Silkewerk
ON
An Hollow Lace
There isn't a one worker version of this braid, although there's no reason why there couldn't be. The closest can be found in "A thin lace bordered" [t8] where the wide center stripe is made this way.
There are interesting opportunities to play with color in this braid, which aren't explored in these manuscripts.
To make a flat, one-worker braid, ignore any references to a partner.
Flower variation by SarahJo Wright: WWW/PG
Seat a partner on your right side.
Take ten loops, and place them on the following fingers:
Outer hands: A B C
Inner hands: B C
Inner hands: B C
Work with the inner hands:
A goes through B C inner, and takes the loop on C outer unreversed.
Lower the outer loops.
Lower the outer loops.
Work with the outer hands:
A goes through B C outer, and takes the loop on C inner reversed.
Lower the inner loops.
Lower the inner loops.
Exchange loops on your inner hands:
Your A goes through B from within outward, and takes your partner's B unreversed.
Partner's A takes your B unreversed.
Lower A to B.
Partner's A takes your B unreversed.
Lower A to B.
Repeat from the beginning.
Tollemache 18
An hollow lace of 10 bows.
Set on your hands 5 bows and so many on your fellows then shall your A right take through B C of the same hand the bow C of the left hand unreversed then low thy left hand and A left shall take through B C of the same hand the bow C of the right hand reversed then shall thy fellow work in the same manner save that he shall take first the bow of the left hand reversed and after the bow of the right hand unreversed then shall you [change] the over bows of your next hands in the manner of the thin lace bordered [t8] save that there you change twice and here both once and so begin & etc.
Harleian 12
For to make an hollow lace of 10 bows.
Take a fellow, and set on his hand 5 bows, and other 5 bows on thine hand. Then shalt thou with A right take through B C of the same hand the bow C of the left hand unreversed. Then low thy left bows, and A left shall take through B C of the same hand the bow C of the right hand reversed. Then shall thy fellow work in the same manner, save then he shall take first the bow of the left hand reversed and after the bow of the right hand unreversed. Then shall ye change the over bows of your next hands in the manner of the thin lace bordered [h8], save there ye shall twice and here but once.