In the next few months, many of us are signed up for Kumihimo Classes at the Bead & Button Show and the AKS Gathering 2017. I’m also headed to Florida for a three-month stay where I plan to do a lot of kumihimo. I panicked! What do I take? How much do I take? And, where is it all? I have a knitting bag where I keep my needles and notions, a beading case that has tools, mats, needles, and all things beads, and a bin for all my origami stuff. But, I don’t have anything similar for kumihimo. It’s just “my kumi stuff” and it’s all over the house. So, I set about organizing and putting it all together.
Here is what I put in my Kumi Kit:
The basics:
- Marudai, Tama (8, 12, 16 or more) AND don’t forget the hardware (washers & wingnuts)
- Break apart legs, these make it easy to fit my marudai in my suitcase as they are half the length of regular marudai legs.
- Counterweight (up to 600 grams)
- Foam disk
- Chopstick
- Blue painter’s tape
- Plastic bobbins
- Threads & cords, Tex 210, 135 & micro
- Split rings to anchor warps (or 16 gauge wire to make more)
- Third-hand tweezers
- Scissors
- Hemostat clamp
- Cord zapper or burner, extra tips, & batteries
- 2-part epoxy glue
- Fray Check
- A few clasps – good to have a few different sizes and some favorites
- Leather strap to move and hold counterweight on braid
- Tulip or similar awl for removing knots
- Tape measure
For Beaded Braids:
- Beads, lots of beads, kumihimo kits are great when traveling as you don’t have to plan what beads to pack
- Bead spinner, bead spinner Quick Change Trays™ by Beadalon
- Needles, big eye and also needles for the bead spinner
- Beading wire (thin, 49 strand) for braids using crystals, gemstones or other beads “at risk” to cut thread/cord
- Super glue to end beading wire warps
- Bead mat
- Core materials including tubing or soft cording for hollow braids
- Adrienne’s Cord Gizmo™
- Small plastic bags for extra beads
- Yogurt or other cups to easily remove tama and excess beads
For Continuous Beaded Braids:
- Spring stoppers
- Silk and other leader threads
- Size 11 shiny beads to use for stop beads
- Tourniquet thread (s-lon or c-lon)
Miscellaneous supplies:
- 24 gauge wire to use as an armature in a braid
- Magnifiers
- Ott light portable task light
- Pen, notebook, and highlighter
- Ipad and stand
- Small trash container – I like to have a bowl or other container at my workspace to throw all the pesky excess threads, cords, tape, paper, etc.
- Back pillow
- Makiko’s Treatise of Braids:1, patterns, and/or other books
- Headphones
Whew! That’s quite a list. I’ll likely pare it down depending on the projects. But, I should be adequately prepared.
What did I miss? Or, forget? Let me know at [email protected]. Let us know your favorite gizmo or must-have gadget!
by Carol Benner, AKS Newsletter Editor