Braiding a tail

This may come as a great surprise to some of you, but, I was commonly called a 'tomboy' in my younger years. Yes, there were less polite terms I was called but few seemed to see through my act of 'tomboy' and later 'goth girl' and realize that there isn't much else a younger sister of a pageant girl can do if she wishes to avoid life in really high heels. ANYWAY, I'll try not to open the wounds and bleed all over this post. boo hoooo. It would seem that whilst I was entertaining myself with dirtbikes, barrel riding, and other 'boyish' arts, I missed some of the finer points of decorative grooming.

A while back, someone posted some yarn on Etsy (go there, we're there!) in a nice little braided thing that I totally admired. Then, thing 1 spent her allowance at Fiber Frolic on some lovely orange handspun that was braided. I made her swear to let me take it apart so I could see how it was done. She, of course, betrayed her own mother for a moment of uncontrolled desire to start knitting it right away and I was left still unable to braid a skein. It kinda looks like braided bread - or those purdy little braided horse tails that I used to see at shows. Clearly, I missed the 'braiding your horse's tail' class and I only bake bread in the privacy of my kitchen as much punching and cursing is usually needed to obtain sweet pastry perfection. SO, plll-ease. If any of you know how to braid the skein of yarn, TELL ME! I want to display my yarns at my next show this way. I don't know why....I just wants it!