Self-Instructor in the Art of Hair Work Part 3

FANCY TWIST CHAIN BRAID.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TAKE sixteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and lay on table like pattern. Commence at A and B--take No. 1 at A in left hand and No. 1 at B in right hand, swing around table to the left, and change places with them; then take No. 7 at B in right hand and No. 7 at A in left hand, and swing around the table to the right and change places with them; then take No. 5 at A in right hand and No. 5 at B in left hand, and swing around the table to the left, and change places as before; then take No. 8 at A in right hand and No. 8 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 6 at A in left hand, and No. 6 at B in right hand and swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 4 at A in right hand and No. 4 at B in left hand, and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 7 at A in right hand and No. 7 at B in left hand, swing around table to the left and change as before, then take No. 5 at A in left hand and No. 5 at B in right hand, swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 3 at A in right hand and No. 3 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 6 at A in right hand and No. 6 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 4 at A in left hand and No. 4 at B in right hand and swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 2 at A in right hand and No. 2 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 5 at A in right hand and No. 5 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before, then take No. 3 at A in left hand and No. 3 at B in right hand, and swing around table to the right and change as before. Then commence at A as at first.

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

DOUBLE TWIST CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE eighteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A and B--take No. 1 at A in right hand and No. 1 at B in left hand and swing them around the table to the right and change places with them; then change the Nos. 8, 6 and 4 the same way; then count back five to the left (not counting the one last braided), bringing you to No. 9--swing as before to the right and change places; then change the Nos. 7, 5 and 3 the same way; then count back five, bringing you to No. 8--change the same; and so on, first counting two forward and change three times, and then count five back and change the same, so on until the braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

FANCY CABLE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE sixteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place them on the table like pattern. Commence at A and B, take No. 1 at A in right hand and No. 1 at B in left hand, and swing them around to the left and change places with them; then take successively Nos. 3, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 7, 4, 6, 8, and change the same; then commence as at first with No.

1, so on repeating until the braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

HALF SQUARE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty four strands, seventy hairs in a strand, and arrange like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 1 and lay them in the place of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take Nos. 2 at C and lay in the place of Nos. 2 at D and bring back Nos. 2 from D to C. Then take the Nos. 3 from H and lay between the Nos. 3 at G, and bring back the Nos. 3 from G to H; then take the Nos. 4 at H and place between the Nos.

4 at G, and bring back the Nos. 4 from G to H; then take Nos. 5 at E and place between Nos. 5 at F, and bring back the Nos. 5 from F to E; then take the Nos. 6 at E and place them inside of Nos. 6 at F, and bring back the Nos. 6 from F to E. Commence at A as at first, and repeat until the braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

TWELVE SQUARE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty-four strands, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 1 and place between Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B and lay in place of Nos. 1 at A; then change the Nos. 2 at A, and B the same way; then change the succeeding numbers, 3, 4, 5 and 6, all the same way. Then you are through the braid, ready to commence at Nos. 1 again, as at first, and repeat until the braid is the desired length.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire, and push the braid close together; then boil in water about ten minutes, and take it out and put it in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off the wire on to the cord, sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the ends to keep it fast. If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

FLAT TWIST CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE eight strands, ninety hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence, take No. 1 at A in right hand, and No. 1 at B in left hand, and swing around table to the right--the No. 1 in the right hand over across Nos. 2, 3 and 4 at B, and the No. 1 in the left hand over across Nos. 2, 3 and 4 at A; repeat until the braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

RIB CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE sixteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place them on the table like pattern. Commence at A, take both No. 1 strands and cross over in between Nos. 1 on the opposite side to B, then bring back both Nos. 2 from B to A, and place them in between Nos. 2; then walk around table to C and braid it across table to D as before. Then commence at A and repeat until braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little sh.e.l.lac on the end to keep it fast.

If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.

FANCY CABLE CHAIN BRAID

TAKE any number of strands that can be divided by two, eight hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence by taking No. 1 at A and B and change places by swinging them to the right; then take No. 2 at A and B and change places with them by swinging to the left; then take No. 3 at A and B and change places by swinging them to the right; then Nos. 4, and change places by swinging them to the left, and so on, swinging to the right and left alternately, until the braid is finished.