I wasn’t trying to make a Year of the Snake fingerloop braid when I made the first of these curvy braids last month, shortly after Chinese New Year. Continue reading
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Hollow loop braids
23 FebThis is part 3 of my double braid tutorials, on the hollow, or tubular version of the double braid. [Part 1 – Basic instructions, and Solid Rectangle double braids; Part 2 – Flat double braids.] No video in this tutorial—it’s not needed, as the method is so similar to making a flat double braid.
Flat double braids
2 FebPart 2 on two-person fingerloop braids done by a solo braider: Flat double braids.
[Part 1 introduced the basic instructions for double braids, and taught solidly rectangular, and divided double braids.]
Flat double braids of 8 loops. Embroidery floss, 5/2 perle cotton, linen, rayon
Double braid tutorials
25 DecPart 1, see also Part 2 (flat double braids) and Part 3 (hollow double braids)
Two-worker loop braids; multi-person fingerloop braids; team braids, double braids—whatever term you use, these are the braids that are tantalizingly out of reach for most loop braiders, because the traditional methods for making them require two (or more) braiders working together on one braid.
Braids 2012 part 3
13 OctThe class I taught at Braids 2012 was two days on how to make “double braids” as a solo fingerloop braider. There were two main things I was hoping to get across:
First of all, a procedure for making 6 and 8-loop double braids (“double-square,” “double-flat”, and many other doubled braid shapes) as a solo braider. Secondly, but just as importantly, an understanding of the basic structure of these braids, so that all 12 or so of their shape variations would make sense—and therefore be easier to remember and to braid.
Braids 2012 part 2
27 SepOk, here goes with Part 2… This is about the kute-uchi loop braiding day in Joy Boutrup’s class at Braids 2012. (Her first day had covered historic European finger loop braids. The highlight had been several unusual braids and braiding methods that she learned through analyzing museum specimens—braids that are not recorded in any of the surviving loop braiding manuscripts.)
I just wish I had taken more photos, and asked Joy more questions!
Braids 2012
19 SepIt’s been weeks since the conference and I still keep having dreams about interlaced strands…
While the classes were the official focus of the conference, a lot of the enjoyment was also the fun and excitement of being around so many other people as interested in obscure textile techniques as myself, sharing some of these, seeing braid exhibits, chatting, (eating!), and exploring Manchester and the nearby city of Macclesfield. There were people from all over the world—a few familiar faces, a few whom I’d only known “virtually” before the conference, most whom I had never met before.
John Whitley (Seattle,USA), Dominic Taylor (UK), Tulvi Turo (Estonia), Joy Boutrup (Denmark)
And there were several participants who had come specifically for the two loop braiding workshops. To me this was completely amazing and wonderful! Continue reading
Doug’s braid
1 May[A more recent post has a video for learning this braid, and a new color pattern for it, but this original post has the text tutorial , and includes more color pattern set-ups.]
Over 6 months ago Douglas Grant sent me instructions for a braid he had come up with. I meant to try it right away, but somehow it’s taken me this long to get around to it. I’m glad I finally did!
Spiaggian Eagle braid, designed by Douglas Grant
The braid is an unusual variation of a 7-loop spanish braid, with extra twists that cause the braid’s shape to end up firmly rounded rather than rectangular in cross-section. In some color patterns, the braid looks more square than round.
Same braid structure; different colors—5 bicolor + 2 single-color loops (doubled embroidery floss and rayon thread)
Videos for the 7-loop ‘half-letterbraid’
7 OctThis post is just to say that I have added videos to my Jan. 2011 tutorial on the so-called “Spanish” braid of 7 loops that is the base braid for the 14-loop letterbraid:
14-loop letter braid, 17th C. loop braiding technique
The methods for this and two other 17th Century letter braids were recently decoded by Joy Boutrup, extending Noémi Speiser’s earlier research on the very inscrutable 17th C. loop braiding manuscripts.
There isn’t much, if any, information on-line about these alphabet symbol loop braids, which is why I am making this meta-post about a previous post. Continue reading
Color-pattern planning, square and flat braids
9 AugIt’s really fun to try out different color patterns in a braid. A little 7-year old at one of our regular music campouts used to spend hours at our camp every day making 3-loop braids, and for each one the color combination was a big deal—she would pick it out quickly, but then dwell on, admire, and talk about it before, during and after the braiding process.
It was very funny to listen to, because it was essentially no different from many of my own (more interior) monologues when I’m braiding…
7 and 8-loop wool braids, square and flat
My “Start Here!” tutorial didn’t have much info about color patterning, so this post is an attempt to fill some of that in. Continue reading
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