Kumihimo or Japanese Braiding
I started off with the rectangular version, because thus seemed to me to have more possibilities to scale it to textile usefull in interior design.
I made 2 trials. The first trial had some errors in the tension in the middle, and was not very regular due to different yarns.
The second trial was quite regular, using all same yarns.
The idea to scale it up is somehow tempered due to the triangular start and finish of the tape.
BACK
Next step: enlarging Kumihimo disk with lasercutter. There is also a design I made tot try to improve some weakness in the Kumihimo flat brainding construction.Trying to improve equal tension centre and sides.The square disk has some flaws.
Round Kumihimo braiding is nothing more than variation on the scubidou. Below braids are full, meaning the centre is filled.The zig-zag or chevron mortiv requires quite some concentration, I had to redo the whole proces some 3 times. It requires alternated mirror movement, quite tough.It needs saying, very satifying and quick result in general. It takes 5 to 10 minute to make a swatch.
Hollow Kumihmo braids
Firstly I tried very hard to find a way to do the maypole braiding on a kumihimo disk. After many attempts, it got me the far right basket like little piece of rope.I took ages as wel, but then it was made with a provisory disk, aplastic cover Suddenly I discovered a tutorial on hollow braids with the disk.With the big lasercutted disk and the tutorial, the far left example went quite smooth.
This tutorial showed how to proceed
A brief history of Kumihimo, Japanese braiding
‘Kumihimo’ roughly translates into English as ‘braided cord’. The word has come to represent, in a larger sense, one of the least known of the traditional arts and crafts of Japan. Due to a cord’s small, inconspicuous presence, it is often overlooked, even in discussions related to kimono dress. The ‘obi’, a wide 5 m (15’) long sash, is a substantial component. An ‘obijime’ is required to hold the obi, and everything underneath it, in place, Obijime are usually narrow braided belts, 2.5 m (7.5’) in length (three examples in photos at right).
During the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333 A.D.) and through the Muromachi period (1333 - 1573 A.D.), the warrior class samurai became influential and the demand for armor significantly increased, creating yet another clientele for the kumihimo makers. An amor contains many laquered iron plates, which are joined by braided ribbons. A suit of armor required approximately 250 - 300 m (280 - 300 yds.) of braid. Pictured at right is an armor maker.
Left you see the a hollow braid, made on a kumihimo disk, with irregular stuffing, below the threading and the stuffing
Idee voor performance lukt nog steeds niet om beelden aan een site te linken
https://www.nickbeyeler.com/page0/page0.html
Yet another construction for flat braids gives the braid a more even tension over the tape made. A reason could ne there are less strands to this braid,only 16
Some more experiments with the round braid.Left picture, there were some used markers braided in the centre( they moved in along with the braid, they were not smashed inside).The result is an articulated braid.The pattern used is the diamond pattern, where 20 strands are needed. The disk has to little slots for 20 strands , a disk with 64 slots woud do the job. Number of slots needs to be given as for pie cutting. The diamond braid had to be done over and over due to to little slots.This trial prove the technique to be perfect for dissasembly.
Lobster braiding. It is possible to make side branches, to open the braid and close it again.
Eating the pants. Leg of old pair of pants used as stuffing for the braid.The braid adapts to irregular shapes, smoothly braids around it. Like drawing of the snake in the "petit prince"
The smallest diameteris the sum of the width of the seperate strands. FOr instance, 1 strand measures 0,5 cmx 20 strands= 10cm. If you go smaller than 10 cm diameter ,the braid does not looks smooth.
Opstelling voor basis
kumihimo vlecht/8 strands
Opstelling voor een spiraal 3 kleurige vlecht.12 strands
Opstelling voor een 3 kleurige 16 strand chervon patroon
Marudai braid , movement not the same as when working on the disk. Marudai braiding gooes in left and right direction, while numeroeus tutorials for the hobyist foam disk version allow the maker to continuoosly make the same movement.The set up of the yarns creates the pattern, the crossing movement is always the same.
It All Started With Loop Manipulation
Before looms, people would braid fibers with their fingers in a process of loop manipulation. A version of this called kute-uchi kumihimo arose in Japan in the seventh century. Far from being simple, this loop braiding created multi-layered, square, or round braids.
And what if you wanted to make a complicated pattern involving more strands than you had fingers? No problem! Some complex braids required the hands of five or more people at once! What a sight that would be–like an intricately choreographed dance.
https://www.interweave.com/article/beading/kumihimo-origin-facts/#:~:text=It%20All%20Started%20With%20Loop,%2C%20square%2C%20or%20round%20braids.