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Pre-made Cords for Ply-split Braiding
Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices.

Part of the fun and creativity of ply-split braiding is making your own cords. It is a great way to explore color and use yarn from your stash. Cords for Ply-split Braiding have been made from all sorts of fiber, from cotton to wool to paper. See Making Cords for Ply-split Braiding, An Overview for more information on making your own cords. 

Many would-be ply-splitters, however, want to buy a few cords to try this new technique before investing in a cord maker. We now offer several Introductory Cord Collections to meet this need. Our ready-made cotton Cord Collections are available in four color collections plus a Special Collection described below.  Click here to order cords.Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices. 

Introductory Cord Collections 

Please note these are not "kits" with step-by-step instructions, but rather cords in this year's fall/winter fashion colors that you may use to express your creativity in your own projects or to learn from the projects referenced below. 

Each Collection contains six 4-ply Z-twist cords; each cord is 136 inches long. Several small projects can be completed with one Collection, but a few projects will take two. For some guidance, here are some estimates of what you might need: 

bulletOne Collection can make a few bookmarks as in "Portable, Addictive: Ply-Splitting!" by Louise French and Barbara J. Walker, Winter 2008 Issue of WeaveZine online magazine .  

Bookmark

bulletOne collection is sufficient for any of several projects such as a necklace in Julie Hedges' book: Ply-Split Braiding: An introduction to designs in single course twining. Available here and elsewhere.  

Julie Hedges "Ply-split Braiding"

bulletTwo Collections of the same colorway are needed for a mat or a trivet as in "Learn Ply-Splitting with Two Summer Trivets" by Barbara Walker in Handwoven March-April, 2011. 

Barbara J Walker Trivet (Photo by B. J. Walker)

bulletBaskets typically require two or more Collections as do larger projects from Julie Hedges' book. See “A Tisket, a Tasket, a Ply-Split Basket”, by Louise French in Handwoven, November/December 2011. We also offer two Special Cord Collections specifically to accompany this article.

Ply-split Baskets. Scarab-Periwinkle Ply-split baskets. Periwinkle-Raisin

For large baskets, like the one pictured below and shown in the Handwoven article, it is much more economical (and fun!) to buy a cord maker  and make your own cords.  See Hints for Large Basket.

Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices. Each Introductory Collection contains six, 136" long, 4-ply UKI Supreme pearl (mercerized) cotton cords. Each cord is approximately 3 mm (1/8 inch) cord diameter. This size is well suited to our medium-sized (4.5 mm) gripfid. In some cords, we have blended yarn colors to achieve the perfect shade for compatible colors.

bulletTurquoise Cord Collection
      Six cords: 
            2 Deep Turquoise cords 
            2 Teal cords 
            2 Daffodil cords
 
bulletQuarry Cord Collection 
      Six cords: 
            2 Light Quarry cords 
            2 Nougat cords 
            2 Scarab cords
 
bulletCoffee Cord Collection 
      Six cords: 
            2 Coffee cords 
            2 Deep Teal cords 
            2 Burnt Sienna cords
 
bulletPhlox Cord Collection 
       Six cords: 
             2 Phlox cords 
             2 Antique Gold cords 
             2 Silver cords
 

Click here to order cords Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices. 

Two Special Bi-color Cord Collections

Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices. These 12-Cord Collection are designed to match the cords needed for the small basket in Louise’s recent magazine article, Handwoven November/December 2011, “A Tisket, A Tasket, A Ply-Split Basket”.

These Special Bi-color Cord Collection contain twelve, 136" long, 4-ply UKI Supreme pearl (mercerized) cotton cords, approximately about 3 mm (1/8 inch). This size is well suited to our medium-sized (4.5 mm) gripfid. This is a limited time offering until March 2012 or our supply is exhausted.

bulletScarab/Periwinkle Special Collection 
       Twelve cords: 
             8 Scarab cords 
             4 Periwinkle cords

     
  
bulletPeriwinkle/Raisin Special Collection 
       Twelve cords: 
             8 Periwinkle cords 
             4 Raisin cords

     

Click here to order cords Sales temporarily suspended while we update our color selection and prices.

Each Collection includes instructions to apply aglets and cut the cords to the needed lengths. (See Aglets below) 

Sold in Collections only. We regret we don't have resources to offer custom cords colors or lengths.

Aglets

Because most of the projects you select use many shorter cords, you will need to add aglets and cut the cords. Aglets are the narrow stiffer ends of cords like the end of a shoelace. There are many ways to form them. See for example Ian’s Shoelace Site . 

The most common method for ply-split braiders is to make an adhesive tape aglet or to use glue on the cord. Apply the aglet before cutting the cord.

Tape method: Hold the cord under tension.  Apply a piece of adhesive-backed tape to the cord and with your thumb and forefinger on the tape, roll the cord and tape until the tape wraps around the cord. The tape should wrap about two times around the cord. In the case of our pre-made cords, this is 1 inch long by ˝ inch wide. We find that packaging tape or blue masking tape works well.

Glue method:  A PVA glue such as Elmer’s Glue-All is often used for aglets. Apply to the cord under tension and let it dry before cutting. The disadvantage of this method is the required drying time, but instant glues are a hazard to fingers and solvent glues are a hazard to air quality.

Whatever method you use, cut the cord in the middle of the aglet thus forming two ends for ply-splitting.

 

              

Contact Louise by e-mail at louise @ louisefrench.com
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