Self-Instructor in the Art of Hair Work Part 2

HALF TWIST CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE sixteen strands, seventy-five hairs in a strand, and place on the table like pattern. Commence at A take Nos. 1 and 2, lift across the table to B, and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and lay No. 2 between Nos. 1 and 2, and bring back Nos. 1 and 2 from B to A, and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and No. 2 outside of No. 1 at A; then go to C and take Nos. 1 and 2, lift over table to D and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and lay No. 2 between Nos. 1 and 2, and bring back Nos. 1 and 2 from C, and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and No. 2 outside of No. 1 at C; then go to B and change the same, and so on around the table to the right 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.

CABLE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty strands, seventy-five hairs in a strand, place on table like pattern. Commence at A, lift Nos. 1 over across the table inside of Nos.

1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take Nos. 2 at A, cross over and lay them between Nos. 2 at B, and carry back Nos. 2 from B to A; then take Nos. 3 at A, cross over inside of Nos. 3 at B, and bring back Nos. 3 from B to A; then take Nos. 4 at A and cross over inside of Nos. 4 at B, and bring back Nos. 4 from B to A; then take Nos. 5 at A, cross over inside of Nos. 5 at B, and bring back Nos. 5 from B to A; then take Nos. 1 at B, cross over inside of Nos. 1 at A, and bring back Nos. 1 from A to B; then take Nos. 2 at B and cross over inside of Nos.

2 at A, and bring back Nos. 2 from A to B; then take Nos. 3, so on around the table to the right until the braid is finished, all the time taking the next two.

[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.

SIXTEEN SQUARE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE thirty-two strands, fifty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, lift Nos. 1 across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then change at C and D, E and F, and G and H the same, then go to A, lift Nos. 2 across in place of Nos. 2 at B, and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then change at C and D, E and F, and G and H the same. Then you are through the braid, ready to commence at A, as at first, 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.

GERMAN TWIST 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 right and change places with them; then take No. 1 at C in right hand and No. 1 at D in left hand, and swing around table to the right and change places as before; then take No. 2 at B in right hand and No. 2 at A in left hand and swing to the right and change as before; then take No. 2 at D in right hand and No. 2 at C in left hand and swing 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 change as before; then take No. 3 at C in right hand and No. 3 at D in left hand and change as before; then take No. 4 at B in right hand and No. 4 at A in left hand and change as before then take No. 4 at D in right hand and No. 4 at C in left hand and change as before. Then commence at A as at first and repeat till the braid is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

For further directions see page 9.

FANCY SQUARE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty-four strands, seventy hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A--change Nos. 1 at A across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A, then go to C, change Nos. 1 across inside of Nos. 1 at D, and bring back Nos. 1 from D to C, then take Nos. 1 at E in right hand and No. 1 at F in left hand, lift across table in place of Nos. 1 at G and H, and bring back Nos. 1 from G and H to F and E; then take Nos. 2 at E and F and change across to G and H, and lay in place of Nos. 2, and bring back Nos. 2 from G and H to F and E; then take Nos 3 and change across to G and H as before; then take Nos. 4 at F and E and change across to G and H as before; then go to C and change the Nos. 1 across to D, and bring the Nos. 1 from D to C; then go to A and change the Nos. 1 across to B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then go to E and H, take No. 4 at H in right hand, and No.

4 at E in left hand, and lift across in place of Nos. 4 at F and G, and bring back Nos. 4 from F and G to E and H; then take Nos. 3 at E and H and change across in place of Nos. 3 at F and G, and bring back Nos. 3 from F and G to E and H; then take Nos. 2 at E and H and change across in place of Nos. 2 at F and G and bring back Nos. 2 from F and G to E and H; then take Nos. 1 at E and H, and change across in place of Nos. 1 at F and G, and bring back Nos. 1 from F and G to E and H; then go to A and commence as at first, and repeat till the chain is finished.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

For further directions see page 9.

FANCY SQUARE CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE twenty-four strands, seventy hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, lift Nos. 1 across inside of No. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then change Nos. 1 at C and D the same; then change Nos. 1 at E and F the same; then go to A, lift Nos. 2 across to B, and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then change Nos. 2 at C and D the same; then change Nos. 2 at E and F the same, and you are through the braid ready to commence at A as at first.

[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 CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE sixteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place them on the table like pattern. Commence at A, change the Nos. 1 across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take No. 2 at A change over in place of Nos. 2 at B and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then go to C, and change the Nos. 1 from C to D, and bring back Nos. 1 from D to C; then take Nos. 2 at C and change over in place of Nos. 2 at D, and bring back Nos 2 from D to C; then go to A and begin as at first, 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.

FANCY TWIST CHAIN BRAID.

TAKE thirty-two strands, fifty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Change Nos. 1 at A across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then change in the same way, successively, the Nos. 3, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 7, 4, 6, 8, 5, 7, 1, 6, 8, 2, 7, 1, 3, 8, 2, 4--then you are through, ready to commence as at first.

[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.