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Book Reviews

KUMIHIMO: Japanese Silk Braiding Techniques Catherine Martin	BRAIDS: 250 Patterns from Japan, Peru & Beyond Rodrick Owen

It sometimes takes me awhile to get going on reviews. When I started reviewing Braids the first time, I discovered I was discussing Kumihimo as much or more, and so decided to do two for the price of one. There is no doubt that Catherine Martin's text is the classic on this subject, at least in English, and I was positively thrilled when I discovered it: I used to make three strand braids from strips of torn sheets my exasperated Mother could not understand why I wished to preserve rather than simply undo and rebraid again. In that sense I perhaps do not have the proper Asian spirit of braiding, seen as a form of meditation by its serious practitioners. But the subject has fascinated me for years, and like the beadwork into which I incorporate most of my braids I simply lacked the knowledge to pursue the craft.

Martin's book changed all that. Following her occasionally obscure instructions, I managed, for my first effort, to rig a marudai out a soldering platform and the bobbins from stacks of chinese coins with holes in them. It didn't work very well, but I was delighted, and then began the frustrating search for a real marudai, and real bobbins. Eventually I found those too, and have been making braids in an erratic fashion ever since.

Martin, trained solely in Japan, is a traditional practitioner of the craft, not only braiding her silk in centuries old tradition, but dying it as well. She begins her slim volume with an introduction and history, and continues with equipment, materials and basic techniques. The middle section of the book details the patterns of 12 braids, starting with 4 stranders and going up to 16 strand braids, for which she gives both the Japanese names and approximate english translations. Each braid is illustrated with a diagram, a drawing showing what the braid looks like from a top-down view, and a color photograph of the finished product, printed in what appears to be roughly life size.

The culture in which artist received her training is evident everywhere: in the subtlety of the vegetable colors used to dye the silk, in the understated layout, and attractively presented braids, the photographs of which appear at intervals as in old-fashioned books, and even the calligraphy which begins this small volume. At the same time Martin is sensible of the Western mind-set, and incorporates among elaborate instructions for tying a bobbin advice such as ``attach... in any way that will tie them together...'' (p. 33) which I find refreshing and singularly encouraging. It's nice to know that even the experts sometimes have to jury-rig sometimes.

In addition to the twelve basic braids the author undertakes to educate the reader on how to separate bulk, unwoven silk (called flat silk by Japanese embroiderers) in groups (winding) and attaching this stuff to the bobbins (warping). Though interesting it is perhaps not germane to any but the most authentic braiders, as most fibres available in this country are twisted already into threads. Some of the other instructions, though carefully described, were difficult to follow, such as making the knot to attach the bobbin leader to the warp threads---though I've tried many times, I still doubt I've really got it right. Other information, such as the relative height of the marudai to braider, or how the bobbins should be positioned in the hands when braiding, is vague or unavailable. Nevertheless, the book is certainly enough to get anyone with the interest and a little willingness to experiment started.

Precisely the answers to questions such as how to hold the bobbins are what led me to purchase Owen's book, which just came out earlier this year. Like Martin, Owen roughly divides his book into three sections, a short one on History, followed by Equipment, Materials, and Methods, and concluding with the patterns for the braids themselves.

There are a remarkable number of similarities between the two, and I have no doubt Owen's book was influenced by the earlier work, which he lists in the bibliography of Braids. They're even printed in the same country, Hong Kong, which accounts for the reasonableness of cost and excellent sharpness and registration of the photography. Owen, though trained in Japan also, seems to have learned braiding principly, or at least first, in Peru, where it also a highly regarded form, particularly to make slings. Owen's discovery that braids have evolved independently in at least three different places---Peru, Japan, and West Africa---result in a less insular approach. Peruvians---and the Africans as well, make the braids with ``nimble fingers and toes''(p. 32) but Owen adopts a fellow teacher's technique of using a slotted card, an inexpensive method which doesn't require weighted bobbins. He also details how to make a cheap marudai and bobbins, using cardboard and 35mm film canisters. For those desiring the best of both worlds, he also provides plans for a slotted board with dowel rod bobbins, which combines some advantages of the card and marudai methods.

Though technically the book does indeed list 250 different patterns, instructions for only 56 different braids are shown; however, many variations are given for each. Though it is impossible to tell exactly, my guess is that the samples have been enlarged approximately double. This makes it somewhat difficult to compare them directly to Martin's, which if anything are shown smaller than life size. Nevertheless it clear, that, despite similar training, the two have vastly different aethestics. Martin's braids are smooth, restrained as to color, with untidy ends out of sight, as the pictures of each run off the page, giving the illusion of infinite, perfect cords, whereas Owen freely uses synthetics, brilliant color and varying quantities of threads amongst the bobbins to achieve a puffy or bumpy look to many of his braids. Since he used students to test the instructions and their samples are (I assume) included, this would account for the slight uneveness of technique in some of the pictures, whereas Martin notes she made all the braids illustrated in her book herself.

The assumption that seems to be prevalent amongst so many traditional practitioners of Japanese disciplines is that any other approach cannot possibly be as worthwhile has been my major gripe with arts Japanese. Nevertheless, I admit a sneaking preference to Martin's quiet, elegant pieces, and even her understated approach. That said, there's no denying that there's vastly more information in Owen's book---not only about Japanese techniques, but two alternatives as well. For those who do not wish to immediately invest $150--200 in equipment, this is a godsend. Moreover, there are all sorts of variations concerning methods for finishing braids with tassels, pompoms and the like that can't fail to intrigue anyone interested in the subject of cords. Interestingly enough, though, some of the effects in Martin's books aren't duplicated in Owen's book: you'll either have to get both, or, as both authors strongly urge, explore, and keep good records. Like the hero escaping the minotaur, a sense of adventure is not enough. One has to be organized as well, leaving behind samples and notes of one's previous attempts, or attempting to recreate or even devise variations on an old braid will be as fruitless as retracing the maze without the tell tale string Hercules used to escape.

Beginner's Guide to Kumihimo: Jacqui Carey	CREATIVE KUMIHIMO Jacqui Carey

April Fool's Day, 1998---It always helps to know the prejudices, or at least the background, of any reviewer. They can vary considerably; mine have changed since I wrote the review above, 2--3 years ago. I got interested in braiding as a lightweight, handmade, adjustable closure for my beaded necklaces; and I still favor thin, single strand (per bobbin) cords. In other words, I'm coming out of a metalworking, rather than a weaving, background, so I don't have the experience with warping (and tangling) that weavers perforce must acquire early on.

Traditionally, however, kumihimo is braided with multiple threads, or ``ends'', and its most popular use in Japan, for obi ties, yields braids about 3/8'' (1cm) thick. So, I've learned that both Martin's and Owen braids are likely shown smaller than life size; that commercially available kumi silk, unlike that for traditional Japanese embroidery, is fine strands, but twisted nevertheless; and that most braiders do indeed use these multiple threads, and therefore find the dividing of warps of particular interest after all.

But I still look at book production values, because I find it hard to purchase a really badly made book and I still ignore how well or poorly the author makes suggestions for using the braids (they all seem to be about the same: ie not to my taste) Frankly, if you're asking the question, kumihimo, being so time consuming, is probably not the craft for you anyway. I've never worried how I was going to ``use'' my tassels, embroidery, braids, beadwork or anything else. I make it for the joy of it, and figure out what to do with it later. Eventually, I come up with something, if I don't sweat it too much.

Since I started teaching kumihimo I've become considerably more interested in its traditions, hereto only a point of academic interest. Carey's books are the latest widely available on kumihimo---the Beginner's Guide was published only last year. Frankly I bought this book primarily for the purpose of reviewing it, as it is an extremely basic text, and I've passed that stage now (I hope). For those unable to get to a teacher and wary of learning out of books, this one is your best bet.

Following a one page introduction, it covers, with a series of color photographs, how to wind threads, tie them onto the bobbins (the traditional knot, mentioned above, can be tricky for beginners, and even not so beginners) and how to make the adjustable slip knot for keeping the bobbins at an even distance from the marudai top. How to attach the counterweight bag, how to tie off (and how to cut evenly) the ends---all is shown in complete, photographic sequences.

It shows only six braids, all of them 8 stranders, but it shows a photograph at each stage of the sequence, illustrating the thread and hand positions, plus closeups, again for each stage of the sequence. She discusses hand movements, down to which fingers are used. In addition the author, a clearly experienced teacher, gives a little mnemonic to help remember the bobbin movements for each braid. The examples of each are exhaustively specified: number and color of threads for each bobbin, bobbin weight and counterweight amounts. Carey also gives multiple variations for the braids, and explores, at the end of the book, substituting fancy ribbons, such as soutache, to jazz up the braids.

The author shows a traditional marudai, a clear colorless lucite model she's developed (and sells, with acrylic bobbins) and a homemade version using a lampshade. This little manual doesn't show, let alone give any instructions, for a cardboard version, so you're on your own there. Aside from this omission, the book accomplishes its goal of a basic introduction to kumihimo with near perfection.

Excepting the cover, which with its rust, yellow and brown color scheme, and choice of font (thankfully abandoned by the title page), sent 70s kitschy-crafty shivers down my spine, the book is attractively designed. The photography of the working sequences, as well as the diagrams, is sharp; some of the pictures of finished braids are slightly fuzzy, but that's quibbling. Perhaps Carey was as unhappy with the copyediting of her previous book as I was, because with the switch in publishers, the number of fonts were reduced to one family and the book is free of the really bad copyediting problems that plagued her previous volume, Creative Kumihimo.

Nevertheless, if I could only own one book out of the four, that would be my choice (at least for now....) The book gives adequate instructions in clear, sharp, diagrammatic drawings for warping, tying on bobbins, and dressing the marudai for all but the really instructionally challanged. The main section of the book gives algorithms for approximately 42 different braid structures, each with a diagram of its cross-section, a stylized drawing, a sharp black and white photograph at the beginning point of braiding, and a pattern of the stitches, laid out flat. Besides making the relationships between the braids very much clearer and illustrating their structure in a visual manner, the patterns are ideal for those wishing to design the color scheme in advance, on paper. In both books, Carey colors in the bobbin (indicated by a circle) to be moved, making it stand out visually, a nice touch.

I admit to having bought the book in hopes that Carey would elucidate how she goes about developing these flat diagrams of braids---ever since I wanted to make the ``twisted diamond'' pattern for Keiruko no himo, and went about discovering it by making a very rough and ready diagram of the braid's stitches, I've wanted to get a better understanding of mathematics underlying kumihimo. I suspect I need to investigate some mathematics journals, not consult how-to books.

There is a wealth of other material, however. The book gives two methods for increasing bobbins (say you have an eight-strand braid and want to make a 16 or 24 strand version), four methods for looped ends, two methods for blunt ends, plus of course the traditional tasseled end. It shows how to finish with a Chinese ball knot, how to make split braids, distorted braids, beaded braids, braids with floats and tufts.

It covers braiding with all kinds of materials---fuzzy, metallic, ribbonesque, small braids incorporated into larger---around a core, with holes, and even shows some variations that include under bobbin movements, rather than the typical over. I have to admit that many of the more esoteric explorations, such as orange ruched ribbon and purple silk braid on p. 5, which looks diseased, leave me cold. However, just seeing all the possibilities, even if they're ones I'd never do, opens up all the many more. Clearly, Carey enjoys both pursuing the traditions and pushing the medium to its limits, and she's to be congratulated.

What it doesn't cover is homemade marudai construction; the traditional names for the braids and equipment; and some of the peruvian and nautical braids in Owen's book. The book's drawings and overall design is attractive---I especially liked the braids running off the side or bottom of the page---but marred by too many typefaces, poor copy editing and occasional out of focus photos---more likely the result of poor production values than the fault of the photographer.

As with Martin's book the photographed samples of the braids are shown many to a page; however, they're referenced only by alpha-numeric labels, rather than names, making it harder (for me, at least) to relate the algorithm to the photographed sample. This sort of thing is a minor detail, but one of my pet peeves. A much bigger problem is that the volume is already out of print, though apparently still available from England; so its price is relatively higher ($29.95) than for the larger, hardbound Owen book, widely available for $24.95. Either volume could be considered an excellent guide for the beginning through intermediate kumist.

And if you want to recreate the braid on the Bumble bee necklace? Well, here it is:

BYBY BYYB YBYB YBBY

Arrange your threads clockwise around your braiding stool in this pattern and follow sequence for the 7th braid in Martin's book, Keiruko no himo. (It's 16T, p. 65 in Creative Kumihimo, braid 50, p. 143 in Braids: 250 patterns) To reverse the figure of diamonds and grounds, do half a sequence and then start over (I do this by accident all time).

This is an old page, so it doesn't get the automatic updates the newer ones do...but I rather like it the way it is; however, in the interests of kindness, here are some links to get you back to the less deep dungeoney parts of the site: the main kumi page or, if you came from the Lit direction, the main review page or even back to the top, the main index page. Happy Hunting! (Added 28mar05)

Sylvus Tarn