Sequences For The Following Braids Or Plaits

[Rottmaster]

A few years back I asked for some information on braids and plats unfortunately I had no response for this inquiry.

So that set me up on a quest to find the information that I was seeking, it took me a couple of years to find this information.

And now I'm determined to share this information with the knotting & braiding world. Without further ado and it is.

Sequences For The Following Braids or Plaits

For a 8 strand braid the sequence is O2, U2 {without a core the braid will be square with a core the braid will be round.}

Also for another 8 strand round braid you can use this sequence U1, O2, U1

the rest of the information I have here please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

for a 4 strand braid the sequence is U1, O1

for a 6 strand braid the sequence is {U1, O1, U1 checkerboard pattern}{U1,O2,U2,O1 Herringbone

for a 8 strand round braid the sequence is U1, O1, U1, O1 or U1, O2, U1

for a 8 strand herringbone or square braid the sequence is O2, U2

for a 8 strand gaucho braid the sequence is

1. R to L: U2, O2

2. L to R: O1, U2, O1

3. R to L: O2, U2

4. L to R: U1, O2, U1

for a 10 strand braid the sequence is U1, O2, U2

for a 12 strand braid the sequence is U2, O2, U2 or U2, O1, U1, O2 or O3, U3

for a 16 strand braid the sequence is O2, U2, O2, U2 or U3, O1, U1, O3

for a 18 strand braid the sequence is U1, O2, U2, O2, U2 or U3, O3, U3

for a 20 strand braid the sequence is U4, O1, U1, O4

for a 24 strand braid the sequence is U4, O2, U2, O4

for a 26 strand braid the sequence is U1, O4, U2, O2, U4

For The 9,13,&17 Strand Flat Sennit Or Trenza Patria

The Argentines Favorite Braid

The center V seems to be more pronounced in the odd numbers. With any of these braids it is important that the outer crossing needs to be at least U3 or O3 to produce a nice square edge. Rather than being a true flat sennit as Clifford Ashley's term, You can think of this family of braids as rectangular rather than flat. Done in rawhide they do lay a lot flatter , but in a round cord/twine they are a very pronounced rectangle.

For the 9 strand flat sennit, the sequence would be O2, U2, but variations would also work.

The 13 strand flat sennit is O3 U3

Reversing the sequence will work when using O3 U1, or O1 U3.

It will keep either the inside small, or the outside small, meaing the lines are closer together with less visibility of the layer on the bottom.

For the 17 strand flat sennit, or trenza patria the Argentines favorite braid.

the sequence is O4, U4

For the 17 strand flat sennit, keep 9 in your left hand, and 8 in your right.

Top strand in the left hand goes OVER the first 4, and UNDER the next 4 strands on the left.

Then on the right, the top strand goes OVER 4 and UNDER the next four.

This completes one sequence.

The next pass, the top strand in the left hand goes U4, O4,

and on the right hand it goes U4, O4.

The sequence begins to look like this...

LEFT RIGHT

O4, U4 to right O4, U4 back to left

U4, O4 to right U4, O4 back to left

O4, U4 to right O4, U4 back to left

U4, O4 to right U4, O4 back to left

O4, U4 to right O4, U4 back to left

U4, O4 to right U4, O4 back to left

O4, U4 to right O4, U4 back to left

U4, O4 to right U4, O4 back to left

The ninth strand goes back and forth from the left hand to the right hand, alternating the over under sequence.

[bucksnort]

Thanks for taking the time to put all that together & post it. Not sure it's all accurate, but the ones I'm familiar with are right. This would be a good one to pin for future reference. Buck