I have been making my sample braid with polyurethane coated cord. It’s taken a little getting used to as it’s quite sticky/grabby. In fact, when advance the braid to adjust the point of braiding, one the koma popped out of place, in part because of the tackiness of the cord. I did rearrange the koma, so part of the problem may also have been a function of the koma being loose.
The finished braid is light and you can see the different patterns quite well. Seeing the pattern might also be a function of the color being white.
I haven’t yet had a chance to play around with color. I’m also thinking I’ll experiment with mixing different fibers.