Grant's ELRB doesn't provide a diamond round braid of eight thongs, so there won't be any references on this page. This braid follows a under-one over-one pattern. Eight individual strands are attached to a core, and should be wide enough to cover its circumferance (or a bit wider). The approach I've described below is adaptable to any even number of strands, from 4 to as many as you can manage to hold. At the bottom of this page, I'll talk about how to adapt it.
 | Here is the core with strands attached. From front around to the right, these colors are: PINK, DARK RED, BLACK, ORGANGE, GREEN, LIGHT RED, YELLOW, PURPLE. Once we reach the starting position, we'll have four strands in each hand. After this point, there is a one-step movement braiding a single strand over-one under-one over-one under-one. |
 | To reach the starting position, we'll manipulate each strand once. The first step manipulates the two strands facing you, crossing them as shown. Note that the right-most strand goes over to the left. These two strands now belong to the hands shown, and will remain in them throughout braiding. Think of the eight strands as four pairs, which are grouped together in this picture. Each pair will end up crossing in the same direction... if looking at the core facing a pair, the right strand of the pair will go over and to the left. |
 | Come from the left into the right hand, using the strand two left of the last strand moved into the right hand. The last strand into the right hand is PURPLE. Count two the left of the PURPLE strand and you get to the LIGHT RED. This strand goes _under_ its pair strand (YELLOW), and over the PINK strand. It becomes the inside strand in the right hand. |
 | Repeat the same process from the right into the left hand. Two strands to the right of the last strand into the left hand (PINK) is BLACK. Because we're going from right to left in this step, this strand goes _over_ it's pair-strand (DARK RED). It comes to the left head over-one under-one over-one, and ends up as the inside strand in the left hand. |
 | See the pattern? You don't have to work a particular side first, but never work so that one hand has two more strands than the other. Here, I've come from left to right again, using the GREEN strand. Loose in this picture, you can see the path. Heading from left to right, always start by going over the pair-strand. |
 | GREEN pulled tight. It goes over-one under-one over-one under one, into the left hand as the inside strand. |
 | ORANGE strand from left to right, again left loose. Coming from the left, this strand starts under it's pair-strand (GREEN). We've already worked the GREEN strand, and it already heads over the ORANGE. |
 | The ORANGE strand has been pulled tight into the right hand, and the RED strand has been working into this hands as well. |
 | We've finally reached the starting position by bringing the YELLOW strand into the left hand. From here, do the one-step movement from right then left until you reach the desired length. Each movement uses the outside strand in the hand, which returns to that same hand as the inside strand. |
 | Eight more movements have been completed, and the braid tightenned into place. |
The process above has been described in a generic way, and can be used with any even number of strands four or more. The keys to doing so are as follows:
1. Always think of the strands in pairs. Start with a front-center pair, crossing the right strand over to the left. Every other pair must also end up with the right strand heading left over its pair-strand.
2. You will always manipulate each strand once to reach the starting position. In this position, you will have half the strands in each hand. This will be one strand from each pair. The left strand of a pair will always head to the right, and the right strand will always head left.
3. The next strand worked into a hand will always be two strands farther around than the last strand worked into that hand. When working from the left, pick a strand two farther to the left than the last strand that comes from the left.
4. Once you reach the starting position, each strand belongs to the hand that holds it. It will remain in this hand throughout braiding.
5. Every strand is always worked over-one under-one to create the diamond pattern. Once the starting position is reached, a single movement manipulates one strand through every strand held in the opposite hand. Each strand worked returns to the hand it started in, moving from outside to inside.
I have braided up to 20 strands using this exact process. After twelve or fourteen strands, it becomes quite difficult to hold all of the strands and keep them taut. Having done it once, I'll weave the next time I'm using 20 strands ;)