Popular Science Monthly 



131 



hide called a lanyard. This lanyard 

 (Fig. i) is laced through the frame in 

 double holes bored through the sides in 

 practically the same way a tennis racket is 

 strung. About six pairs of holes should 

 be drilled through each side of the frame 

 for the heel-lanyard, and about seven pairs 

 of holes through the upper part of the frame 

 for lacing in the toe-lanyard. Drill the 

 holes clean, and cut a shallow groove be- 

 tween them so that the thong will be slightly 

 countersunk between the holes. In Fig. 6 

 is shown how to space the holes and make 

 the half-hitch in the lanyard. Start the 

 lanyard in the left hole drilled through the 

 upper cross-brace; lace through the first 

 pair of holes in frame, make the half-hitch 

 shown, and continue up the left side of 

 frame and down on the other side, finishing 

 in the hole from which the start was made. 

 As knots will slip in fastening the thongs, 

 most makers weave back the end of the 

 lanyard through the holes in the cross- 

 brace to keep the end from slipping. The 

 lanyard for the heel-section is placed in the 

 same way as that of the toe. 



Filling the Toe and Heel 



Every maker of snow-shoes has his own 

 particular way of weaving the hide to fill 

 his frames. Many of the patterns used are 

 quite complicated and would be impossible 

 to clearly explain by word or picture. 

 However, any amateur will, after a little 

 experimenting, hit upon a good method of 

 weaving the strands. As a fairly open or 

 coarse mesh is best for all-around use, the 

 weaving pattern pictured will be found 

 easy and satisfactory whether hide or cord 

 is used. 



As shown in Fig. 7, the first strand is 

 started at the lower left corner of the 

 lanyard-loop on the cross-brace. It is 

 carried up to the last loop of the lanyard, 

 twisted around itself and carried down to 



the first lanyard-loop on the right side 

 on the cross-brace. It is now twisted 

 around itself and carried over to the 

 lah^^ard on the side, twisted about itself 

 and thence across the frame. As each 



FIG6 



The method of spacing the holes for 

 the half hitch in weaving the lanyard 



strand is marked in the drawing, it will be 

 an easy matter to follow their course. The 

 same method is used from beginning to 

 end. By keeping the drawing beside you, 

 the pattern can be followed exactly. 



The strands will be pulled somewhat out 

 of shape while weaving them, but this is 

 easily straightened out from time to time 

 as the work proceeds, by means of a wooden 

 fid. This is merely a round stick of wood 

 about 3^ in. in diameter and whittled to a 

 point at one end. The chief thing to keep 

 in mind is to stretch the thongs as tight 

 as possible, and this is done by using the 

 leather strips while wet, and pulling each 

 strand up as tight as possible. The heel- 

 section of the shoe is filled exactly in the 

 same manner as the toe. 



The center is a trifle more complicated to 

 weave, but a careful study of Figs. 8, 9, 10, 

 and 1 1 , will show how to do this correctly. 

 While the center may be filled by weaving 

 the thongs in and out in a square pattern, 

 the manner shown in the drawings is a 



The different stages in building up the lacing within the frame. The center part is a little more 

 difficult to weave than the toe, but a square pattern can be formed readily if it is preferred 



