Take thirty-two strands, sixty hairs in a strand and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 4 and lift over table and lay outside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 4 from B and lay outside of Nos. 1 at A; then go to D and change the Nos. 4 the same as at A and B; then go to B and change the same as at A; then go to C and change the same way, and then to A and change as at first, and so on, repeating the changes until the braid is finished.
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 close together; then boil in water about ten minutes, and take it out and put it in an oven as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry; then take it out and slip it off the wire on to the cord, sew the ends of the braid so it will not slip, and put a little shellac on the ends 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 sixteen strands eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, change Nos. 1 across inside of Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then take Nos. 2 at A and change across inside of Nos. 2 at B, and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then go to C and change the Nos. 1 and the Nos. 2 across with the numbers at D the same as at A; then return to A and commence as at first and repeat ten times. Then change the figures on the table to correspond with the following diagram:
Then commence at A and B, take No. 1 at A in right hand and No. 1 at B in left hand, and swing around the table to the right, changing places with them; then take Nos. 1 at C and D and change the same; then change Nos. 2 at B and A the same; then change the Nos. 2 at D and C the same; then take Nos. 3 at A and B and change the same; then change the Nos. 3 at C and D; then the Nos. 4 at B and A; then the Nos. 4 at P and C; then commence at A as at first, and repeat ten times, so on braiding alternately ten rounds by the directions of each pattern until the braid is finished.