Twisted fringe again

A while ago I did a little tutorial on how to make twisted fringe. For that project, it was easier to twist the fringe with my fingers as I went along, since it was a relatively thick yarn and only took a couple of twists for each fringe. But this time I'm making the fringe for a belt woven out of cotton crochet thread. I could do it by hand...but it is ever so much easier with the right gadget for the job. And I am all about fiber gadgets! In this case, I'm using a Leclerc fringe twister. It is basically two alligator clips attached to bent metal rods. The rods are spun by rotating the top piece of wood.

Here's how: Separate out an equal number of threads, and attach the clips to the ends.







Rotate the top piece of wood, which spins the clips and so twists the threads together in their separate batches. Count how many times you rotate the handle, so your fringe is consistent.









Undo the clips, and tie the two bundles of thread together at the ends.







Let go. The bundles will twist back on themselves, making a stable fringe element.










And here is the finished belt! This was card woven, which I'll get into another time. But it makes for a very strong, sturdy band. This one is 5 1/2 feet long, not including the fringe. That makes it a nice length on me to tie around the waist. I'll probably end up donating this one to a gift basket, or to the prize box for the local SCA group.