If you saw the show on Jewellery Maker yesterday you may have heard the presenter, Jenny, asking me about my kumihimo weight. (If you didn’t see it you can catch it on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvycRYQHRN0&list=PLQuBtZVUc_n3ke3HlWItBuZurAw5k5lr1&index=5). I am not allowed to advertise other products on the show, so I thought I would supply the rest of the information here. I would highly recommend these weights because they were designed and made specifically for kumihimo for the very talented and experienced jewellery designer, Jamie North. Jamie happens to be a dear friend of mine, but I can assure you that even if I loathed her I would still recommend these weights!
Why? The clip is strong and narrow nosed so it is easy to clip onto the end of the braid and to reposition it as you work. The shape of the weight is neat and smooth, so it doesn’t get caught up on the dangling cords. It is small enough to slip through the hole in the disk, so it can be attached to the initial knot before the cords are positioned, if necessary. This is handy when you are working with wire. Finally, they come in two weights, regular or lite. I really like having both. The regular (45g/1.6oz) is perfect for satin cord, ribbon and waxed cord, while the lite is just right for thinner cords such as S-Lon or embroidery thread. When making longer length beaded braids start with the regular size. As you braid the weight of the beaded braid will increase. About a third of the way through the project change to the lite weight. The braid will continue to increase in weight so remove the weight about two thirds of the way through. This will prevent excessive stretching, which would otherwise distort the braid.
If you are interested, follow this link. Make sure you have a look at the rest of the site as Jamie has some fabulous kits, beads and components, including some great new clasps! Jamie is based in Canada, but her shipping is very reasonable.