In 1978, I had the opportunity to meet with longtime braider, Ernie Ladouceur, at his home in Madera, California. At age 82, he was still enthusiastic about braiding. Among other braiding subjects, we discussed the 6 bight long pineapple button and how it could be braided with one string and its practicality. He pointed out that even if a small portion of the button was braided, but needed to be set aside, the string would remain in the same position until picked up at a later date making it easier for the braider to keep his or her place until then. An example is in the photo below which is the same position as in Fig. 7, page 16. Refer to The Art of Braiding, Romal Reins II to read more about my conversations with Ernie Ladouceur.

The Art of Braiding, Long Pineapple Button in large part is written and illustrated to function as a valuable reference for braiding the long pineapple button or long button that can be 4 bight, 6 bight, 8 bight or more. The majority of buttons in this book are based on instruction for the 6 bight long pineapple button.

In this text, the "long pineapple button" will often be referred to as the "long button" and the words lacing and strings are used interchangeably. As in all the books, I have tried to stay as correct as possible with my terminology.

The long button in any bight size can be interweaved in herringbone or gaucho and can also be doubled as an interweave. Long pineapple buttons in various sizes of bights and turns can be used for a great many braided items, both small and large. There are instructions and examples of how a long button with different bights and number of turns will allow for various interweaves.
Included are two unique and challenging long pineapple buttons, one is the shortest long button with 8 bights in 2 turns. Each has a gaucho interweave on one end and a herringbone interweave for the remainder of the button and both are braided using a single string.

Also included is another smaller long button that is not part of this long pineapple button series, but a small long button I felt best included in this book.

The long buttons add an attractive look to a series of buttons, as in the examples below:

As you work through the buttons, be mindful of the Illustration Key. The symbols will be necessary as you follow the button pattern.

The following green, blue and red arrows are basic to all illustrations found in this book. Later in the text, more clarifying symbols will be added as needed.

As in the other Art of Braiding books, dotted lines with arrows indicate the current working path. The standing end and the working end will be identified when helpful.