Braided Dragon Scale Bracelet

Image
Materials:  8 12-strand wires, 1.30 meters long,  5mm magnetic buckles,  a 3mm flexible tube,  401 glue.  Instructions:  Fold the 8 1.30-meter wires in half and secure them with thick wire. Add the 3mm flexible tube and wrap a 0.5cm thin wire around them to secure them. Place them in the weaving machine.  Arrange the wires. Using the black line on the weaving machine as the center, hang two wires on each side, four wires in each direction, for a total of 16 wires, as shown in Figure 8.  Route the wires. Set aside the 15*16-20*21, 16*17-21*22, 8*9-16*17, 7*8-15*16, 2*3-8*9, 1*2-7*8, 26*27-2*3, 25*26-1*2. Reposition the 21*22-24*25, and 20*21-23*24. Run this loop of yarn clockwise. Set aside 17*18 for 12*13, 18*19 for 13*14. 25*26 for 17*18, 26*27 for 18*19. 1*2 for 25*26, 2*3 for 26*27. 9*10 for 1*2, 10*11 for 2*3. Put 12*13 for 9*10, and 13*14 for 10*11 back in place.   Run this loop of yarn counterclockwise.   Repeat steps 3 ...

Kumihimo Pattern Guide: 8-Strand Round Braid

 


*(For standard 32-slot foam disk)*

Basic Movement Pattern

Repeat these steps continuously:

  1. Right North → Left South

    • Take the right strand from the North (12 o’clock) pair.

    • Move it to the left empty slot beside South (6 o’clock).

  2. Left South → Right North

    • Take the left strand from the South pair.

    • Move it to the right empty slot beside North.

  3. Rotate disk counter-clockwise so the next pair is at the top.

  4. Repeat the same steps with the new top pair.

Visual Mnemonic:
"Right over, left under, turn and repeat"


Color Patterns

Try these thread arrangements for different designs:

1. Spiral Twist

  • Setup: 4 strands of Color A, 4 strands of Color B

  • Arrangement: Alternate colors around the disk (A, B, A, B, etc.).

  • Result: A candy-cane spiral.

2. Solid Color w/ Accent

  • Setup: 7 strands of Color A, 1 strand of Color B

  • Arrangement: Place the accent strand at any slot.

  • Result: A subtle dashed line effect.

3. Chevron Stripe

  • Setup: Group colors symmetrically (e.g., 2 red, 2 blue, 2 red, 2 blue).

  • Result: A repeating V-shaped pattern.


Beaded Kumihimo Guide

  1. String beads onto individual threads before starting.

  2. Slide a bead down to the braid every 4–8 moves.

  3. Use size 8/0 or 11/0 seed beads for best results.

Tip: Pre-string beads in a pattern (e.g., every 6 inches on each thread).


Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet

IssueFix
Loose braidPull threads tighter after each move
Uneven shapeCheck rotation direction (always counter-clockwise)
Tangled threadsUse bobbins or shorter strands
Gaps in braidMaintain consistent tension

Printable Quick-Reference Card

(Copy this table to a notecard!)

StepAction
1Right North → Left South
2Left South → Right North
3Rotate disk ↶ (counter-clockwise)
4Repeat!

Advanced Tip

For 16-strand braids: Use every other slot on the disk and follow the same movement pattern.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

7 Strand Kumihimo Braid Directions

Kumihimo Braids - Seven Strand Braid

Kumihimo Patterns for the Kongo Gumi Braid