In Part 3 of my traditional pocket series, I’m dialing in one of the most important steps: getting your cross lace prepped and then building clean, consistent interlocks down the side. If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend running one single string—about 15 feet of cross lace is usually enough for the five or six-diamond classics I personally do (if you’re doing seven or eight diamonds, you might need more). I also show my little prep trick: I run a lighter flame across about an inch of the lace to harden it up, then snip and melt the tip. That hardened section makes it way easier to string with than just a burnt tip. From there, I use that first saved sidewall/top string hole to anchor the cross lace, and then I walk you through the interlock step-by-step. This part matters—if you don’t interlock correctly, your loops won’t connect and the pocket just won’t come out right. I show how I route behind the leather, up through the loop I leave, then between the plastic and the sidewall string, and how I like to slide the loops so they sit tight against the sidewall knot. For tension, I keep everything taut but slightly on the looser side, because it’s way easier to re-tension later than to fight a pocket that’s too tight.