Headcovering

Head-Coverings
There are all manner of head-covering styles that I've described in the Wimples guide, all of these can be worn with a cap and/or fillet for extra security.

The Simple Wrap-Around

    By far the simplest head-covering to make is the wrap-around one.
   Lay a tape measure over your head from your forehead so it hangs down your back and get a friend to read off a measurement that at least covers your hair when it's tied up (if you have short hair it should be at least as far as your shoulders or a bit longer). This is the width of your head-covering.
   For the length, put one end of the tape-measure on your shoulder drape it over your head, under your chin and back over the same shoulder. This measurement is the minimum length of the head-covering. If you make it longer you can wear it in all manner of ways.


Wrap-around Style 1
The centre of the head-covering is placed on the forehead with the two ends hanging down equally in front. The two ends are then crossed in front and thrown over the shoulders.


Wrap-around Style 2
Place one end of the head-covering at one shoulder. Take the fabric over the head then under the chin and back across the same shoulder to hang down the back.


Wrap-around Style 3
Place one end of the head-covering at one shoulder. Take the fabric over the head then under the chin, back across the same shoulder then round the back of the neck to hang down in front of the opposite shoulder.

Wrap-around Style 4

Place one end of the head-covering at one temple. Take the fabric under the chin, over the head, back under the chin to the opposite temple. Fix in place with a head-band or fillet.

Here are some more head-covering patterns:

Circle/Oval with Hole

Circle-with-Hole Pattern

Measurement A is at least 6 inches/15 cm
Measurement B is your face circumference (R)
Measurement C is your forehead to shoulder (S)
(should be a circle but my drawing isn't very good!)

	Oval-with-Hole Pattern
	Measurements A and B are the same as before. Measurement C is your forehead to shoulder x 2.5. This head-covering is the only one I've found that in any way resembles the manuscript illustrations. Sadly it is the most impractical to wear (unless you are going to stand rigidly upright all day and not move your head at all!). But it would be in keeping with a wealthy figure in that it requires a lot of fabric (and as we have said before manuscripts mostly depict important individuals).

Hood-Type

Hood-type Pattern

Decorative Stitching
threaded running stitch along the edge

The Hood-type on the model
This is a very practical head-covering. I've found it stays in place really well. The only down side is that I have to wear a cap underneath to keep my hair out of the way, otherwise it pokes forward out of the face opening. The front could be pinned to the cap for extra security in windy weather.

Cap

   For security, I like to wear a cap under my head-covering. I find there is nothing more irritating when you're at a weekend show, than having to keep re-arranging your head-covering every five minutes! (Some shows can be up to three days, that's a lot of re-arranging!)
   With a cap, you can tuck your hair into it - which stops it getting as smoky or dirty - possibly this is also why the Saxons did it.
   There are two ways of making a cap and both are as equally valid as each other seeing as nothing has been found in the archaeological record. Some people would say this is reason enough not to wear a cap, but given the literary and linguistic evidence and the fact that by the late 11th century the coif is well known, I disagree.

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