Lace cressant (round)
"Cressant" should be read as "croisant", meaning crossed, and not as "crescent", or half-moon shaped.
This braid is a slight modification of the Frett oliet rownd [T50].
It could have four versions, like the other braids based on chevrons, but only the double round is provided in Tollemache. Serene only has the double flat version.
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, allowing the outer edges to be connected above the braid.
Seat Your Fellow on Your right side.
Take sixteen loops in two colors, and place them on the following fingers:
Color 1: A B of all hands.
Color 2: C D of all hands.
Make your own "A" shaped chevrons:
Work with the right hands:
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 hands (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 your own 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.)
Connect Your braid with Your Fellow's:
Exchange A loops on your inner hands:
Your Fellow's A loop passes through Your A loop unreversed.
[Use your other hand to make this work.]
Exchange A loops on your outer hands:
You: Put your A loop over and around Your Fellow's A, taking his A loop back in exchange unreversed.
Repeat these "A" chevron steps a total of two times, then continue as follows:
Make your own "V" shaped chevrons:
Work with the right hands:
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 hands (in mirror image):
A takes through A B C left, the loop of D left unreversed.
Low the left loops.
Exchange your own 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.]
Connect Your braid with Your Fellow's:
Exchange A loops on your inner hands:
Your Fellow's A loop passes through Your A loop unreversed.
[Use your other hand to make this work.]
Exchange A loops on your outer hands:
You: Put your A loop over and around Your Fellow's A, taking his A loop back in exchange unreversed.
Repeat these steps a total of two times, then repeat from the beginning.
After completeing two full sets of A and V chevrons, repeat the V chevron sequence an additional two times (four total) before returning to A chevrons. This changes the color of the cross pattern. After two full sets in the new color, repeat the V chevron movements twice again. Continue in this alternating pattern.
Source: Tollemache 52
Lace cressant.
Set 16 bows on your hands like to the lace oundyd [T33] and of the same color and work as in the lace fret oliet round [T50] save in that lace the one color is always taken and in this one color shall not be take until time ye have changed over 8 sythens [times]
Source: Serene 63
A Lace cressant.
Take sixteen bows of all such colors as in the Ownd Lace [S60], and in the self manner set on your hands as in the Ownd Lace, and then shall you work both as in the fret uliet broad [S62], save in the fret one color is always taken, and in this that one color shall always be taken, till when you have changed you over bows on your hinder hands eight sythes and then shall that other color be taken till that you have changed your over bows of your further hands other eight sythes, and then begin again.
[Note:
These two aren't really the same - one is round and the other flat.]
© Copyright 2010 Cindy Myers
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