A Lucet - have you ever heard that term? It's an old fashioned tool, very simple in design, that was used for making cording, similar to shoe laces, that could be used in clothing, at a time before zippers were invented. It would be laced up thru eyelets, like for shoes, in a crisscrossed fashion. It made for a secure but comfortable closure.
It is a U-shaped or lyre-shaped piece that fits in the hand, usually made of good wood that is polished smooth. The ends of the U flare out like horns so that when looping the stitches they don't easily slip off until needed. There are different ways to start the cord, I use a slip knot, some use a figure-eight around the horns, leaving a long tail for both ways. There is a small hole in the body of the lucet that you thread the tail thru, and that later the completed cord travels thru to make tension on the cord as you work it. The action of using the lucet is flipping it from right to left as you make each new loop. To make the cord you start with the slip knot loop on the left horn (make sure tail goes thru little hole), wrap the thread behind the right horn then around to the front and return to the left horn, flip left horn to the right side and wrap thread above the first slip knot loop. Pick up the slip knot loop, using a crochet hook, knitting needle or stylus, pass it over the thread and off of the horn to the center. Pull gently on the tail to tighten the center strand. Flip it again, carrying the thread to the other side as for the first wrap. Continue doing this manuever until you get the length of cord you want. Finish by threading the cut end thru the remaining loops and tighten.
Here is a website with pictures and instructions: http://www.finniwig.com/lucetinst.htm
A lucet would be easy to make if you have basic woodworking skills and tools. It can be cut from good plywood or thin board, the sides rounded off and the whole polished smoothed.
This would be a simple thing to teach a small child, to improve their hand-eye coordination, and they could be proud of their accomplishments.
Edey
