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kerravonsenFallen off the Something-Every-Day wagon, but climbing back on again.
I've been pondering about different types of (hand-made) cords and what might make one choose one over another. Because of course they aren't all the same, and their different characteristics have advantages and disadvantages for different applications.
So I'll consider a few categories to compare.
Dense: is the cord dense, that is, tightly woven, or is it more open and lacy?
Width depends on: the width of the cord can be affected by two things - the thickness of the yarn which goes into making the cord, and/or the size of the tool used in making the cord (such as the size of the knitting needle or crochet hook)
Strands: the usual number of different strands required by the cord; I don't include "two strands used as if they are one strand" in this. The number of strands affects the number of different colours of yarn which can be used in the cord.
Pre-cut strands: does this method require the strands of yarn to be cut beforehand?
Length limit: what things affect the length of the final cord?
Speed: is the cord slow or fast to make?
Portability: how portable is the making of this cord?
Plainness: is the cord very plain, or is it more decorative?
Three-Strand Braiding
This is the traditional three-strand braid one thinks of when one says "braid" (or "plait").
Dense: medium
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 3
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: medium
Portability: needs something to hold the start of the braid steady
Plainness: medium
Kumihimo Braid
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 8, 12, 16
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: slow
Portability: Kumihimo foam disk is very portable; the Marudai stand is not
Plainness: complex colour patterns are possible
Macrame
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: usually 4
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: slow
Portability: needs something to hold the start of the cord steady
Plainness: the complexity tends to be in texture (if different knots are used); one can make simple patterns with colour, not complex ones
Crochet Chain
This is simply making a lot of chain stitches with a crochet hook. This is the thinnest cord of the lot, but tends to be used for draw-strings of crocheted bags because it's easier to just make a chain if one is already crocheting.
Dense: no
Width depends on: yarn thickness + tool size
Strands: 1
Pre-cut strands: no
Length limit: how much yarn you have
Speed: fast
Portability: very portable
Plainness: plain
I-cord
I-cord is a knitted tube, usually between two and six stitches around the circumference, though the most common number of stitches is four. I-cord can be produced by multiple methods and tools; it can be done with knitting needles, with knitting looms, with knitting spools, and I wouldn't be surprised if it could be done with crochet hooks too. A lucet can be used to produce two-stitch i-cord (by using the "figure eight" stitch rather than the traditional turning stitch).
Dense: no
Width depends on: yarn thickness + tool size
Strands: 1
Pre-cut strands: no
Length limit: how much yarn you have
Speed: depends on the tool; automatic spool knitter (where you turn a handle and hooks grab the yarn) is fast, knitting with needle depends on experience, using a spool knitter is medium speed
Portability: very portable, though depends on particular tool
Plainness: plain
Twisted Cord
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 1 or 2
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands, and the length of your outstretched arms (unless one has an assistant to help)
Speed: very fast (if using something like electric beater)
Portability: not portable
Plainness: middling
Lucet Cord
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 1 or 2
Pre-cut strands: no, though multi-strand work tends to be pre-cut in order to put it onto spools to make it easier to manipulate the strands
Length limit: theoretically, how much yarn you have, but it's difficult to use more than one ball of yarn, because luceting and knots do not play well together
Speed: fast for single-strand, slow for multiple strands
Portability: very portable
Plainness: plain for single-strand, not-plain for multi-strand
So that's my pondering, hope it was interesting and/or useful to somebody.
I've been pondering about different types of (hand-made) cords and what might make one choose one over another. Because of course they aren't all the same, and their different characteristics have advantages and disadvantages for different applications.
So I'll consider a few categories to compare.
Dense: is the cord dense, that is, tightly woven, or is it more open and lacy?
Width depends on: the width of the cord can be affected by two things - the thickness of the yarn which goes into making the cord, and/or the size of the tool used in making the cord (such as the size of the knitting needle or crochet hook)
Strands: the usual number of different strands required by the cord; I don't include "two strands used as if they are one strand" in this. The number of strands affects the number of different colours of yarn which can be used in the cord.
Pre-cut strands: does this method require the strands of yarn to be cut beforehand?
Length limit: what things affect the length of the final cord?
Speed: is the cord slow or fast to make?
Portability: how portable is the making of this cord?
Plainness: is the cord very plain, or is it more decorative?
Three-Strand Braiding
This is the traditional three-strand braid one thinks of when one says "braid" (or "plait").
Dense: medium
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 3
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: medium
Portability: needs something to hold the start of the braid steady
Plainness: medium
Kumihimo Braid
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 8, 12, 16
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: slow
Portability: Kumihimo foam disk is very portable; the Marudai stand is not
Plainness: complex colour patterns are possible
Macrame
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: usually 4
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands
Speed: slow
Portability: needs something to hold the start of the cord steady
Plainness: the complexity tends to be in texture (if different knots are used); one can make simple patterns with colour, not complex ones
Crochet Chain
This is simply making a lot of chain stitches with a crochet hook. This is the thinnest cord of the lot, but tends to be used for draw-strings of crocheted bags because it's easier to just make a chain if one is already crocheting.
Dense: no
Width depends on: yarn thickness + tool size
Strands: 1
Pre-cut strands: no
Length limit: how much yarn you have
Speed: fast
Portability: very portable
Plainness: plain
I-cord
I-cord is a knitted tube, usually between two and six stitches around the circumference, though the most common number of stitches is four. I-cord can be produced by multiple methods and tools; it can be done with knitting needles, with knitting looms, with knitting spools, and I wouldn't be surprised if it could be done with crochet hooks too. A lucet can be used to produce two-stitch i-cord (by using the "figure eight" stitch rather than the traditional turning stitch).
Dense: no
Width depends on: yarn thickness + tool size
Strands: 1
Pre-cut strands: no
Length limit: how much yarn you have
Speed: depends on the tool; automatic spool knitter (where you turn a handle and hooks grab the yarn) is fast, knitting with needle depends on experience, using a spool knitter is medium speed
Portability: very portable, though depends on particular tool
Plainness: plain
Twisted Cord
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 1 or 2
Pre-cut strands: yes
Length limit: length of cut strands, and the length of your outstretched arms (unless one has an assistant to help)
Speed: very fast (if using something like electric beater)
Portability: not portable
Plainness: middling
Lucet Cord
Dense: yes
Width depends on: yarn thickness only
Strands: 1 or 2
Pre-cut strands: no, though multi-strand work tends to be pre-cut in order to put it onto spools to make it easier to manipulate the strands
Length limit: theoretically, how much yarn you have, but it's difficult to use more than one ball of yarn, because luceting and knots do not play well together
Speed: fast for single-strand, slow for multiple strands
Portability: very portable
Plainness: plain for single-strand, not-plain for multi-strand
So that's my pondering, hope it was interesting and/or useful to somebody.
