Monthly Newsletter - Issue 83                                                         July  2017

Things in this Newsletter
Kumihimo Inspiration of the Month
July Kit of the Month "LOVE"
NEW COLORS 8/0 Seed Beads
RE-STOCKED: Kumihimo Rayon Gimp & Kumihimo Rayon Gimp
Shimmer Tubular Yarn
Petite Satin Cord
HGA - 2018 Reno Convergence
On My Marudai
NEW COLORS! Pip Beads
NEW! Bamboo Magnetic Clasps
Yep! Christmas in July
Kumihimo Links

Gr e etings! 


Another month has come and gone. I love, love, love summer. We were skiing at Squaw Valley on the 4th of July and the mountain biking is fantastic a little lower down on the mountains. The wildflowers are abundant, the lakes are full and the rivers are flowing. If you have a visit to Tahoe in your summer vacation plans, you will be delighted. 

I have lots to share with you starting with 2018 Reno Convergence to more Kumihimo Rayon Gimp & Ribbon to new seed beads to new Pip beads to new magnetic clasps and a new Kit of the Month. Fun! Fun! Fun!

The July Kit of the Month "Love" is inspired by my mom. She knits, I braid. When we were in Oaxaca last Spring, she did a study with her knitting group on stripes. I was inspired and borrowed one of her ideas and adapted it to Kumihimo. Read more below. 

I have some good news! I was accepted to teach at 2018 Reno Convergence. I am delighted and excited. More details below.

Last not but least, welcome to all of you that are new to What a Braid and thank you to all of my loyal friends and customers. I really do appreciate you. 
 
Happy Braiding, 



karen@whataknit.com
530-448-3624 

Kumihimo Inspiration of the Month....
Kumihimo Inspiration of the Month: Irene York
Reno, Nevada
My mom, Irene York.
This month I decided t o change things up a bit. Inspiration doesn't always come from  another
braider but this time from somebody that shines bright in another art (knitting). My mom is  my  inspiration .

I mentioned  in my last newsletter that my nephew, Jonny,  graduated  fro high school  and will be going off to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa . My mom (grandma to Jonny) asked Jonny if there was anything he would like to have to take with him to college. He didn't think long before he said that he would like grandma to knit him a blanket. You see, in our family my mom has been knitting all of us "love" blankets for many years. When you are wrapped up in one of these blankets, everything is okay in the world. They are special and you really do feel the love that she puts into each  stitch.

My mom was flattered by Jonny's request. I love what she chose to do (and this is where the inspiration came from for my kit of the month). She decided to  knit Jonny a barcode blanket with the names of everyone in our family. 
 
She generated barcodes for the name of each member of the family and then started knitting big barcoded (striped) pieces. Jonny's barcode is in the middle with his family surrounding him. My mom is still working on the barcode blocks for a few more family members. When she is done stitching together all the barcode "strips of stripes" she will put a nice border around the entire blanket. 
 
S he is knitting as fast as she can but couldn't meet my newsletter deadline. But when Jonny leaves in exactly one month, we will all feel good sending him off with a part of each of us. 

Jonny's "Love" Blanket in progress













I will post Jonny's finished "Love" Blanket next month. 

I loved the idea of using the barcodes to influence stripe patterns so I incorporated the idea into my July Kumihimo Kit of the Month.

There are many barcode generators on the internet. Pick one and have fun!
                                                                        
 
July Kit of the Month - "LOVE"
Barcode for Love...
This Kumihimo Necklace kit is 100% inspired by my mom's creation of Jonny's Barcode "LOVE" Blanket. The first sample below (left) is an exact interpretation of the generated black & white barcode for the word "LOVE".  
For the Red Barcode "LOVE" necklace, I took a little creative liberty and added colors to the barcoding. I changed the Black barcode stripes all to Red and then chose 5 additional colors that filled in the white barcode stripes. There is no end to the experimenting.  

Th necklace is made up of all 8/0 seed beads. The beaded portion of the necklace measures approximately 19" (depending on beads, braider, tension, etc). You can attach the end caps right next to the beads or you can leave some braid showing on either end to make the necklace longer. You could also order an extra package of the main color and add extra beads to each end of the necklace. 
 
You will need:
- Kumihimo Disk (I use the   Beadsmith THICK Mini and it's great)
- 8 Bobbins (I use the  Small EZ Bobbins)
- Scissors
- Tape Measure
- Cord Zapper, Fray Block or Needle & Thread (for finishing ends)
 
You should know:
- Kumihimo Round Braid (Kongoh Gumi)
- How to drop beads (see  Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a refresher). It's easy.  
Kit includes:
  • 8/0 Toho/Miyuki seed bead
  • 1 spool of C-Lon Bead Cord (you will have plenty of extra)
  • 4mm Acrylic Magnetic Clasp
  • Instructions with photos
Cost $27 to $30

NEW 8/0 Seed Bead Colors - GORGEOUS!
Have some fun with these new colors of 8/0 Miyuki Seed Beads!

Colors from Top Left:  Anemone, Kumquat, Matte Vermillion Red AB, 
Matte Metallic Brick Red, Spanish Olive, Latte, Cognac and Matte Mustard. 
Click here for 8/0 Toho and Miyuki Seed Beads (97 colors)
Click here for 6/0 Toho and Miyuki Seed Beads  (78 colors)

MORE... Kumihimo Rayon Gimp & Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon
Another shipment of Kumihimo Rayon Gimp & Ribbon just arrived and it is already going fast!  More and more braiders are having fun with fiber braids and have found that yarns (cords) with a unique hand are super to incorporate in their bracelet and jewelry projects.

Kumihimo Rayon Gimp is  a round medium weight special yarn consisting of a cotton core wrapped with fine rayon thread to form a sheath. It is a beautiful fiber to use in Kumihimo braids. It can be used as a stand alone fiber or it can be mixed with other fibers. It mixes well with What a Braid's Petite Satin as well as the Shimmer Tubular Yarn

Click here for KRG. $8 / 10 meters





Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon  is a knitted rayon tube a n d in Kumihimo it is used as a flat ribbon. Click here for KRR. $6 / 10 meters

Both the Kumihimo Rayon Gimp and the Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon have repeats of color. Sometimes, when I am cutting my cords, I match up the repea ts in my cord lengths to generate a braid with defined color changes and other times I cut my cord lengths randomly and let the colors fall wherever they end up. Both fibers are beautiful to work  with. 

Shimmer Tubular Yarn - 9 Colors
Shimmer Tubular Yarn is a Cotton/Rayon tubular yarn with a little metallic thread that adds sparkle. It is perfect for Kumihimo. An 8 strand braid in the Shimmer tubular yarn braids up similar to an 8 strand braid made up of Petite Satin. This is also a great yarn to useably itself (bracelets below) or combined the Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon (3 Braid Necklace Kit below), the Kumihimo Rayon Gimp and the Petite Satin Cord. The sky is the limit. 

$4/10 yards

Colors (top to bottom):Eggplant, Teal, Midnight, Pink, Citrus, Olive, Pine, Chocolate, Champagne.

Click here for Shimmer Tubular Yarn
Shimmer Tubular Yarn Combined with Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon in
3-Braid Necklace Kit


Shimmer Tubular Yarn in 20-strand "Round" Bracelet Kit

Petite Satin Cord - 32 Beautiful Colors
Made in the U.S.A., this soft, shimmering, vibrant Rayon Satin Cord cord is a Kumihimo favorite. "Petite" satin cord is approximately 1mm - 1.4mm in size (roughly 1/16 inch or slightly over) and is sometimes referred to as #0 or Bugtail. "Petite" Satin Cord makes a gorgeous 8 strand Kumihimo round braid and pairs perfectly with the 6mm end caps. These generous 10 yard lengths of Rayon Satin Cord come packaged in reclosable plastic bags labeled with color and length. This is the "good stuff" as some say!

CLICK HERE to see all the Petite Satin
Cord at What a Braid
 !! My shelves are well-stocked!

$3 / 10 yards
 
Handweavers Guild of America - Reno 2018 Convergence
This past weekend I attended the Handweavers Guild of America Annual Meeting. The  Handweavers Guild of America  is dedicated to promoting the textile arts. It provides a forum for handweavers, handspinners and related fiber artists.

A very exciting topic of discussion was the upcoming 2018 Reno Convergence. Oh yes, this is going to be a grand conference. Plan ahead. If you aren't a member of HGA, become one! Links provided below.  Registration for classes will open in December. Mark your calendar!

Oh and...picture me doing a "happy dance".... I will be one of the many teachers at 2018 Reno Convergence and I am honored. I look forward to sharing m y love for B raiding/Kumihimo with you! 

I am ecstatic that HGA / Convergence chose Reno for their 2018 conference. It is a fantastic location. Reno, considered "The Biggest Little City in the World", sits adjacent to the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe. The Reno/Tahoe International Airport is easy to fly into and navigate and the Peppermill Hotel is about 2 miles from the airport. The hotel is beautiful with  plenty of restaurants and a fantastic Spa. Over the years, Reno has developed into an awesome city. The Midtown area has a plethora of great restaurants, there are excellent museums, the Truckee River runs right through town and the proximity to Lake Tahoe is a real bonus. You won't want to miss this opportunity. Come for the conference and then plan to stay longer!

Click here to become a Professional Member of HGA (teachers, retailers, galleries, etc).

Mark your calendar. Registration opens December 2017!

On My Marudai / Disk
These braids are inspired by Rodrick Owen and I have been devouring his latest book,"Andean Sling Braids". I love playing with these braids in my "free" time!

Chevron, spiral, fret, lattice, striped and diamond patterns are prevalent in the Peruvian braids. These design elements are intriguing to work with and playing with color adds yet another dimension. 

Most of the braids in the photo are 24 strands (done on my Marudai). The braid on the right side of the photo is a 16 strand braid with a core (braided on my foam disk). 

What am I going to do with these braids? Quite possibly, nothing! Imagine that! They may just be braids.

There is alot of freedom when the only requirement is to make a braid. 
 
NEW! Summer Bright Pip Beads
Pips are small Czech pressed glass beads.They measure 5mm x 7mm. For the summer, I added Periwinkle, Red, Turquoise, Orange, Chartreuse and Black Pip beads. Hematite and Silver are old standbys. 

When I braid with the Pip Beads, I use C-Lon Beadcord. The holes in the Pip beads are quite small so here's what I do: I dip the cord ends in Fray Block and set them aside. When they are thoroughly dried, I cut the cord ends to a point and the Pip Beads thread beautifully!

Click here for Pip Beads.
Click here for Fray Block
Click here for Pip Cluster Bead Necklace Kits


NEW! Bamboo Magnetic Clasps for KUMIHIMO
8mm $3  / set 
All I can say is "HOLY COW". These glue-in magnetic Clasps are super strong. And they look sharp too. AND, the price is right!

They come in 2 sizes: 8mm & 10mm.
They come in 2 colors: Gold & Silver colored.
The price is right!                                                           
             
10mm $4 / set
                                                                       Click here for Bamboo Magnetic  Clasps.         

      
Kumihimo Christmas in July
The Kumihimo 3 Color Blended Beaded Necklace with the Adjustable Closure. Kit $27 

The notion seems ridiculous, doesn't it? I know some of you like to get started early as I have already been selling Square Knot Holiday Bracelets like Christmas is tomorrow! It's never too early....

The Original Holiday Square Knot Bracelet. Kit $12














Kumihimo Beaded Bauble & Leaf Holiday Necklace.
Kit $34





20 Strand "Round" Holiday Bracelet. Kit $26


20--strand "Flat" Holiday Bracelet. Kit $25


Beaded Candy Canes 
(makes 3)
Kit $18 
Satin Candy Canes Kit 
(makes 3)
Kit $14 



What a Braid Monthly Newsletter Archives
Newsletter
Please enjoy my archived What a Braid Newsletters! They are made available for your personal enjoyment. You will find alot of great information, tips, trick and ideas. Please do not copy and re-use my content. I have been writing these newsletters every month going on 8 years now! As I have time, I will add some of the older newsletters to the list.  Enjoy!
 
Reminder !
Copyrighted patterns are not to be copied, shared electronically, given to friends or members of the guild or used for teaching purposes 
without express consent of the author. What a Knit or What a Braid patterns are for your personal use. Feel free to sell your creations but remember to give proper credit to the D esigner.  If you decide you want to write a tutorial, 
it is not appropriate to "borrow" parts of a copyrighted pattern. Thank you.

Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram

What a Braid has gone Social 
and this is where I introduce some of the mid-month "special" kits. 

So make sure you:

Follow me on Pinterest!
Find us on Pinterest

Like me on Facebook!
Like us on Facebook

And you can also Follow Me on Instagram!
View on Instagram 


Join Our Mailing List!

Please share this newsletter with your Kumihimo friends!  

You can subscribe here or on my website www.whatabraid.com