New Tri-Color Braid Chains

I've been itching to get busy in my studio, but for the past few weeks the arthritis in my hand has been making it impossible. This week Mr. LuckyGirl had lapband surgery, so I've been a little busy as a one-armed nurse. Between the two of us I'm not sure that we equal a single able-bodied person right now, so life's a bit extra challenging. Mr. LuckyGirl is adjusting nicely, and I've got a thumb-joint replacement in the schedule, so things should be humming along here soon.

The good news is that I've been sorting through a huge shipment of sterling silver chains. I love this tri-color braid chain! It's sterling silver, with one strand left shiny silver, one plated in rose gold, and the third strand plated in yellow gold. It's a flat braid, about 5mm wide, and I have them in 16-, 18-, and 20-inch lengths. They look fabulous alone and with a large-bailed pendant, and coordinate beautifully with most other jewelry.

Make Something Mondays: Long Silk Kumihimo Cord

A jewelry store owner contacted one of my suppliers looking for finished kumihimo braids. The supplier recommended me (how cool is that! I am still over the moon!). After a couple of discussions we determined that she wanted a thin 2.5mm diameter braid, 36 inches long plus tassels. I think she was going to add a donut pendant and tie the ends in a simple knot.

I braided about 60 strands of 6-foot-long black silk thread into this beautiful braid. At this size I can only braid a couple of inches an hour, so it took a good number of days to finish. You can see my braiding set-up in this post.

Now that I've finished, the store owner has changed her mind and doesn't want the braid. I'm fine with that: I can list it for sale and it will find its way to an owner who will love it. I now have a good idea of how long it will take me to finish many different sizes of braids, something I did not have a good handle on before this project. And I love working with silk thread so much--it feels so terrific!--that I may make a few more braids like this one.

This post was inspired by Jolly Mom and Go Graham Go!, the ingenious moms behind Make Something Monday. We'd love for you to join us next Monday!

I Finished Another Project!

It feels so good to get a few things finished! I've got a gazillion or two projects underway, and it's so easy to jump around from project to project, that sometimes I have to make myself finish something. Today's accomplishment is a new Kumihimo braided necklace. The last one I finished I wondered whether I was pricing these too low, and based on the comments I've tried to increase the price a bit on this one. It was made with black satin cord and multicolor novelty yarn, so it's strong and sturdy yet soft and fuzzy.

New Kumihimo Necklace

I listed this necklace in my Etsy shop today. It's about 18 inches long, including the clasp, and I think it's gorgeous--it's the first one I've done in this pattern and I love how it turned out. I make these for the love of making them, and not for any sort of profit. I'd be interested in some feedback on the pricing: this one is listed for $25, because that's how much I'm guessing someone might be willing to pay for it. If I put price tags on my kumihimo that reflect the time I spend on these necklaces, they would each be $100 or more, and I can't imagine anyone wanting one that desperately. So what do you think, is $25 a reasonable amount for a handcrafted necklace like this one?

My Kumihimo Tools

The last time I posted about making Kumihimo I told you a little bit of the craft's history. I brought the materials with me on this trip to make a few new pieces, and I thought you might like to see my tools.

I use this disk to create the braids. I can secure thee threads in the grooves both to keep consistent tension on them and to keep them in order. Tension is critical while braiding: too slack and the braid will be short and fat, too much and the braid will be thin and tight. The worst thing that can happen is to change tension levels mid-braid, because you can end up with a braid that is fat on one end, skinny in the middle, and just right at the other end. Not a good look for a necklace!

Sometimes I wind the thread on these bobbins. I braid with a minimum of 8 separate threads, and each thread starts out approximately twice as long as the finished piece. If I'm working with just a few feet of 2mm satin cord I usually don't bother with the bobbins. These bobbins are each wound with multiple strands of silk thread that are several yards long. Silk thread feels so luxurious to work with! It tangles very easily though, and I wanted to make a 16-thread necklace, so bobbins are a must. I hope to get this braid finished next week, and I promise to post photos when I'm done.

My Latest Kumihimo Necklace

I listed this braided Kumihimo necklace in my etsy shop today. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out until I was a good way into the braiding because I made it with windowpane yarn. If you've never seen windowpane yarn, it looks like two strands of string connected by little ribbon flags. This was my first time using anything like it, and I love the way this necklace looks! I also refreshed myself on kumihimo history today so that I could answer a customer's questions, so here's a mini history lesson for you: Kumihimo is a centuries-old tradition, dating back to the days of the Samurai who used kumihimo braids to lace up their armor, wrap sword handles to create a secure grip, and to hang a sword on their belts. The Samurai warriors were expected to be able to repair their braids if they became worn or damaged, so by the time they were too old (or maimed) to do battle they were able to earn a decent living by making kumihimo braids.

The Joy of Silk

I made this kumihimo necklace several weeks before we moved, but didn't have time to get it listed in my Etsy shop until now. I loved making this--the silk thread felt so nice I was almost sorry to get to the end of the braid! Now I'm anxious to finish unpacking and organizing so I can find the rest of my silk thread and pick out colors for the next one. I love custom orders, so if you'd like one made with specific colors just let me know.