I have been doing a study on Sami band weaving and I noticed that the ends of the heddle woven shoe bands are often finished with a simple braid technique of finger weaving or open braiding the ends. These types of braids are also used for belts, ties and bracelets and are traditional in Finland and other Nordic countries.

I thought that using bobbin lace bobbins for holding the warp threads would be a suitable way to weave this type of braid.

To weave a 2 yard length of braid I started with 3 yard length of warp yarn in 8 strands.
3 Blue
2 Green
3 Orange

I attached the ends to the top of an art board with a jumbo paper clip to hold the braid in place while I weave.
I wound each yarn length around the neck of a bobbin.
This is a very simple twill type of weave that makes a flat braid, much like a shoe lace. I will be using this braid for lacing a pair of hand felted wool slippers.

Step 1

Over 2
Working from the Left to the right
Take the first warp yarn (your working yarn) on the left and weave it Over the next 2 warp threads

Step 2

Under 2
Then weave the working yarn Under the next 2 warp yarns

Step 3

Over 1
Then weave the working yarn Over the next warp yarn

Step 4

Under 2
Then weave the working yarn under the last 2 warp yarns.
Tighten the tension
Repeat the above sequence again starting from the left, weaving to the right.

Braid Weaving
Double Hole Rigid Heddle Weaving
Bobbin Lace Weaving

Saami Music – Itunes
Binna Banna – Kikki Aikio
Áphi (Wide As Oceans) – Sofia Jannok
Ulda – Ulla Pirttijärvi & Ulda
The Kautokeino Rebellion (Music from the Movie) – Herman Rundberg, Mari Boine & Svein Schultz
Beaivi, Áhcázan (The Sun, My Father) – Nils-Aslak Valkeapää

AMAZON – Band Weaving Books
Weaving Patterned Bands: How to Create and Design with 5, 7, and 9 Pattern Threads
Handwoven Tape: Understanding and Weaving Early American and Contemporary Tape
Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving
Weaving Bands: Woven bands / Table Bands / Plaited Bands / Insertion Bands

EBAY Band Weaving
BAND WEAVING – US
BAND WEAVING – UK