Kumihimo

Kumihimo is a Japanese form of braiding or weaving strands of silk (or yarn or other fiber) into round or flat cords. This was taught at a hands-on booth at Knit Out by a Washburn County WI 4-H club. I can see myself making kumihimo cords instead of knitting I-cords for purse handles, edgings, etc.

This simple cord was made with seven strands of yarn and a piece of cardboard from a cereal box that I cut into a rough octogon. I have since found kumihimo braiding boards with as many as 40 slots! Traditional kumihimo stands have a "mirror" (a slightly bowled round unnotched disc) that can be used with an unlimited number of strands. With those, you also use bobbins to hold your strands, weights for even pressure on the braided cord, and a chopstick as your braiding tool. Once you get into the rhythm of moving the strands (I alternated between right and left hands with just slight shifts of the cardboard disc), it becomes very relaxing, almost meditative.