Aes Sedai shawl

[brolie]

So I've always just taken the idea of the shawl as what it is, but what does it really look like? Does anyone have any images or drawing of their own or even creations of their own that shows what it looks like???

 

I know that it has colored fringe according to ajah and the flame of tar valon on the back (and it seems that there is always some sort of vine on it too) but I am having a hard to getting a solid image of it in my head.

 

Sorry if there is already a thread about this, I couldn't find anything to search the forums and there are a lot of threads to skim through.

[Puny]

So I've always just taken the idea of the shawl as what it is, but what does it really look like? Does anyone have any images or drawing of their own or even creations of their own that shows what it looks like???

 

I know that it has colored fringe according to ajah and the flame of tar valon on the back (and it seems that there is always some sort of vine on it too) but I am having a hard to getting a solid image of it in my head.

 

Sorry if there is already a thread about this, I couldn't find anything to search the forums and there are a lot of threads to skim through.

 

For some reason when I read WoT the first time I ignored all those desciptions and just pictured a Yellow Aes Sedai having a yellow shawl, in kinda thick material, something along the lines of wool or cotton, maybe silk. A blue would have a blue shawl and so on. Then I noticed the fringes... and sighed. So now I have this ugly picture in my mind of a Green Aes Sedai wearing say a blue shawl with green fringes and the white flame on it´s back... I liked my version better. Stupid fringes...

[Suttree]

Stupid fringes...

 

When done right I think they are ace...

 

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-streetfringe-for-him-her-milan.html

[thevillagecouncil]

 

similar to this i'm guessing

[Amadine]

I have one! Ed had Charis make it for me and sent it for my birthday....

 

 

[brolie]

amadine- that actually looks way more accurate than the one on deviantart. I had seen that blue one but it looked so basic without the vines (which I'm pretty sure is on most of them).

 

Quite honestly, I'm a knitter and I want to make one. I'm not sure if the body of the shawl has to be the same color as the fringe, or if it is just that the fringe is the important part.. Would you have chosen the read ajah? hehe. I'm thinking about making mine black with a red flame of TV since Moridin seems so partial to black and red and he's the naeblis and what not. Anyway! That does help a lot though guys, thanks :)

 

Since I sew things too, I might make one out of fabric too. I dunno. I've been needing a new project lately and thought this would be fun :)

[CrossArmant]

I have one! Ed had Charis make it for me and sent it for my birthday....

 

 

 

This is definitely what I envisioned as well, job well done.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

i'm listening to NS again right now, and they specifically mention the fringe being blue, so i think the fringe is a different color from the shawl, or at least that it can be. in a world where they have to turn these things out in some quantity, and don't necessarily know who'll be needing one, it would make sense for at least some of them to be premade in a neutral color, except for the fringe, pending the choice of the newly raised AS, or newly worn out shawl owner?

[Little Miss]

This is my sister's site :) And the one who created the shawl above.

 

http://chariscraftco...albumid=9838494

 

She has done several others, and I have one as well and it is AMAZING!

[Puny]

I have one! Ed had Charis make it for me and sent it for my birthday....

 

 

Those fringes look nice =) Although I see the shawl is the same color. Ima keep picturing the shawl in the same color too, it looks nicer IMO.

[charis sedai]

Brolie-

 

 

So far, all the ones I've made have been same color as fringe, with some slight variations in tone. I figure, even in a world where there are oodles of them, they all get made by hand, and the Tower isn't gonna have crap, ya know?

 

Also, is "easier" in some ways than making two color choices and trying to force them to work together.

 

Thanks for the compliments, everyone. They're a lot of fun to work on :)

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

they are beautiful. but i think even in the tower, natural undyed fabrics would go with everything. and the contrast would be pretty as well.

 

i would choose a base color that doesn't show cat hair, personally. i would have my dressmaker make them special.

[brolie]

yeah at first I was thinking that the shawl itself would be a white color with certain color fringes, but I think that seeing people in full colored shawls would be more obvious, which is sort of the purpose of the shawl anyway. Only problem with white is that the flame of TV is white... But what I'm thinking about doing is knitting a whole thing done in a "lace vine stitch" (probably this one: http://smariek.blogspot.com/2006/11/travelling-vine-cloth.html) and then adding fringe... but I think I want to do the same as you charis-- all one color.

 

Prolly making myself the black ajah one since I wear mostly black anyway :)

 

Thanks everyone for all the input :) I hope it looks as good in yarn as it does in that fabric! It really does look great :)

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

black would look lovely with a red fringe, too. please show pic when you get it done. i may have to start crocheting again. not as cool as your knit for sure, but the best i can do.

[noynaert@gmail.com]

The Whites usually have white shawls. I don't recall any other Ajah having the color of the shawl routinely mentioned. Whites usually have shawls that are white with the flame outlined in white thread. I think of the whites as being excessively obsessive, and I will admit that the white-on-white-on-white-with-white-fringe contributes to that image.

 

From the area around one of the portal stones being ringed in Ajah colors, I assume that the seven ajahs have transcended the ages in some form. I have wondered if the shawl tradition goes back to the AOL. And if it did, what did the males wear? When we first met LTT he was wearing a grey cloak with crimson trim. I have often wondered if the grey cloak indicated his Ajah.

[brolie]

yeah did male aes sedai have ajahs? hmmmm

 

cindy- sometimes i wish i could crochet... knitting takes a very long time. i was talking to my friend about making a black one with a red flam of TV and red fringe.. i think that would look freaking sweet :) but i have an idea for mine too :) i'll definitely post pics when im done. ill add them to my website too :) if you end up picking up your hook again, show pics! i love seeing people's creations :D

[Goldstar]

Iirc, the ajahs were created after the AoL, so men wouldn't have an ajah.

[michellem]

Sorry for resurrecting an old topic, but I have some thoughts on these things that Im forcing on you all ;)

 

I have noted that as general, what is noted about all shawls is:

 

-The color of the (silk) fringe

-The Tar Valon Flame

 

In some shawls, these details are mentioned:

 

-The length of the fringe

-Embroidery of vines and such (roses and thorns for Elaida, grapevines I think for Moiraine)

 

It also has been mentioned:

-(The Aes Sedai) were all in their formal shawls, embroidered with wines and the Tar Valon Flame on the back

 

My personal theories on the shawl:

 

At the raising ceremony, the new sister gets a "standard" Tower-issued shawl, that is likely unembroidered and with the background also in the Ajah color. This suits with newly raised sisters wearing their shawl everywhere and "flaunting" their new Ajah. The only requirement for a shawl seems to be the fringe and the flame. It might also seem that "formal" shawls, at least for sitters, must, either by law or tradition, be embroidered with some sorts of wines, flowers and leafs.

 

Other than that, I think the sisters can pick and choose. I am guessing some would stick with the simple "new sister"-style forever, and some would have several; with different embroidery and different background colors.

 

Also, when it comes to fabric, again it's only the fringe that has been specifially mentione (the red silk fringe, i.e.) so I also deduct that the main fabric is free for choice. Sisters may have several in different fabrics; a fine wool for winter, a lovely silk, plain or brocaded, for meetings with royalty and other occasions like that, and maybe a linen for summer.

 

The length of the fringe also seems to be free choice. I seem to remember some sisters shawls being described with a VERY long fringe, while others only have a long fringe, or just the fringe. That also makes sense to me; sisters less fuzzy with their clothes will want a simple fringe that's not in their way, but the more flamboyant ones (Im looking at you, Myrelle) might want as much as 40-50cm of fringe on their most formal shawls.

 

Also, a note on shape: I cannot remember it ever being stated fully that all shawls are triangular. I seem to remember mentions of a Keeper, with a stole so wide it was almost a shawl. That does seem to imply that some sister also have square shawls.

 

So, in conclusion, for anyone making a shawl themselves, I will say you are pretty open with what you do, you can have a hot pink shawl embroidered with neon green lightning bolts if you are so inclined as long at it has the fringe and the flame :)

[LeeM.Erickson]

There was a picture of Maria wearing a Brown Ajah shawl...I don't have a link to it so it's not really a help. But if you can search and find it, I guess that's probably the closest to an "official" Aes Sedai shawl out there.

 

Edit: A Google search found the picture easily enough:

 

[sonjaruff]

i'm listening to NS again right now, and they specifically mention the fringe being blue, so i think the fringe is a different color from the shawl, or at least that it can be. in a world where they have to turn these things out in some quantity, and don't necessarily know who'll be needing one, it would make sense for at least some of them to be premade in a neutral color, except for the fringe, pending the choice of the newly raised AS, or newly worn out shawl owner?

 

I agree with you, I think the basic colour should be neutral, I always pitured an off white, like te white tower, but it doesn't really say anywhere.

 

"The Aes Sedai Shawl is embroidered with vines, leaves or flowers: every shawl is different.

In the center of the back is a large teardrop, the flame of Tar Valon.

Each shawl has a long fringe in the colour of the wearers Ajah."

 

This is from the Glossary of new Spring the Graphic Novel.

 

So as pretty as the fan made shawls are, the embroidery is missing in all of them.