Trollen Wheel Braiding

Trollen Wheels have a rich history spanning several centuries. They are reminiscent of the traditional Kumihimo wheels from Japan, which allow braiders to create stunning braided cords using anywhere from a few strands to as many as 31. Suitable for ages 5 and up, this engaging activity lets you craft beautiful and functional cords that can be transformed into chains, belts, handles, and more.

Materials

  • Trollen wheel
  • Bobbins (7 for 8 notch trollen wheel and 12 for 32 slot trollen wheel)
  • Yarn of choice (3x length of yarn for each yard of finished cord length) 

8 Notch Trollen Wheel

  1. Cut 4,6, or 7 lengths of yarn to 6 yards each. 
  2. Pinchall lengths together at one end so that they meet at same point. Tie ends together into knot.
  3. Put knot down through top of center hole.
  4. Place each thread in a different notch of trollen wheel.  You can choose the way you want to alternate your 2 color threads.  Every other one a different color or 2 and 2 (1 color will have one strand that is not paired). 

Securing Thread on bobbins

Tie off each bobbin thread with a Half Hitch:

  • Once the yarn is tied in a knot for the beginning of the braid grab a bobbin for each separate yarn length and wind around the center of the bobbin.  Leave a foot or so of unwound yarn. 
  • Hold the bobbin with the thread pulled downwards.  Using the left hand you will wrap the thread around your fingers in a loop.

Wrapping the bobbin

  • Fold the thread into a loop, with the bobbin “t” shaped end of the bobbin in the back of the loop. 
  • Put the loop over the left side of the bobbin.
  • The loose thread will hang down from the bobbin.
  • Tighten the half hitch by lightly tugging the bobbin toward you.
  • The half hitch will hold keep the thread from unwinding from the bobbin as it dangles from the wheel. 

Continuing with the wheel

  • Holding the wheel in the left hand parallel with the ground with the empty notch pointing away from you, count 3 threads away clockwise from the open slot.
  • Grab the third thread and pick it up out of the slot and place it in the empty slot.
  • Turn the trollen wheel clockwise so that the new open notch is pointing away from you replacing the position of the previous open notch.
  • Continue taking third yarn away from open notch clockwise and move it to open notch, followed by clockwise rotation of wheel.

Trollen Wheel in progress

  • For beginners, holding the braid underneath the wheel in the left hand functions to hold the work, provide tension, and hold the wheel at the same time leaving the other hand to work the yarn on top.  

Tips for keeping tension

  • Hold thumb over the hole after moving the thread into the open slot.  Grab all cords in one hand underneath wheel and pull downward to create uniform tension on all threads.
  • Keep the wheel level with the ground - as you move threads into the open slot it helps to have all the threads weighted evenly down from the disc. Otherwise the cord will form unevenly.
  • Check to make sure that the cord is centered in the hole.  
  • As you pull the third thread out of the slot, try not to pull the work up through the center hole.

Trollen Wheel History

There is no evidence of the trollen (trelleborg) wheel existed during the Viking age.  There is no evidence it existed before the 17th century.  At some point trollen wheels appeared and became associated with reenactor activities.  

 

The trollen wheels that have been used have been made of bone or wood with as many as 32 notches.  The similarity to Japanese kumihimo cannot be ignored.  Kumihimo braiding has been around for 1000s of years using marudai (round stand). These stands use weighted bobbins and a center weight.  See article “Japanese Kumihimo Braiding on a Marudai Round Braid (Maru Yatsu Kumi)” By Debbie Coyle.

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