Kumihimo Cord

Day 64: A friend asked me to weave a strap for one of her musical instruments, and although I'm not done with the weaving yet, I decided to get started on the cords she'll be using to attach it. Since I don't know what will work best, I'll be making an assortment of cords in various weights, using several different techniques including kumihimo, as shown in this photo. Kumihimo could be called a type of weaving, although it is more often referred to as "braiding" and is closely related to sinnet-making as seen in marlinespike work, but on a much smaller scale. Progressing around the disk, the threads are brought over one another in a specific order to achieve a pattern (in this case, a spiral of three colours). As each sequence progresses, the disk is rotated in the hand. It's relatively mindless work and somewhat time-consuming, but it provides a nice break from the focus required in weaving the matching band.

Kumihimo Braiding

Day 177: I have to admit that I don't know much about the history of kumihimo beyond the fact that it originated in Japan and was traditionally made on a barstool-like table called a marudai. Wikipedia goes into greater detail, as do many websites. I became interested in it as a means of making sinnets such as those created by sailors and depicted in "Ashley's Book of Knots" and other nautical references. Kumihimo can be done much more quickly and at least in my hands, with more even tension than working with untensioned cord, and of course by using a kumihimo loom (disk or plate), much finer threads can be employed. Durable closed-cell foam looms are available in many craft stores. Good threads are somewhat harder to come by. The craft outlets push nylon rattail and hemp, both of which give a coarse, clunky product unlike silk, rayon or floss. Kumihimo has seen an upsurge in popularity over the last few years thanks to the attention it has received from the jewelry trade, and much modern kumihimo is done with beads strung on the warp. However, I feel that its true beauty lies in the intricate patterns which can be woven with variously coloured cords. Here, I've done up some samples in simple 8-strand and 12-strand braiding. The blue/green/purple strand is a work in progress.