Beautiful Braiding Made Easy: Using Kumihimo Disks and Plates

by Helen Deighan

Overview

An easy to follow guide to producing beautiful Japanese braids using Kumihimo disks and plates; templates for which are printed on the cover flap ready to be cut out and used. There is advice on the yarns or threads to use, arranging the threads on the disk or plate, producing many different types of braid, braiding with beads, finishing off and using the braids to make bracelets, necklaces, bag handles and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782211303
Publisher:	Search Press
Publication date:	02/23/2015
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

As a professional textile artist, Helen Deighan has been making quilts since 1984. Initially working from existing patterns, she soon started developing her own designs. And, when she couldn't find the right colour or shade to fit - she dyed her own. Over the past ten years she has created many exciting dyeing effects using everyday household objects - from cat litter trays and drain pipes to her now famous plastic freezer bags! Helen's latest passion is designing and making textile coil pots.

Table of Contents

An introduction
Using the Kumihimo disk
More ideas for using the Kumihimo disk
Using the Kumihimo plate
More ideas for using the Kumihimo plate
Braiding with beads

Editorial Reviews

Handmade by Deb - March 2021
Learn the ancient Japanese art of braiding! In Beautiful Braiding Made Easy textile artist Helen Deighan shows how - using kumihimo disks and plates. Just add thread or yarn to begin. Two cardstock looms are included - a disk for round braids and a plate for flat braids. Both are printed on the inside cover flap. Simply cut out to use and reuse. Alternatively you can easily make or buy. The basic kumihimo technique is as follows. Cut your choice of fiber into equal lengths. Arrange these strands on the handheld loom. Move the strands around the loom forming a braid. Continue in this manner until the desired length of cord is achieved. Remove the braid from the loom and tie the ends. First up is the (kid friendly) 8 thread pattern on a disk. It's followed by a 16 thread braid and several variations - twist, lattice, heart, diamond and dog tooth patterns. A second chapter on the disk looks at more advanced techniques. Then move on to chapters on how to use the square plate and braiding with beads. Learn how easy it is to get different designs just by changing - looms, threads, starting positions, working moves and/or finishing techniques. The possibilities are endless. Try it - it's fun! Patterns are an easy-to-read combination of diagram and text instruction. Long ago kumihimo braids were worn by samurai warriors. Today kumihimo is used to make friendship bracelets, in jewellery-making or wherever cord is required - for example in crocheting and knitting.

Booklist 2015
Braiding is not just for hair anymore. Using a Japanese technique she discovered in Australia, textilist and author (Dyeing in Plastic Bags, for one) Deighan not only demonstrates how to use the Kumihimo disk and plate but she also incorporates two ready-to-cut-out versions on the book’s front flap. (For library consideration, tape over the disk and plate with a note about where to order them online.) In all, about 30 patterns are featured, with the disk producing round braids; the plate, the flat version; and then, using beads in the designs. It’s hard to envision, exactly, the process without selecting appropriate threads (usually thin) and simply beginning. At the end of each chapter, a gallery of finished patterns, with page references, appears for crafters; what would make this unusual method even more appealing is the addition of a fourth chapter—ideas for making braids a part of home decor, of clothing, of accessories. A revised edition of the original, published in 2006. — Barbara Jacobs

From the Publisher

03/15/2015
Kumihimo is a traditional form of Japanese braiding that uses a wooden stand or a sturdy disc or plate as a carrier for the working thread. In this introduction to the basics of the craft, Deighan (Magic Dyeing Made Easy) demonstrates a series of easy braids using simple discs and plates. The book is divided into three sections—tubular braids woven using the disc, flat braids woven using the plate, and beaded braids. Each segment contains directions for weaving a basic braid followed by variations, as well as a gallery demonstrating the results of using different types of yarn for braiding. The front flap of the book contains both a kumihimo disc and plate that can be used to create any of the braids shown in the book—a pleasant addition for beginners who aren't sure if they're ready to invest in supplies. VERDICT This guide is concise, but it contains the basics needed to get started with kumihimo. Crafters ready to go beyond the basics may prefer a more extensive title, such as Beth Kemp's Twist, Turn & Tie: 50 Japanese Braids.

Library Journal