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Lucet and lucetting: make iCords with a knitting fork

The lucet is an ancient tool used to make cords and braids by hand. It produces I-Cords as you could make with spool knitting, crochet or knitting. The basic technique is super easy to learn and the instrument is also simple to make (or replace with comparable household items!).

How old is the lucet? That’s a complicated question, that Rici tries to unravel with her archaeological researches. Her long studies led to a book about the history of the lucet, “The Lucet Compendium“. Besides the still unresolved problem of its origins, this tool is still popular in historical reenactment and, in some cases, useful in everyday use.

Here you’ll find all the projects related to lucets and lucetting, from the making of the instrument itself to the projects you can craft with it, events, tutorials and more.

More about the book

Table of contents

History of the lucet

Rici began studying the question of the ancient origins of the lucet in 2022. Locutus made her a lucet after they discovered the tool during a reenactment in 2015, and working on this tool got her fascinated about the endless discussions among reenactors. Was the tool Viking or not? Are there any extant finds or written sources proving this?

Being an archaeologist, she started diving deep into museum catalogues and researches. The main article presenting her discoveries is enriched by the list of her resources (books, articles, links), of the extant finds she was able to find in museums, a map and timeline of those finds. Far from being able to give a definitive answer, the research goes on.

All the results were published in a book in 2024 in the Compleat Anachronist series, written with Daniel Craig Phelps.

Tutorials

Explore our tutorials, tailored to different skill level and interest. We have the basics covered if you’re just starting with lucet braiding. If you are looking for more advanced techniques, discover our more challenging projects.

Here we want to offer you insights and inspiration for your next craft, with easy to follow instructions to help you create. Find lucet patterns you can experiment with, or follow step-by-step instructions to recreate our projects.

And beyond what to do with the tool, we also show you how to make your own lucet fork (with a downloadable pattern).

Project ideas

Well known for its use in historical reenactment, the lucet is versatile also for modern projects. You can use this tool to make any kind of craft involving I-cords.

For those who usually make I-cords with different tools, consider giving the lucet a try: it’s a handy alternative that might just become your new go-to for effortless I-cord crafting.

Explore a bunch of ideas, with tutorials to help you make them.

Book "The Lucet Compendium"

Provisional cover for "The Lucet Compendium" book by Sara Rossi and Daniel Craig Phelps

Rici was contacted by Daniel Phelps after the publication of her article about the history of the lucet. Author of “The Lucette Book“, he was in the process of writing a revised text about lucetting techniques for The Compleat Anachronist series.

Here the collaboration between the two was born, and they began a 4-hand work to write “The Lucet Compendium. A historical exploration and practical guide.”

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Events

Lucet-themed events are a significant part of our journey.
We offered workshops and demonstrations in various occasions, to present the tool, tell its history and showcase a variety of techniques.

The primary focus lies in historical reenactments, where the lucet holds its own special position among traditional crafts.

Finished projects

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