LLX > Neil Parker > String Figures > Jayne
1. Opening A.
2. Insert thumbs, middle, ring, and little fingers from below into index loops, and let them slip down to wrists.
3. Pass indexes away from you over little finger loops, and down. Pull both little finger strings toward you, and then insert indexes into thumb loops from above, and pick up far thumb string by giving indexes a half-twist away from you and up. Release thumb loops.
4. Transfer index loops to thumbs.
5. With right thumb and index, lift left wrist loop off of left wrist, and place it on left index. Repeat on other hand.
6. Pass thumbs over index loops, and insert into little finger loops from below. Return with near little finger strings.
7. Insert indexes into thumb loops from below, and return with far thumb strings (not the palmar strings).
These instructions are from [K. Haddon 1942], figure 20 ("A Melon Shell"), and [Stanley 1926]. It is also described in [Landtman 1914] and [Jenness 1920], with a slightly different method: In step 2, instead of putting the index loops on the wrists, a bent knee is inserted into the index loops and the indexes are released. This requires a moderately long loop to do successfully, and some care must be taken to avoid letting the knee loops slip off before step 5 (when they are picked up by the indexes and the knee is withdrawn).
Stanley describes a continuation, in which the sun is made to set:
9. Release both loops from indexes. Without separating hands, insert indexes into thumb loops from below, and return with far thumb strings (not the palmar strings).
10. Caroline extension, and separate hands slowly. The strings in the middle gradually untangle themselves, representing the sun setting. Finally there is just a small triangle at each end, and a large empty space in the middle: The sun is below the horizon.
LLX > Neil Parker > String Figures > Jayne