MAKE YOUR OWN SNOWSHOES

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You'll use the same procedure in the heel section of the shoe, except that there you'll need only 1-1/2 yards of cord for the lanyard and 3-1/2 yards for the lacing itself.

The middle section—that portion of the frame that's between the two wooden crossbars—requires 13 yards of 3/8"—wide material. You'll start by making a horizontal toe cord to anchor all the rest of the woven threads. (When you wear the snowshoes, the tip of your boot will rest between the upper crossbar and the toe cord, so be sure to leave room for bulky winter footgear . . . ideally, the open space should be 5" wide and about 4-1/2 "long.)

To begin, make a slit in one end of the line, then wrap it around the left side of the shoe frame, as detailed in the diagram. Pass the other end through the slit and pull it tight . . . then run the lace back and forth across the frame a couple of times to form a toe cord of at least four strands. Tie the grouping on the left side as shown, then take it over to the right and do the same. Now, pull it straight up to No. 1, loop it around the crossbar, wrap it back down around itself, and pull it diagonally to A (on the rear crosspiece). Angle the lace to the left corner of the toe cord, up to B, and over the crossbar .. . then wrap it back down to C (on the left side of the frame), where it should be tied as shown in the detail drawing for D. Next, pull the cord straight across to D and up to the crossbar at E. Wrap it back down to the toe cord (also E), then angle all the way down to F and back up to loop around the first lace at the toe cord, and thread it around itself down to G.

To continue the sequence, pull the lace over to H, thread it around the frame and up to the crossbar . . . wrap it around itself . . . and weave it down to I. Once again, it angles over and up to the crossbar at Jwhere it's wrapped and tied-then woven down to K on the left side of the frame and straight across to L. Circle the cord around the frame and angle it up to M, down to N, and up again to wrap around the second lace at G. It then twines around itself straight down to O, weaves over to P, and goes up to wrap around the third lace at H (just as it did on the opposite side).

Repeat this pattern until it concludes at the toe cord and the area is filled by tightly meshed webbing. Tie off the end of the strip and wrap the excess length around the toe cord to help protect that support against wear.

TEST THE PRODUCT!

If you've made it this far in the process, you deserve a little exercise and fresh air! And when you've completed a pair of shoes, you'll be ready to investigate a new snowfall in your custom-made footgear . . . just as soon as you find a set of bindings to attach your boots to the snowshoes.

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