Cap

While working in the Drents Museum and visits to the Archeon I saw several caps that were replica's of bronzeage caps. I thought I would give it a try.

Copyright photo Drents Museum

Example

The womenscaps found in Denmark were taken as example for to cap I wanted to make. This picture was all I hade untill I found a discription of a replica like this in Tine Abrahamsson's book on prang. (Sprang, een oude vlechttechniek, Dutch title)

Womanscap from Bredmose (Denmark) found with a female bogbody. Dated 1400 before Chr.
Pic. from 'Sprang, Egyptisch vlechten' van Fenny Nijman

Pic. from "Sprang, een oude vlechttechniek" by Tine Abrahamsson

The discription

The discription in Tine Abrahamsson's book is based on 90 (pairs of) threads of about 25 centimeter (10 inch) with a total of 60 grams. I tend to say: "make it 30 centimeter" but I have been told I have a big head. In the book the cap is made by combining sprang with cardweaving.

The net

First you make the net that will cover the hair. wich is basicty a square plane of 25 cm high and 90 pairs of treads wide. When using thick wool you use lesser pairs of treads and using thin wool you use a few more. you can make the net with or without using different paterns.

The hairnet still on the loom.

White cap with cardweaving.

The band

When the net is finished a band is atached on the front. A liitle colour or patern woven into this decorative band makes the cap more atractive. In the bronzeage they may heve used a simple cord instead of a woven band, but this is prettier..

Patern

The back of the net is draw tight and any loose ends are tucked away on the inside of the cap. This creates a somewhat 'hanging' net that holds the hair together. Especially when worn by people with lang hair that fills the net it looks very pretty.

Blue wearing a pink cap.

A cap like this almost cries for a little decorative patern. Because the cap will strech the paterns used will really show itself, especially higher on the head. Different people have different tastes but I find that people with fair hair look best when wearing a dark coloured cap and people with dark hair with a light coloured cap because of the contrast it creates.

Blue wearing a pink cap with a patern made of holes..