Links to the Basic Tutorials & Videos

How to attach a tama leader to fibers How to make a tama slipping hitch All you ever wanted to know about Japanese fibers Determining proper counterweight to tama ratio How to make a tama slipping hitch All you ever wanted to know about Japanese fibers

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Links to Beaded Braid Project Basics

Hand movements (diagram) for 2-drop Kohgoh on the disk, both Z and S spiral How to cut cords and fold the half at start How to stiffen cord ends using FrayCheck SLon and CLon cords – what size to use the beads Why use a dryer sheet for braiding?

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Giovanna Imperia – MEMBER AT LARGE

Giovanna Imperia is the author of Kumihimo Wire Jewelry and many articles on braiding and weaving. Her work has been exhibited and is included in private and museum collections throughout the United States and internationally. Giovanna’s work focuses on the exploration of tactile and organic nature of fiber while pushing the boundaries of the expected […]

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Janis Saunders

Janis Saunders – MEMBER AT LARGE

“I am pleased to be involved with AKS as I am interested in educating braiders about what they love to do. My husband, Dave, and I met Rodrick Owen in 2001. After seeing some of Dave’s woodworking in our home, he asked him if he would be interested in building Japanese braiding equipment. After sleeping […]

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Carol Benner

Carol Benner – GOVERNANCE & NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Carol Benner was elected to the Board in 2018. Although she has been knitting, folding paper and doing other crafts for 40+ years, she was afraid to braid and even more afraid to use the marudai. She now says that has all changed! She loves and uses both the disk and the marudai. She is the […]

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Sherri Hodnefield

Sherri Hodnefield – TREASURER

“AKS is a wonderful community of gifted, talented people who love to share their passion for braiding. When I first learned how to braid, I was looking for a hobby, but what I found was a way to express my own creativity, as well as, a group of women I want to spend time with, […]

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Jane Peterson – VICE PRESIDENT

Jane Peterson began beading in 1996 and discovered Kumihimo braiding in 2010 when she took a Marudai Basics class with Adrienne Gaskell. As a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner since 1988, she found she needed a creative outlet to balance her work life. The endless possibilities of braid structures along with bead stitches and techniques fascinates […]

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Adrienne Gaskell – PRESIDENT

St. Petersburg, Florida Adrienne Gaskell’s innovations explore the ancient Japanese art of kumihimo. Her jewelry incorporates gemstones, pearls, and beads and has been featured in “Showcase 500 Art Necklaces” by Lark Books, Bead&Button’s BeadDreams competition, and the Toho Design Challenge. She exhibits at juried art shows and galleries across the county. Her teaching resume includes […]

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