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Making Kumihimo

making-kumihimo.jpg

by Rodrick Owen

Takadai oblique interlaced braids is written in a step by step how-to format. The instructions are preceded by how to set up the takadai and then cover three structures, plain weave, twill and rep weaving. The final chapters cover double braids and double pick-up braids. It includes a gallery of finished articles, materials and equipment. There is an appendix with charts and instructions that can be photocopied for personal use.

Hardcover, full color, 192 pages. ***In 2011 this book went out of print.

 

Errata page 1 (pdf)

Errata page 2:

Page 77, #17. On graph 2 & 4, the total number of tama at the top says 21, it should say 24.

Design 27, page 95.
takadai oblique interlaced braid

If you repeat the last two moves only three times as shown, the contrasting color winds up in the middle instead of the top position on the tamas. Doing it this way will give you the design pictured.

If you want the symmetrical design as shown- Letter "A" on page 95, you have to do the last two moves 5 times, not 3. This brings the contrasting color all the way back to the top.

Tim says that he hasn't made the other two (B or C) but he thinks the same would apply to "B." He doesn't know about "C." 

If you decide to make any double faced braids you need to know that the "takatools" at the back of the book weren't printed in the correct size. Here is how Tim handled it.

On page 165 the master templates for the takatools are at a smaller scale than the twill graphs on pages 163, 164, 166 and 167. If you cut the tools by tracing them from his drawing, they won't fit the graphs. So, what you have to do is print out one of the graphs, put it under some translucent plastic (I used one of those colored plastic flexible cutting boards they sell in kitchen stores) and cut the takatool to fit the graph.

We have Tim Clark to thank for these corrections.