Japanese Braiding
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Hi All!
The weather has turned rainy and cold, so it’s a good time to stay indoors and try something new.
I’ve been wanting to try Japanese Braiding – Kumihimo – for quite some time, so I’ve pulled out the materials and I’m going to give it a try.
Kumihomo is an ancient Japanese art, made from strands of beautiful threads braided on a Marudai, or round stand like the one shown here by Jacqui Carey.
These stands were originally small, utilitarian stools with a hole through the center of the seat, serving dual duty as both a place to sit and a a braiding loom.
Marudai today can be made of wood or plastic, but for my first attempt, I’ll be using a kit produced by Kathy K. James called a Kumi Loom, shown here, which comes with a small booklet and several bobbins for winding thread or yarn.
I have two books to help me along. The first is Japanese Braiding: The Art of Kumihimo by Jacqui Carey. This book is spiral bound, so it lies flat, and features excellent photos of a huge variety of braids. The step-by-step directions show all of the braids being worked on a traditional Marudai.
The second book is A Complete Guide to Kumihimo by Kathy K. James of Primitive Originals. While the pictures are not as clear as the first book, this book does give step-by-step directions for making braids on the Kumi Loom, so it may be the one I turn to first.
I’m planning on using balls of DMC Size 8 Pearl Cotton for my first braid, but I’m wondering if there’s an alternative to the small bobbins – one that will hold more thread?
My thought is that if I use something other than the small, plastic bobbins that came with the kit, I can make the braid as long as I want because I’m not limited to the small amount of thread that the bobbin can hold.
Maybe I can make a braid long enough to use as a custom pillow trim.
If anyone knows the answer to my question, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
~Emma
