Sq-Lucet-Cord-art - 2/13/16 "Basic Square Lucet Cord" by Mistress Alienor Fitzhenry, OL. NOTE: See also the files: Fngrlop-Laces-art, Basic-Sprang-art, Kumihimo-art, sprang-msg, Stick-Weaving-art, P-Lace-Bobins-art, Makng-Tassels-art, lace-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author or translator. While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file. Thank you, Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ Basic Square Lucet Cord by Mistress Alienor Fitzhenry Principality of Oertha Your Lucet: Take a good look at your lucet. It will have two arms, which are called horns, and should fit into your hand comfortably. It may or may not have a handle and/or also a small hole in the center to pass the finished cord through. You will want to make a small mark on one site of the lucet to designate which side is going to be the front. In the diagrams below, the front of the lucet has a small dot over the hole. Casting on: Hold your lucet in your left hand with the front side facing you. Thread your string through the hold in the lucet from back to front. You want a 6 inch tail of thread hanging out the front side of the lucet through the hole; keep this tail in place with your thumb. To cast on we are going to make a figure eight with our string around the two horns. Begin by wrapping the string from the back of the lucet (where it comes out of the hole) around the front side of the right horn. Then wrap the string around the front of the left horn and bring it to the front side of the right horn above the original wrap. You should see one wrap on each horn and a second string lying across the right horn as shown below in figure 1. Figure 1: Threading the Figure 8 Next lift the lower wrap on the right horn over the string you laid across the horn in the last step. This motion is called yarn-over and is very similar to the motion you use when knitting. Gently tug the string to pull the loop snug against the right horn. Once you have done this your lucet should look like this. Figure 2: Yarn Over Now flip over the lucet so that the back is facing you. The string loop that was on your right horn is on your left side. It should look like this; note that the dot is now on the back side. Figure 3: Flip the Lucet Take your working string from the left horn and lay it across the right horn above the loop that is already there. Yarn-over this string with the lower loop as we earlier and below in figure 4. You’ll want to hold the tail end of the yarn (that comes up through the hole) in the center with your thumb to make sure the stitch forms in the center between the two horns. You find it’s easier to keep the stitches centered as your cord grows longer and you have more to hold onto. Don’t be discouraged if your first couple stitches are loose or messy you can always cut them off later. Figure 4: Yarn Over 2nd Horn Gently pull the working thread to snug up your remaining loop against the right horn. Your lucet should now look like this. Congratulations! You have formed your first stitch. Figure 5: Your First Stitch Moving On: You are now going to flip your lucet so that the front side is facing you again. To continue with next stitch repeat this sequence from Figure 2 until your cord is the length that you want. Remember that you will always be working on the right hand horn and that it takes two yarn-overs to complete a full stitch. That means that when you have completed a full stitch, the lucet (and the dot) will be facing towards you. It’s a good idea to always finish off a full stitch before putting your work away for the day so that it will be easy to know where to pick up next time. While it doesn’t matter much with this pattern, as you get into more difficult patterns it will be a good habit to have developed. Casting Off: To end the cord, begin with the front side of the lucet facing you and the working thread on the left horn. Lay the working thread across the right horn and cut it about 4-6 inches beyond the right horn. Then lift the lower loop over the working thread and pull the cut end through the loop as you lift the loop off of the horn. Gently pull the stitch tight and repeat for the left loop. Figure 6 gives you an idea of how this will work. Figure 6: Casting Off Once these two steps are done, your lucet cord is finished. I hope that it proves to be the first of many cords you make. This basic square cord is especially good for drawstrings, dress lacing, trim and couched embroidery. Good Luck and Happy stitching! ------ Copyright 2008 by N.E. Putnam. . This document may be distributed so long as it remains fully intact, no profit is made from its distribution or use, and credit is given to the information sources. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy. If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan. Edited by Mark S. Harris Sq-Lucet-Cord-art 5 of 5