Tightening a Braid

[rgerbitz]

Hello everyone,

My question for the day:

When braiding any given number of strings how do you tighten the braid? Do you pull the last string through tight or do you pull every other string on the working side, or some other method?

Thank you for your time,

Rob

[Leerwerker]

Are talking about a round braid, Rob?

[HorsehairBraider]

This is what I would say: Braid, braid braid. Eventually your hands will start to have the same tension in them no matter what. You will get so you can braid about a mile of length and every last inch will have the same tension. But you don't get there without the practice. Remember all those circles and loops you had to endlessly make in school when you were learning to write? That is for the same purpose - if you just practice enough all your "o"s and "s"s will start to look the same.

When you have braided enough, you never think about it, anymore than you think about making one "s" look like the next "s".

[Opagon]

Hi Rob,

There is a lot of muscle memory to good braiding and the only way to get good even tension is like horsehair said - practice. My method of tighten is to increase the tightness with each pass. So my top string gets a slight pull then the first under pass is pulled to the back and up towards the back side of the braid. Depending on how things look I might also pull the next top string with it to make sure everything stays straight. The bottom strings are held with light tension while I continue on to the other side.

Keep Braiding,

Heather

[rcsaddles]

When I braid, either flat or round, I pull the string tight before I bring it across. As for even tension, I did not even think about it until my rawhide instructor asked how I braide so even. If I think about it while braiding I will pull harder with the left even though I am right handed. Sometimes things work for some people and not for others.

Via con Dios,

Joe

[entiendo]

This must already be instinct for me because I couldn't tell you which ones I tighten. I do know I don't tighten the last one layed over. I think my plaiting is fairly consistant, but if it's a little off rolling fixes it right up. My mentor told me to use 2 colors then I would really know how consistant my braiding is because 2 colors will show more inconsistancies. I have braided 4 plait with 2 colors but not 8 plait...maybe that should be my next challenge. I don't do flat braiding, that may be more difficult.