Round braid of 8.
A way to braid with 8 strands and a core.

You can do this braid without a core, but most likely it will become a tube with a hollow in the centre. So better work around a core. For a beginner it is the easiest if the core is one thicker string, but with a bunch of thin strings you can adjust the size of the core if needed.
Tie your strings together and to a sturdy anchorpoint. Arrange your strings into half on the left and half on the right. If you have a core, keep it in the centre, it is depicted as a black line in these drawings. Keep your core taut, if needed tie it to your belt. The instructions for the core are within brackets. ( )
Keep all your strings taut as you work. In my drawings I had to leave spaces between the colours to make it posible to read them, in real the strings are side by side, touching much of the time.

Start position.
All strings will move one place at the time, always going over-1 under-1
Take the string right from the middle and cross it over the string on its left. (Cross both of them over the core while doing this.) The string to the right of the middle goes over the string on its right. The string to the left of the middle crosses with the string on its left, going under it. And the 2 strings in the middle cross again, right over left. (Both crossing over the core.)

Take the next string on the right, the one but last and cross it over the string to the left of it. And under the next string, it is next to the middle now. Take the next string on the left, the one but last and work it to the right, going under the first. Over the next string. And cross with the string on the other side of the middle, going under it. (Both of them crossing over the core.)

Now take the right most string and work it to the left. Crossing under the first string. Over the next. And under the next again, you are now in the middle. Next you take the leftmost string and work it to the right, over the first. Under the second.

Over the third. And across the middle, under the string coming from the right. (Both of them going over the core to do this.) Now take both outer strings and cross them under the work, (and under the core) keeping in the over-1 under-1 structure, The string from the right stays on the outside. And work both of them to the centre, the new right most string goes under the string on its left. Over the next.

And under the next one again. And the same from the left, starting with over. In the drawings I have worked a few more strings but I know you can do it by now.
I remember this braid as, outer right works under-1, over-1 to the middle, outer left goes to the middle, over-1, under-1 and there they cross. Next the outermost strings cross under the work. And repeat.

You see that the string go one way round and do not have sharp cornes to take. In my drawings the blues always work to the left and the reds always work to the right. And within one set, the strings stay paralel, they do not cross with an other string going the same direction.
If you need an example, most shoe strings/laces are made like this.

The same way of braiding works for any number of strings, even odd numbers. Arrange them in two groups, (and the core in the middle,) make the groups as near equal as you can get them. You can start with the outmost strings from the start, first braid a triangle at the top or work from the middle as I have done here, this last method shows best whether strings need to go over or under when they come into the braid. For the triangle method, see the six strand round braid.
You can also start with a piece of flat braid with the same number of strings and change that into a round braid.

©Willeke 2005

You can do this braid without a core, but most likely it will become a tube with a hollow in the centre. So better work around a core. For a beginner it is the easiest if the core is one thicker string, but with a bunch of thin strings you can adjust the size of the core if needed. Tie your strings together and to a sturdy anchorpoint. Arrange your strings into half on the left and half on the right. If you have a core, keep it in the centre, it is depicted as a black line in these drawings. Keep your core taut, if needed tie it to your belt. The instructions for the core are within brackets. ( ) Keep all your strings taut as you work. In my drawings I had to leave spaces between the colours to make it posible to read them, in real the strings are side by side, touching much of the time.

Start position. All strings will move one place at the time, always going over-1 under-1	Take the string right from the middle and cross it over the string on its left. (Cross both of them over the core while doing this.)	The string to the right of the middle goes over the string on its right.	The string to the left of the middle crosses with the string on its left, going under it.	And the 2 strings in the middle cross again, right over left. (Both crossing over the core.)


Take the next string on the right, the one but last and cross it over the string to the left of it.	And under the next string, it is next to the middle now.	Take the next string on the left, the one but last and work it to the right, going under the first.	Over the next string.	And cross with the string on the other side of the middle, going under it. (Both of them crossing over the core.)


Now take the right most string and work it to the left. Crossing under the first string.	Over the next.	And under the next again, you are now in the middle.	Next you take the leftmost string and work it to the right, over the first.	Under the second.


Over the third.	And across the middle, under the string coming from the right. (Both of them going over the core to do this.)	Now take both outer strings and cross them under the work, (and under the core) keeping in the over-1 under-1 structure, The string from the right stays on the outside.	And work both of them to the centre, the new right most string goes under the string on its left.	Over the next.


And under the next one again. And the same from the left, starting with over. In the drawings I have worked a few more strings but I know you can do it by now. I remember this braid as, outer right works under-1, over-1 to the middle, outer left goes to the middle, over-1, under-1 and there they cross. Next the outermost strings cross under the work. And repeat.


You see that the string go one way round and do not have sharp cornes to take. In my drawings the blues always work to the left and the reds always work to the right. And within one set, the strings stay paralel, they do not cross with an other string going the same direction. If you need an example, most shoe strings/laces are made like this.


The same way of braiding works for any number of strings, even odd numbers. Arrange them in two groups, (and the core in the middle,) make the groups as near equal as you can get them. You can start with the outmost strings from the start, first braid a triangle at the top or work from the middle as I have done here, this last method shows best whether strings need to go over or under when they come into the braid. For the triangle method, see the six strand round braid. You can also start with a piece of flat braid with the same number of strings and change that into a round braid.

©Willeke 2005