Silkewerk - Lace sauntor brod

Lace sauntor brod

A "sauntor", or "saltire", is the heraldic term for an X shaped cross.

Like most of the braids based on chevrons, this one comes in four versions:

Single flat	A lace sauntor brod[T42]
Single round	Cros olyet round of 8 bowis [T43]
Double flat	Double crosset [T46]
Double round	Double loseng [T45]

This braid begins with the Cheueron brode of 8 bowis [T30] but reverses the chevron direction after every four repeats.

The direction that the loops are given the half-twist matters, especially when the braid contains reversals such as this. It also determines which side of the braid faces upward during the braiding. This is especially relevant when it comes to forming the round versions. The manuscripts are vague on this point, but it's clear that the twist was intentionally controlled.

For the sake of consistency, all my directions will form a braid with the more attractive side facing down.

Take eight loops in two colors, and place them on the following fingers:
Color 1: A B of both hands
Color 2: C D of both hands

Make "A" shaped chevrons:

Work with the right hand:
A takes through D C B left, the loop of A left unreversed.
High the left loops.
Move the loop taken from A left onto D left.

[The top (A) loop is pulled down though the other loops to ultimately end on D.]

Work with the left hand (in mirror image):
A takes through D C B right, the loop of A right unreversed.
High the right loops.
Move the loop taken from A right onto D right.

Exchange D loops:
Put the loop from D right over and around D left, taking back the loop from D left reversed.

Twist all your loops, giving a 180° turn to each loop:
Twist the bottom of each loop upward (Counter-clockwise on left, clockwise on right.)

Repeat these "A" chevron steps a total of four times, then continue as follows:

Make "V" shaped chevrons:

Work with the right hand:
A takes through A B C right, the loop of D right unreversed.
Low the right loops.

[Using your other hand, take the bottom (D) loop and push it up through the other loops to end in front of the loop already on A.]

[Hook B in the back A loop and pull it over and around the front A loop and onto B - allowing the loop brought up from D to travel through A as previously instructed. This lowering method is explained in Tollemache's Lace Piole [T11].]

Work with the left hand (in mirror image):
A takes through A B C left, the loop of D left unreversed.
Low the left loops.

Exchange D loops:
Put the loop from D right over and around D left, taking back the loop from D left reversed.

Twist all your loops, giving a 180° turn to each loop:
Twist the top of each loop downward (clockwise on left, counter-clockwise on right)

[This is the opposite direction from before.]

Repeat these "V" chevron steps a total of four times, then repeat from the beginning.

Source: Tollemache 42

A lace sauntor brod of 8 bows.
Take 4 bows of one color and set then on A B of both your hands and 4 bows of another color and set them on C D on both your hands then shall A right take through D C B left the bow A left unreversed then high thy left bows and set the bow that was taken of A left on D left then shall A left take through D C B right the bow A right unreversed then high thy right bows and set the bow that was taken of A right on D right then shall D right change his bow with D left then reverse all thy bows and begin again until that the self color be come again on A B in both hands as it was at the beginning and that shall be when thou hast do 4 times and at every time reverse all thy bows then shall A right take through his bow and B C of the same hand the bow D right unreversed then low thy bows on the right hand so that the bow that was taken of D right dwell still on A right in the same manner shall A left take through his bow and B C the bow D of the same hand unreversed then low thy left bows so that the bow that was taken of D left dwell still on A left then shall D right change his bow with D left and reverse all thy bows and begin again until the same color be again on B C of both thy hands and that shall be when thou hast do 4 sythis [times] and in this manner thou shalt take thy over bows downward and 4 times thy nether bows upward and begin again.

Source: Serene 51

A lace sawter of eight bows.
Take four bows on one color, and four of another, and be that one color upon A B of both thine hands, and that other color upon C D of both thine hands, and then shall A right take through B D [should be D C B - S47] of the left hand, the bow A of the self hand unreversed, and then high thy bows of the left hand, and then set the self bow taken upon D left, and then shall A left take through D C [should be D C B - S47] of the right hand the bow A right unreversed, and then high the bows right, and then set the self bow taken upon D right, and then D right shall change his bow with D left and then reverse all thy bows, and begin again as before, until when the self color become again upon A B of both thy hands, and that shall be when thou hast done four sithes [times] as is said before, and then shall A right take through his bow, and B C of the self hand, [the bow D unreversed of the self hand - missing text taken from the next line] and then low thy bows by, so that the bow taken dwell upon A, and that was upon A be set upon B and then shall A left take through his bow and B C of the left hand the bow D unreversed of the self hand, and then low thy left bows so be that the bow taken dwell upon A and that that was upon A be set upon B and then shall D right change his bow with D left, and then reverse all thy bows, and begin again, until that the self color become again as before upon A B of both thy hands, and that shall be when thou hast done other four sythes [times] netherward, and other four sythes overward, changing among like as is aforesaid.