braid four around a leather core

[CharlieR]

OK, I cut four strings to braid four around a leather core--just for a practice piece. I discovered the strings didn't quite completley cover the core, but I went ahead and braided around the core anyway, with spaces between the braiding. Since it was a practice run, I thought why not take another string and just braid it through the existing four braid with a needle, which I did. I guess I would now have a five braid, so I took another sting, put a needle on it and braided through the five braid, which essentially gave me a six btaid---I did this two more times with two more strings. Now, what have I done?? Is this s stupid man's way to make an eight braid? Loks kinda neat, but took a long time and the pattern looks different than a regular eight braid. Anybody ever done this before (or, why would you want to?)>comments and snickers welcome!

[braider]

I'd say it is the long way of making an eight strand braid. There are different ways to braid eight strands. Probably obviously, you should of used either a smaller core, wider strands, or eight strands for the braid. ...Dave

Edited November 4, 2007 by braider

[Sidney Wood]

This is essentially back braiding. If you braid even parts with an open lattice down a way you can loop back and go back up with a two pass pattern and have the lower end finished with no ends to cover. Grant shows this in the big book as plate 41. From an other perspective it is an interweave technique. You can do some very pretty two color paterns this way.

Sidney Wood

[Sidney Wood]

I want to add something to my last post. ( I had to stop early to see what was disturbing the horses and mules), I think this kind of experimenting is one of the best ways to learn and sharing it is most appreciated. An open mind can lead you down a lot of interesting and productive roads.

Sidney Wood

[whipit]

This is what I find works for me. Take the diameter of your core and times it by 4 then divide it by the number of strands you require. This will give you the width of each strand should be. I all was add a little because of stretch.

[Alan Bell]

To know what you actually ended up with we would need to know if when you added strands did you change from over one, under one to an over two, under two? Did your new strands exit the previous braid and then re-enter? Did the new strand cross under a previous X in order to continue the spiral around the braid? You could look at the first 4 strand braid as a "casa" or house for the rest of the braiding then it would make the rest of the braiding an interweave. Hope this helps.

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

There's a Natural Mystic floating through the air.

Bob Marley - Natural Mystic