A Balance

A contemporary string figure created by Felix Mindt-Paturi of Germany. On the first day of Fall (the autumnal equinox), day and night are of equal length. This year Fall began on September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. In ancient Rome astronomers noted that the sun entered a faint constellation in late September. They named the constellation "Libra, the balance or weighing scales" to commemorate the equality of day and night. Paturi's figure represents an old-style two-pan balance beam scale. The upright triangles represent weights.

<Full-length video in Windows Media Player>

Step-by-Step Video Clips

Written Instructions

1 2 3 4 5 all

Step 5 - 1, under 2 loop, picks up 5n, then 1, from below, removes the 2 loop.

Caroline Extension (2 picks up transverse 1f; as 2 returns, 1 presses against the side of 2 to trap the string they share; 3, 4 and 5 fold down over 5f and depress it so that the upper and lower frame lines are widely separated).

Optional: Unfold 3, 4 and 5, then insert 3, from the far side, into the nearest double-sided triangle and draw it toward the palm to enlarge it and equalize its size; withdraw 3 from the triangle and re-establish the Caroline Extension.