Creative Kumihimo [Paperback]

Jacqui Carey (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Carey Co (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0952322501
• ISBN-13: 978-0952322504
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for more types of braids., October 16, 2001

By 

T. Brewer "Creativeminded" (Dodge City, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Kumihimo (Paperback)

I wouldn't recommend this book for beginners because it is so full of information and braid patterns, however, once a person has learned how to do the braiding with the beginners book by Jacqui Carey this book is a great in the fact that it does have different patterns that are more intricate. I would recommend this book for people who already know how to do Kumihimo braiding and want to expand their braiding abilities.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great patterns, very good descriptions, January 9, 2007

By 

C. Cassan "pitchoune_cl" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Kumihimo (Paperback)

This book contains advanced patterns for the Marudai, using 4, 8 and 16 tamas (bobins). Once you understand that the kumihimos in the pictures are described at the end of the book you're good to go. The patterns let you see how the colors will affect the results and plan ahead to get the effect you desire.
One thing I regret though is that the chapter on endings doesn't have enough details and would need more drawings.
Highly recommended for intermediate level. If you are a complete beginner you should buy "The Beginner's Guide to Braiding: The Craft of Kumihimo by Jacqui Carey" first.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Creative Kumihimo, June 30, 2009

By 

Diana M. Kirkpatrick "artisan jewelry designer" (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Kumihimo (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite kumihimo books. Ms. Carey presents all the basics, but she goes way beyond just the basics - equipment needed, working with the threads and cords (the warp), and patterns for a lot of different braids. The essential piece of equipment is a braiding stand or maru-dai. The threads and cords are wound onto bobbins (tama) which are then suspended across the top (or mirror) of the maru-dai. Ms. Carey discusses setting up the maru-dai and covers types of thread to use, the length to use, and how much thread per bobbin. This section includes some terrific photos that make everything very clear.

The braid's structure is determined by a series of movements and the photos that accompany each braid type show exactly how to handle the threads in the braiding process. Plus - there's a discussion of patterns and how to read them. There are a lot a braid patterns included in this book and with each one there's a color photo of the of the finished braid, a diagram of the layout of the cords on the maru-dai, and a photo of what the cental brading point looks like (some braids have very distinctive center points and in any case, observing changes at the center can catch errors early).

There's a lot of detail on finishing your braids (an entire chapter) with explanations and great photos of the various approaches (knotting, beads, tassels, etc.). I like the author's approach and concise style. The last chapter is called "Creative Effects" and it includes some wonderful examples of things you can do with your braids.