Last year we introduced Craft Corner readers to the lucet, a tool used for making braided cords by hand. In this week’s column, we’ll focus on the Japanese art of kumihimo braiding, using a plate or disk.
We’ve looked into kumihimo in the past, but the traditional stands (mura dai) used in the craft can be pricey – prohibitively so unless you plan to do a lot of braiding. The disks (for round braids) and plates (for flat braids), ranging in price between $5 and $15, are perfect tools for those wanting to learn the technique without a huge financial commitment.
The kumihimo process on the disks and plates is simple: All you do is move the threads around in a multistep pattern to produce a certain design. Most patterns are accomplished in four or five moves (moving a group of threads), but the moves become more numerous and complex as the thread count increases.
For our samples we tried a variety of patterns, including an eight-thread swirl using crochet cotton on the disk, 10-thread chevron (crochet cotton/plate), 12-thread chevron (crochet cotton/plate), eight-thread swirl (mixed yarns/disk), eight-thread swirl (crochet cotton/disk), 16-thread diamond (crochet cotton/disk) and zigzag design (crochet cotton/plate).
The finer the thread or yarn used, the finer the finished braid will be, and while you can use thicker yarns and cords, you are somewhat limited by the size of the slots in the disks and plates. Very chunky yarns are not suitable for these tools.
Instructions are included with the disks and plates, but since most of them are imported from Japan, be sure to check for instructions in English. Some come with an English translation, but others do not.
We purchased Helen Deighan’s “Beautiful Braiding Made Easy,” to help get us started with kumihimo, and our sample braids are all featured in her book.
Using the disks and plates makes this a great take-along project for summer outings, and also provides an easy introduction to braiding for children and teenagers.
Kumihimo braids can be used to make a variety of items, including (but not limited to) tie-backs, lanyards, necklaces and other jewelry, belts, shoelaces, bookmarks and bell pulls.
As our samples were fairly short, we decided to turn them into friendship bracelets by fringing the ends, joining them at the ending knots and adding decorative buttons and pendants.
If, after trying kumihimo on the disk and plate, you decide to invest in a stand, do an online search and check out all of your options.
Our own research turned up stands priced at $120 or so, but the bobbins are purchased separately at $100 or more per set.
We also found a few starter sets costing between $200 and $275, which included bobbins, books, thread and other enticements.
Most of the stands are made of wood and run between $80 and $150, but we did find one plastic stand on a UK site that costs about $40 in US dollars. But the international shipping charges will undoubtedly bump the final outlay up quite a bit.
As suggested above, just be sure to do a bit of research, taking into account such things as bobbins and shipping, before you make a purchase.
Books on kumihimo
“Beautiful Braiding Made Easy: Using Kumihimo Disks and Plates” by Helen Deighan.
“Braiding on Kumihimo Disks Vol. 3: Beaded Braids” by Carol Goodman.
“Necklaces Braided on the Kumihimo Disk” by Karen Desousa.
Web sites featuring kumihimo
www.gflower.org/kumihimo.htm
www.squidoo.com/kumihimo
www.braidershand.com/disk.html
www.lacis.com/catalog/data/n_kumi-himo.html
www.weirdollsandcrafts.com/kumihimo/kumihimo.html
www.vintagevogue.com/onlinestore/item7426.htm
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