Following the circular or disk braiding, here's another how-to of Iron Age woolcraft.
First get a length of wool - you can use multiple strands, but start with one till you get the hang of it. Probably 12in will make a braid suitable to use as a friendship bracelet.
1. Tie a slipknot.
Ok, there's a way of doing it. Take one end in your dominant hand, holding the yarn over your fingers, so that the bulk of it is behind your hand, and a short tail in front of your fingers. Got it?
Right, next, cross the short end over the long end thus:
Twist the loop by putting the fingers of your dominant hand (usually right) in the loop and holding the short tail with your weaker hand (usually left), then grab the short tail, but DO NOT LET GO OF IT with your other hand, and make the slipknot loop. Watch the movie again to see how it's done.
2. Put the new loop on the index finger of your left/weaker hand, holding the short tail in your thumb and the rest of your fingers.
3. Take the long tail and make a NEW loop over your finger in FRONT of the first one, and hold the tail in the fingers of your left hand.
4. Lift the ORIGINAL loop over the top of the new loop and pull either end of the yarn till you make a knot. The first stitch is always the hardest, so don't worry!
5. Make another new loop over your finger in front of the one you just made, and pull the first loop over it again. Tighten by holding the long tail taut in your right hand and pull and pull with the fingers of your left hand which are still holding the short tail.
DO NOT LET THE LOOPS FALL OFF YOUR FINGERS AT ANY POINT!! Yes, I know I'm shouting, but this is the biggest hurdle to control the yarn, just don't let it off your fingers or out of your grip.
Continue to make loops this way until you have a line of them, just like a line of crochet stitch!
6. To finish your braid - when you have almost no yarn left, instead of making a loop over your finger, pass the end of the yarn through the loop and pull tight, which makes a knot and secures the end of the braid.
Then you have a lovely braid to use as a bracelet, a loop to secure a small picture (yes, it is that strong), longer thicker yarn can make belts, bag straps etc.
Here are some examples of finger braids using more than one colour of yarn and multiple strands - it works on exactly the same principle.
