Page 59 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

braids and plaits 53

here is my tentative view, used in this book to try to
make sense of some very mixed terms:
A braid is an over and under intertwining (or an
over and back, or a mixture of the two) of three or
more strands, cords, ribbons, or pieces to
produce an interwoven structure
capable of working flat as a
ribbon or round or other-
shaped as a cord or rope.
A plait is an intertwining
of four or more strands,
cords, ribbons, or pieces
to produce an interwoven,
mostly flat in finished shape,
eight-strand lay, and ‘braided rope’, and referring to and moderately complex
the fact that it has a greater number of yarns instead surface-textured structure. It is normally used as
of the eight-strand construction of plaited rope. a belt or a ribbon or as a decorative object over a
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary generally flat surface.
(OED) refers to the origin of the word plait as A sinnet is an over and under intertwining that
having come in written form from about 1440 and has a definite shape in cross-section. This shape
defines it as ‘a contexture of three or more interlaced varies and includes half-round, round, square,
strands of hair, ribbon, straw or any cord-like oblong, triangular, and other more complex shapes.
substance’. Sinnets are comprised of more than three separate
The OED also describes a braid as ‘anything strands, cords, or ropes. They have a complex
plaited, interwoven or entwined’, which indicates surface texture and pattern, and are used as a
the possibility of it having been formed from a decoration or decorative ornament.
single strand or perhaps two strands. They, too, Braids then, generally, are simple structures
refer to Captain Smith’s Seaman’s Grammar (1627) having the same surface appearance, plaits have a
directing the seaman to ‘brade up close all them generally flat cross-section and may have a more
sailes’. complex surface structure and cross-section,
I got no further ahead with examining this set and sinnets are complex structures with complex
of similarities, so I set about trying to define braids, patterns and usually a larger number of strands or
plaits, and sinnets based on differences in common parts than either braids or plaits. Sinnets are also
usage. When I hear others speak of braiding or more likely to be solid shapes.
forming a braid, it is with respect to a person’s hair. Let’s start with braids and see what we can
Hair braiding may be performed with three or more develop. Before making any braid or plait, it is
strands of the hair caught up in bundles, perhaps useful to set up a station at the workbench, table,
being twisted as it is formed. When I hear people or wherever you are comfortable working. When I
talk about plaits they mostly refer to three-strand am working on a piece of braiding or plaiting, I use
intertwining and not more, and maintaining a flat a clamp, pictured above, which is itself clamped at
structure to the individual strands or bundles of hair the edges to a table. This kind of clamp, with wood
as well as a flat structure to the finished product. screw-tightened jaws and a brass frame, is very
Almost nobody I know speaks of sinnet or sennit, helpful for holding the braid as you complete it. A
because they do not know the term, or have only simple bench-top vice with soft jaws (you can get
heard it in reference to sailor’s work and cannot these as inserts of plastic from your local hardware
define it differently than braiding or plaiting. So, shop) will also work well.