Lengberg--The Fingerloop Braids

Today I found more information about the Lengberg Castle textile finds. Professor Beatrix Nutz just posted a slideshow-type presentation about fingerloop braids that are part of some of the finds on academia.edu.  That slideshow can be downloaded here; it is written in English.

In addition to including photographs of some of the braid-containing finds and also reproductions of images showing the fingerloop braiding process, Professor Nutz's slideshow contains citations and references to fingerloop braiding instruction manuals of the 15th century, as well as some 16th and 17th century books.  Some of the books contain specimens of braids pasted into their pages. 

Professor Nutz's slideshow also shows the different ways that fingerloop braids became part of the textile fragments where they were found.  Some of them were attached to the edges of sprang pieces that were used to ornament some of the undergarments, probably to help stabilize them.  Other braids were used to ornamentally connect two pieces of linen for a garment, while still others were found as separate items and may have served as laces (fastening cords).  It even includes instructions on how to work a couple of the braids found.

There is a wealth of information concisely expressed in the slideshow.  It is worth studying by anyone interested in fingerloop braiding, or late medieval clothing.

A Resource! Fingerloop Braiding

Loopbraider.com should be of interest to anyone who wishes to learn the craft of fingerloop braiding, which was used at least since the Middle Ages to make durable, attractive plain and multi-colored cords for laces and other clothing-related purposes. The site includes video and photo tutorials for making all kinds of fingerloop braids, including the three loop braiding technique I taught myself a few years ago as part of my Hedeby apron dress project.  

Now I'll know where to go when I have to refresh my recollection of how to do fingerloop braiding! 

EDIT (10/21/2013):  Check out the comments for the URLs of other web sites that have different, but equally useful, information about fingerloop braiding.

More Fun With String--Chinese Buttons

The Byzantine himation, like the Byzantine shirt I've already made, will need a small button to close the neckline, just . Instead of using a small bell as a button, I decided to make a Chinese string button for the purpose.

To make the button, I began by making thread loops of strong, bright blue (and probably synthetic) string and fingerloop-braided them into a six-strand cord. It went quickly, proving that I hadn't forgotten the technique I had taught myself with the aid of my readers. :-)

Then I started looking on the Internet for instructions on how to knot a Chinese button. I quickly learned that there are an amazing number of instructions on the Internet showing how to knot the most basic style of Chinese button, and each one of them is different. Very different. Some of them I found too confusing to follow. Moreover, many of them require about 20 to 30 inches of cord. My little bit of six-strand cord was less than a foot long. Oops.

Eventually, I found this page, courtesy of Google Books, from a book called "The Complete Book of Decorative Knots". I can't explain why I was able to use this set of instructions, when the web pages with careful step-by-step instructions mystified me. The result of my efforts is shown in the accompanying photograph. (The photo is a closeup--the actual size of the button is about 1 cm in diameter.) It's not perfect, but it will do well enough. I plan to wrap the strings together to form a shank, and use some of the remaining cord to make a loop that will go around the button to fasten the neckline.

So, now I have a button for the neck, and the entire rest of the himation to make. Progress!

Fun with String--Part 5

At this point, I can consistently braid a single braid with my three loops.

The only problem, as this photograph of a section of my long braid shows, is that the braid is more stretched out and not as tight as I'd like. I have been keeping tension on the braid as I work, and pulling my arms outward while holding the loops to try to tighten the braid, but it's not...quite... working.

I will continue to experiment, since even this loose braid is not as regular as I'd like. Any further suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

Fun with String--Part 4

After re-reading Teffania's and Katrin's comments on one of my earlier string posts, I went back to experimenting with 3-loop braiding. Unfortunately, I'm still confused about how to rotate loops, because this time I got a beautiful *pair* of three-strand braids--the consequence of not rotating the loop when taking it. A photograph of my test-effort appears on the left.

Still, I'm getting closer. Katrin was right--the process is quick when you get the hang of it. Now if I get the rotating loop thing down, I'll be in business!