May 2021 – Stórfréttir

Sewing Circle Thurs. June 3rd 7:30

We had a sheltered sewing circle this past Saturday. We had one person finishing one project, then starting another. Two folks starting projects, one repair project, and an ongoing weaving project. We huddled inside for warmth and had a fun time. We talked about the mystery fabric, and other fun things.

The regularly scheduled first Thursday sewing will be this Thursday, June 3rd from 7:30 to 10PM. It will be held both in-person and online. The in-person location is 1105 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, 15232. I will post the zoom information when I have it. Feel free to bring any sewing or fiber projects. If you have questions, please email sewing (at) debatablelands (dot) org.

If you plan to attend in person you must wear a mask.

Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure
the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate
the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events.
By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge
and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps
to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as
you believe to be necessary."

Shelter Sewing 1pm-5pm Sat May 29

Tut tut it looks like rain. We will sew through it. There is a garage, a pop-up, and the indoors for sewing. Bring what you need to sew. Fabric, machine, if you use one, bobbins and thread. We have tables, stools, power strips, extension cords, ironing board and iron, a heater for the garage, and plenty of good company. The address is 1105 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15232. If you have questions send email to sewing (at) debatablelands (dot) org. Face masks are required by the SCA.

Fight Practice May 30

Greetings, Weather permitting, we will have fight practice, at the Washington Blvd site, starting at 2 PM on Sunday May 30. The SCA has mandated that CDC compliant masks will be worn (on the face, and covering nose and mouth) at all times except when food or water is being consumed, which should be done with social distancing. Please bring your own water, food, and hand sanitizer. There will not be any loaner armor at this time. And equipment should not be shared with anyone outside of your family group. It would probably be a good idea to check your authorization card to see if it has expired. If you do not feel well, please stay home, and we will be happy to see you when you are feeling better. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and I will try to resolve them. I hope to see you there. Robert

Fencing Practice Resumes This Sunday 5/30

Greetings Debatable Lands,

This Sunday will mark the return of regular fencing practices.

Keep in mind that during this time CDC compliant masks must be worn at all times, except while you are actively eating or drinking, during which time you must remain stationary and maintain social distance.

If your authorization expired while practices were not happening you can follow the normal re-authorization procedures. If your authorization expired before practices were suspended, you will need to authorize as a new fencer.

We also have new rules that came into effect last year, so make sure that you are familiar with them prior to coming to practice. Here is a link to the new policies. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BoRrdSEER0bfRW2hrxPK8tCPhHXh2GEc/view?usp=sharing

As an additional reminder there will be no loaner gear available at this time.

See you Sunday,

jorundr

Scribal East – Tonight

There will be a scriptorium tonight, May 27th starting at 7pm. This scriptorium will have an online component, and an in-person component. The online component is on Aethelmearc Zoom. Connection details have been posted to Discord #scriptorium. For more information, or if you would like to attend in-person, email scriptorium (at) debatablelands (dot) org.

Pop-up Sewing Sat May 29 1-5pm

This Saturday it’s a pop-up sewing day. This will be held outside weather permitting, or in the garage / indoor if the weather is not permitting. Bring your pop-up and other equipment, such as a sewing machine, that you need for sewing. We have yard, extension cords/power strips. If you want snacks or something to drink, bring it. If you need a chair and table for sewing please bring them. I will be indoors if it rains. If you would rather braid, knit, or weave, please feel free to bring that instead. Masks are required by SCA regulation. Time Saturday, May 29th, from 1pm – 5pm. Location 1105 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh 15232. I will also run zoom room if anyone is interested in joining remotely. Questions email sewing (at) debatablelands (dot) org.

AAR – Arts and Sciences Practice

It was a small but mighty A&S practice this past Sunday at the Washington Boulevard practice site. The day was sunny and beautiful, and there was only a faint occasional whiff of sulfur from the sewer vent.

Ishiyama brought a wooden bench he’d made, then sat on it while practicing braiding. Forveleth showed off some wire and bead jewelry, and some tablet weaving, and worked on an embroidery project. Li stopped by on the way to Archery practice, and showed off a Chinese helm and a small but mighty crossbow.

It was a wonderful day to spend in the park, and so amazing to see real people again in person now that it is safe. We wore our masks and kept our distance anyway, but amazing to be together with our neighbors enjoying the day. Salve Accolens!

AAR – Woodworking Field Trip

This is just a brief After Activity Report about the Woodworking Guild Field Trip this past Friday. Only a few of us managed to make it, but it was totally worth the trip. The main reason we went there was that Morikawa Rei mentioned that even though the price of construction lumber has gone up five-fold over the past year, woodworking lumber places like Woodcraft have not re-priced their stock. So, what looked like expensive specialty materials a year ago now looks like reasonably priced wood.

In addition to that, when Rei, Turlough Feolain, and I arrived on Friday; Woodcraft had just received a shipment of off-cuts that they were selling at a serious discount. They had a stock of rough cut cherry, maple, cypress, and oak boards, in 4/4 and 8/4 thickness for $5 and $10 each! Not very wide and most only ~3 feet long, but still.

Turlough was looking to make some tool handles, so the thick lumber was just perfect. Rei is planning to make some furniture, so being able to get more than enough furniture-grade lumber at a discount price was perfect. I bought some lumber, too, but I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with it. I’ve been thinking of doing some turning.

Oak (top) and Cherry (bottom) 2 Inches Thick!

Anyway, they probably still have a lot of that stuff left, so if you need nice lumber at a nice price, it’s worth the drive down to Canonsburg. Thanks for suggesting the field trip, Rei! I also spoke briefly to an employee, and they have a classroom there where we might be able to have meetings or workshops.

Arts and Sciences in the Park – Sunday

We have been given the go-ahead to have our first Arts and Sciences “practice” this Sunday (May 23rd) from 10am to 1:30pm at the Washington Boulevard site. The parking lot now bisects the site. The Archers will have their practice on the “Large Field” side as usual, and A&S will be over on the “Small Field” side closer to the river. We will finish up promptly by 1:30pm to make room for afternoon practices.

The theme of this gathering is “catching up”. Please bring a project you are working on now, and one or more projects you worked on during the shutdown for show-n-tell. We’ll chat and enjoy being out in the (I hope) sunshine with our artsy/crafty friends.

Attendance is limited to 25 people, and masks are required. We will give everybody the distance they need to be comfortable, so please bring your own seating, water, food, and shade if you desire it. Please note that the parking lot is smaller than it was, and be considerate of others.

Salve Accolens and see you Sunday!

Fight Practice May 23

Good Gentles, Weather permitting, we will have fight practice, at the Washington Blvd site, starting at 2 PM on Sunday May 23. The SCA has mandated that CDC compliant masks will be worn (on the face, and covering nose and mouth) at all times except when food or water is being consumed, which should be done with social distancing. Please bring your own water, food, and hand sanitizer. It is recommended to bring more water than you think you will need. There will not be any loaner armor at this time. And equipment should not be shared with anyone outside of your family group. It would probably be a good idea to check your authorization card to see if it has expired. If you do not feel well, please stay home, and we will be happy to see you when you are feeling better. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and I will try to resolve them. I hope to see you there. Robert