What is kumihimo?

I'm sure most people have seen a kumihimo braid at some point and just not realized the exquisite piece of art they were looking at. Kumihimo braids called obijime are used to secure an obi around a kimono, and kumihimo braids are also used to ornament all kinds of objects, from fans to cellphones.

Traditionally, kumihimo braids are done on a marudai, which you can see here.

From Wikipedia

Using a marudai will produce a large variety of kumihimo braids, which you can see here. These ones were made using thread. Just look at those gorgeous patterns!

Also from Wikipedia

For our kumihimo workshop, we'll be using a bunch of coloured wire (copper and aluminum) and beads to create jewellery like below. No beads, sorry! I'm kind of a minimalist, but I'll definitely teach you how to incorporate beads into your kumihimo work. You can see three different types of braids below, all done on a kumihimo disc.

Those of you who might be feeling a bit fancy can also choose to make kumihimo jewellery using copper, silver, and gold-filled wire, as well as semi-precious gemstones -- all of which we're happy to offer at discounted prices. You can mix together different gauges (or sizes) of the same wire for a multi-layered monochromatic look or combine different types of wires to create a more colourful effect.

Unfortunately, we won't be using a marudai because 1) it's damn expensive and 2) not exactly easy to source. Instead, we'll be using a kumihimo disc, which looks like this:

The difference is that with a marudai, you can make thicker braids and use more strands of thread. However, you can still use create a lot of complex patterns, so don't worry, there's lots to do with the disc!

Anyway, I'm going to end this post with Chabi and Nutmeg demonstrating their kumihimo skills. If those two can do it, so can anyone!

Here we have Chabi getting her tools ready.

Chabi is now contemplating the disc.

Nutmeg is hard at work.

And this is why I can't have workshops at my flat.

If you're interested in learning kumihimo, please check out our current schedules and how to register here!