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Showing posts from January, 2012

Fix Lumpy Kumihimo Braids: 5 Secrets to Perfect, Consistent Tension

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You’ve gathered your threads, picked out a stunning color pattern, and set up your counterweight precisely. But as the braid grows beneath your foam disk, you notice a frustrating problem: the surface looks lumpy, uneven, and bumpy. Some sections look beautifully tight, while others bulge out with random gaps. When an 8-strand round braid loses its consistency, it is rarely due to low-quality thread. Instead, the real culprit is your dynamic tension rhythm . Let’s break down exactly why this happens and explore five actionable strategies to transform bumpy braids into perfectly smooth, professional-grade statement pieces. The Core Truth (Featured Snippet Target): Lumpy and inconsistent Kumihimo braids are caused by variable hand tension between moves . If you inadvertently pull harder on your dominant-hand movements, stretch cords unevenly after clicking them into a slot, or pause your work mid-cycle, the thread loops lock into place at ...
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Kumihimo

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Kumihimo is a Japanese braid-making technique which dates to about 550 C.E., when the Buddhist religion spread in Japan and people began to use decorative cords in religious ceremonies. Later, people used brightly colored braids to decorate clothing, to hang banners, to lace samurai armor together (esp. in late SCA period, 1400-1600), and to hang knives. Although kumihimo is particular to Japan, other cultures in history have used similar braids or braid ‘stools’, including the sling braiders of the Andes and hair-braiding stools from Scandinavia. Research is ongoing into the origins of kumihimo and similar braids. There are some similarities between kumihimo and the fingerloop braiding practiced in western Europe during mid- to late-SCA-period. Except for those who aspire to putting together a set of period Samurai armor, most people who make kumihimo in the SCA use it for decorative purposes. Oddly, it is not usually used in Japanese garb in the SCA, possibly because we don’t hav...
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Japanese Braiding the Art of Kumihimo

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History: The Japanese concept of combining function and beauty becomes obvious when you consider the Art of Kumihimo. These beautiful braids were used to lace the many small plates of Samurai armor, to attach swords to their sashes and even to wrap the handles of their swords. Braids were also used in temples, shrines and tombs as edging for Buddhist flags and as attachments and ties for scrolls. In late period we see braiding used to tie the obi to prevent slippage. The earliest evidence of braiding in Japan was in the Jomon period (400 BCE-300 CE). The word Jomon means “rope pattern” and describes the pottery dating to that era. The cords, made from plant fiber, were rolled or pressed into the wet clay to leave decorative impressions. In later periods, pottery figures and paintings showed men and women dressed in clothing adorned with braided cords used as belts, ties and hair adornments. Actual fragments of braids have been found as early as the Nara period (645 CE-784 CE). The H...
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