Due to popular demand, I have just made available a 2-disk replacement Prumihimo Disk package in the shop on this website. Lots of people have asked if they could purchase additional disks because they want to have more than one project on the go at any one time. This is certainly the way I like to work too. I used to find it best to work on just one braid at a time and make sure that it was completely finished off before I worked on anything else. This method suits many people, but more recently I have found that I like to have several projects at different stages to work on. I find that some parts of a project are better suited to different times of day. Tired eyes and bad light are not good for threading tiny beads, so I try to do the bead threading in the morning, making sure that I am sitting comfortably in a good light. I am sure I thread twice as fast then as I can in the evening. Finishing off a braid can be messy, if you use glue, or can involve bits of wire flying off the wire cutters, so that is more of an afternoon job for me. Settling down to braid with some good programme or film on television is my treat for the evening. In addition I always like to have something ready to braid for long journeys (unless I am driving!). I take a lot of train journeys and a ready threaded beaded braid or a plain braid are the perfect way to make best use of the time.
Another reason for wanting a couple of extra disks is to be able to experiment with different widths of cord and yarn. For beaded braids the Prumihimo disk is worked with both thick and thin cords. Certain slots are reserved for thick and others for thin in order to preserve the grip in these slots. However, if you want to experiment and use extra fine cords and threads for small-holed beads such as size 15 or pearls, keeping a separate disk for this purpose makes good sense. On the other end of the scale, fancy yarns, leather thong, wide ribbons and chunky cord can be used to make some fabulous unbeaded braids, but these materials will definitely stretch the slots and should have their own disk.
The additional disks are being sold in a pack of 2. The reason for this is that international postage is not cheap, but I can get 2 disks sent for the same price as one. International postage also requires customs declaration forms to be filled out and this is time consuming for me. To my mind, sending 2 at a time makes good sense for both buyer and seller!
No instructions are being sold with the 2-disk package. They are intended for people who have already bought the original disk package, including full instructions and tutorial, from me. They may also be of interest to people who have bought the kit from JTV, which also included instructions. Having said that, as the Prumihimo Disk becomes more widely known and available, it is possible to find out how to use it in other ways. Ann Dilker did a great demo on JTV and the Beading Library has made a tutorial available. My next job is to provide more information about the disk on this website to support customers and that will include some braiding advice. However, I would still advise a new customer to buy the original single disk package because I believe it provides the best information and guidance to get the most out of the new disk. The instructions PDF explains in detail how to use the disk to braid and how to add beads to achieve different effects. The Pipalicious tutorial PDF shows how to create a necklace from beginning to end. Many people have found that this is the perfect starting point to begin exploring the potential of the new disk and have been raiding their stash to find unusual beads to make their very own designs.
If it is time for your Prumihimo Disk to have a couple of new friends, please click here!