A hand-held device (100, 720) for intertwining strands of hair, characterized by: a plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210), disposed in a group (125, 225, 325, 425) of multiple intersecting circles defining an area of intersection between adjacent circles, at least two of the sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) being non-adjacent; at least four elliptical gears (120, 220), each of the at least four elliptical gears (120, 220) being arranged to rotate with any one of the plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) that the elliptical gear (120, 220) comes into contact with, wherein each of the at least four elliptical gears (120, 220) has a hollow center portion for receiving one or more strands of hair, each elliptical gear (120, 220) having a shape of and occupying the area of intersection of adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210), the positioning of the elliptical gears (120, 220) within the area of intersection of adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) preventing the adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113,210) from simultaneous rotation, only non-adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) of the group (125, 225, 325, 425) being simultaneously rotatable; at least one motor, engaged to rotate at least one of the sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210); and a controller (170, 730), having a processor, configured to execute a set of instructions from any of a plurality of pattern modules by controlling the at least one motor to selectively rotate one or more of the plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) and move the adjacent elliptical gears (120, 220) in an intertwining motion according to the set of instructions of one of the pattern modules. a plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210), disposed in a group (125, 225, 325, 425) of multiple intersecting circles defining an area of intersection between adjacent circles, at least two of the sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) being non-adjacent; at least four elliptical gears (120, 220), each of the at least four elliptical gears (120, 220) being arranged to rotate with any one of the plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) that the elliptical gear (120, 220) comes into contact with, wherein each of the at least four elliptical gears (120, 220) has a hollow center portion for receiving one or more strands of hair, each elliptical gear (120, 220) having a shape of and occupying the area of intersection of adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210), the positioning of the elliptical gears (120, 220) within the area of intersection of adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) preventing the adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113,210) from simultaneous rotation, only non-adjacent sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) of the group (125, 225, 325, 425) being simultaneously rotatable; at least one motor, engaged to rotate at least one of the sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210); and a controller (170, 730), having a processor, configured to execute a set of instructions from any of a plurality of pattern modules by controlling the at least one motor to selectively rotate one or more of the plurality of sector gears (110, 111, 112, 113, 210) and move the adjacent elliptical gears (120, 220) in an intertwining motion according to the set of instructions of one of the pattern modules.