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Braids Again

Just in case you thought that my life had become all about lumber and cutting and the joining thereof, you should know that I have been braiding as well. Here are the latest four braids I've braided, some of them being experiments in material to make interesting examples for a class in braiding I am teaching this Saturday at the Mi-no-Hi festival. (I did the web pages for that event, too.)

Black and Gold Silk

I started this braid just after the superbowl, and it took me a few weeks to get it completed. It's over eight feet long and done in the Hira Kara Gumi style, which is a slow-going braid for me. I've now completed two of the 37 possible HKG two-color patterns.

Extended Sampler in Combed Silk

I couldn't find my original sampler of the patterns in Jacqui Carey's Beginners Guide to Braiding, so I made a new, longer one to show during my class. The sections are about 12 inches long instead of about 4 inches long on the first one. I had enough yarn on the bobbins to add a section of Yatsu Rai and a section of a braid I came up with (I call it "Long Spiral") to the end of the sampler.

Rope and Yarn Together

I was wondering how well this 40-pound test nylon line would braid. It, like the rat-tail cord, only worked well in the Kusari Kaku Yatsu "square braid". You can see how it pushed the polyester yarn off to the sides, making it more like a flat braid instead of a square. It's reasonably attractive, but its main purpose is to have an approximate test weight capable of holding my weight, in case I ever need a braid to save my life. &smirk;

Yarn with a Rope Core

Slighly more decorative, this braid uses the Edo Yatsu eight-strand braid, which is hollow. I ran a length of nylon rope down the center, which makes this braid stronger than mere yarn, but the rope is completely hidden.

2009.02.26 at 7:30am EST

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