Archive | Readers’ gallery RSS feed for this section

Braids 2012 part 3

13 Oct

The 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.

6-loop double flat braid, linked borders

Continue reading →

Gary’s pattern-planner

14 May

I think all my links to Gary’s pattern planner are now updated to go to his new URL. If you’ve bookmarked his old site, you’ll need to switch over to this one.

A reader of this blog has come up with the first interactive braid-pattern generator for a fingerloop braid that I’ve ever heard of!  A few months ago Gary Mitchell contacted me to tell me that he was working on a pattern planner for the 7-loop Spanish braid.

7-loop spanish fingerloop braids, various bicolor patterns

Various patterns, spanish braid

This was a huge surprise!  I didn’t think many braiders had even tried the tutorial I had posted for this braid. I learned this 17th C. loop braid from a recent monograph by Joy Boutrup,*1 and last year I posted a video-tutorial on it.  It is a really fun braid, flatter and more intricate than the 7-loop square braid, but requiring no more loops (or fingers) to braid it. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , ,

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!

round "spanish" finger loop braid

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.

finger loop braiding, 7 loop round 'spanish' braid, embroidery floss and rayon thread

Same braid structure; different colors—5 bicolor + 2 single-color loops (doubled embroidery floss and rayon thread)

Continue reading →

Tags: ,

Readers’ Gallery part 2

22 Apr

Gudrun Polak is an awe-inspiring and very inventive weaver, of both loom and card-weavings.  Her weaving website is called The Loomy Bin.  It’s a great resource— it has animated pattern-planning weaving programs as well as pattern libraries (for both card- and loom weaving).  She’s also the mainstay of the braiding study group in the weaving guild I belong to—the Santa Cruz Handweavers Guild.

Here’s a loop-braided necklace that Gudrun made recently, using 5 bicolor loops in various patterns:

5-loop fingerloop square braid necklace with bicolor patterns

Necklace and pendant, 5-loop square braid, bicolor patterns, cotton embroidery floss. Made by Gudrun Polak. (very interesting closure!—see below)

Continue reading →

Readers’ Gallery part 1

15 Apr

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted. I’ve been really busy the last three months, and somehow this blog got left behind. Meanwhile I’ve accumulated two readers’ gallery posts-worth of beautiful braid pictures and now, finally, a whole luxurious free Sunday to start posting them. Thank you to everyone who contributed pictures—both for your generosity and your patience!

Ricky was one of the first readers who tried out any of my tutorials, before I even had videos for them. He made some great original interpretations of the braid patterns in my bicolor loop magic tutorial, and came up with other patterns as well. I love his happy colors, and also the way he photographed his braids—with that lush greenery setting them off:

aRicky1DSCI0669

Continue reading →

Color-pattern planning, square and flat braids

9 Aug

It’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…

finger loop braiding, 7 and 8-loop wool braids, instructions, tutorials

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 →

Tags: ,

Reader gallery pics (braids and knots!)

24 May

Here are photos sent in by a reader, Dominic, of some of his “bicolor loop magic” braids–in a great hemp yarn as well as waxed cotton. Not only are they beautiful braids, but the knotting he’s done with them (and other cords) is really inspiring–I’ve got to get going on learning more knots!

Dominic's star knots, hemp

Continue reading →

Tags: ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 141 other followers