In 2017, I realized that I like spinning more than I like plying, so I decided to start a project that would require a whoooole lot of single ply. Because my primary interest is Norse, the primary documentation is "shreds of rotting bog fabric or the impression they left on metal" and to a lesser extent, the Icelandic law documents defining vaðmal (the earliest laws are from 1117, which is after the accepted end of the Viking Age). From the extants, we see cloth fineness from between 15 threads/in to 51 threads/in (and I saw a reference to 150/in, but I didn't take the time to track down exactly what find that was so it's not counting).

The Icelandic law documents largely back up these finds, with a suggestion that 10-35 threads/in were legal grades of cloth. The second finest, smávoð, caught my eye. The legal definition is a twill cloth with 27-35 threads per inch, and was allowable to use as tithe payment (fancy!). Some math later, it turns out that if I spun about 37-40 WPI (wraps per inch), I could warp a twill at 25 EPI (ends per inch) and after shrinkage, I would have fabric comfortably in that range.

However, it's a lovely color and was a joy to spin for the 8-ish miles of yarn I needed (pictured above is 13 miles, because I guess I needed a head start on my next megaproject?). All the yarn was S-spun on a top-weighted drop spindle (VA finds are much more likely to be Z-spun, but S is what I'm best at and will be pried out of my cold dead hands).

I was tempted to build a warp weighted loom to weave this project, but my laurel threatened beatings for the heresy of weaving against gravity and also I have cats who love dangly yarn. Instead, I came into a second hand disaster of an ancient four shaft floor loom, and upgraded it enough to use. Sub-projects in service of this project were some scarves in acrylic yarn (baby's first introduction to warping a loom), some handspun legwraps (oh geeze wool tensions differently than acrylic), and then using commercial wool singles to load up the loom (DEFINITELY need to replace every heddle).

I currently have 3'9" woven, which is enough for a front or rear tunic panel. But given the time investment I already have in, this is practically finished! I only have to finish weaving, make a bone needle or two, then sew it up!