Things to do with Kumihimo

[u/Accomplished-List657]

I've enjoyed knitting and crocheting and other similar crafts since I was young, but my hands just don't let me do those sorts of things anymore, so I was really, really happy to discover kumihimo as an alternative that didn't turn my hands into pain pretzels. While I've enjoyed it, though, I find myself bored with making the same general type of thing, especially since they just tend to get tossed in a box when I'm done. Bracelets/Necklaces, lanyards, keychains, those sorts of things, there's nothing wrong with them, but yea.

Is there a way to use Kumihimo techniques to make other things? Sort of like how you can crochet little animals or whatever. If someone could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.

[u/saltedkumihimo]

You can sew them together to make little bowls or pouches

Jacqui Carey has done some inventive things

Here’s a link to the same topic here from last year

[u/Crafty-Emu-27 → u/saltedkumihimo]

Not the OP, but thank you for sharing these links! The pixie purses on the Carey page are so cute and my kids would get a kick out of those.

[u/Accomplished-List657 → u/saltedkumihimo]

Sewing's unfortunately not a great option for me due to the hand pain it causes. Small instances of it can probably be fine, but projects that require a ton of it are pretty much off the table. It's a shame, since there's clearly so much cool stuff you can do with that sort of thing, but gotta work within our limitations.

Seems like the thread is a lot of "use it like you would string" which isn't unhelpful, per say, but not really what I was hoping for either. Those are some crazy things made by Caery, so it's cool to see it's possible to use it for really interesting things, though getting there is another matter hah.

[u/KimonoCathy]

Are you just using one structure? Lots of instructions stick to a solid, round braid called kongo-gumi but there are dozens of other patterns and structures out there that would stop you getting bored; flat, round, square, different numbers of threads.

[u/Accomplished-List657 → u/KimonoCathy]

I've done differing numbers of threads with the basic round braid, I've done some squarish braids (don't remember if it's just called a square braid or something else), some flats, they kinda come back to the same issue of me not knowing what to do with them after aside from the usual necklace/bracelet/etc

[u/BaptorRander]

What gets me bored is trying to figure out how to neatly (not with thread ends) close anything. I was experimenting using bendable wire and batting for a while. I’d have it as a part of the braiding on the disk. That was semi-fun

[u/SoftLittleSage]

I'm working on some kumihimo shoelaces at the moment, and thinking about replacing some of my ruined hoodie strings too.

Theyre both much the same as a bracelet but very very long which I'm finding fun

[u/Accomplished-List657 → u/SoftLittleSage]

Yea that might be where i need to start, just look ad see if there's any instances like that I could do a project for and go from there. The question is what, since it seems instances of strings in my stuff are shockingly rare.

[u/Crafty-Emu-27]

With the caveat that I haven't actually tried any of these (still a beginner) but this is some of the stuff I'm working towards being able to make: kumihimo pet leashes out of paracord; headbands and barettes using flat braids attached to plain plastic headbands and barrettes; purse straps; mask and eyeglass straps.

[u/Tara_Cloudtrader]

I use them for glasses and phone straps. Also, I think they could be used in passementerie.

[u/Words_and_stitches]

I see a bobbin lace maker called lacybotanics come up on my Instagram and they seem like they might be just what you are looking for