Fingerloop braid

Fingerloop braids worked in the "graine d'orge" or barleycorn pattern.
Examples of fingerloop braids. The top three are yarn. The bottom two are embroidery thread.

Fingerloop braiding is a technique of making sturdy and decorative cords from threads. It is a type of braiding known as loop manipulation. The braid is made from loops of thread, attached at a central point, and the loops placed over the fingers and interlaced in different ways.[1]

In Europe it originated in the Middle Ages, and excavations from London have produced numerous examples in silk from between the second half of the 12th century and first half of the 15th.[2] From the 15th century onwards, various directions and recipes for different fingerloop braid techniques began to appear in books and in print.[1]

A related technique, which involved the loops being placed over the hand or fingers, is the Japanese kute-uchi style.[3] This technique arose in the 7th Century, and were used through the Middle Ages to the 19th century, for uses such as tying armour.[4]

  1. ^ a b Benns, E. 2007. "Set on Yowre Hondys:" Fifteenth Century Instructions for Fingerloop Braiding in Netherton R. and Owen-Crocker, G. Medieval clothing and textiles Vol. 3. Boydell Press.
  2. ^ Crowfoot, E., Pritchard, F. and Staniland, K. 1992. Medieval finds from excavations in London: 4. Textiles and clothing c.1150–c.1450. (HMSO, London.)
  3. ^ Illustrated Instruction: Kute-uchi Archived 2009-08-27 at the Wayback Machine L–M BRIC News, 2004.
  4. ^ Single-face Tortoise-shell Design Braids Archived 2005-01-10 at the Wayback Machine L–M BRIC Illustrated Instruction Series No. 7