increasing the number of diamonds
after storing two diamonds
storing two diamonds
Loom Phasee
Weaving Phase
- On each hand, reach over the near index string with your thumb, pick up the far index string, and return. Drop the little finger loops.
- So far, the method is identical to jacob’s ladder. Now we introduce a modification:
four diamonds a new way
You have just stored two diamonds. In fact, if you move your hands around a bit you can catch a glimpse of the two embryonic diamonds near the center. If you now complete the weaving and extension phases of osage two diamonds, you get “two plus two” or four diamonds.
six diamonds
To make six diamonds, store two diamonds, then store two diamonds again, and finish with osage two diamonds (weaving phase plus extension phase). This is the six diamond figure to the left.
The technique is additive: the number of diamonds is limited only by the length of the string and your ability to extend the final figure without the center collapsing. One can also make six diamonds by storing two diamonds, then finishing with four diamonds, or by finishing with Jacob’s Ladder (the entire weaving phase plus the extension phase).
An odd number of diamonds is also possible. To make five diamonds, store two diamonds, then finish with three diamonds (weaving phase plus extension phase). Surprisingly, five diamonds are also obtained if one stores two diamonds then finishes with one diamond. The only difference between the two designs is the location of the single internal wrap. To make seven diamonds, store two diamonds twice, then finish with either three diamonds or one diamond.
things to consider
many students may find it difficult to extend the figure when a large number of diamonds have been made. that is why i developed the power lift technique. i also learned another way of adding two diamonds when a young rastafarian man flew back to new york with me from seattle once a long time ago. i call his technique the rastafarian addition