[HNW] Re: H-needlework : finger looping

[Deborah Pulliam]

<<I've always thought that longer braids at least would benefit from a second
person helping, but I don't recall seeing any pictures, could you reference
some for me?>>

Noemi Speiser includes a detail of  a painting  in her second book
"Old English Pattern Books for Loop Braiding" (self published, 2000).

It's on page 7 and shows one worker holding loops on every finger of
both hands, and another holding the finished braid wrapped around
something in one hand, and a beater stick in the other. Noemi points
out that the finished braid is actually technically impossible.

The painting is Spanish - "Ystoria della Virgen Maria", attributed to
Nicholas Zaortiga, 1465. It's credited to Arxiu Mas, Barcelona.

And there's a woman just behind the fingerlooping knitting what looks
to be a zigzag patterned stocking I should probably point out that
the perspective is weird, and the knitting also appears to be
technically impossible.

Noemi's earlier book, The Manual of Braiding, also has a Swedish
photo from the 1920s showing several people fingerlooping (on one
piece!), and using a beater stick.

The V&A has finally put one of the "household books" on display in
the new British Galleries, open to a page of fingerlooping samples
and instructions.




Deborah