#hexafoil

My second attempt at sashiko.  Natural linen thread on denim jeans (the same pants), shippo tsunagi pattern.  

Hey so remember how I said creating a grid by circle-by-circle on fabric was a terrible idea?  I decided to do it again anyway 🤦

On this leg, I didn't make the edges of my design straight; I wanted it to look like circles were almost randomly selected to be in the pattern or not.  I also added colourwork, because, again: #ambitiousbeginner 

What struck me was, a few buildings away in the castle complex, carved into the door of the prisoners' infirmary, was this - which, if I'm not wrong, is a hexafoil or "daisy wheel" apotropaic mark (a "witchmark"). These were carved on entrances to buildings - window lintels, doorways, chimney breasts - to keep out evil spirits.

So maybe the Tibetan and Scottish soldiers weren't that different.

The gau is from the early 20th century, don't know when the hexafoil was carved into the door. There's what looks like a failed attempt to construct one further down.