Since January I have uploaded a total of 11 videos to YouTube and I have got lots more coming up. In some I demonstrate the use of the Prumihimo disk, while in others I concentrate on the regular round disk. I have already filmed two videos for the square plate. Youtube is a great way of sharing information and many people find it far more useful to be able to watch a demonstration than it is to read and follow written instructions. One of my aims is to pass on the techniques and tips which have worked for me over the years. I wish something like this had been available when I first started braiding and many people have been kind enough to say the same thing. There is a lot of material available on my website, such as braid instructions and design inspiration, which I hope to be able to bring to life through my YouTube videos. I plan to upload a new video every week and I have enough ideas to keep that up for at least a couple of years.
My other aim is to bring the Prumihimo disk to a wider audience and to make sure that those who buy the disk have all the support they need. The braid structure is a traditional one, so of course it is available to anyone, but I have developed my own method of performing the moves and my disk came about as a result of a huge amount of hard work. I experimented with lots of different shapes, configurations and numbering systems to get it just right and many wonderful guinea pigs helped with the process. The process continues as I explore different design ideas, incorporating all sorts of different beads and making use of different jewellery making skills. I am very proud of this achievement and I am extremely grateful for the support I have received along the way. Sadly, it seems that there have been some attempts to cash in on my hard work without permission and without any acknowledgment of my work, so I would like to remind everyone that there is a multitude of other wonderful traditional braids waiting to be developed and simplified. Wouldn’t it be great if some of these could be popularised by creative people? This would be of huge benefit to the wider kumihimo world, whereas duplicating the work of others adds nothing!
In my latest video I demonstrate how to use letter beads on the Prumihimo disk. However, I also show a useful technique for attaching a braid to a keyring, so I hope the video will also be of interest to those who use other disks. The 2-step method of braiding larger beads can also be adapted for use on the round disk. In the video I suggest that the keyring is finished off with a knot. You could also finish off with a simple binding,, as in the photo, but I am planning a future video to show how to whip the end of the braid. I hope people will have fun with this technique.
Additional information for the video available here