I Replicated 2,300 Year Old Fabric || HANDSPUN & HANDWOVEN Historic Cloth

A 2,300 year old cloak found in a bog inspired this project to replicate historic cloth. The Gerum Cloak is the oldest example of a houndstooth twill in the world and I wanted to see if I could replicate its Iron Age fabric. I handspun and handwove a Gotland wool blend to match both the diameter of the threads and the structure of the Gerum Cloak fabric. I also learned the fascinating story of this cloak and figured out how to weave a 2/2 twill pattern with a rigid heddle loom (details included). This project was a total adventure that I'm so excited to share with you!

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🔎🧐Details of the Houndstooth Pattern for 2/2 twill:

Across the warp I set up 2 threads in each eye and two threads in each slot totaling four threads of the same color, alternating across. Using G for grey and W for white with () indicating the threads held up by the heddles, the rigid heddle was set up this way: (GG)GG(WW)WW(GG)GG(WW)WW

The string heddles (SH) were set up this way:

SH1: Two threads, one of each color adjacent to each other in the warp, repeated across. G)GG(GW)WW(WG)GG(GW)WW(W

SH2: Two threads of the same color, not adjacent to the alternate color, repeated across.
G(GG)GW(WW)WG(GG)GW(WW)W

The pattern I used to create the 2/2 twill was Rigid Heddle UP, String Heddle 2, Rigid Heddle Down, String Heddle 1, repeat.



✨✨✨Interesting information about the Garum Cloak and other sources✨✨✨

🧶 General information about houndstooth pattern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houndst...

🧶 General information about the cloak https://g.co/arts/AEJ9HjY6gAGURL8d8

🧶 The details I used for reference from the historic Gerumsmanteln textile came from the Swedish History Museum, Historiska site: http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/fid....

🧶 A video (in Swedish) where you can see the full size of the cloak laid out. It is magnificent! Gerumsmanteln

🧶 A description of how the Gerumsmanteln was likely originally woven and why it wasn't on a warp weighted loom. https://historiska.se/upptack-histori...

🧶 Was the wearer of the cloak stabbed? https://historiska.se/upptack-histori...

📸 Images of the Gerumsmanteln are listed under creative commons and sourced from the Swedish History Museum, Historiska site: http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/fid....


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🐑 The wool I used in this project is the "Gotland Tweed Blend" from Paradise Fibers (Affiliate). They also carry spinning wheels, looms and weaving supplies. 👉https://www.paradisefibers.com/?rfsn=...

📧 If you are interested in private virtual spinning lessons, send an e-mail to [email protected]

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