Kumihimo: September 2006 Archives
Today's picture gets you both my handmade item and the interesting found object. The lampwork glass bead comes to me from Oak Grove Yarns. I found Linda at the Michigan Fiber Festival and really fell in love with her interesting beads in all shapes and sizes and irridescent colors. The crow in me that collects the shiny things had to have one. Only none of the ones she had on display that I liked had a hole big enough for a Kumihimo braid (at least not the ones I make, I am sure you can make them out of finer thread). When she offered make one custom for my needs, I jumped at the chance to have my own small piece of unique handiwork. It arrived last week and I love it's rough hewn texture and the sense of depth the bead conveys, like water moving under ice.
The braid you see threaded through the bead will not be the bead's final cord. This cord is barely long enough to be a bracelet. However, it is probably the first Kumihimo braid that I have created that I really like. It's made from silver and lilac DMC perle cotton. It was made on the Kumihimo disk. I seem to get better results from the disk thank the plate. I'd like to make a somewhat thicker cord for this bead. And I think I will probably choose darker thread colors to set off the bead better. Perhaps black with a teal accent? And then I will need to find the the jewelry findings. Amazing how one inspirational bead can send me off on a whole collection of new adventures.
