what's the actual way to craft a lead in minecraft?

no slimes about? wandering traders turn up with two llamas on leads. kill the llamas and both leads drop, no slimeball needed. bit grim but it works.

four string and a slimeball. slime in the middle, string above it and to its left, plus one in the bottom right corner. gives you two. the slimeball is what stops most people, not the crafting - swamp at night or a slime chunk.