New Year, new craft!

Having always had an interest in history - and craft! - I have fallen down the rabbit hole of watching CosTube ( costuming + YouTube) -   mainly historical fashion recreation, fashion history etc. I am also in a couple of facebook groups based around Outlander costumes/ Outlander history bounding. 

In one group recently there was an intriging  post  ( thank you Cynthia Freitag) about Lucet weaving/ cording, with  a link to a historic house "Hyland  House" in the UK which has  a printable pdf with a pattern and insructions to make a lucet. The instructions recommended using a scroll saw and a dremmel - and my H has both in the shed! (I must post a pic of the scroll saw, it looks remarkably like a sewing machine!)

So of course I printed out the instructions and asked him to make me a lucet!  Only took about 20 mins to cut from a scrap of ply. Could have a second fine sanding, and maybe some wax polish to make it extra smooth, but it does the job.

The lucet is a viking tool, also used in medieval times, to make a simple but strong woven/ knotted cord. The result is something like using a Knitting Nancy, or knitted i-cord. I follwed a YouTube clip  Cat’s Costumeryto work it out, but it is a very simple action of drape, lift, turn to the left, tighten, repeat. 

Only played around for about 5 mins so far, with a ball of crochet cotton from the $2 shop, but it seems nice and easy to use. 

I added the bit of washi tape just to remember which side is the " front" while I am learning to use it!

Of course the dog does not care which is the front, only that it was sitting at just the right height on the bench for him to try and steal it!