by Takara Alexis
The usual Japanese craft requires a wooden marudai and weighted tama or bobbins - and you use both hands moving opposite strands in various motions to get specific patterns. It is very hard to work with beads using the traditional tools. Actually, it's pretty hard to work with the traditional tools with or without beads. These beads aren't used for your usual bead bracelets or necklaces. The smooth wood and the need for weighted bobbins and counterweights on the growing braid are just not conducive to moving beads.
The invention of the foam disc with 32 slots evolved working beads into braids really easily, since the foam slots hold the working strands in place, removing the need for weighted bobbins. When you start off with the basic "fill the slot" kumihimo braid, you have to orient the 8 strands equally, and this commonly works best with cardinal compass points. Both the Hamanaka and BeadSmith versions have the cardinal points marked, but for some strange reason, the Hakamata disc offsets the points by a couple degrees - so when you hold the disc and the logo is parallel to the floor, the strands form an X, instead of a cross, but since you need to orient the strands to a cross, this becomes weird to do.
Bobbins are crucial - in both large and small sizes. Even when making short braids, having your thread tails correctly wrapped up helps ensure even tension. These aren't like sewing machine bobbins, but ones that are used by knitters, called "EZ Bobs". The best type are the disc shaped ones which have flexible covers that are opened with a little thumb pressure.
While you might only work with 8 strands at a time, it's always a wise idea to have an extra bobbin or two handy. The small sizes are good, particularly for short strands and when you are braiding with thin cording, and the larger for heavy cord, long strands or bigger beads.
There have also been times when people have had to counterweight the bobbins rather than the braid. After many uses, particularly with heavy material strands (such as satin cord), the slots stretch. If you then go back to using little material strands, it becomes hard to keep even tension when the braid becomes heavier than the collective weight of the bobbins.
Is there anything else you would like to find out about <a href="http://www.novobeads.com/">beads</a> or <a href="http://www.novobeads.com/">bead bracelets</a>? Come to Novobeads.com and check out great, American made products that are fully compatible with all major bead bracelet brands!. Check here for free reprint license: <a href="http://www.uberarticles.com/home.php?id=1295199&p=52217">Kumihimo Using Beads</a>.
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New Unique Article!
Title: Kumihimo Using Beads
Author: Takara Alexis
Email: rrsmondo@rapidrecoverysolution.com
Keywords: novobeads,jewelry making,beads,bead bracelets,fashion,sales,advertising,marketing,online business,jewelry,beauty,making beads
Word Count: 387
Category: Hobbies
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