This braid was photographed some time around the end of 2010, and I have no idea where it is; I think I gave it away.[1] To the best of my recollection, it is—perhaps—the second braid I made using a disk. The first was black and white (or ivory) silk. (I think...?) I do, however, have the next two braids I made after it, which I felt were too ugly to photograph. (They're not that awful). I think I was still experimenting with bobbins: I may have used metal sewing machine bobbins as tama for this braid.
purple and teal braid. kongo, cotton, on disk; completed 08feb09, photographed 21dec2010.
Typically, those 2-1/2 inch yarn keeper bobbins (for intarsia knitting and the like) are what's sold with foam disks for kumi. I suppose they're fine for yarn, but they're much too bulky with the perle cotton I typically use. Even my wooden 100gm tama are only about 25–30mm in diameter. So then I tried the metal sewing machine bobbins (which had the happy quality of being useful in both my sewing machines;).
Too heavy. They constantly swung about and tangled, making them frustrating to use. I tried a variety of schemes, including parking the disk on a cup, as sort of a stand, but that made braiding significantly less portable, though it kind of–sort of worked in the car (not while waiting in lines or other short term time killers.)
closeup
I tend to believe this braid might have been braided with the metal bobbins because it looks better and more even than the two that followed it; but I don't really know. At any rate, I eventually substituted lightweight transparent plastic bobbins and that's what I use now, along with a large hollow bead, strung on a wire loop, as a counterweight (fukaro).[2] The plastic bobbins tangle some, but not nearly as much: I can whip a disk braid project out of its little zippered bag & start braiding in less than a minute:) Eventually it occurred to me to keep a sharp eye on the point of braiding, and to gently pull any threads that look loose tight; otherwise relying upon the friction of the slots in the foam to keep the threads fairly taut. However, I've gotten good enough with the disk that I get a reasonable braid even with very lightweight bobbins —as with so much else, practice makes perfect.
Updates, 28apr14
[1]Correct. I found a webpage stub from 2010 that notes that the braid was completed 08feb of 2009. It was incorporated it into a stocking in 2010.
[2]Originally I just strung the kumi thru the bead, but after making one too thick, or something, and trying to tie the cord around the bead, which of course fell out and broke some of its trailed decorations, I strung it up properly, with a big loop to thread the braid.
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
