Why develop a visual craft language?

I think I've mentioned how I got started braiding with a lucet. My husband, Wood, had a found a website (no affiliate) that had a scrollsaw pattern for a lucet. He asked me if I wanted one. I said, sure.

The economy of the area where I live is based on agriculture and tourism. And healthcare of same. While we do have the big-box craft stores, there aren't many independent shops that sell craft supplies. And it's THREE hours to anywhere bigger - east, west, north, another country to the south.

Bottom line, I don't have much of anywhere I can go to learn new things. We also have moved around a fair amount in our lives, so I really haven't put down roots either. So I have learned to teach myself. First it was learning from books. Once the internet became a "thing", I've included that as well.

When I wanted to learn how to braid with a lucet I scoped out the online videos, etc. I purchased a variety of books through the internet. I have learned a lot from four of those books. The authors obviously went to some trouble to convey what they know/knew how to do.

In comparing those four lucet books with crochet books, or sewing, for example, they came up short, in my not so humble opinion. The books that I did learn from the most were black and white, with mostly drawings (too few in number). The names of stitches are not consistent, there is not way of consistently noting what kind of stitch was used to create a braid, and they usually did not show images of what a braid looked like (making it harder to picture the output of a complicated braid).

My aim with creating a visual language for the lucet is to create a foundation for others to build on. (The German word "Grundlage" keeps running through my mind.) I don't want to be the be-all and end-all for lucet braiding. I do want to make it easier for others to understand lucet braiding and to communicate what they do to others.

With all that, I'm having a great time thinking up ways to communicate stitches and braids. I'm even coming up with braids that I haven't seen done with a lucet. It's also a kick to do something not previously done in recorded human history - create a visual language for lucet braiding.