Irish tableware

One of the things I love about researching history is seeing artifacts. I think I could have been an archaeologist in another life. My husband truly thought I was nuts, but when I visited Ireland this past summer, I took numerous pictures of the everyday items in a medieval home. Some of these are from a later time period than mine, but you still get a feel for the types of weaving they did. Here is a close-up shot of an earthen jug and a woven table covering. It really does look like the clay was just dug out of the earth. But apparently clay pits were dug up and the potter would let the clay “season.” The sign of a good potter was a man who aged clay for his grandchildren.

The weaving looms of ancient Ireland weren’t like the modern looms. Here is a photograph of a hand loom inside one of the wattle and daub huts. This weaving was tighter and the threads more similar to cloth than the woven covering above. I imagine this sort of loom was used to make tunics and léines (a long tunic hanging to the knees, sometimes longer for women).

I’ve often thought it would be interesting to learn to weave. I know how to crochet and how to make quilts (very addictive), but I’ve never had the chance to try weaving. It looks incredibly complicated. Anyone here ever tried it? Is it time-consuming or what do you think? What sorts of handmade projects do you enjoy?