Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Ku me he mo. Mo who? Ku me? He who? He mo?

WEBS sent out their newsletter today. Do you guys get these things? You shouldn't. If you value your bank account and all things involving money (like eating, paying your mortgage) you should not touch this newsletter.

Except - maybe for the good deals. I mean REALLY good deals. Last year I managed to get some kind of wool for something like $1.99 a skein. I am presently knitting with this wool and as a result thank the Garage Sale daily. A sweater for $15? I'll take it.

This is what caught my eye in this issue of the newsletter:

Kumihimo Disc


Kumihimo? What the hell is that. Wiki did nothing for me. I was dependent on google.


Kumihimo is pronouced - ku-me-he-mo.

"Kumihimo is the ancient art of Japanese braiding. These braids were intricate and used for many things including the tying of an obi or the connecting of panels on a samurai's armour. Traditionally the braids were made using a marudai which is a wooden stool with a hole in the center. The threads were braided on the top (mirror) of the marudai with the finished braid going down through the hole.. "

Here are some links to explanations and pictures of the process and the finished product. Cords, Braids, oh my. Beautiful cords. Am I crazy to think that this might be fun?

Not only that a great addition to a knitted hoodie? Or purse? Or something, anything to replace the Bookish dreaded I-cord?

Anyone have any experience with this?

I think I'm going to order the disk. Just to see what it's like and all. Anything to escape the i-cord. I hate the i-cord.

And all of you librarians out there? I apologize for not returning my library book. And I almost promise I won't get any others out on Kumihimo until I return my overdue knitting book. In my defense, I forgot how many of you there were. I fear a whole gaggle of you may come find me and cut me with paper or something. I promise to return my book. Just as soon as I'm done with it. ;)

13 Comments:

Blogger LinknKnits said...

The Kumihimo sounds awesome. You should try it and report back to your non-adventurous readers! I seem to remember making something similar to this in Girl Scouts, way back in the day, so it can't be THAT hard... right?

11/16/2005 9:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My husband loves to do kumihimo. He quickly graduated from pearl cotton to a silk/merino blend, too. Fiber fanaticism just took a lot longer to come out in him. :)

11/16/2005 2:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The braid thing is cool. Return your library books! Do not evoke the wrath of the librarian!

11/16/2005 2:52 PM  
Blogger maryse said...

you'll definitely need to report back. they're so pretty.

11/16/2005 2:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha! You crack me up. As a librarian, I am the QUEEN of racking up the fines (and they make me pay them!). I blame it on being a librarian. As a librarian I (naturally) use the library a lot and check out a lot of books! But sometimes a few weeks isn't enough time to go through 20 or so books. Then of course they end up under the bed, under the car seat, etc. So believe me, I can understand your plight. Just know that even a librarian doesn't return her books on time. (I hope they don't kick me out of the profession!)
And I cannot WAIT to see this kokomo-kimono-heema-hooey disc thing in action. Very exciting find!

11/16/2005 3:51 PM  
Blogger spajonas said...

it kind of reminds me of a lucet.. but in a lucet you typically use only one strand to make the braid..

http://kws.atlantia.sca.org/photos/lucet/

you should try it!

11/16/2005 4:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm another librarian who can't return books on time. The students love it when, during the demo of "you can renew your books online," they see on my record that I've got fines - at my own library!

Oh - and the kumehimo (?) looks gorgeous and very useful!

11/16/2005 7:30 PM  
Blogger Sonya said...

Another librarian here who racks up fines. But I love borrowers who pay fines because we need the money. ;o)

11/16/2005 8:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeah! something to replace the i-cord!
I'm super bad at returning books on time also, (but, I blame it on the kids) I like to think of paying my late fine as "donating to the library".
Let us know how the kthingamado works out! Sounds pretty darn cool.

11/16/2005 9:34 PM  
Blogger WandaWoman said...

A friend http://nancy.typepad.com/knitting/,just learned how to do this type of braiding as well. You should check out her blog too.

11/17/2005 1:45 PM  
Blogger Vicki said...

Reminds me of what happened last time I went to the library. I have owed money for a little while, but they usually just mention it and say I don't have to pay today. Great! So this time she tells me how much and asks if I want to pay. Broke me says no thank you. She says, "One of the charges dates back to 2002, you really need to start paying that back." I was so stunned a couldn't think of what to say. After getting home I realized I should have just pulled out the 43 cents in pennies I had in my purse. Ugh!

11/17/2005 2:58 PM  
Blogger Dana S. Whitney said...

Well... the link TO THE RIGHT of my entries works!! I haven't figured out (yet) how to have the stamp show AND make the link... obviously have some of the html in the wrong order. (Big surprise... I am an artists and aesthete, NOT. A. PROGRAMMER.) Besides, I'm old. (That's my new(ish) excuse.). I'm going to look at your map.
I don't mind I-cord, I must say... although I haven't learned how to do it CONNECTED to edges of things....
The best perk of being a librarian in Dallas was having your fines forgiven... but god forbid you didn't check the books OUT. One woman ultimately was convicted of grand-theft library book for all the books the looked at "before they were completely processed." I think she had, um, hoarding issues... as many of the books were neither about things she was interested... nor things she objected to.
Thanks for the comment. I'll get caught up. I was discouraged the week you didn't post!!

11/18/2005 3:28 PM  
Blogger jen said...

Hey there bookish Wendy! I saw your friend Juli this week at a local SnB (in our area! Superior! And Juli came!) and she said that you might be moving my way ... is that right? Cathi didn't tell me. I need to stalk, I mean follow, your blog more closely. :)

11/18/2005 6:40 PM  

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