Day 303: Of all the ways I know to make cord...finger-loop braiding, kumihimo, knitting dolly, i-cord maker, tablet weaving and half a dozen more...none is as fast as inkle weaving. The process is simple. Using an odd number of warp threads, the shuttle is always passed through from the same side, but must always be brought back to that position by passing either under or over the work consistently. I prefer to take it over the work because I can see the threads curling in to form the cord. If I want to add a core thread, this means I can see where it lays in the center. Because I am right-handed (ambidextrous, actually, but I inkle right-handed), I pass the shuttle through the shed from right to left, then take it over the work and back to the right side for the next pass. Just for giggles, I timed my progress. With this weight thread (8/2 cotton), it takes me one minute to make one inch. For that, there's no reason I can't have "designer" bootlaces! (Footnote: I will wax them for additional strength by running them across a bar of paraffin several times and leaving them to rest in a hot, sunny window for a few days.)
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