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General >> Project Goliath - The History of The Sling >> Braiding and Materials
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Message started by Dude on Nov 13th, 2007 at 4:32pm

Title: Braiding and Materials
Post by Dude on Nov 13th, 2007 at 4:32pm
I purchased the book "Sling Braiding of the Andes", and I'm thinking of braiding a sling out of wool. Does anyone have any experance with working with it? From just playing around with it in the fabric shops, it will be nessary to combine two or three strands of the wool yarn to get the proper strength needed and in fact it shows this in the book. To do this I thought of doing it by hand or I could make a simple device for turning the strands and making a thicker and stronger cord same technic as making rope or I could cheat and use a battery operated device like the "crazy Cords". Has anyone done any of this before?

Title: Re: Braiding and Materials
Post by Rueben on Nov 13th, 2007 at 11:53pm
I also just started learning to braid from "Sling Braiding of the Andes." In a few months I may know enough to start braiding a sling.


Dude wrote on Nov 13th, 2007 at 4:32pm:
From just playing around with it in the fabric shops, it will be nessary to combine two or three strands of the wool yarn to get the proper strength needed and in fact it shows this in the book.


I don't quite understand what you mean by combining strands of wool? Most of the braids in the book use 16 strands of wool, which produces a rather thick rope. I guess you are referring to plying (twisting) single strands of yarn into heavier strands that are then braided. If this is the case, I would suggest that you buy yarn that is already plied. I was able to get some scraps of wool (acrylic) from my grandmother; it is already plied from 3 or 4 individual strands, making something that is about 1.5mm to 2mm in diameter.


Title: Re: Braiding and Materials
Post by Dude on Nov 14th, 2007 at 11:58am
I was not looking at braiding a 16 strand sling at this point but purhaps something a little simplier, and getting a feel for the material itself, taking baby steps. I also like trying to work in as much extra material (projects) into one as I can. Thats the reason for the rope making technic.

Types of natural yarn:
Wool
Linen
Tencel?
Bamboo

Title: Re: Braiding and Materials.Hi
Post by HUNgarian. on May 19th, 2008 at 8:52am
Almost all of my slings from cotton braided.from colours like this: red, dark blue, white green,and brown,I combine these ,the stem of my thickest sling, 10 pieces of thread 3x 10 szál.ezt the sling onto my wrist looping I use it.there is a synthetic substance yet for me,and thick thread.from it was needed for a full sling braid
:) 90 threads. His Nic day! :)  ;)hm:)

Title: Re: Braiding and Materials
Post by Willeke on Jun 1st, 2008 at 4:12am
When you combine several yarns even the cheapest fake wool from the cheap shops will do.
I have seen a 16 strand peruvian braid in it, looked great and was absolutely solid.

If you want to start with different ways of braiding, may I point out my braiding page on my website?
http://knopen.ismijnhobby.nl/tables/braid-text_table.html

I am willing to add more braids if you want them, but find the Peruvian ones a challence I have not been able to meet yet.

A few start to braid tips.
Start with thick strings you can actually see, shoe laces are great, and easy to get, and when you re-use not to expensive.
If you keep your braids tight it does not matter whether you have twisted your yarns together. You can also give the yarns a little twist each movement you make.

The Peruvian way of working is so different that having experience in other ways of braiding is not going to help nor hinder a lot when you start it up. (It might be a help, but not a lot.)
Do not start peruvian braiding with just 8 strands, 16 is better, as that gives a much easier to work set-up, yes, I do braid, also peruvian and I also teach braiding, I know what I am talking about.

If you can get one cheap, the hair twisters that are sold for 'braiding' hair are great for rope making in small sizes and would do great on wool and alike.
Go for one with 3 or 4 hooks, try second hand markets and alike.
For rope making machines, simple ones, here is a great selection:
http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=491.msg3604#msg3604
Sorry, but the Yahoo photo links have all died.

Willeke

Title: Re: Braiding and Materials
Post by kava fiend on Jun 4th, 2008 at 2:59am
G'day.

sorry don't know anyhting about rope making (perhaps a new hobby somewhere down the line) but I have a copy of sling braiding of the andes too.  the only piece of advice I can give for this style of braiding is that you have to have patience, I found the process really slow going - this is good if your herding sheep I spose, but otherwise its one of those start-stop projects. for this reason I use kumihimo as a braiding method because its really fast and easy to use. I have aback order on andean sling braids by Makiko Tada, I think these could be described as 'feaux andean braids', they look the part, but are easier to make. maybe one day, I will eventualy be good enough to braid a sling the true andean way...

anyways, here is a link to a thread about andean braids I started, there is perhaps some little tid bits of info in there you might find usefull
[url= http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1200541585;start=all] http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1200541585;start=all[/url]

_KF_


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