Ayatakedai
The stand-alone ayatakedai (eye-yuh-talk-eh-dye) makes warp-twined bands much like tabletwoven bands. If you already own a BraidersHand takadai, you can add an ayatakedai unit to the front of your takadai, in which case it is called an ayatakadai. They have a separate double weft that is perpendicular to the warp. Our ayatakedai is made so that the weaver sits in a chair. (It can also be made in Japanese kneeling style, please contact us.) The ayatakedai holds 10 hane (Japanese for 'feathers', the pieces of wood protruding from the front) so that bands can be made using up to 60 tama with two-tiered feathers which come included, and up to 80 tama with three-tiered feathers, which can be ordered separately. Kumi Himo: The Essence of Japanese Braiding by Aiko Sakai and Makiko Tada has English instruction for the ayatakedai.