I pulled two sets of colourways for kumi, in #8 and #5 perl. This perl cotton, made by DMC had a) symmetrical (as I recall, anyway...) and b) consistent colour shifting, so I was actually able to get the colour bands to (sort of) line up for a kasuri type effect.

The trick is to find two sets of colours the same thickness for which the solid is one colour within the ombre, and that will look good together. As much string as I have, you'd think this would be dead simple, but it's not.

The perl hanks are the limiting factor for length: I want to get 8 strands out of one hank. This works out to about 9-1/2 ’, and a braid that will be approximately 3–4’ long. Honestly, with the thicker #5 perl, not much more than this will fit on the sewing machine bobbins I use for tama anyway.

• 4065 DMC ombre, 25m; 27.3 yard, about 5 grams.
• Finca #5 Tex 113/2, 41 meters, 10g, “Egyptian cotton”
• (back): C/.4218 solid Tint.93
• finished length: approx 74", not including tassels, 2nd one completed 12nov25
• takeup 114-74= 40/114, 35% takeup

Very early on, I noted:

Though in fact, if I can ever get that stupid pink and green braid off the marudai, this hank would be worthy of braiding on the marudai, as opposed to just the disk. If I don't forgot, of course.

Which of course I did. (I also seem to have failed to note when I started actually braiding...)^[1] As a result the very understated colours, lacking the more interesting pattern, is, um, kinda boring subtle. Oh well, the pink and green braid is, only a couple of months from 2026, still on the marudai, though I gave up on the original braid structure & reverted to keiruko, so at least, at long last, it's done.

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Sylvus Tarn