How-To: Cecily Howze mixes braiding and ceramics in the art of kumihimo
Cecily Howze demonstrates kumihimo, a Japanese braiding technique, at the Paint the Town pop-up gallery this past April in Marble Falls. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
A friend convinced retired Marble Falls art director and pre-kindergarten teacher Cecily Howze to try her hand at ceramics. Another taught her how to braid cords with a kumihimo disk and string. Howze combined the two to create necklaces and bracelets that she sells at markets and in The ARTitude Cottage gift shop in New Braunfels.
“I can sit and watch TV and braid,” Howze said. “The kumihimo is more relaxing; the clay is more creative.”
Both can be done at home, although she takes the clay pendants to a friend’s kiln in Kingsland for firing. She sometimes throws in a little mosaic work on the pendants, usually when she finds a spot that didn’t fire just right. (Mistakes like that are known in the art community as a “Beautiful Oops.”*)
The Japanese word kumihimo means braided cord and symbolizes connection, respect, usefulness, and beauty. For more than 1,400 years, the Japanese have used the technique to create decorative ties for clothing, such as kimonos, and for warrior armor and weapons. The art was adapted from similar practices in China and Korea.
The Japanese most often use satin cords. Howze uses 1-millimeter rat-tail cord or embroidery thread, but any string or thread will do. Some people unravel fabric so the cord exactly matches the material it will decorate.
“I have used yarn, but I don’t really like the way it turns out,” Howze said. “It doesn’t matter how thick or thin the string is. It’s all pretty easy.”
Although she started out having to chant the steps in her head as she moved the string, she now relaxes in front of the TV and creates colorful, strong cords without missing any plot points.
“It takes about an hour and a half to make 25 inches,” she said. “Then, you have to prepare the ends, which takes a little more time.”
Here’s how it works:
HOW-TO
The tools are simple and inexpensive. You can even make your own kumihimo disks out of cardboard. Kumihimo disks are lightweight and easy to hold. A disk has 32 notches and is marked with four positioning dots across from each other, top to bottom and left to right.
1. Measure the string and roll it onto the eight spools. Rule of thumb is that you need three times as much string to get the desired length of braided cord. For a 25-inch cord, which is a good length for a necklace, you would measure out eight pieces of string at 75 inches each.
2. Tie the eight pieces of string together at one end in an overhand knot. Hold the board face up and put the knot into the center hole.
3. Spread out the eight strings, placing one each into the notches on either side of the four positioning dots on the disk. Each string in a notch is referred to as a warp.
4. Hold the board with one of the positioning dots at the top. Start braiding by removing the warp in the bottom-left notch, moving it up and placing it in the notch to the left of the two top warps: bottom-left to top-left. You will now have three warps in notches at the top of the disk and one at the bottom.
5. Take the top-right warp and move it down to the right of the bottom warp. Top-right to bottom-right. The positioning dot on the top should now be on the right of the two warps and the dot on the bottom to the left of the two warps. You are “traveling” the string around the disk.
6. Turn the disk counterclockwise one-fourth of the way around so the positioning dot that was on the right is now at the top of the disk.
7. Repeat: Move the bottom-left warp to the top notch on the left of the top warp; move the top-right warp to the bottom notch on the right. Turn the disk counterclockwise one-fourth of the way to the next set of warps. Bottom-left to top-left, top-right to bottom-right. Turn, repeat.
8. When you have completed a cord, tie off the ends with thread and seal them with glue. Necklace and bracelet ends can be purchased at craft stores or online. Attach them to the cord ends with a dab of glue. Allow 24 hours for the glue to dry before attempting to wear your new jewelry!
Helpful hints for beginners
- Beginners may find it useful to put a weight on the end of the braid as it forms on the backside of the disk. An easy way to do this is to put 25 pennies in a plastic bag and attach it to the knot with a safety pin.
- Use your left hand to move the left-hand warps and your right hand to move the right-hand warps. Howze says it helps with hand-eye coordination.
- Make sure you set each warp firmly into its notch each time.
- To take a break, leave three warps at the top so you’ll know where to start when you return to braiding. You always restart with the top-right warp, moving it to the bottom-right notch.
* “Beautiful Oops” by Barney Saltzberg, Workman Publishing Company, for ages 3-6. “A pleasingly tactile exploration of the possibilities inherent in mistakes.”—Kirkus Reviews