hsifeng | Putting the "Bang" on a Leash

We’re slowly by surely getting our gear together for the upcoming School of the Renaissance Solder (April 17^th – 19^th at Camp Tamarancho). Since the powderflasks are here and are ready to get finished, I need to start formulating my plan for their cording. I am gathering a few images together from the various sources I have found to try and get an idea of what cording style I should use.

This tag is for the two preceding above images:

I have no idea if the cord on this early 17th C horn is original or not. If it is, perhaps it shows that these cords were sometime flat braided? Or maybe the cord was simply braided differently in this section, making it flat. I believe this can be done with fingerloop and a couple of other styles:

And before you think it, no...we don't want *this* many tassles. Just a couple of smaller ones and perhaps one for use as a vent brush...

I can fingerloop, lucet and card-weave: However, I am not sure that the cords in the images above were produced with any of these methods – at least I have never managed to make a cord of that size, using thread/yarn elements that small. The cords made via Kumihimo seem to look more like the ones in the images, but what technique did Europeans use at this point in time that produced a cord of such thickness?

My initial thought is that I should card-weave a band about 1” – 1.5”, I could then stitch it into a cord (either around a core of an alternate material or not). This would leave me plenty of ‘tail strands’ to make the various fringe and tassel hangers that the images show. Then again, almost any cord weaving technique using multiple strands will do the same.

Anyone out there have any suggested techniques?

Of course, once I am done with this cording I will be starting on cording for the cartridges...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You could probably do a 4 strand lucet - never done one myself, but it can't be THAT hard. I look forward to seeing whatever you come up with!

Do you have directions on a multi-strand lucet pattern? I have only ever seen 1 strand, with a possible additional strand for decorative effect.

I found an interesting exploration of lucet vs. fingerloop and regular braiding here (”http://www.et-tu.com/soper/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=51"). The author is discussing the possible documentation of lucet cords during the “silent” period of the 15th century (which I have also done some research (http://hsifeng.livejournal.com/tag/lucet) on for the 16th C).

I really like her comparative image of the various styles:

(http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn294/hsifeng/16th%20C%20Images/16th%20C%20Reproduction%20Clothing/?action=view&current=all3.jpg)

You know I don't. I've seen a 4-pronged lucet and that's what I was thinking of. But you could also use a "knitting buddy" - also known as a spool knitter. It's a little guy with four nails in his head and you wind it 'round. Google it, it'll make sense, really. And it does a 4 strand pretty easy. I found one at Joanns for like 3 bucks on clearance.

Interesting...someone had told me once that "knitting machines" were around in the 16th C. I have no idea what their frame of reference was, but this might have been the sort of machine they were thinking of. Given the instructions for two color knitting here (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22029/22029-h/22029-h.htm) I am guessing you could come up with something that would look similar to the cords in these images.

Yep, and you can also make them if you can't find them - they're basically a wooden tube with nails on one end. You can even put 2 or 4 more nails on them for a bigger cord. Do them one color or multiples. It's pretty easy. Took me like a minute to teach myself - much easier and faster than a lucet.

I am always up for learning more cord styles!

Found this on the "Elizabethian Knitting Machine" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stocking_frame).

That's TOO crazy!!!

Putting the "Bang" on a Leash

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