Project: GER

Finished the khana on Sunday, and put up our new traveling home for the first time!

I'm fairly amazed at how big a footprint this thing has when the walls are stretched out.


And the door jamb is tall enough that I only have to duck a tiny bit going in and out. Nevertheless, I'm sure I'll bonk my head a couple of times. Especially after a hard night of Pennsic drinking.


My lady supervises.


Now, my lady is a scientist mundanely. Her analytical mind came in very handy when Farthegn "couldn't make the math work." Here she is discussing the best way to add another slat or two (we miscalculated slightly with the wall length).


Rafters going in!


Good Lord, it looks like a ger!


We had some tensioning problems, but I blame the fact that we didn't have real aircraft cable yet, and were trying to make due with nylon string and a (too short) come-along strap.

But all in all, it went up pretty well for our first time trying to erect it. It helps that Farthegn has helped other people put up their yurts before.

Now we have to move on the canvas. That's the critical part, of course. The structure above is nice, but it's nothing but a gazebo without something to keep out the rain.

We're using sunforger, which is water and mildew-resistant, and flame retardant. The original plan... well, we're gone through several plans as far as the canvas goes. First, we were just going to sew it ourselves. Then Farthegn made a contact with an awing place that said they wanted to get into period tents. When that went nowhere, Farthegn contacted the mother of a co-worker who does large scale sewing. That seemed very promising... then she had an illness in the family and couldn't commit until after Pennsic, so that wouldn't work. Right now we're exploring other people who do large project sewing--obviously the goal is to not have to sew these monsters ourselves. But, if everything else falls through, that's the final back-up plan.

But first we have to buy the canvas.