Hi all,

Just wanted you to get a glimpse of what I'm doing now.  This is a picture of a braid called "Zigzag sasanami" or "Higaki-sasanami" as Makiko Tada calls it.  It's on a Youtube video.  It looks difficult, but if you watch the video enough times, it's quite simple.  I'll post a picture of the finished piece soon... I hope.

Getting my pieces ready for the Artist Wall at the senior activity center I attend.  Really looking forward to it.  Trying to decide what to make is the problem.  But I'll come up with something really special.

Stringing Magatamas - Up or Down

I always take my Kumihimo to church with me while I'm waiting on my ride to finish church paper work and business.  I had bought some magatamas a while back and decided to finally give them a try.  But trying to put them on so they would all be facing the same directions was really puzzling.   After about 10 trys, I finally caught on to the secret. 

If you will notice when stringing them, the thread either goes in an upward or a downward movement.  So decide which direction you want to string them (thread up or thread down) and stick with that direction.  Once I learned this little trick, I had no problem stringing.  Now to get busy and finish.

My senior citizen activity center is having an "Artist Wall" this May.  My jewelry class instructor is asking each class member to submit at least 2 pieces each.  The pieces will be judged the middle of April for admission to be displayed.  I am going to make a Kumihimo piece and a St. Petersburg bead stitch piece.  I'll let you know if my pieces are chosen.

I can't wait to find the perfect findings for this braid.  The ends are a 16 cord "Spiral Straw-Plaiting Braid" from "More Braids on Cards? by Shirley Berlin.  The 2 inside braids are the 8 cord "Kongo Gumi".

I started with the 16 cord pattern, divided the cords into  2- 8 cords bundles, worked the Kongo Gumi, then combined them again to finish with another 16 cord pattern.  The next one I do will have beads added.

Just wanted to show you 2 of the braid designs I worked on this week. 

The first is a braid from "More Braids on Cards" by Shirley Berlin.  It is called "Spiral Straw-Plaiting Braid" (page 16).  It uses 16 cords.  This is the first 16 cord braid I've done.  I didn't think I'd like a thick braid, but once I started braiding this one, I really liked it.  It's one of the easiest braids I've done...  Move one cord, quarter turn, repeat.

You can braid this design with or without a cord.  I did it without.  It gave me a sort of square look and feel to it.  Very interesting.


The next one came from "Beautiful Braiding Made Easy - Using Kumihimo Disks and Plates" by Helen Deighan.  Page 18 shows you the "Hollow Braid With No Counting.  This is a 9 cord pattern and another easy one to braid.

I hope to have more designs done to post next week, maybe sooner...

Kumihimo vs Bead Crochet

Hi all,

I'm back.  I had a lot of crocheting and quilting to do. 
But I'm finally back to do what I love...Kumihimo.
I know I told you the story of how I got started doing Kumihimo.  Well, I thought I'd show you my pride and joy in bead crochet.  These were the first pieces I did using the smallest crochet hook available.  It took me 3 days to sit and hand string the beads on.  Since learning to kumihimo, I haven't done bead crochet and my fingertips couldn't be happier. 

Invisible end bead crochet necklace with earrings.  Colors:  Copper and black

Close up of bead crochet pieces.  Just wait until

I get a better camera.

Now this is the first beaded Kumihimo piece I made.  I missed placing a few beads which left some bare spots.   So I will be doing it over this weekend.  It took me 3 weeks to do the bead crochet.  One week to learn how to start it, and 2 more weeks to finish it.  It will only take me 3 days or less to finish the Kumihimo.  Now which one would you prefer?