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Working with the Kumihimo Disk
by None Redmond
contents:
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BRAID 1: Kongo-gumi, or spiral braid
Here is a picture of what you need to make the spiral braid called in Japan, the Kongo-gumi. The traditional silk in 4 different colours is shown in the top picture.
You can also use a single strand of a thicker thread, such as silk embroidery floss or pearl cotton shown in the second picture. You can also use rattail, yarn or narrow ribbon. The possibilities are endless!
Weighting the thread where it hangs down in the center hole keeps the braid more even. You can buy a weight like the one pictured or use an old film canister filled with a few pennies.
To prepare the threads, cut 2 lengths about a yard long of each colour, double them in the centre and secure them there with the weight and its attached thread by means of a larks head knot as shown in the next picture.
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the Lark's Head knot is shown securing the centre of the 8 threads - or in this case the silk threads.
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The weight hangs below the central hole and the threads are inserted into the slots around the edge of the disk as shown in this picture. Each pair of threads in a given colour are opposite one another across the disk.
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When the threads are arranged around the disk as shown in the previous picture with the weight securing the threads under the disk and maintaining a uniform tension the braiding may begin. You may start with whatever colour you choose but for illustration purposes I started with the brown. Holding the disk so that the four brown threads were in a north - south direction I moved the north thread on the right to the south to the right of the 2 brown threads already there.
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The brown thread at the south on the extreme left of the three brown threads there is now moved to the north and placed in the slit to the left of the single brown thread there. This completes the first move.
The disk is then rotated anti clockwise for the beige threads to take the north - south position and the same exchange is performed with > them
North Right to South Right
South Left to North Left
and then the anti clockwise rotation.
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This picture shows the Kongo gumi in progress.
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Here is the finished braid.
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