We find ourselves in deeply worrying times with the rapid spread of coronavirus around the globe, but as crafters and makers we have the advantage of being able to keep our (frequently washed) hands busy and away from our faces, while also keeping our minds off the frightening spread of the virus. Kumihimo braiding has huge theraputic value because its …
One of the aspects I particularly like about kumihimo is that there is always so much more to learn. Not only are there hundreds of different traditional braid structures to try, but there are so many new ways of adapting traditional braids to comtemporary jewellery waiting to be discovered. Yesterday I spent the day teaching at a workshop, so I …
I have been sent a fabulous selection of colours of mushroom beads by Juliet of Spoilt Rotten Beads and she had challenged me to make 4 different pieces of jewellery with them. I have decided to interpret that as 4 completely different kumihimo techniques in order to show the versatility of both these beads and kumihimo in general. My plan …
This was my entry for the spring challenge. Button fastenings work brilliantly with kumihimo and there are several different ways of making the loop and attaching the button. For this one I decided to experiment with making a button hole during the braiding process. Half Round Braid is ideal for this sort of technique. When I reached the required length …
I picked up some of this super shiny waxed cord at the Knitting Show on Thursday. Regular waxed cord is great to use with kumihimo. It works up into a tight, regular braid with a casual, natural texture. This new cord works up just as well, but has a lovely glossy surface, which gives a more ‘finished’ effect and is …
This was my entry into the Mardi Gras Kumihimo challenge. I used these super shiny 6mm beads in purple and gold and added some Rizos and size 8 seed beads for contrast in scale. Members of the group can vote for their 3 favourites and my entry was voted into third place. Thank you very much for all the votes. …
I seem to be very busy with several different projects, which need to stay secret for the time being! I really wanted to find something to post, so I hunted through my old files and found this little darling. I made it for a challenge in 2011 for the now defunct Australian Beading Forum. It was for a challenge titled …
Happy New Year to all lovers of Kumihimo! This is the time of year when we can look back over the year and see what we have achieved, as well as looking forward to what we hope to accomplish in the coming year. I feel that I learnt a lot in 2013 about how to play with Kumihimo to achieve …
I have seen some gorgeous designs recently using hairy yarns, so I though it was time to dig out one of my own. I love to use textured yarns as they produce very individual braids. They can be a bit tickly to wear, so I like to wear them over clothing, such as a turtle neck top or a shirt …
This is the front page of my latest tutorial for Digital Beading. It is called Nautical Knots. The brief was to make something summery, so I went for a nautical theme and got the chance to use these adorable sea charms. Writing tutorials for a fully digital magazine is interesting because they do not have to work to the same …
