Welcome to FingerTips - a site for tools to assist in designing patterns for finger held loop braiding and also hand-held loop braiding (Kute-uchi).

These web tools were composed by Gary Mitchell

Index

• Spanish Braid and variants
• Slentre Braids from Germany described by Dietlind Wagner
• Traditional Guajiro Indian Braids from Colombia described by Masako Kinoshita
• Traditional Japanese Kute-uchi Braids described by Masako Kinoshita
• Braids from Ingrid Crickmore's contribution to "Threads That Move - Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Braiding.
• Braids derived from the Letter Braids
• Braids described in Tollemache

Spanish Braid and variants

• 7-loop Spanish Braid (double layered flat)
  For this braid there are 596 2-colour designs. There are subtly different versions of the pattern planner. One for each of the ways in which the braid can be made. The versions differ only in how the loops are turned when taken.  Of all the planners I have done so far it is this one - the 7-loop spanish braid - which has the most interesting pattern possibilities.
  

• Planner: 7-loop Spanish Braid : all four reversed turns alike. D-shaped cross-section

  This braid has one narrower flat surface and one wider convex surface giving a bevelled appearance.
  Method:
  Either all four turns are done take from below bottom shank OR all four turns are done take from above top shank - but no mixture!

  Hint: try IDs  9 . 12 . 28 . 43 . 109 . 145 . 157 . 327 . 338 . 413 . 444 . 585 . 596 . - then apply RV or SX or modify!

• Planner: 7-loop Spanish Braid : balanced reversed turns. Rectangular cross-section.

  This braid has two flat surfaces of equal width.
  Method:
  Four reversed turns: #1 and #3 one way (e.g. take from above top shank) and #2 and #4 done the other way (e.g. take from below bottom shank)

  Hint: try IDs  9 . 12 . 28 . 43 . 109 . 145 . 157 . 327 . 338 . 413 . 444 . 585 . 596 . - then apply RV or SX or modify!

• Planner: Derivative of 7-loop Spanish Braid : using alternating cycles.

  This braid has asymmetric edges.

  Hint: try IDs  596

Slentre Braids from Germany described by Dietlind Wagner

Planner: 6-loop Diagonal

A 6-loop flat weave.
The pattern for the 6-loop braid "diagonal stripes " which is described and illustrated on page 16 in Dietlind Wagner´s booklet (in German) corresponds to the ID 190

Traditional Guajiro Indian Braids from Colombia described by Masako Kinoshita

Several braids are described in the original notes (in Spanish) I will be adding more but to begin with we have

Planner: Yaliwansu Braid (2nd variation)

A 7-loop thick braid.
The two patterns for the Yaliwanasu braid (second variation) are described and illustrated on pages 77-81 of the original notes (in Spanish) correspond to the IDs 295 and 27 in this planner.
Another design using plain loops which is attractive is 291 . There are only 10 patterns using plain loops: 1 3 8 25 27 80 82 98 291 295. Other symmetric designs using bi-coloured loops include 595 . The patterns 11 . and 42 . also use bi-coloured loops but are simpler.

Traditional Japanese Kute-uchi Braids described by Masako Kinoshita

I will be adding more but to begin with we have small numbers of loops

• Braid AADD.5-3 - An 8-loop thick double braid.
  Some of the more symmetrical patterns are IDs 116 1215 2999 3023 4133
• Braid AGCD.5-3 - An 8-loop thick double braid.
  Some of the more symmetrical patterns are IDs 116 1215 2999 3023 3151 3160 3162 4129 4133
• Braid AADC.4-3 - A 7-loop flat wide braid.
  Some of the more symmetrical patterns are IDs 8 25 30 85 96 278 534 596
• Braid DD.3-3 x 2 - A 12-loop thick braid.
  This mimics two workers each using 6 loops and working in parallel and exchanging near-side loops.
  In fact one person can handle these loops alone.
  Some of the more symmetrical patterns are IDs SX6578 , 7954 , 7830 , 293401 , 349180 , 349326 , 349844 , 350021 , 350060 , 350061 , 350062 , 350063 , 350064

Braids from Ingrid Crickmore's contribution to "Threads That Move - Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Braiding.

• 6-loop double braid -  Structure #3 "Solid Rectangle"
  

  Planner: 6-loop Double Braid 4 reversed turns and C-C exchange

  The sequence of loop transfers is as described on page 65 of the book "Threads that Move ". The detail for the turns is:

  • clockwise
  • anticlockwise
  • anticlockwise
  • clockwise
  • C-C exchange (C right goes through C left)

  An equivalent description is

  • take top shank from above
  • take from within and apply anticlockwise
  • take top shank from above
  • take from within and apply clockwise
  • C-C exchange (C right goes through C left)

  There are 190 2-colour IDs.

  Hint: start with any of the IDs  28 75 93 120 153 179 182 183 188 190 - apply RV or SX or modify!

  Example start with 150 .. use SX button and get SX150 the "scorpions" pattern :-)

• 6-loop double braid -  Structure #6 " Semi-flat,humped"
  

  Planner: 6-loop Double Braid 2 reversed turns and C-C exchange

  The sequence of loop transfers is as described on page 65 of the book "Threads that Move ". The detail for the turns is:

  • anticlockwise
  • clockwise
  • unreversed
  • unreversed
  • C-C exchange (C right goes through C left) == (C left around C right)

  An equivalent description is

  • take bottom shank from below
  • take from within and apply clockwise
  • take from within (unreversed)
  • take from within (unreversed)
  • C-C exchange (C left goes through C right) == (C right around C left)

  Hint: try IDs  3 8 22 27 75 80 151 182 185 - apply RV or SX or modify!

  Example start with 75 .. and get the "trellis" pattern :-)
  Example start with 151 .. and get the "chain" pattern :-)

  Notes
  • .
• 6-loop double braid -  Structure ??

  A sequence of turns and transfers not presented in the book - but a simple variation on what is there.This can be stretched out to a thinner wider braid.

  Planner: 6-loop Double Braid 4 reversed turns and C-A exchange

  The sequence of loop transfers is as described on page 65 of the book "Threads that Move ". The detail for the turns is:

  • clockwise
  • anticlockwise
  • clockwise
  • anticlockwise
  • C-A exchange (A left through C right)
    

  An equivalent description is

  • take top shank from above
  • take from within and apply anticlockwise
  • take bottom shank from below
  • take from within and apply anticlockwise
  • C-C exchange (A left goes through C right) == (C right around A left)

  Hint: try IDs  28 , 74 , 75 , 93 , 120 , 153 , 179 , 182 , 183 , 187 , 188 , 190 ,- apply RV or SX or modify!

  Or start with 187 ,the "moose head" pattern :-)

• 8-loop double braid -  Structure ??

  A sequence of turns and transfers not presented in the book - but a simple variation on what is there.This braid has a D-shaped profile.

  Planner: 8-loop Double Braid 2 reversed turns and A-A exchange

  The sequence of loop transfers is as described on page 65 of the book "Threads that Move ". The detail for the turns is:

  • clockwise
  • unreversed
  • anticlockwise
  • unreversed
  • A-A exchange (A left through A right) == (A right around A left)
    

  An equivalent description is

  • take top shank from above
  • take from within
  • take top shank from above
  • take from within
  • A-A exchange (A left goes through A right) == (A right around A left)

  Hint: try IDs  21 , 540 , 1231 , 1133 , 1628 , 1778 , 1973 , 1988 , 2100 , 2101 , 2102 .- apply RV or SX or modify!

  Or start with 2101 .the "reversed edge" pattern :-)

For further information see the book of the Braid Society 2012 Conference Proceedings - "Threads that Move" available from the Braid Society .

Braids derived from the Letter Braids

• 5-loop letter braid -  adapted as a single worker reduction: a 5-loop thick flat braid
  
Planner: Single Worker reduction of 5-loop Letter Braid
Hint: try IDs  25 , 27 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 55 ,- apply RV or SX or modify!

Braids described in Tollemache

• Tollemache #18 -  adapted as a single worker reduction: a 5-loop flat braid
  

  Planner: 5-loop Tollemache #18 Braid

  Hint: try IDs  3 , 8 , 22 , 56

• Tollemache #19: a 7-loop hollow braid - with 2 reversed turns
  

  Planner: 7-loop Tollemache #19 Braid

  Hint: try IDs  5 , 9 , 16 , 42 , 49 - apply RV or SX or modify!

• Tollemache #20: a 7-loop flat braid - with one reversed turn
  

  Planner: 7-loop Tollemache #20 Braid

  Hint: try IDs  3 , 8 , 25 , 32 , 85 , 96 , 278 , 327 - apply RV or SX or modify!

• Tollemache #23: a 7-loop flat braid - with one 360 degree turn.
  

  Planner: 7-loop Tollemache #23 Braid

  Hint: try IDs  8 , 32 , 85 , 278 , 327 - apply RV or SX or modify!