Five-Strand Trick Braid

This braid, a close cousin of the three-strand trick, is a slit braid illustrated in ELRB on page 55, PLATE 15. Grant's lettered strands are as follows: A = red, b = purple, C = yellow, D = green, E = orange. Please work through the three-strand trick braid before these instructions. The work is very similar, but simpler to learn with two fewer strands. Again, cut the material for this slit braid from a single strap of leather. Make four equally spaced cuts to get five strands, and leave these attached at both ends.

	As with the three-trick instructions, I've used short laces taped together at both ends to illustrate this braid. Note again the lines and masking tape indicating the flesh side of the material. Like the three-trick, this braid has a four-step movement. Braid at the top, unbraid at the bottom, braid at the top, unbraid at the bottom. The five-trick is somewhat simpler, however, because both unbraidings are identical.This is Plate 15 Fig 1.
	At all times during braiding at the top, you'll have three strands in one hand and two in the other. Start by taking three in the left and two in the right. Both braiding portions of a movement have five passes in which the outer strand of three is passed over the two other strands in that hand. It then becomes the inner of three in the other hand. Here is the first pass from the starting position, with the RED strand worked from the left hand to the right. Fig 2.
	Pass two of this braiding, with the ORANGE strand passed from right to left. Fig 3.
	Pass three with the PURPLE strand. Fig 4.
	Pass four with the GREEN strand. Fig 5.
	Fifth and final pass of this step in the movement. The YELLOW strand has moved over from left to right. The first braiding of movement one is completed. Fig 6, excluding the arrow.
	As with all trick braiding, the braid created at top has been mirrored at bottom and must be undone. This is step two in the movement, and is Grant's Fig 6 arrow. However, _ignore_ his path. It's more difficult to follow than that shown in this picture and the next. Follow my right index finger in this picture, flipping the bottom join through the large hole below the top braiding.
	Continuation of the unbraiding, which has completed in this picture. Unlike the three-trick, there is _no twist_ in this unbraiding. As in the previous picture, flip the join up and away from you so you see the flesh side as it passes through the indicated hole. Continue the same motion to reach the bottom again, with the hair side in view as shown here. You simply describe a 360 degree loop over and away. Ignore the tangled mess at the bottom of your braid, and continue to the next step in this movement... another braiding at the top.
	Step three of a movement is identical to step one. Five passes at the top, always handing the outside strand of three over to become the inside strand in the opposite hand. Here, five passes have been completed. This picture shows the identical unbraiding, step four. Once more, ignore Grant's arrow in Fig 9 and flip 360 degrees through the hole beneath your braiding, following the path of my right index finger.
	With the second unbraiding completed, the first movement is done. Repeat this movement to the desired length. As with the three-trick, keep the braid tight at the top to fit more movements into a given length, as you will run out of room to unbraid. You must stop at the end of a full movement.
	The completed five-trick braid. This short length only allowed three full movements. Arrange the braid so the strands interweave evenly and you're done.