Customer Reviews

Necklaces Braided on the Kumihimo Disk

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had just learned how to do Kumihimo, and was anxious to get to it. I bought this book and was absolutely floored at the different ideas presented here. Excellent instructions, great pictures, neat ideas. This book does it all.

This is THE book for beginners. It is well written with great pictures.Very easy to understand. If you want to really get into Kumihimo, this is the book to start with.

I have made most of the projects from this book and have loved them all. The best part of the book is using beads to braid into the braid cord. The only thing I did not like was I thought her suggested wire bail was unattractive. Other than that, the book is lovely. Note: I was recently on a plane creating a necklace (once you cut the cord, you don't need sharp objects so its perfect for plane travel) and one person walked by and asked if it was a form of meditation. I think the answer is yes -- and you get something beautiful at the end.

Here's a fascinating book that's clearly written and filled with beautiful photos. I'm delighted to have it in my personal library.

The author summarizes the entire braiding process in detail for a basic round braid and also covers using the essential tools - a braiding disk and bobbins. In addition to a discussion of threads to chose, there's also a discussion of what you should avoid and why - very helpful for someone who's a beginning braider. Also very helpful - how to set up your work and determine how much cord you need to start with to produce a finished braid of a specific length.

Moving on from the essentials, there's a discussion of how to vary your pattern by rearranging the cord colors in specific ways and using two, three, four, or more colors. The photos are great and a braiding diagram and a photo of the finished braid are included for several different braids.

Once you complete your braid you'll want to finish the ends to make a necklace. Attaching focal pieces and finishing the ends with end caps is covered. I wish there was more detail here about alternative finishing techniques, although the author covers a bit more on the subject of finishing later in the book.

The author includes patterns for several braid variations with beads that I found very interesting. Each necklace design has photos of the disk with the threads and cords laid out plus a larger photo of the finished necklace. There's also a detailed explanation of the braiding process: one thing I learned was that you can't braid beads directly due to the fragile nature of the disk (it's very dense foam)so the beads are added one at a time and some are sewn on separately.

Great book, needed this info. Pictures show exactly each step needed to braid on the disk. Good color. Precise but detailed instructions. Great for traveling as it's paperback. Not overwhelming for a newbie to the craft.

This is a great book. I know how to do the basic Kumihimo braid but what I was looking for was a different way to finish a braid than I was shown. I found what I was looking for and more in this book.

This was the first book I purchased when I decided to learn the ancient Japanese art of braiding known as Kumihimo. I am a professional jewelry artist but braiding was out of my comfort zone until I discovered this well written book.

Kumihimo books can be quite costly so I was afraid to invest in books that didn't address my specific interest - incorporating Kumihimo into jewelry.

I am pleased that I purchased this book and have shared it with other jewelry makers.

If you are interested in adding Kumihimo braids to your jewelry making skills, this is an excellent book to invest in.

I found this book to be very informative for the beginner. The instructions for
braiding on the disk is very clear. If you have never done kumihimo this book will
get you started. The pictures are all in color and very inspiring.

What a disappointment.... $21.95 for a thin paper booklet with little substance. The 2 page article in a recent beading magazine had more contet and information on kumihimo than this measly book did. BTW, I'm grateful to Amazon for giving me a full refund.

Once you start to braid this way you become relaxed. It's fun and makes beautiful necklaces. The braiding is easy to learn and can be used with or without beads.