Here's the next phase. I used a fan braid for the back and added a loop in the middle instead of leaving it wide open. I couched it down differently. I'd been watching some videos of RPL on the Lace News YouTube Channel and found a series on RPL in a different language. I have no idea what was being said but I did notice the braid was held in place by stitching through the center instead of couching. I'm not sure this would work all that well with the plain cord but it works well for the fan braid.

The braids are crocheted in size 20 thread. I have some tatting thread in size 70 in both brown and variegated brown that I plan to use for the filling on the back. I will probably use an ecru for the face. I don't like using size 10 for the cord. It seems too coarse for me and while I know the cord is traditionally crocheted in size 10 and only sometimes in size 20, I think size 20 is the biggest I want to go. In fact, for some things, I may make the cord in size 40 and do the needle lace fillings in a much finer thread. Traditions are meant to be challenged sometimes.

I did learn that the fan cord only unravels at one end so you have to start couching where the braid starts so that wherever you end, you can cut off about an inch away and have plenty of thread for stitching after you unravel.

I'm anxious to get started on this now. I have ideas for the nose and eye and the ear but I'm still not sure how I will do the feet. It will come to me, I'm sure.