Last month’s challenge over on the Kumihimo Challenge Group was to create a design using 16 cords (or warps if you prefer). By using 16 slots on the disk a whole new area of design possibilities open up and there are several websites offering pattern generators. Flowers, strawberries, cupcakes, watermelons can all be depicted in the braid, to name just a few. It is no more complex than the 8 cord Round Braid. As there are 32 slots on the disk there is enough room for a space between each pair of cords. The action is just the same, Top Right Down, Bottom Left Up (or vice versa) and the braid works up quickly.
I went for a flower design in my braid and echoed it in a focal, which I made from some polymer clay rose beads, some black wire and a few 4mm beads. Perhaps it was a bit too simple to be a winning design and it was up against some fierce competition. The runaway winner was a gorgeous design by Jamie North, made with an olive and silver spiral braid, embellished with Swarovski pearls. The standard of the designs gets ever higher and lots of people really seem to be pushing themselves to try something new. The theme of the next challenge is Spring and the following month the challenge is to pick a favourite blouse and make something to wear with it. If you are not a blouse wearer you may have to improvise! If you are interested in taking part, go to the Kumihimo Challenge Group on Facebook and sign up.