Materials required:
4 strands of standard gimp, 3½ yds. each
1 strand of core material, 1 yd. 30″
1 standard or French leash snap
soft wire for binding, 5″
The stout core necessary for a dog leash may be made of standard core
braid or of extra heavy twine. Fold one end back to make a loop 7″ long.
Bind the end with wire. Put the other end through the eye of the snap,
then bend it back and bind it with wire to make a loop 1½″ long. (Fig.
14.)
[Illustration: Fig. 14]
Tie the center of the strands to the center of the core with one end of
a piece of cord. Tie the other end of the cord to any firm object so
that you can keep the leash pulled tight while you are braiding. Arrange
the strands as in figure 15.
[Illustration: Fig. 15]
Braid toward one end as follows: Bring the upper right strand around the
back, forward between the left strands, and across the core to lie
parallel to the other right strand. In successive steps, merely take the
uppermost strand—left or right as the case may be—around the back,
between the strands of the opposite side, and across the front. Keep the
stitches pushed tightly together to achieve a uniform result. (Figs. 16
and 17.)
[Illustration: Fig. 16]
[Illustration: Fig. 17]
Continue around the loop until you come back to the main braid. Then
make a square as follows: Holding the braid as in figure 18, cross the
two rear strands. (Fig. 19.) Bring the rear right strand down over the
forward right strand. (Fig. 20.) Loop the latter over the first strand
and bring it down between the other two strands. (Fig. 21.) Loop the
third strand similarly over all the strands and bring it down in back.
(Fig. 22.) Bring the fourth strand over the third and through the loop
of the first. (Fig. 23.) Pull the strands tight (Fig. 24) so that the
top appears as a square.
[Illustration: Fig. 18]
[Illustration: Fig. 19]
[Illustration: Fig. 20]
[Illustration: Fig. 21]
[Illustration: Fig. 22]
[Illustration: Fig. 23]
[Illustration: Fig. 24]
Then make a square braid. Fold one strand back on itself. (Fig. 25.)
Fold the next strand (Fig. 26) back on itself over the first one. Fold
the third strand over the second. (Fig. 27.) Fold the last strand over
the third and through the loop of the first. (Fig. 28.)
[Illustration: Fig. 25]
[Illustration: Fig. 26]
[Illustration: Fig. 27]
[Illustration: Fig. 28]
Complete the stitch by drawing all the strands tight. Continue making
squares in this way until the strands are only about 2½″ long. The
spiral braiding described on page 6 may be used in place of this square
braiding or in combination with it.
End the braid with a lock knot by looping each strand under the loose
end of the overlying strand and through the top stitch as shown in
figures 29-32. Pull the ends tight, making certain as you do so that
none of the strands appear twisted. Then clip off the ends of the
strands. (Fig. 33.)
[Illustration: Fig. 29]
[Illustration: Fig. 30]
[Illustration: Fig. 31]
[Illustration: Fig. 32]
[Illustration: Fig. 33]
Follow the same steps in making the other half of the leash.