Uploaded September 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
This video is a supplement to my blog tutorial on my solo-braider method for making the 10-loop 17th C. "Nun's Book" letter braid (traditionally this braid would be made by two braiders working together). loopbraider.com/2014/09/25/solo-nuns-letterbraid
This first video teaches only the braiding moves, not the color-switching moves for forming the letters on the braid.
The traditional method was decoded from obscure manuscripts by Joy Boutrup, who published her findings in "European Loop Braiding, part II, Instructions for Letter Braids in 17th Century Manuscripts", cowritten by her and Noemi Speiser.
00:01 Intro (I should have mentioned that this braid is called the Nun's Book letterbraid to distinguish it from the other known letterbraid of ten loops, the so-called Verbal Letterbraid).
0:45 example of a finished Nun's Book letterbraid, showing letters of the alphabet
1:03 example of a "non-lettered", flat version of this braid
1:14 example of a "non-lettered", rectangular version (similar to my "Rainbow Girl" braid)
2:35 Loop set-up on the fingers for my workaround method for one braider to do Joy Boutrup's two-braider instructions on p 56.
3:37 First run-through of the braiding moves, very slowly.
Left hand loop moves:
4:00 First and second transfers
4:50 First tightening move
5:20 Third and fourth transfers
6:50 Second tightening move
Right hand loop moves:
8:07 Fifth and sixth transfers
8:50 Third tightening move
9:36 Seventh and eight transfers
10:44 Fourth tightening move
11:02 Final move: Loop exchange between left and right D-fingers.
11:27 Last tightening move in this row (cycle) of braiding.
2nd row of braiding, slightly faster moves with less explaining
11:52 Left hand moves
12:48 Right hand moves
13:40 3rd row of braiding
15:07 Checking to make sure that the braid is forming as two completely divided layers - describing possible problem of taking a loop through another loop "backwards".
16:11 4th row - showing a slight shortcut I sometimes do when transferring a loop downward (toward the middle of the braid)
18: 36 5th row - a little faster, and without the 'shortcut'
19:58 6th row - faster, with the shortcut move
20:57 pausing and placing right loops on left fingers to free up right hand
21:07 showing abstract designs on start of braid, followed by the completely divided area I have just been braiding.
22:14 Showing / talking about the yarn I've been using --thicker than I like for letterbraids. Other samples I show are made with embroidery floss.
This video is a supplement to my blog tutorial on my solo-braider method for making the 10-loop 17th C. "Nun's Book" letter braid (traditionally this braid would be made by two braiders working together). loopbraider.com/2014/09/25/solo-nuns-letterbraid
This first video teaches only the braiding moves, not the color-switching moves for forming the letters on the braid.
The traditional method was decoded from obscure manuscripts by Joy Boutrup, who published her findings in "European Loop Braiding, part II, Instructions for Letter Braids in 17th Century Manuscripts", cowritten by her and Noemi Speiser.
00:01 Intro (I should have mentioned that this braid is called the Nun's Book letterbraid to distinguish it from the other known letterbraid of ten loops, the so-called Verbal Letterbraid).
0:45 example of a finished Nun's Book letterbraid, showing letters of the alphabet
1:03 example of a "non-lettered", flat version of this braid
1:14 example of a "non-lettered", rectangular version (similar to my "Rainbow Girl" braid)
2:35 Loop set-up on the fingers for my workaround method for one braider to do Joy Boutrup's two-braider instructions on p 56.
3:37 First run-through of the braiding moves, very slowly.
Left hand loop moves:
4:00 First and second transfers
4:50 First tightening move
5:20 Third and fourth transfers
6:50 Second tightening move
Right hand loop moves:
8:07 Fifth and sixth transfers
8:50 Third tightening move
9:36 Seventh and eight transfers
10:44 Fourth tightening move
11:02 Final move: Loop exchange between left and right D-fingers.
11:27 Last tightening move in this row (cycle) of braiding.
2nd row of braiding, slightly faster moves with less explaining
11:52 Left hand moves
12:48 Right hand moves
13:40 3rd row of braiding
15:07 Checking to make sure that the braid is forming as two completely divided layers - describing possible problem of taking a loop through another loop "backwards".
16:11 4th row - showing a slight shortcut I sometimes do when transferring a loop downward (toward the middle of the braid)
18: 36 5th row - a little faster, and without the 'shortcut'
19:58 6th row - faster, with the shortcut move
20:57 pausing and placing right loops on left fingers to free up right hand
21:07 showing abstract designs on start of braid, followed by the completely divided area I have just been braiding.
22:14 Showing / talking about the yarn I've been using --thicker than I like for letterbraids. Other samples I show are made with embroidery floss.
