Being the online web log for the Southwestern Pennsylvania branch of the SCA, Inc.
Baronessa Violeta and Praetoria Prima will select their next A&S Champion at the Debatable Lands Twelfth Night on January 25, 2025!
Please bring an entry that represents your journey as an artisan.
Documentation is optional but encouraged.
North Park Lodge, N Ridge Dr, Allison Park, PA 15201
Long ago when the Debatable Lands were newly settled, a group of Viking Age enthusiasts came together to discuss all things Viking. This Vikingr group lasted many years and even ran events, such as the fabled Vetr Things. Sadly, Vikingr faltered as its members passed into memory or out of the Society. However, interest in Viking Age Scandinavia is not gone. Now is the time for Norse of the next generation to restart Víkingr.
We will meet on Wednesday, November 13 from 7-9 pm at 3915 Riddile Street Pittsburgh PA in Brighton Heights.*
We will indulge in topics and activities related to Viking Age Scandinavia, such as:
Interested? Cool! Come join us in November 13 with your ideas and projects.
* Hrefna’s house is 3 minutes from where Route 65 meets the McKee’s Rocks Bridge. Also, this is the home of cats. Make whatever preparations you require
The temperatures are dropping, as are the leaves, which means that’s a wrap* for this year’s Archery Season!
(*for outdoor Sunday practices at the Washington Blvd. site)
We will resume regular outdoor practices next spring, likely mid-March, weather-permitting, so watch the blog and the Facebook page for updates.
Next week, martial practices are being hosted at the Debatable Lands Harvest Revel (Barony Social) at Duke Byron and Duchess Ariella’s in Wexford. Archery will be included, but not a full Royal Round range (and unfortunately, no archery off the roof… this time…), but all are invited to come for arrow-launching good times.
If you want to keep your archery skills from getting rusty, our neighbors in Steltonwald continue their practices through the winter at the Beaver Valley Archers’ Association (site for 7 Pearls and Archers to the Wald) on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm – contact Bill Moore for more information.
Also, watch for information for our annual Archery Potluck at Chieftain Archery in New Kensington early next year (January or February).
It’s been a joy and an honor serving as the barony’s Captain of the Archers this year:
We close this season on a high note and I look forward to what next season will bring.
Yours in service,
Niall mac Raedwulf
The BMDL Fiber Arts Guild is having a fall dye day on October 6th, 2024.
We will meet from 11-3 PM at Tsvee’a’s House. It is a $10 suggested donation to help me cover the cost of dyes. Any extra goes to the next dye day.
In addition to the usual indigo, we will dye with seasonal fall dye sources, black walnut and kakishibu (persimmon tannin). Some synthetic cellulose dyes in red will also be available for those who want to make some fall purples. I will bring stencils and brushes for those who want to do indigo surizome again; I have learned some new tricks.
While the indigo and synthetic red baths will accept larger amounts of cloth and fiber, the kakishibu and walnut are limited in quantity. Please be courteous and bring smaller projects (=< 1 lb fiber) to dye for these dyes.
Please scour your fibers and wash any fabrics in a ph neutral detergent (like synthraprol) before coming so the dye will take. Message me if you need help with that. None of these dyes require mordants, and some will have color shifts if you do, so please don’t mordant unless you understand what you are doing and what the color change will be.
You are welcome to bring food to share if you like, but please eat a meal if you need to beforehand, as it is difficult to dye and eat at the same time.
Wear some clothes that you don’t mind messing up. I will have disposable gloves available, but you may want long rubber ones if you’re going to seriously dunk stuff in the indigo or red.
Finally, loose (unspun) fiber must be secured with a laundry mesh bag in the dye bath for the sake of the plumbing. Please bring a mesh bag or something to keep your loose fiber from floating freely in the bath and going down the drain.
Looking for some camaraderie while you prepare for Pennsic? The Fiber Guild is having a laid back July meet up to keep each other company while we work on our Pennsic projects. Please bring a fiber project if you have one, and your smiling face if you don’t. If you are already perfectly prepared or just prefer procrastinating, our Arts & Sciences minister has mentioned that the largesse gift basket for Pennsic needs to be filled.
Our meeting will be on July 15th at 7:30 PM at 5167 Rosecrest Dr, Pittsburgh, PA. This meeting will not be virtual, just this once (I will be out of town and so will my laptop), so please come in person.
I called off last weekend to avoid the marathon, so we still have a bunch of light sanding followed by staining.
It will be easier to do the sanding/staining in the garage/driveway, so please meet here at 1105 Shady starting at about 1pm.
If the weather is any good next weekend, we can do the finishing at War Practice.
Turlough, Brandubh, and Ishiyama got a bunch of work done on the gate project last Sunday, but there is still plenty more to do. If we get enough of it done, we might be able to try first assembly and make sure this thing stands up! Towards that end, let’s meet at the Sunday practice (Washington Boulevard site unless it’s raining) again (April 28) and put in a few more hours. Ishiyama can’t bring the lumber until after lunchtime, so there is plenty of time in the morning for other stuff.
I know that some of you will still be at Blackstone Raids, and some of you are not able to help with woodworking, but there will be a least a few more work sessions (including probably at War Practice), and a few different kinds of work to do (including general finishing and painted lettering) so don’t worry about missing out.
For those of you who don’t follow the minutes of the business meetings, the Woodworking Guild has been granted some funds to build a new entrance gate for the Baronial encampment at Pennsic.
I have already purchased some lumber to get started, and will host the first work session this Sunday, April 21st at the Summer practice site (weather permitting).
I probably can’t get down there until after Lunch, so there is plenty of time in the morning for your other interests.
Hello friends!
How’s everyone doing? Wanna do some SCA demo stuff in public soon?
Well, March is marching along towards the Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade and you can, too! The Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands will be marching and riding in the parade on Saturday, March 16th. It’s always a fun, silly time and we’re routinely a crowd favorite.
All you need to join us is the low, low entry fee of, “Show up and enjoy yourself”
Check out this facebook event so we can get organized and plan out who, where, what, and when everything takes place! https://fb.me/e/1Y8StRnG6
You can also email the chatelaine office directly!
YIS,
Svava
