Standard Dog Leash
Materials required: 4 strands of standard gimp, 3½ yds. each 1 strand of core material, 1 yd. 30″ 1 standard or French leash snap soft wire for binding, 5″
The stout core necessary for a dog leash may be made of standard core braid or of extra heavy twine. Fold one end back to make a loop 7″ long. Bind the end with wire. Put the other end through the eye of the snap, then bend it back and bind it with wire to make a loop 1½″ long. ([Fig. 14].)
Fig. 14
Tie the center of the strands to the center of the core with one end of a piece of cord. Tie the other end of the cord to any firm object so that you can keep the leash pulled tight while you are braiding. Arrange the strands as in [figure 15].
Fig. 15
Braid toward one end as follows: Bring the upper right strand around the back, forward between the left strands, and across the core to lie parallel to the other right strand. In successive steps, merely take the uppermost strand—left or right as the case may be—around the back, between the strands of the opposite side, and across the front. Keep the stitches pushed tightly together to achieve a uniform result. (Figs. [16] and [17].)
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Continue around the loop until you come back to the main braid. Then make a square as follows: Holding the braid as in [figure 18], cross the two rear strands. ([Fig. 19].) Bring the rear right strand down over the forward right strand. ([Fig. 20].) Loop the latter over the first strand and bring it down between the other two strands. ([Fig. 21].) Loop the third strand similarly over all the strands and bring it down in back. ([Fig. 22].) Bring the fourth strand over the third and through the loop of the first. ([Fig. 23].) Pull the strands tight ([Fig. 24]) so that the top appears as a square.
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Then make a square braid. Fold one strand back on itself. ([Fig. 25].) Fold the next strand ([Fig. 26]) back on itself over the first one. Fold the third strand over the second. ([Fig. 27].) Fold the last strand over the third and through the loop of the first. ([Fig. 28].)
Fig. 25
Fig. 26
Fig. 27
Fig. 28
Complete the stitch by drawing all the strands tight. Continue making squares in this way until the strands are only about 2½″ long. The spiral braiding described on [page 6] may be used in place of this square braiding or in combination with it.
End the braid with a lock knot by looping each strand under the loose end of the overlying strand and through the top stitch as shown in figures 29-32. Pull the ends tight, making certain as you do so that none of the strands appear twisted. Then clip off the ends of the strands. ([Fig. 33].)
Fig. 29
Fig. 30
Fig. 31
Fig. 32
Fig. 33
Follow the same steps in making the other half of the leash.