Lucet Braiding

Day 109: Lucet braiding is a simple cord-making technique and dates back at least to mediaeval times, possibly earlier. It is closely allied to French spool-knitting, a later development. The first lucets were probably no more than forked sticks, and over the history of the craft became more refined to include an outward bend at the tips of the tines as a means of assuring that the work would not slip off while the thread was being passed over the previous loop. Almost any smooth thread or cord can be used to create a lucet braid as long as it can be manipulated with the fingers. The diameter of the braid is dependent on the size of the fiber and tensioning. A braid can be as loose or firm as the fiber artist requires. One of the main differences between lucet braiding and French knitting is that the lucet tool is generally only two-pronged. Some three- and four-pronged versions exist, but these are largely modern innovations. The resultant braid worked on a two-pronged lucet is square, but beads or other embellishments can be added while working. Gimp materials (those carried by the braid but not actually braided themselves) may also be added to give width or character to the work. Here, I am using a modern rosewood lucet to create a braid from crochet cotton which will be used as the drawstring for a sprang bag of the same material.