how-to : kumihimo hollow braid
A kind of critical mass happens when I am learning something new. It starts after I understand the basics and start swapping traditional materials with similar reacting unconventional materials. It may be a few weeks or a year or longer, but eventually, I start waking up with ideas. They feel like they came out of nowhere, created independent of my conscious desire to ideate.
That happened yesterday with these braiding grocery bags. These new ideas are still beyond my skill level but are enticing and keep me motivated to keep learning.
In this week's video, I wanted to learn a new braiding pattern and see what happened when I mixed materials. I introduced a nylon embroidery floss to contrast the tan grocery bag.
What didn't work great
the tension of the embroidery floss was different than the tension of the grocery bag
because of this tension difference, the embroidery floss was used up when there was still 1/4 of the grocery bags left to go.
It was more challenging to get a tidy and consistent braid. I learned I needed to pull consistently at the braided end to get a good braid.
What did work great
the mixed materials worked well together
the tension difference created an unanticipated and lovely texture
What to try in the future
hollow braid with an internal chord to give it structure
Doubling the length of embroidery floss
Experiment with more ways to seal the end closed.
