Take sixteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and lay on table like pattern. Commence at A and B—take No. 1 at A in left hand and No. 1 at B in right hand, swing around table to the left, and change places with them; then take No. 7 at B in right hand and No. 7 at A in left hand, and swing around the table to the right and change places with them; then take No. 5 at A in right hand and No. 5 at B in left hand, and swing around the table to the left, and change places as before; then take No. 8 at A in right hand and No. 8 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 6 at A in left hand, and No. 6 at B in right hand and swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 4 at A in right hand and No. 4 at B in left hand, and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 7 at A in right hand and No. 7 at B in left hand, swing around table to the left and change as before, then take No. 5 at A in left hand and No. 5 at B in right hand, swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 3 at A in right hand and No. 3 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 6 at A in right hand and No. 6 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 4 at A in left hand and No. 4 at B in right hand and swing around table to the right and change as before; then take No. 2 at A in right hand and No. 2 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before; then take No. 5 at A in right hand and No. 5 at B in left hand and swing around table to the left and change as before, then take No. 3 at A in left hand and No. 3 at B in right hand, and swing around table to the right and change as before. Then commence at A as at first.
Braid this over a small wire, with a hole in one end like the eye of a needle, so as to draw a small cord in the place of the wire. When you have it braided, take off your weights, tie the ends fast on the wire and push the braid together on the wire; then boil in water about ten minutes; then take it out and put in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off of the wire on to the cord, and sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip on the cord, and put a little shellac on the end to keep it fast. If you want it elastic, use elastic cord. To vary the size of the braid, vary the number of hairs in a strand.
Take eighteen strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A and B—take No. 1 at A in right hand and No. 1 at B in left hand and swing them around the table to the right and change places with them; then change the Nos. 8, 6 and 4 the same way; then count back five to the left (not counting the one last braided), bringing you to No. 9—swing as before to the right and change places; then change the Nos. 7, 5 and 3 the same way; then count back five, bringing you to No. 8—change the same; and so on, first counting two forward and change three times, and then count five back and change the same, so on until the braid is finished.