Kumihimo braiding

Kumihimo braiding disk.

Kumihimo, a Japanese form of braid making, was the program at the March meeting of the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild. These braids can be made with four cords or strands of thread for a basic design, or multiple strands for more complex designs.

Kumi himo is Japanese for "gathered threads." Examples of these decorative and functional cords date back to 1800 BC and can be found in many cultures.

Traditional wooden frames were used by Japanese artisans in a kneeling position. Modernized tools, such as this foam kumihimo disk, are made of lightweight materials and are much more portable and compact.

Basic kumihimo supplies and examples of braided patterns.

Silk threads, with their beautiful reflectance properties are often used for kumihimo, but pearl cotton, yarns, floss, cotton, rayon and metallic threads are other choices that would produce beautiful results.

Pat Keran, the program presenter, explains how to set up the cords
using a North/South/West/East designation.

Today's kumihimo disks have numbers printed on them to facilitate working the proper sequence during the braiding process.

Guild members making kumihimo braids for guild name badges.

Books, references, materials and other how-tos can readily be found on this classic braiding technique.

Examples of books on kuminimo.

The Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild 2013 Challenge, "Recycle—Reuse—Repurpose," was also announced at the March guild meeting.