The magic of lucet braiding
Step into the fascinating world of lucet braiding with Loom, Needle, & Wheel. This ancient craft is surprisingly simple to learn, incredibly meditative, and opens up a realm of creative possibilities for everyone, especially beginners. Discover the joy of crafting beautiful cords and trims with just a single tool.
Lucet Cord Braiding
Materials
- Lucet
- Yarn of choice (approximately 30 yards yarn for a 3 yard cord)
No Turn Method
- Start by placing the tail end of your yarn through the hole in the front center of the lucet. Leave about an 8 inch tail. Hold the lucet in your right hand, holding the tail against the lucet with the right thumb on the front of the lucet.
2. Take the working yarn end in your left hand and wrap around the right tine from front to back (this will be your first (bottom) loop).
3. Bring the yarn around to the middle and bring it towards the front (between the two tines).
4. Next wrap the yarn around the outside of the left tine from front to back (ending with the yarn behind the lucet).
5. Bring yarn to front again through the middle and and wrap around right tine again.
6. Optional: While holding the working yarn with left hand loosely wind the working yarn around the pinky finger (allows for continuous control of yarn as it keeps doing figure eights around the tines).
7. Moving lucet into left hand use the right hand grab bottom loop (first wrap around right tine) and FROM BEHIND lift it over the top loop and off the tine.
8. With right hand pull the tail thread through the hole in the back to cinch the first knot (not too tight). Move the lucet back to the right hand.
9. With working yarn in left hand bring yarn BACK TO FRONT through the middle of the two tines and then around left tine FRONT TO BACK.
10. Back to middle with working yarn in back of work. Lucet back to left hand and use right hand to grab FRONT OF LOOP on left tine and lift over top.
11. Holding lucet in right hand wiggle working yarn in back of work until knot cinched closed (not too tight).
12. After the first two loops have been lifted over each tine, a set figure eight pattern is used going forward.
13. It is easiest to hold the lucet in the right hand, bring yarn to front through middle, wrap around right tine, bring through middle again and then wrap around the left tine.
14. Move lucet to left hand and lift bottom loop of right tine over top lifting it from the back and then lifting bottom loop of left tine over top from front to back.
15. Then using left hand wiggle yarn behind the work side to side towards each tine to tighten the knot.
Turn Method
This method works best with an elastic fiber. The lucet is turned (like flipping a book page). The bottom loop is always lifted over the right tine. The yarn/thread is held in the right hand and as the lucet is turned and new loop is made above the old loop. To see a quick and easy tutorial visit LR Crafts (Locutus & Rici Crafts)
How to lucet: beginner I-cord knitting tutorial | #LRCrafts
Lucet: A Brief History
The current lyre shaped lucets that have been used for several centuries owe their origin to the middle ages or after. They do not resemble what is theorized as lucets from antiquity. A great article by Sarah Rossi (https://www.lrcrafts.it/lucet-cordmaking-history/) explains how several 2 pronged hollow bones have been found in several places (Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy).
Two of the Sigtuna artifacts, 10th – 12th century (see pic left) - Sweden
These tools are believed to be lucets. The jump to the current lucet tools used throughout the world is missing a link. The earliest finds of the lyre shaped tools are from the 1700s.
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