Take twenty-four strands, seventy hairs in a strand, and place on the table like pattern. Commence at A, take Nos. 2 lift across table and lay in between Nos. 2 at B, and bring back Nos. 2 from B to A; then take Nos. 1 at A and lift across table and lay between Nos. 1 at B, and bring back Nos. 1 from B to A; then go to F, take No. 1 in right hand, swing around to the right and lay in place of No. 4 at E; then take No. 1 at E in left hand and swing around to the left and lay in place of No. 4 at F; then go to C, take Nos. 2 lift across table, and lay them in between Nos. 2 at D, and bring back Nos. 2 from D to C; then take Nos. 1 at C, lift across the table and lay between Nos. 1 at D, and bring back Nos. 1 from D to C; then you are through the braid, ready to commence 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; then boil in water about ten minutes, and then take 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 and on the cord, and sew the ends so it will not slip, 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 twenty-four strands, eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. Commence at A, take No. 1 in right hand, swing around to the right and lay in place of No. 4 at B; then take No. 1 at B in left hand, swing around table to the left and lay in place of No. 4 at A; then go to C, take No. 2 in right hand, swing around the table to the right and lay outside of No. 2 at D, and bring back No. 2 from D to C; then take No. 1 at C in left hand, swing around the table to the left and lay outside of No. 1 at D, and bring back No. 1 from D to C; then go to E and change the Nos. at E and F the same as you did at A and B; then change the Nos. at G and H the same as you did at C and D. Then you are through the braid, ready to 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; then boil in water about ten minutes, and then take 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 and on the cord, and sew the ends so it will not slip, 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.