You should be seeing the kumihimo braid design tool here.
If you are seeing this text after the page has finished loading, either javscript is disabled or your browser does not support some features required.
About the braid
I based this braid on 8J in Creative Kumihimo by Jacqui Carey. 8J is the same braid as Yatsu-se (Eight Streams) in Comprehensive Treatise of Braids I by Makiko Tada and braid 15 in Rodrick Owen’s Braids: 250 Patterns from Japan, Peru & Beyond. Yatsu-se is an 8 thread braid, threads in pairs, but to extend it I put extra threads in the north and south groups.
I initially made it with no efforts to add tension, and made a very loose, flexible flat braid (back and front shown in the right hand pictures of the designer). I think it is rather nice for decorative uses. I decided to see what would happen if I tried to tighten the braid up (it tends to stay rather wide while under construction). I pulled the threads tight on some of the moves to get a much stiffer braid, shown in the left hand for pictures. I have included back front and sides of this version as the extra tension makes it a more rectangular braid, but with a definite curve to the front/back sides.
Back and front of the braid are actually the same, but with a vertical shift of the pattern.
How to use the designer
Use the colour picker to choose your thread colour. If you use it on the braid, it will be added to your colour list so you can easily choose it again. Click on the thread you want to colour in the braid diagram.
Some braids allow you to change the number of threads. If available, you can use the "+" and "-" buttons to change the number of threads - active internet connection required.
Marudai Instructions
Whether you make the left pictured or the right pictured version of this braid depends on how you do moves 2 and 4. For the looser, right hand, version, just move the threads to their new position and lay them down. For the tighter, left hand version, take the threads across to the opposite sides of the marudai and pull them before moving them to their proper position.
- This braid was derived by ourselves.
I am a little confused – I think I am missing something. I see that all the steps are listed for the Marudai version of this braid, but I am not sure how to translate that onto a braid using a kumi plate. Does this pattern require a Marudai? (Which I don’t own.) Do I need to purchase the Jacqui Carey book for the braid this is based on? – If the answer to that last question is yes, that won’t do me much good as the book is out of print and I cannot purchase a used copy…. I love the look of this braid and would very much appreciate any assistance in creating this design for myself!
Thanks,
Allie
It looks like it could be done on a disk. With the initial setup, leave one space between the two threads on the sides. Make move 1 and move 2, then reset the side threads to have one space between. Make move 3 and move 4, then reset the side threads to have one space between. Have not tried it, but that might work.
Hi Robin, I would probably leave 2 gaps at each side to start, then you only need to reset the threads at the end of each cycle. Sometimes having larger gaps can affect the pull at the point of braid, but I think this would be OK.