the fleece like they did in the Viking age, then you’d be needing a wooden trough or barrel or whatever and do that process ”historically accurately”. And so on. You pick your interest and do that bit! Really looking forward to following this project!

[@bethliebman8169]

Vis a vis historical accuracy, right on Evie. You seem to be charting a reasonable path through your project. I am looking forward to following your journey through the Viking Dress. You should use your own skills when creating the dress and supplement as you need to (no stinky stale urine). If you lived in a family or village creating clothing, you would likely have your mom or auntie do the hand sewing.

[@bethkolle1]

I just finished The Valkyrien’s Loom, too! Very impressive book. I’m getting set to make a Viking apron dress as well. I already have my hand-forged brass ‘turtle’ brooches for fastening the apron, plus bits of amber for making a necklace. But I hadn’t considered spinning and weaving the wool for the apron, or the flax for the dress. I look forward to your spinning and sewing videos on this subject! It IS historical to use the tools and technology at hand, so I say go for the wheel, the counterbalance loom and the electric lights!

[@gennyfer8]

The comment troll sheep running to judge got me good 😅

[@emmathomas2832]

I've a friend who makes viking age clothing for a living. How historically accurate she makes the clothing is based entirely off of what the person she's making it for wants and is willing to pay for. You want machine seams and hand finishing? excellent, she'll do that for you. You want hand done seams and decorative finishing? Wonderful. That'll cost you extra. At the end of the day, all you have is time. And it takes several hundred hours to spin enough wool to make a dress using a drop spindle.

[@StephanieMayfieldDIG]

Wonderful and thoughtful video. Can't wait for the rest of the series! But I will. I'm not rushing you 😀

[@fancydeer]

It's your project. You explore which aspects of history you're interested in recreating while doing this. You love spinning and working with wool so it makes sense that would be the part that you focus on. You don't sew by hand, it makes sense that you wouldn't be interested in recreating that aspect of this project.

[@johannageisel5390]

Haven't watched the video yet, but the title and description reminds me of the documentary "The invention of trousers", which you can watch for free here on youtube, and in which experimental archeologists recreate the oldest trousers we have found so far. They also had to start with spinning their own yarn.

[@dingoniner5528]

You hit the nail on the head. "Historically accurate is a construct." I am certain that if you took a spinning wheel back in time, all of the Vikings would have said "holy cow, this is awesome!" and would have adopted it immediately. It's simply coincidence that the techniques they used are what they are. Just like us, the Vikings back then used the most modern and efficient methods they knew how to use. It could also be argued that "historically accurate" means you've been using their tools since you were ten years old. :-) Let's go with "historically respectful." You study them, relate to them, learn their ways, and then respectfully use your tools to actually produce something that respects their work. That is how I approach projects like this. Respect them enough to learn how they worked, work like them, understand the process, and then respectfully move on. That is how you accurately bring history into the things you create.

[@MarisArmoury]

As I mostly costume in larp full historical accuracy is less important, even in larps that use historical setting we usually go for 'coolthentic'. I absolutely love that word and it describes pretty well what is expected. As long as it is believable enough to live in that time period it is good enough. So want to use fully historical patterns but synthetic fabric that still looks good? Go for it! Found a dress at a thrift store that can pass with minor adjustments and a shawl over it? Go for it! It makes the entry bar for people who want to get started, but were afraid to do so because of costuming standards a lot lower too. In the end, the most important part is that we all have fun!

[@deadgirlwalking4354]

I have Icelandic and shetland sheep, I'm happy to see people working with their wool. Definitely one of my favorite sheep breeds

[@beckyadams4729]

There are two things I have heard that bring some perspective to things like this. "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly" This is actually in reference to depression, such as "if you can't bring yourself to shower, at least brush your teeth", that sort of thing. But it applies to other activities as well. Particularly, if you happen to suffer from depression and you don't enjoy doing things that you normally do, do them anyway, and if they are not up to your usual standard accept that you are working from a deficit, and that's ok. I think that can be applied to an exaggerated sense perfectionism as well. Perfectionism may not be a mental disorder, but it can certainly hinder your joy in an activity. The next thing is' "You don't have to be good at something to enjoy doing it" This is in reference to skills like dancing or painting. It is particularly useful to remember when you are stuck in "The Gap" where your knowledge of a subject and your skill in the subject don't correlate. As in, you know what a good painting looks like, but don't yet have the skill to achieve what you envision in your head. You are still allowed to enjoy the process of producing the painting, even if it doesn't turn out the way that you want it do. If you enjoyed doing it, it was worth doing. Taken together these two phrases allow for the enjoyment of a craft, even when it isn't what you wish it could be. (Such as completely historically accurate) Even if you know you could have done it better with more time, or more practice, or even more motivation. In the end, if you did your best, you did your best. I know that seems obvious and redundant, but sometimes we forget that your best today, may not have been your best yesterday, and it will likely not be your best tomorrow. If you let "perfect be the enemy of good" then you will never get the chance to enjoy the journey of learning. All this to say, it does not appear that you are lacking for joy in your learning process, so don't be so hard on yourself for being in a state of learning something. If you already knew everything, -and had all of the skills necessary to be perfect, -and had the time to complete everything perfectly accurately, -and had the disposable income to acquire all of the necessary tools and materials, -and still had the motivation to do all of this completely accurately, ...would it be worth it? You wouldn't be learning anything new or gaining any new skills. It's the fact that you are researching new things, and learning new skills, that means you are growing. And I'm over here in your corner cheering you on. I love your content. It is fantastic, and I learn something new with every video. So thank you.

[@michellemckinney1513]

Oh yeah, I definitely agree with drawing the line at stale urine! 🤢 I LOVE what you've done with your hair! So sultry 😉👍❤️😍

[@tammybrassard2395]

I always think that our ancestors would be using our modern equipment glad that the job could be done faster. My grandmother had and old sewing machine that was modern for her day, she was fascinated by my more modern machine and believe me when I got my first machine that did the embroidery my granddaughters like on their clothing I blessed whoever came up with it. I'm all for doing things accurately but I'm not willing to take the time some people think is necessary. I'll never be a spinner, but I love watching you do it, I figure I can concentrate on my knitting and support someone else by buying the wool they spin.

[@theothertiffany8728]

A tribble reference!! Ok, yes, the rest of the video was wonderful and made an important point about perfectionism, but, but... a tribble reference! I knew I loved this channel!

[@kayrigetta9462]

Love your hair

[@deborahdohne2152]

Fearlessly tiptoe and leap through the spectrum! This is one of my favorite videos ever! Thank you. Your attitude and sharing in relationship to the content is magical. Did I say thank you!?

[@Pinguinpullover]

hello, lovely lady! i do very much understand and appreciate your thoughts and feelings about accuracy, research and procrastination, but if you tell me you did not close your eyes and stuck your hands into that gorgeous fleece up to your elbows, just to be one with it, enjoy it and thank Kol for his generous gift, i shall call you a liar. ;-) i love your videos, your personality, your depth and determination. please be safe and thank you for sharing this wonderful experience ❤

[@Sopholians70]

I knit my first wool sweater for my dad and he requested it to be extra oily… makes sense now, he’s Dutch

[@laughingdovefarm3311]

I am excited to watch all of your project. I have Icelandic sheep, I spin, I weave , and am of Scandinavian heritage. I have to say, i LOVE spinning the wool of my Icelandic sheep and even the single ply handspun yarn is amazingly strong. BTW~ one of my Icelandic ewes comes from strong 'leader sheep' lines.

[@JillianEve]

Icelandic leader sheep are such a fascinating feature of the breed! 🐑💜

[@jtarmstrong1234]

As a (also neurospicy) history researcher, I got a good chuckle out of the "comments" people would leave against the "accuracy troll." I'm looking forward to seeing how this project turns out 😊

[@ccpperrett7522]

I love your energy and enthusiasm. I loved seeing examples of short-tailed sheep. Kol definitely is a handsome sheep and his fleece will make a beautiful garment. I am loving this project. I feel connected to you Jillian and to the people we are learning about. My husband had a Scottish grandmother, while my family was English, Irish, French, and German. I appreciate the technology our ancestors used. I live in Alaska. The native people use animated skins, furs, and plant fibers for clothing. In such a harsh environment, their clothing was paramount to survival. This is still true today. Living in -40° F, Temps requires highly protective clothing. Thank you for the video.

[@ccpperrett7522]

Correction: animal skins, not animated.

[@fyrecraftedgaming]

I'm comforted by the thought that my ancestors would be using the new tools if they could.

[@Eyrenni]

I understand your struggle with perfectionism. Considering how few extant garments we have from that time (compared to a few hundred years later), or even visual evidence in art and literature (illuminated manuscripts included here), starting with a whole sheep's fleece is an amazing feat of historical accuracy. We're lucky to still HAVE the sheep species that was around at that time, in that region of the world, without them having changed or barely changed since. Brings to mind Norwegian black oats, which are a relatively new thing to come back. It's an older type of oat that was grown back in those days (higher fibre content than modern oats, among other things if I don't misremember) that's been revived through active farming. So, from another country whose ancetors were Norse as well, your project sounds amazing! Good luck and I'll enjoy watching your progress.

[@TheRazzleChazzle]

Looking forward to this whole project! I've just gotten into spinning, so I'm glad I've found your channel. Probably the best phrase I've heard to counter being "historically accurate" is "historically adequate." Another sewing KZbinr made a video about that a few years ago, and I've seen a few other videos using the same phrase. It relieves some of the pressure we put on ourselves (and each other) by setting a limit to how far you feel is necessary to go on the historical accuracy spectrum.

[@sandrataylor3723]

Looking forward to the rest of your journey on your project!

[@reavanante2160]

Oh, joy! (On the retorts)

[@deboraharmstrong3002]

You know, Gunna Svensdottir probably really loved her grandmother, and was thrilled (also a little scared) to build and dress her own loom the first time. Grossmutti would help, but "Learning is best done by doing." Now, imagine that Gunna is now a young wife, and a trader brings a New. Thing. to the village. Whatever that new thing is, Grossmutti Did Not Do Things That Way. Hopefully, Grossmutti was admiring, rather than sourly jealous.

[@agreatalternative]

Your view on historical accuracy within our projects (especially if your not a seasoned expert) is truly inspiring. I’ve come to this video as a complete beginner in the world of wool clothing but keen to learn more as I will hopefully be telling the stories of some Welsh (UK) sheep farmers and spinners, which may include me having a go myself. To have someone like yourself reaffirm that historical accuracy is fluid and shouldn’t stop you creating us put the biggest smile on my face!! 😊 Thank you so much and hello from Wales UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@wingsnwillows]

I can relate to this. I have been hand plucking my Icelandics when their coat breaks. Super cool to peel your sheep like a banana and have a perfect fleece.

[@audreydeneui192]

Ahhh! Memories! Scouring fleece! Or "why Audrey is not allowed to use the spin cycle on the washing machine to process greasy fleece any more" (we had to call out a plumber and repipe the laundry drains, not entirely my fault, but my hobby made a convenient 'scapegoat' ha). Then there was one summer where I cold processed a fleece, using cold water and sodium carbonate (washing soda/soda ash...also "why Audrey is not allowed to 'borrow' the pool chemical supplies for re-enacting purposes"...I didn't really use THAT much...). Great video. And now my brain is playing "We're Vikings!" song from VeggieTales (sorry, not sorry!). I will have to add "Valkyrie's Loom" to my birthday/Christmas list. If you really want to go down the warp weighted rabbit hole, check out Sally Pointer's mini youtube play list on that. I have found that a weight of about 12-ish ounces per bundle of 10 (wool) warp threads is about right, tension wise.

[@elizabethrwood]

I love this video! I'm watching while I spindle spin and use a handheld distaff made by my friend for my birthday! Such fun to have something so interesting to watch. 😊

[@loonyrune]

I love that you are making an apron dress from fleece to garment. It is something that is also on my to do list. I especially love it due to the fact that I am rased on a sheep farm in Iceland, I spin and I am in a viking reenactment group! To the best of my knowledge stale urine was not just used to dye the wool but also to clean it. Today if a fleece is extremely dirty we don't use any soap on it but just soak it in its own 'stuff' and it will become clean after being rinsed a few times. Leaving some of the lanolin in also helps to soften it, since it is very rustic, especially the tog. The þel was used for the garments closest to the skin and the tog was used for outer layers and weft. (sorry for the rambling, I can spend endless time talking about wool) If you have any questions that you think I could help you with don't hesitate to contact me :) (ps. Iceland is not in Scandinavia

[@gypsyjade7170]

Historical accuracy ❤ wool ❤ JillianEve ❤ this was a winning 🏆 evening!!!

[@crystilmurch5659]

For the record: I am here bc you are an amazing teacher and anything you wish to teach I find interesting. The wool and history are super awesome bonuses but mostly I just like your style. :)

[@amymariechell]

Thank you. It was really insightful being included in your thought processes.

[@Chicken_Mama_85]

I wish that in period movies they would at least attempt “historically plausible”. I appreciate anyone that at least does a basic google search for what styles, materials, are appropriate for the time period. Hollywood ruins it for everyone because they barely try at all. As long as you’re putting in a modicum of effort, you’re way ahead of the curve on historical accuracy.

[@thehousespouse]

So I was looking for a video about a gnome hat and I found yours. And then after I watched that KZbin suggested this video. And I thought "this person is awesome. I have to subscribe to them". And then I was watching the video and you said, "My brain is a little spicy." And then I knew I **had to** subscribe. Thank you for making and uploading this content. And thank you for posting videos with a spicy brain. Because sometimes it is a challenge with a spicy brain, and you're doing it anyway.

[@rashna671]

I just received a partial black Icelandic fleece in the mail today myself! I got it for blending into other wools for the natural non superwash wool sock drawer project im working on (hoping the tog makes for a more durable yarn; also thinking about a lopi style yarn but plied) but now you have me thinking about medieval stockings. hmmmmm....

[@DeniseSkidmore]

Woot! I am on a similar project from the opposite angle. I raise a rare breed sheep and I want to explore why it used to be valuable by going from fleece to kirtle.

[@jimjams811]

As others have pointed out, you're doing the work of a village. The type of work that grandmothers and their daughters and granddaughters, nieces friends etc did while the men toiled outside with their farms. To this day yarn making is still a community event for avid yarn makers who come together and you're doing all this by yourself. Maybe use these types of projects to invite friends and family. All this work we have taken for granted now, have all been for socializing as much as it was used ways for surviving.

[@michellemckinney1513]

OMG! I totally remember the episode with the green nepps! It was the last time you did the wooly wheel of mystery spin😂

[@JillianEve]

It was so long ago!!! 😂😭😭

[@cuppajavaplease]

Off topic, but your hair is amazing! Keep doing what you are doing.

[@pyenygren2299]

I don't understand what you are talking about, and I am here for this exciting ride. 🎉 🧶

[@Elfdaughter]

Coming from a re-enactment background, here's my thoughts on 'historically accurate'. Nothing that we create in this modern era can be truly 100% historically accurate. That would mean the tools we use would have to be historically accurate too - but what about the tools used to make THEM? And the tools used to make THOSE tools, and all the way down the line? When we, who are not historians or archaeologists are making something for ourselves, for fun or for interest, it's important not to get hung up on any minor inconsistencies. We can't be entirely historically accurate, but we can be as historically accurate as we can be, and there's a big difference. There are some things that were available back then that simply aren't any more, and sometimes we just have to live with modern equivalents in our historical makes. As long as we are aware of those anachronisms and make choices based around what is available to us and within our means, I think that's the best we can do. I'm a calligrapher, and try to make period-accurate scrolls. Technically I should be doing it on calf-skin vellum. But that's totally outside of my budget, and not everyone I make them for wants animal products. So I use a modern, plant based product that acts in the same way as original vellum. I'm fully aware that that reduces the authenticity, but I use what I can within my means.

[@annikasamuelsson2185]

It's so fun to hear someone speak so lovely about sheep from my homeland. Many don't like Gotland and sheep like that becaus their fleece isn't as soft as merino. It makes me really happy and brings me tears of joy. Hopefully more people will see and understand this fantasic wools so we can save this different sheep racese we have here up in the north. Thank you!!

[@catherinebuttrick5678]

Loved this video and your discussion of historical accuracy and to what degree it should be pursued. I just saw a video showing that the Navajo spinners would clean their Churro by burying it in sand for a while. Kind of like a dry shampoo process. Makes sense, given that water was precious. I might try that, but only for a part of the fleece. Power Scour is my choice!

[@caroleschmidt5878]

I love that you are committed to the historical accuracy And working from fleece to fabric!

[@feltlikeitbydebs]

Hi Evie just create and enjoy the experience to whatever feels right for you. What other people think is none of your business. So looking forward to your creation and what l learn from my vicarious experience. Debs from Down Under

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Love your highlights!! When I first started watching historical sewists on youtube, I heard the term "historical adequacy", I try to live by that. I cannot make the needle I use in the old methods. I cannot yet spin my own thread nor weave my own cloth. The tools I use will contain modern materials (my 10th century tablet weaving pattern is on a loom made from an IKEA board and some pieces of leftover machine cut wood bits and tied together with neon orange acrylic yarn. And I was probably wearing polyester while I was working on it. Under an LED light, with electric baseboard heating. Haha, on "practical skills", I just hand-stitched some buttonholes on a vest I made. They're atrocious. I am very bad at them. You'd think after handstitching 36 eyelets for my kirtle pinafore I'd be better at them. Nope. But somehow among all 5 of my sewing machines none of them do buttonholes. So I did them myself, and parts of them look pretty good so I'm still proud of them. Lately I've been embracing Historical Adequacy by using machine spun and woven commercially purchased natural fibres (usually the wrong ones cause wool is itchy and linen is expensive) to make handsewn flannel house dresses based on the rectangles-and-gores style cause it's very fabric-economic, and shirts based on the same concept, because again, historically the fit needed to be comfortable but they weren't going to waste fabric. I'm endlessly fascinated by figuring out how to do things that these days are all done by machine, and even if I'm using historical inspiration, I will be using whatever I happen to have. As my armouring mentor alway said, if the historical armourers had the tools we have now like electric metal shears and electric drills, they sure would have used them!! Haha, the green neps!! I'm constantly finding little bits of projects past in places they shouldn't be...

[@HirschfeldHandknits]

This is going to be so fun to follow!!❤

[@anunmaker]

I admire you for delving into this project. As encouragement, I would say there are no (insert craft here) police, and anyone acting in that capacity need to find something better to do with their time! As for the “historically accurate” naysayers …I would simply answer them with a challenge to attempt what you are and do it better. I think a lot of people are comfortable criticizing others for things they can’t or won’t do themselves. Good on you for trying! I can’t wait to see your progress.

[@candycoatedcactus]

"And that doesn't feel like cheating anymore." This is such a valuable moment. It is so exciting to strive for historical accuracy in a project. Spinning and weaving makes me feel connected to my ancestors in a way that nothing else has. But at some point project enthusiasm becomes project limitations. It is not cheating to make yourself a beautiful dress with modern equipment. This is a good lesson for us when we look at and judge other people's "historical accuracy" as well! If someone put in a good faith attempt at a historically accurate project, that should be celebrated. If a large production studio puts in no effort when making a period television show or movie though... That seems like something we can all rag on just a little ;) Thank you for the video. I'm going to share this with all my SCA friends

[@kellydietz6720]

You are awesome, and I can't wait to go on this journey

[@XatxiFly]

Thank you for showing Kol the respect he deserves 🙌

[@jacquelinesalem2776]

Hmmmm. I've been wondering were you've been. Now, it seems you have been busy down this time warp rabbit hole. What a delight to watch. There's plenty to unravel here, but I am mostly inclined to comment on the philosophical approach to your decision making around accuracy. In my book you are "right on" to NOT think lineally. My understanding of many ancient cultures is that the need for survival required a cyclical view as dictated by nature. It matters not where you land on the circle the process can be predicted and enhanced by repetition. You are enjoying an ancient process that can spiral forever. I expect you can't get more authentic than that:). Thank you so much for all the work you are doing here. You made my morning.

[@AngryMooseandFamily]

This is Awesome! Looking forward to seeing your videos as this progresses.

[@mandamadeit3710]

What a lovely video! Love the hair and your frank honesty about your struggles with historical accuracy. Historical accuracy isn’t really something I think about because I just don’t notice. It’s not something I’ve studied so it just doesn’t mean much to me. I think the joy in creating is much more important and access to that joy shouldn’t be kept from someone based on their willingness to use stale urine or whatever other barriers they may face.

[@melissaexton8680]

It seems to me that one should strive for Historical Adequacy instead of Historical Accuracy. Go forth and win!

[@Which-Craft]

Even as much as I love the idea of historical accuracy, I lack the skills and money to make it happen to the level the "ORG" as a whole apparently looks for, based on my experience. I think I'm stuck in renn faire mode forever, even tho I've never been to one. Need to start there so I can actually have fun with the creative process instead of stressing over "accuracy". BTW - I LOVE LOVE LOVE your hair today!

[@tenaoconnor7510]

I love tribbles ❤😂

[@anthonystark6379]

I think, ultimately, you will never make others satisfied with how much/little "accuracy" your garment has. And what really matters is that you enjoy your craft, and you enjoy your garment. 🙂 Who cares what others think, as long as you're proud of yourself and that you enjoyed the journey to get there?

[@mandylavida]

Proessing with stale urine is just taking the piss.....loved this video and can't wait to see the rest of this project. Going as historically accurate as possible is, of course, important for all the reasons you gave, but also.....it's just plain fun!

[@carlacrazymom]

one of my favorite things to do in the whole fleece to finished object thing is to scour a fleece from a sheep whose name i know...my last one was from Gort, an icelandic ewe. I also love to pull out the tog from the pel...it is meditative...it goes with a good mystery audiobook or musice. have fun with your project.

[@imzanawlto3070]

Gottland is an amazing fleece to work with - so lovely and soft - I never seperated the tog from the thel - I am now curious to try - thanks for the informative viewpoint.

[@jgordy4840]

Fascinating video! Great work Evie🤩