I showed my first sling to someone who knows how to use a sling. This person confirmed that it looked and acted like a perfectly reasonable sling, yay. This person usually makes slings by attaching paracord to a sling pouch made of duct tape. I love that slings are so low-tech with so many ways to make them from whatever convenient items are in your local environment.
I've started another Andean in-the-fist braid. I tried with 8 strands (4 strands folded in half) first. It was difficult for me to see which was the lower and which was the upper strand. So I cut another set of strands, and I'm doing another braid the same way I did the first. It's going well. I'll probably start zig-zagging soon, and then, depending on how much yarn is left when I get tired of that, will try some other variations. At some point I will return to 8-strand braids! Though it amuses me that the 16-strand braid is easier to learn on.
I've also tried a new-to-me braid. I'm pretty sure I've done something very similar using a different technique.
It's from a youtube video on making a sling. It's in Spanish, so they of course use the local terminology of Honda or Waraka. Here's part 1, which shows the braid and the first half of the sling's construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMJAAkhHcZE and here's part 2, which shows the woven split pouch and the rest of the sling's construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw1chCl6fXs&t=616s
The finger loop, made with 4 strands, is the standard 4-stranded cord made all around the world. I like this particular method, where diagonally opposite strands twist past each other, alternating the twist direction.
Then it's joined, and the new braid is a braiding technique I've not done before. It's a 4-strand braid (each strand has two pieces of yarn). I'm pretty sure I've done this braid structure on a marudai and also through fingerlooping. But this is a freehand braid, and it's kind of cool-looking and fun to do.
Not that I'm perfect at it or anything.
The video demonstrates the sling construction using a fairly thick single-ply yarn. Interesting.
I wonder if I should do a track plan and compare it to the other braids I believe this resembles?
The braid is slightly elastic, though more so in compression than in tension.
I only used enough yarn to play around with the braid rather than doing a full sling.
The split pouch is one of the styles I see in the books (and websites and videos) on Andean slings I have access to. I'm looking forward to trying it when I decide to make that style of pouch on a sling.
I wonder what the braid would be like if I use more than 4 braiding elements? Also, will I get faster with time, and how will that compare with other braiding techniques? The braid in the video was secured at the top, while I was randomly holding onto it while braiding. Maybe I'd be faster if it was hooked to something.
I have no idea whether this is a traditional technique or a more modern shortcut.
My stash of random acrylic is getting low. I also use it for charity knitting and share it with another charity knitter/crocheter. We're both fairly productive; there's not much left. My second in-the-fist braid is using different colors because some of the skeins of yarn I used in the first braid are now with my friend, being turned into charity hats.
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