PLANNING AND ORGANIZING A&S PROJECTS
It’s a new year! Let’s plan for all the neat things we’re going to make in 2026! Bring your calendar and your ideas, and we’ll talk about how to plan out projects with enough time so you won’t still be sewing on your buttons in the car on the way to the event. As my time in the position of Minister of A&S for the shire is drawing to a close, this will be the final regular first-Wednesday A&S social at my house.

WHEN
Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

JOIN US!
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact our Minister of Arts & Sciences

COME – LEARN HOW TO SET UP AN EK WIKI PAGE
We will have a class on how to set up and develop an East Kingdom Wiki page.  EK Wiki pages are a great way to connect with others, especially artisans whose work is often done in isolation.  A Wiki page helps make areas of expertise a little more accessible … someone might be looking for assistance in a particular area, find your EK Wiki page, and get support and recommendations in relation to their work.

Share the event and bring a friend!

WHEN
Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

JOIN US!
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact our Minister of Arts & Sciences

TAVERN GAMES
Come out and learn the rules and a bit of history for several period table games and get ready for games at our upcoming event, Tournament of the Fallen Stag!

We will be using instructions from TheRavensTable.org for Alquerque, Glückshaus, and others. Feel free to look them up if you want to learn ahead of the social.

Share the event and bring a friend!

WHEN
Wednesday, October 1, 2024, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

JOIN US!
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

WILLOW WREATH
Wreath Season is right around the corner! Want to Make-And-Take your very own Willow Wreath? Then come join Caer Adamant’s monthly A&S night. Demo and class to begin 7 pm, but come hang out before and after! Bring crafts of your own if willow ain’t the way you bend.

Class Attendees
Weather permitting, class will be outdoors. Please bring garden gloves if you like, limited loaners available. Additional snips and shears welcome!

What to expect
Raw processing of willow branch to wreath materials. Limited prepped materials will be available!  Come join us Wednesday evening and head home with a basic wreath to decorate for the season.

WHEN
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
6:00 Social time to allow for arrivals and schmoozing
7:00 Hands-on basic crafting
Social time after crafting and until 9:00 PM

JOIN US!
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, 613 Timber Wood Blvd., Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

CORD MAKING WITH THE LUCET
We will finish our “cord making series” with the lucet, a tool for making cords and braids! Lucets are believed to have been used during Viking and Medieval times for making cords for clothing or hanging items from belts. We will learn a little about the history of the tool and then dive into making a cord using a basic technique.  It’s relatively easy to learn and can be mastered quickly.  A few lucets and supplies will be available for this free class.  We hope you’ll join us!

WHEN
Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Please plan to arrive and depart promptly.

WHERE
Kent County Library, 497 S. Red Haven Lane, Dover, DE 19901

QUESTIONS?
Contact our Minister of Arts & Sciences.

TABLET WEAVING
Merlin Silber will introduce us to tablet weaving, also known as card weaving, a method of producing narrow textiles, such as straps, belts, and trim, using punched cards (tablets) with holes.  Many medieval pieces were ornate silk ecclesiastical vestments, or wrist and head bands brocaded with gold or silver, but others were much simpler.  Tablet woven borders were also sometimes woven into larger textiles.  Come, join in! We promise this class is absolutely beginner friendly!

WHEN
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

WHERE
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

CORD MAKING WITH THE LUCET
Lady Dionise will be finishing the “cord making series” with the lucet! We will learn the history of it and how to make a lucet from common items. Then an introduction to the basic movement and handouts for future or more advanced users.

WHEN Cancelled
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Please plan to arrive and depart promptly.

WHERE
Kent County Library, 497 S. Red Haven Lane, Dover, DE 19901

QUESTIONS?
Contact A&S Minister (South), Lady Dionise O’Towie, by email.

UFOs (UN FINISHED OBJECTS)

We all have some project that’s been sitting around for too long. Maybe it’s a dress where you can’t get the sleeves to go on correctly. Maybe it’s a chainmail coif that you just need to sit and work on for 2 hours, but you’re tired of looking at it so it never gets done. Maybe it’s that section of your research paper that you got stuck on, and now you’re so discouraged you want to set the whole thing on fire.

Whatever it is, bring it to the meeting in all its messy, unfinished glory. I find a laundry basket is often useful for this task. Sit at a table and have some company while other people also work on the unfinished thing that has been haunting their work space for way too long. I will provide snacks, so let me know in advance if you have any allergies.  Bring a friend!

WHEN
Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

WHERE
Home of Minister of Arts & Sciences, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

KUMIHIMO, A JAPANESE BRAIDING TECHNIQUE
We will be learning about Kumihimo, the traditional Japanese art of braiding multiple strands of yarn (or silk or ribbon) to create cords, used since at least the sixth century. This is a make and take class; everyone will have the opportunity to create their own cord or bracelet. Supplies will be provided, no charge.

When
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Please plan to arrive and depart promptly.

Where
Kent County Library, 497 S. Red Haven Lane, Dover, DE 19901

Questions?
Contact A&S Minister (South), Lady Dionise O’Towie, by email.

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE SCA
We will very briefly survey some non-SCA online resources that are particularly useful to SCA folks (take-home list will be provided). The main focus will be on SCA-specific online resources – what’s out there, where to find it, and how to use it. East Kingdom A&S Champs will have been the previous weekend (1 March), so I’ll also report back on the experience.

Bring a friend!

Optional steps to take before the class:

• Request an East Kingdom Gmail account (must have a current paid SCA membership and reside in the East Kingdom) https://webminister.eastkingdom.org/email/

• Request an account on the East Kingdom Wiki (open to any resident of the East Kingdom) https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Special:RequestAccount

• Request an account with the Kingdom Atlantia online systems (open to anyone at all, required to enroll in the University of Atlantia online sessions) https://polling.atlantia.sca.org/guides/Getting_Started-v2.pdf

• Watch “Consent in the Arts and Sciences” on the YouTube channel of the East Kingdom Minister of Arts & Scienceshttps://youtu.be/yHiq2xXwgAw?si=5X5x0Fo_s8c642LS

WHEN
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

WHERE
Home of Minister of A&S, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

Announcing Our first A&S Night in Dover!!
Join me to jumpstart our themed A&S for the southern region of the Shire (of course, northerners are welcome too!)

What’s the theme you ask?
We are going back to basics with the thing that is the foundation of many different types of arts: THREAD. On the 4th Wednesday of each month, we’ll dive deep into all things string, rope, cord, floss, fiber, yarn, filament, and twine! If you have a related or adjacent topic you are willing to teach, let me know!

We will be KNOT MAKING this month. This is a make and take session! First a little history, then some instruction, then some practical hands on knots. Kits to be provided. You might leave with a necklace or be on the way to a cool new project!

When
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Please plan to arrive and depart promptly.

Where
Kent County Library, 497 S. Red Haven Lane, Dover, DE 19901

Questions?
Contact A&S Minister (South), Lady Dionise O’Towie, by email.

SCA PERIOD CRYPTOGRAPHY AND SECRET MESSAGES
Learn about how to use the cryptography and steganography developed by Johannes Trithemius and others, and write your own secret messages.

We will also try some simple letterlocking techniques. Letterlocking was an early modern technique for keeping your correspondence private and secure. If you’d like to get some practice in ahead of time, the YouTube channel “Letterlocking Videos” has excellent instructional videos. https://youtu.be/PCT1h3Rt2Hc?si=9EPOix3ZFfqIudQB.

Bring a friend!

WHEN
Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

WHERE
Home of Minister of A&S, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Minister of Arts & Sciences Simona della Luna

January 23 – Our 1st A&S Night in Dover!
This program has been CANCELLED. We’ll move the topic to our February gathering. This Thursday (1/23/25) from 6pm to 8pm, join me to jumpstart our themed A&S for the southern region of the Shire (of course, northerners are welcome too! 😆)

We will be doing KNOT MAKING for January. This is a make and take session! First a little history, then some instruction, then some practical hands on knots. Kits to be provided. You might leave with a necklace or be on the way to a cool new project!

What’s the theme you ask?
We are going back to basics with the thing that is the foundation of many different types of arts: THREAD. So let’s dive deep into all things string, rope, cord, floss, fiber, yarn, filament, and twine! If you have a related or adjacent topic you are willing to teach, let me know!

Important info: see the Shire Calendar for the address. Please be aware that there are cats here. It’s okay to park in the driveway. Please plan to arrive and leave promptly 6pm to 8pm. My house is not young child-friendly, sorry. You can reach me via Messenger Chat and I will gladly share my contact information that way, but not posting it for bots and weirdos!

Questions?
Send me, Lady Dionise O’Towie A&S Minister (South), an email.

HERBAL MEDICINE
This will be a make and take class with Lord Malcolm teaching us how to transform herbs and solvents into properly prepared salves and tinctures.  We’ll make a batch of healing salve during class and each participant will take some home. Bring a friend!

WHEN
Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM

WHERE
Home of Minister of A&S, Simona della Luna, Newark, DE 19702.  There is a cat (in case of allergies) and a few steps to enter the house.

HAVE QUESTIONS or WANT TO HOST or TEACH?
Contact Simona della Luna, our Minister of Arts & Sciences