Sunday, November 13, 2011

Good Websites

There are several good websites about weaving in the medieval times. If you would like to learn more about the history and the society back in medieval times, you should check out this website:

This website does a good job of explaining what it was like back in medieval times. It kinda felt like sitting in a history class when reading it. It's packed with all kinds of information. This website, part of a class project at San Jose State University, gives you extensive information about not only weavers, but also some European history, agriculture, timing devices, mining and smithing, and construction of the medieval times. This site is great for truly learning about what it meant to be alive during the medival age. The idea of the hard-working middle class, the beggers, and the noblemen, could be seen as a foreign concept to many. However, if you really think about it, that way of life hasn't changed at all since medieval times. There are still the very wealthy that don't have to work, the working middle class, and the poor beggars (homeless people). It's kind of sad that we haven't changed very much.

On the other hand, if you would like to learn more about how to actually do some weaving, here's a website that can help you make bracelets or necklaces. You can also get creative and make things like shoelaces or lanyards if you want to:
This website is where the person who taught me how to weave learned from. It is chock-full of different ideas and patterns that you can use. There are several illustrations as well as several videos that can help you decipher the secret art of bracelet weaving in addition to, of course, the instructions about how to make the bracelet. In addition, the creater of the page, Cristine Gierer, has labeled them based on difficulty so you know beforehand if it will be too difficult for you.

Speaking of, when I first started doing these bracelets, I didn't know how to do anything besides the "Chinese Staircase". So, the next day in clubs, when Skylar taught friendship bracelets and just happened to go over the more complicated "candy stripe" bracelet, I really paid attention. However, I was in the middle of one bracelet when she started going over it, so I wasn't able to make one with her supervision. So, when I finally decided to make one, I pulled this website back up again. It's clear directions and easy-to-see illustrations made learning easy. After I learn how to perfect the "Candy Stripe" I plan to figure out the "Zig-zag" so that I can finally make a flag bracelet the way I wanted. After that, it's full steam ahead to panda bracelets! There are good illustrations for picture bracelets in the "advanced" section, so I'll be able to design a good panda bracelet and then, after practicing some, make one! The question is, what shall I make for my practice bracelet? As Ray William Johnson would say: "Leave your interesting or creative [ideas] in the comment section below." (If you dont know who that is, 2 things. 1) Facepalm. 2) Youtube search "=3").

1 comment:

  1. Josh you had some really nice websites. I visited both of them and they caught my interest. In the medieval one there was a lot information and great images. If I had more time and a better attention span I could read more. The bracelet website was really neat. Loved the different kind of things you cam do, only if I had some string to do those things.

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