Self-Instructor in the Art of Hair Work Part 4

[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.

SQUARE CABLE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE any number of strands that can be divided by two, eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A and B, take Nos.

1 and swing them around table to the right--No. 1 from A around to B across No. 2 at B, and No. 1 from B across No. 2 at A; then take Nos. 1 at C and D and change as before; then change the same at E and F and at B and A, so on around the table to the right until the chain is completed. Any number of strands can be used by increasing the number in each place, or by having three, four, five or six in a place, care being taken to cross all the strands. For instance, there are four strands, No. 1 must be crossed over all as you braid around the table. By adding strands a different braid is formed.

[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.

FOB CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty strands, seventy hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, cross No. 1 in the right hand over the No. 1 in the left hand, and then go to B and cross No. 1 in the left hand over No. 1 in the right hand; then go back to A and take Nos. 1 and cross inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take Nos.

2 and change the same; then change Nos. 3 the same; then go to C and take Nos. 1 and cross inside of Nos. 2 at D, and bring back Nos. 1 from D and lay inside of Nos. 2 at C; then 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.

SQUARE RIBBED CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty strands, seventy 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, swing to the right and change places with them; then take Nos. 3 at A and lay inside of Nos. 2 at B, and bring Nos. 3 from B and lay inside of Nos. 2 at A; then go to C and take No. 1 in right hand and No.

1 at D in left hand, swing to the right and change places with them; then take Nos. 3 at C and lay inside of Nos. 2 at D, and bring back Nos.

3 from D and lay inside of Nos. 2 at C. Then 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.

DOUBLE LOOP CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty-four strands, sixty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A and B: take Nos. 1 at A, and lift them across the table, and lay the one in left hand between Nos. 1 at B, and the one in right hand on the outside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back the Nos. 1 from B to A. Then pa.s.s round the table to the right, and change (in the same manner) successively, the Nos. 3, 5, 6, 2, 4, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1, 3 and 5; then commence at A with Nos. 1, 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 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.

KNOT CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE thirty-two strands with fifty hairs in a strand, and place them on table like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 4 and lift over across table, and lay outside of Nos. 1 at B, then bring back Nos. 4 from B and lay outside of Nos. 1 at A; then take Nos. 3 at A and lift over across table and lay outside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 3 from B and lay outside of Nos. 1 at A; then change Nos. 2 at A and B the same; then take Nos. 1 and change the same; then go to D and change the same as at A; then go to B and change the same; then go to C and change the same, and you are ready to commence again at A, as at first: 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.

DOUBLE RIB CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE thirty-two strands, sixty hairs in a strand and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 4 and lift over table and lay outside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 4 from B and lay outside of Nos. 1 at A; then go to D and change the Nos. 4 the same as at A and B; then go to B and change the same as at A; then go to C and change the same way, and then to A and change as at first, and so on, repeating the changes 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 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.

FANCY CHAIN BRAID.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TAKE sixteen strands eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, change Nos. 1 across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take Nos. 2 at A and change across inside of Nos. 2 at B, and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then go to C and change the Nos. 1 and the Nos. 2 across with the numbers at D the same as at A; then return to A and commence as at first and repeat ten times. Then change the figures on the table to correspond with the following diagram:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then commence at A and B, take No. 1 at A in right hand and No. 1 at B in left hand, and swing around the table to the right, changing places with them; then take Nos. 1 at C and D and change the same; then change Nos. 2 at B and A the same; then change the Nos. 2 at D and C the same; then take Nos. 3 at A and B and change the same; then change the Nos. 3 at C and D; then the Nos. 4 at B and A; then the Nos. 4 at P and C; then commence at A as at first, and repeat ten times, so on braiding alternately ten rounds by the directions of each pattern until the braid is finished.