These shawl (or hat or scarf or sock or vest or whatever needs a fastener) pins were inspired by talk of such items at a recent Knit'N'Cafe : the fact that two of the women taking part in the discussion live on boats may have something to do with the rather 'nautical' outcome: they are all braided and three of them are made from 'rope'.  (The one on the hat is satin cord, the remaining two are wool.)

Old bodkins and chopsticks serve as  'anchors',  but I feel the proportions are wrong; nice knitting needles cut to size are being considered.

One suggestion was to use the actual wool that the shawl or scarf is knit from;  I am wondering if there would be enough of a contrast.  I'd like to experiment with paper string and maybe fabric cut or ripped into strips.

The technique is from Handwoven Clothing,  Felted to Wear by Anita Luvera Mayer; she calls it a Greek braid.  It is simple to do, rhythmic, satisfying and requires only your two hands and nine times the  fibre length of the desired piece.   

Let's see if I can put it into words:  Take a piece of fibre nine times as long as you want the finished braid.  Fold in half and at the mid-point make a slip knot.

  Put slip knot very loosely (about two inches deep) about half way along forefinger on left hand with two yarns dangling down. 

Now put the 'active' yarn (the one you can slide)  behind the remaining three fingers on the left hand and hold it there and with

thumb and second finger hold the  bottom  point of  the slip knot (where the braid is going to descend as it is made). 

Hold the other yarn horizontal with the corresponding three fingers on the right hand;  take the right hand forefinger and put it

through the slip knot from left to right (the slip knot should be hanging loose enough to be able to do this easily)and scoop up that

horizontal yarn going from front to back, bringing the yarn up and through the slip knot and letting it form a loop on the right

forefinger now while letting the original loop on the left forefinger slip off. 

Pull this tight (the first part of the braid) and now make the loop on the right finger loose.

  The active yarn will now be in the right hand; put it behind the three fingers;

hold other yarn horizontal with left hand, poke left

forefinger through loop from right to left,

scoop up horizontal and continue until you have the length you want.

Finish and join ends together.

  Oh, this sounds so long and complicated and if you have followed it and made the braid – well, I am impressed!   I wish I could just show how it is done.   

(The shawl was garter stitch knit on large needles with a hand spun (not by me) yarn starting with three stitches and increasing at the start of each row until an agreeable size was achieved.  It is light and airy and breath-ably warm (something to do with heat being trapped in air pockets).  The hat is a hemp and wool blend; I like the look of it and the feel of it but I am not pleased with how it looks on me.  It may be one of those items that a month – or a year – from now will suddenly be suitable, but for now it spends most of its time being decorative and not functional.)