Remember the Canadian Rangers who showed up at my house for New Year's Dinner? They were half frozen and there were quite a few of them..... then remember the ill fated Exercise Western Spirit that I blogged about back in February.... well among those Rangers was the very gentlemanly CP (remember no names here).
CP came to visit this weekend. He was here in HH to teach Military CPR to Hubby and his Rangers. Of course I couldn't let the fellow come to HH and not give him a meal in our home. That would just not be very mannerly..... besides, CP is a delightful man. I met him the first time down in Valemount, when Hubby was on exercise. If I remember correctly, he drank tea in our campsite.... how can you not like that!
Last evening he came to join my family and I for dinner and a more enjoyable dinner I have not had for quite some time. We had some very intellectual conversation about everything from politics, to history, to the great outdoors, to spinning and wool. Of course being a military man we discussed uniforms which led to doeskin (red woolen fabric for you folks who don't know the lingo). CP you see was a member of the Scottish Battalion (Fort Garry Horse... I think correct me if I'm wrong CP) of the Canadian Reserves for a while before being hired by the Canadian Rangers. Hubby at one point served with the Governor General's Foot Guards. Both wore red serge-like uniforms. And so the discussion of wool began based on the nastiness of the various uniforms that are meant to look good but torture our military men. Now anyone who knows anything about wool fabric, knows that it is a very expensive product that is very difficult to get your hands on. It runs at about $120.00 a metre and itches like hell fire, leaving the wearer in warm weather with a skin rash that is just sick.... I love the stuff.
I revel in wool and woven woolen fabric is the best. There are all types of woolen fabric and while discussing wool, I began to wonder what the difference between doeskin, Melton cloth, and serge is. And so began the research... here is what I have found out:
Beaver cloth: A heavy woolen overcoating which is intended to have the appearance of natural beaver skin. The lustrous nap of short fibres is produced by milling the cloth and raising the fibres, which are cut level and laid smoothly in one direction.
Doeskin cloth: A fine woolen, warp-face cloth usually of Merino wool, milled, raised and dress-face finished. It is similar to beaver cloth but lighter and finer.
Flannel: A plain or twill weave fabric with a soft handle due to being slightly milled and raised. The cloth was originally made entirely from wool but now commonly contains some other fibre also. Both woolen and worsted fabrics are produced weighing about 200g/m2
Melton: A heavyweight fabric suitable for overcoats. Lighter weights are used as undercollars in suits. It may be entirely of wool or with a cotton warp and a woolen weft in 2/2 twill or other simple weave. It is heavily milled, raised and cropped.
Molleton: A heavy reversible woolen flannel with a nap on both faces. Now made from other fibres.
Serge: A piece-dyed 2/2 twill cloth of almost square construction with a clear surface. The twill line runs at a low angle to the weft. It is often made of wool but other fibres and blends are used.
This is the website where I found the information:
http://www.narrow-fabrics-manufacturers.com/textile-terms.html This is an excellent web resource.... I'll post it in my links....
I also found out that melton cloth is made in Melton Mowbray, England. This is what I found out here:
Melton Mowbray is home to Melton cloth (first mentioned in 1823), which is the familiar tight-woven woolen cloth which is heavily milled, and a nap raised so as to form a short, dense, non-lustrous pile. Sailors' pea coats are traditionally made of Melton cloth, the universal workmans' donkey jackets of Britain and Ireland and in North America, loggers' "cruising jackets" and Mackinaws. Doeskin cloth, a fine woolen, warp-face cloth usually of Merino wool, milled, raised and dress-face finished. It is similar to beaver cloth but lighter and finer.
Sorry I forgot to write down the website..... ooops.... this is not my work though....
Then I found this:
Since desertion was such a problem, soldiers under the rank of sergeant were not permitted to own civilian clothing. With only their uniform to wear, they would easily be spotted if they tried to desert.
Red Tunics indicate that the wearer is a member of the infantry. Soldiers were supplied with their uniforms, while officers purchased their own.
Officers' uniforms were of a much finer weave of wool, usually doeskin, while the rank and file had uniforms made of melton (wool) and to a lesser extent, serge.
http://www.royalengineers.ca/Uniforms.html
So there you have it Beaverskin cloth, Doeskin cloth, Flannel, Melton, Molleton, and Serge..... FYI.
Now back to what I started out telling you.... here is CP spinning his first yarn.
Don't you love the Harley Davidson Shirt! By the way Hubby and I drank all the beer.... ; }
I love being a spinner and a weaver....so cool!!!!! CP thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to teach you to spin..... next time I'll teach you weaving? : )
No comments:
Post a Comment