I'm probably teaching a class next month. There are several in my rotation already, but maybe I feel like doing something new.
I've seen some interesting six-element braids in the past few months, shown to me by friends. One is from one of the Sion knitted relic purses. The purse my friend is knitting has what looks to be a six element square fingerlooped braid. (I tried making it a few months ago and it seems to look like the pics, so hey, probably a good first approximation.)
Another six-element braid was shown to me by a different friend who is using braids sewn down over seams as a decorative statement, very common in certain times and places. That friend was using ideas from the Skjoldehamn find and other similar-era finds.
I found a thesis that discussed the textiles of the Skjoldehamn find, including semi-decent pictures and also diagrams of the braids.
And off I go...
Braids are used in several places on this outfit. The Skjoldehamn hood has a couple of 4-element braided cords used as ties. Six-element braids are used decoratively around the cuffs and neckline. A twelve-element braid is used as a belt and something similar is used as a drawstring for the trousers. Plus ends of other bands are also braided, and possibly more I'm forgetting.
Most of the braids are made using doubled or tripled strands of yarn. Doubled strands always make me suspect fingerlooping, but there's no obvious evidence (such as braid tightness being different from one end to the other). So it's possible, but it's also possible the braids are all made in the hand, or by using disks or bobbins/whipcords or something else entirely.
I think the four element and six element braids would be reasonably easy to teach. So I found my acrylic stash and tried them out. I used one strand, not double stranded like I believe the originals were. Also, the originals are made from thin wool yarn and I'm using worsted-weight acrylic. Plus nevermind about natural dyes vs modern industrial dyes.
The bottom braid in this pic is from the hood. It's a four-element braid. I think it's either the same as or very similar to the ones one always sees around the world.
If the four elements are laid out as 1 2 3 4 -- element 1 goes under 2 and 3, then over 3 (to assume the new position 2); then element 4 goes under 3 and 2, and over 2 to become the new position 3.
It's a little awkward to do, so I might try going over-around-under instead of under-around-over to see if that flows better while still looking the same.
The photo of the hood tie in the thesis looks pretty much like my cords, with one end in an overhand knot and the other having loops (or maybe just ends) that are hid by a tassel cover. Was it fingerlooped? I'm not sure -- I'll have to see if the structure matches any of the four-element fingerloop braids I know, and then see what it looks like and how easy it is to braid compared to banging it out freehand.
The other two braids have the same structure. One is more tightly braided and monochrome than the other, but they're identical other than that. There are six elements. The right hand outermost element goes over two elements into the middle. The left hand outermost element goes over three elements (to cross the previous element) into the middle. Repeat. I think this type of braid is referred to as a plait, but honestly, I don't really know the current braiding terminology. I know this one can be done as a fingerloop, but it's plenty fast as a freehand braid.
I also looked at the Hedeby apron braid, mostly because it too is a 6 element braid of a similar time and place. That one is not fingerlooped, I don't think, since it consists of single stranded elements (of 2-ply wool), not double/triple. This one has the rightmost element go over 2, and then the left goes under 2 and over the just-moved strand. It has a more W like appearance (the 6 element plait above has a V like appearance). I could do the Hedeby 6 element plait in a different class. It's not much more complicated than the Skjoldehamn 6 element plait.
Here are the references I'm finding useful so far, more or less. I was given links to youtube videos from my friend using braids as decorative elements over seam lines. Videos are slow but they can help me confirm that I understand what's going on. Or at least the video person has the same understanding or misunderstanding that I do.
2009 master's thesis: https://web.archive.org/web/20220225172743/https://kaupafar.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Nye-tanker-om-Skjoldehamnfunnet.pdf
also see https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11552101/skjoldehamn-find-pennsic-expo-conv-svcscom and https://www.medieval-baltic.us/skjold.html (this second link is more for how to make the hood, since it seems a bit different from how most of my friends make it)
Hedeby: https://clothofstars.blogspot.com/2023/08/sca-6-strand-hedeby-braid.html and https://urd.priv.no/viking/smokkr.html#ev-haithabu and of course https://blog.eibeck.de/2014/plait-from-the-hedeby-apron-dress-fragment.html
The videos are from Wyrd Kindred https://www.youtube.com/@WyrdKindred
I think there are more links out there that I've found in the past, and also more links in general. But the above were of some use today.
Sion purse pic here: https://www.kornbluthphoto.com/SionPurse269.html The braid really looks like a square 6, which means a square 5 on one hand and a square 7 on the other. But I'll do more experiments later. My friend mostly cared about the knitted motifs, which are cute, but which are more well known and studied than the cords.
I hope the above kind of makes sense and helps me figure out what I was thinking about when I went exploring and experimenting today.
One more note to myself -- my friends and I should try making a Skjoldehamn hood according to the methods in the thesis to see how it works compared to the methods my friends currently use.
It's nice to be back creating -- I've been busy these last few months. What time and ambition I've had for creativity has mostly gone to playing in the kitchen, spinning, knitting, and gardening.
My braiding/weaving area is mostly off limits still, so I might not be able to start a new tablet woven band for another few weeks minimum.
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