Squiggle

Squiggle kumihimo

Squiggle is my latest tutorial and I suppose it is a bit like me, in that it doesn’t take itself too seriously! Jewellery should be fun and make you smile when you catch sight of it in the mirror. This design is both fun to make and fun to wear. It makes use of an alternative braid structure, which seems to be turning into my signature braid. I have done a lot of work to find a way to teach it effectively and to make it accessible to as many people as possible and I am starting to get some very positive feedback on my revised instructions.

The design uses Long Magatama beads, which are a great favourite with fans of kumihimo. However, one of the problems is that you need to use a large number of them to achieve the right effect with standard Round Braid. The other problem is that the effect can be very chunky, which is ok in a bracelet, but can be too much in a necklace. With my design both of these problems are solved. The beads are only positioned on the sides and top of the braid, leaving the underside bead-free for a really comfortable fit around the neckline. This cuts right down on the number of beads required and allows the beads to make a statement, without being over the top!

The tutorial can be found in my shop, by clicking here!