Introduction

Finger braids are a curious craft. They're very difficult to explain but, once you're hands have got the idea of what they're doing, dead easy to do. They're also entirely authentic. All but the first of these braids are based on a transcription of a fifteenth century braid pattern book, and I've seen a surviving braid identical to the second one listed fastening a sixteenth century coif.

I've made these braids with regular knitting wool, in the hopes it would be thick enough for the camera to pick up. This produces thick, chunky braids. In practice I either use Londonderry linen thread in size 30/3 or 1200 denier low twist silk from Devere Yarns. The linen is tougher on the fingers, and produces a slightly stiffer braid.

For now, I'm only putting up a couple of different patterns, although when and if I get another willing photographer I may put up one or two more. It's kind of hard taking photos with loops round your fingers! I'm going to start by writing a step by step instruction for a simple braid. The ones that follow are all made in much the same way - it's just the pattern of weaving the threads that's different. So I'll just put up the patterns for those. If you'd like to learn more about fingerloop braiding then I very strongly recommend Old English Pattern Books for Loop Braiding by Noemi Speiser. It's how I learned to make these.

Getting started

Cut four lengths of yarn, each a yard and a half or so long. The exact length isn't critical; what matters is that they're all the same length. For this braid you'll need four lengths, two each of two different colours. I'm using two red and two green.

Hold the four lengths of yarn together. Fold them in half and knot the ends together to make a circle.

Making the braid

Next, cut another piece of yarn six inches or so long. Thread this through your loop and tie it to any convenient fixed point. I'm using one of the bolts that holds a rail to my wall.

Spread the loops apart. Hook one over each index finger and one over each little finger. Put the red on one hand and the green on the other (putting one green and one red on each hand gives a different pattern).

Hold your hands so your palms are facing to each other, little fingers towards the floor. Transfer the loop from the index finger of the right hand onto the little finger of the left.

With the index finger of the right hand, pick up the top side of the other loop on the little finger of the left hand. Pull it over the loop you transferred first.

Pull your hands apart firmly. This tightens the twist you've just put into your braid.

The loops should be arranged like this, with one of each colour on each hand.

The next steps repeat the same maneouver in the other direction.

Put the loop that's on the index finger of the left hand onto the tip of the little of the right hand.

Pick up the other loop on that little finger with the index finger of the left hand. Take it over the loop you've just dropped off, and move your hands apart to tighten the stitch.

Repeat a lot, and eventually you'll end up with something that looks like this. Tie a knot in the end. Trim off your loops (or leave them to form a tassle) and remove it from your anchoring point.

Looking at your braid, you may spot that the spiral gets tighter at one end. That's because it's easier to tighten up the knot when you've only working with short loops. It's worth watching the tension as you work and, when you get near to the end, reducing how far and how hard you move your hands apart to compensate.

Another braid

Making this braid is pretty similar to the first. It's harder to photograph, because there are more loops, but the principle is the same. The main differences are these. Firstly, there are twice as many loops. Secondly, in the braids above the left and right hands alternate dropping and picking up loops. For this braid, it's the left hand that does all the work.

I'm going to illustrate this one with diagrams as well as the pictures, and I'm labelling the fingers. To translate the diagram to the right, imagine the circles are the fingertips. The hands are arranged palms together, with little fingers down.

First, set up eight loops. You'll need four of one colour on the left hand, and four of another on the right. Place one loop on each finger.

Place a left on the tip of d right.

Pick up the other loop from d right with a left. Slip that loop over the one you've just deposited. Spread your hands apart wide to tighten the twist.

Repeat the switch. b left to c right; c right back to b left. Spread your hands to tighten the twist.

The half way point. The loops should be aligned something like this.

Repeat the switch. c left to b right; b right back to c left.

Repeat the switch. d left to a right; a right back to d left.

The final cord

The two cords, arranged side by side. The one on the left is the second, eight loop version. This gives a slightly thicker cord where the colours form distinct ridges. It looks very much like a red cord and a green cord twisted together, but is structurally much stronger. The first method produced something that looks much more like a single, striped cord.