kiloalphatango.com {Insert catchy slogan here}

There was an article in the August 2009 Bead and Button magazine about Japanese Kumihimo braiding. I was intrigued and bought the kit from G J Beads. The article showed a braid which was worked with beads and this is my attempt. I'm hoping that the braids will provide an alternative to using chain, jump rings or suede for lampwork focals.

I posted a picture of the bead bracelet in the Finished Jewellery section of the Frit Happens Forum a couple of days ago. This is an eight strand braid done for practice purposes. It's 38 inches long, enough to double round a neck and support a large flamework bead. I'll have to look through my stash and see if I've anything suitable.
It's quite therapeutic moving the threads around and the tightness of the braid depends on what weight you put on the end of the braid when making it. I made do with what I had so suspended a tangerine in a string bag as my weight. The effect changes according to how the cord is braided in what moves and the colours chosen for individual strands.