Name that craft.

[Ben Trout]

I went along to the Viking festival last year and saw something interesting in the little living history display. I'm going to get my Scouts to try it next week, but I don't know if and what it is named. Can anyone help?

Four weighted cords are hung from a bar above head height. A person stands either side and takes two cords. Diagonally opposite cords are swung between the two people. Alternating between left and right handed swings build up a single braid with all four cords. So, does that sound familiar to anyone?

It should be possible to have more than one person on either side and use more cords. I might set that little challenge if they get on well with two.

Cheers.

 

[asemery]

Called "Whipcord Braiding" fascinating to watch. Can also be done solo. Tony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsVymiiLo40

 

[Ben Trout]

Cool. Thanks very much, that's the one.

Solo, hey? Does that get a little like juggling?

 

[asemery]

You need a little manual dexterity
http://genvieve.net/sca/whipcording-howto.html

 

[Ben Trout]

Thanks for your help.

We had a fairly succesful evening with three strand rope making, fingerloop braiding and the whipcord braiding. I don't know that many of them fully memorised the techniques, but the mob seemed to find it interesting.