[Sca-cooks] burn issues, was more clothing tips for pennsic

[Kirsten Houseknecht]

i have a lot of friends who are medics and doctors.
other friends work with fire departments
i have friends who pulled stints in burn wards.

beleive me i heard a LOT about the evils of polyester.
plastic based fibers (polyester, lycra, etc) are NOT to be worn near fire,
while cooking, or near forges.
less than graceful folks like me should not wear them near CANDLES. which
rules out any SCA event.

(heck, i dont wear anything with poly in it unless i have to.  some of my
Saris are blends. and a few of my T shirts are poly cotton.. i think i have
one dress that is a blend...)

plastics melt, and will stick to skin, causing much more severe burns than
any other fiber.  if you have a question about the fabric, get a small scrap
and set it on fire.  if you get bunrt plastic beads and drips. and etc, it
has poly in it and you DO NOT WANT it in your garb.

i have only two bolts of fabric (out of many) for sale that contain any
polyester or lycra.
they are clearly identified.  one of them is completely unsuitable for
anything but decorative outerwear (it is *scratchy*, but very pretty)
i tell people they are not to be worn near fires.

also poly doesnt breath well, and means you will overheat.
i almost hit the roof when a merchant sold a friend "linen polyester" for
summer chemises.
linen rayon, linen cotton, ok... but linen POLY???!!!

yeah, its a bug  with me.  i generally barely manage to be civil when
confronted with merchants selling poly blend "summer garb"
Kirsten Houseknecht
Fabric Dragon
kirsten at fabricdragon.com
www.fabricdragon.com
Philadelphia, PA     USA
Trims, Amber, Jet, Jewelry, and more...

I worry about you, wear a reflective sweater...
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
To: "Kirsten Houseknecht" <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>; "Cooks within the SCA"
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] more clothing tips for pennsic


>
> Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...
>
> > polyester is your *enemy*, it will trap your sweat, make you hot and
> sticky
> > and miserable. and Gods forbid you set your sleeve on fire at a camp
site
> or
> > candle.....(thus speaketh the clumsy fabric merchant)
>
> That's precisely why I don't let anyone near my forge wearing synthetic
> materials. While my fire is very well controlled, please keep in mind that
I
> use it to melt, weld, and yes BURN steel- 2000 to 2500 degrees Fahrenheit
is
> NOT an unusual temperature.
>
> And, while I have plenty of sand, water, and fire extinguishers, not to
> mention an entire lake to throw you into at need, by the time you/we react
> to the burning, the damage is usually done.
>
> Saint Phlip, cranky Chirurgeon when people arrive with preventable
> injuries....
> CoDoLDS
>
> "When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
>  Blacksmith's credo.
>
>  If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
> cat.
>
> Never a horse that cain't be rode,
> And never a rider who cain't be throwed....
>
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