a collection of instructions on medieval arts and sciences
A Lace Fretted
| This is one of a
set of four braids that I developed in honor of
Mistress Rhiannon y Bwa's elevation to the Order of the Pelican. The
instructions for the braids (written in Middle English) along with
samples of the braids were included in a hand-bound booklet
that was the award scroll. The
braids are meant to evoke various aspects of the emblem of the Order of
the Pelican, a pelican “in its piety,” that is, seated
in a nest, surrounded by her young, piercing her own breast with her
beak in order to nourish her offspring with droplets of her blood. In
keeping with the naming conventions of the 15th-century braid recipes,
I used heraldic terms to name my four new braid variations. The Lace Fretted is a 16-loop double-width version of a conjectural correction of the 8-loop Lace Mascle, found in both Harley and Tollemache. Two workers each make identical lattice-like braids, which are joined after each turn by exchanging the lowest bows of the left worker with the uppermost bows of the right worker. The result is an eight-stranded lattice-like mesh. Fretted is a heraldic term meaning interwoven diagonally, as in a lattice. Instructions The instructions include the Middle English text as it appeared in the Pelican scroll (with abbreviations expanded in italics) and the modernized steps, following the format used in Elizabeth Benns and Gina Barrett’s Take V Bowes Departed.(SoperLane, 2006). The diagrams are adapted from those in Benns & Barrett. Scroll Text A lace fretted of 16 bowes: þake 8 bowes of o colour on boþe 3owre hondes on A & D and 8 of anoþer colour on C & D. þen schal 3e boþe wt A of 3owr ri3t change wt A of 3our lyft, so þat A ry3t take þe bowe of A lyft þorowout hys bowe reuercyd; and in þe same maner schal 3e change þe bowe of B ri3t wyth B lyft, and C ry3t wt C lyft and D ry3t wt D lyft. In þe same maner 3e schal change al þy bowes a3en. and when 3e have changed twyes, so þat al 3owre bowes þat were on 3owre ry3t hondes be on 3owre ry3t hondes a3en. þen schal 3e boþe change A ry3t wt B lyft reuerced. In þe same maner schal B ry3t change wt A lyft, and C ry3t wt D lyft, and D ry3t wt C lyft. þen schal 3e boþe a3en wt A of 3our ri3t change wt A lyft reuercyd; and in þe same maner B ry3t wt B lyft, and C ry3t wt C lyft, and D ry3t wt D lyft. In þe same maner 3e schal change al þy bowes a3en. and when 3e have changed A to A, &c(etera) twyes, þen schal 3e boþe change B ry3t wt C lyft and C ry3t wt B lyft reuerced. þen hold þy bowes aboue þy felows. þen schal þy D ry3t change wt þe bowe of þy felows A lyft reuercyd, and in þe same maner schal þy felows A ry3t change wt þy D lyft. þen begyn a3en. Note: a subscript number 3 has been used to represent the Middle English letter "yogh." Modern instructions This braid calls for two workers. The “Self” should sit to the left of the “Partner” who sits to the Self’s right. A. Both: Put a loop of colour 1 onto A & D right and A & D left. B. Both: Put a loop of colour 2 onto B & C right and B & C left. 1. Both: A right exchanges with A left. 2. Both: B right exchanges with B left. 3. Both: C right exchanges with C left. 4. Both: D right exchanges with D left. Repeat steps 1 to 4* 5. Both: A right exchanges with B left. 6. Both: B right exchanges with A left. 7. Both: C right exchanges with D left. 8. Both: D right exchanges with C left. 9. Both: A right exchanges with A left. 10. Both: B right exchanges with B left. 11. Both: C right exchanges with C left. 12. Both: D right exchanges with D left. Repeat steps 9 to 12* 13. Both: B right exchanges with C left. 14. Both: C right exchanges with B left. 15. Both: Self’s D right exchanges with Partner’s A left.** 16. Both: Partner’s A right exchanges with Self’s D left.** * The repetition of steps 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 produced a rather large open net. The braid sample used in the Pelican scroll includes the repetition of these steps, but the braid was later tightened by carefully working the weave upward toward the anchor end of the braid. In the future, I would forego the repetitions. ** To facilitate steps 15 and 16, Self should suspend his/her arms above those of the Partner.  Back to Alheydis's main Fingerloop Braiding Page |
 A pelican in its piety  A shield with a single "fret"  A shield "fretty"  A close-up of the Lace Fretted |
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THLady Alheydis von Körckhingen
(c) 2005-7 Kimberly Frodelius
may be freely distributed at no cost with this notice included
THLady Alheydis von Körckhingen
(c) 2005-7 Kimberly Frodelius
may be freely distributed at no cost with this notice included