Språng!

Språng was the art that initially drew me to the SCA back in 2012. There's a bit of a lag between first learning about the SCA and eventually joining in 2018, but that's not the story being told here. This story is about a 10 year long search for an ancient fibre art.

• I had a book about it, back in 2012, originally found in the inter-library loan program of BC. The book, now out of print, has mysteriously been "lost". Grr.
• A book and DVD by Carol James came up on the local buy and sell. I POUNCED! No joke. Mid COVID-19 shutdown and everything - dropped everything at work. Luckily, in a small town, it wasn't that far. I don't know who I thought was going to try to squeeze me out for a språng DVD. I dropped my lysol wiped money on the doorstep and picked up the wiped down goods.
• Took an online class, and got as far as warping a frame. But by the time I had that completed, the class had moved on so I put it down.
• At August Investiture, someone was selling pre-warped looms. I said ok this was it. If I couldn't just do the fun twisty bit, then this maybe wasn't for me. I brought that loom home... and put it away.

At the Stag's Revel in Hartwood, we (my friend and I who had both gotten the pre-warped frames) ran into the person who had put the frames together, Halima. She very patiently explained all the different things about språng - it was better than any class or book I'd read, due to being about to examine the fabric as she talked about it. She encouraged us to try, and gave us a gentle deadline of Dec 31 to show a picture of what we'd made.

Finally, on my birthday eve, I was feeling reflective (might have been the wine). All these little opportunities have popped up around me, but the time was never quite right. What a shame it would be to have another year tick by without even trying. So I tried. And something happened. I made a thing! 

I made a lumpy sack and I love it.

Here is is on the loom / frame:

I very excitedly showed my work off to Halima, and she was very encouraging and gave me all sorts of ideas for the next project.

All this to say, seize the day! It was so much fun I worry I'll regret wasting 10 years getting to actually doing it. (No I won't, just enjoying being dramatic).

YIS

AW