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Where creativity & imagination go hand-in-hand... |
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Monthly Newsletter August 2012 |
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Dear Knitters and Kumihimo-ists! | |
Greetings!
August already? Where has the summer gone? It's been a busy summer here - I didn't realize that summer was flying by so quickly.
You are all awesome and thank you very much for your continued enthusiasm and support. I love your phone calls and emails. I think the Kumihimo addiction is at epidemic proportions. I get countless emails that start with "I'm addicted". It must be the instant gratification factor that gets everyone hooked.
Lots of new stuff. My favorite item this month is my 
"Kumi for Kids - Disk Kit". This kit was age tested by my niece and went through many editorial reviews. Whew! I hope alot of young ones will love this.
To the "Kumi-Cord" selection I added a mercerized cotton  yarn, Bonbons by Lion Brand, that I think has endless possibilities for Kumihimo. It comes 8 mini-skeins to a package and is offered in two color palettes! You will want to get 1 of each to start!
Last but not least, it's not too early to start thinking about the gift-giving holiday season ahead of us. Kumihimo necklaces and bracelets are fabulous and much appreciated gifts. Make them up or give them as a kit! Also, whether for an adult or a child, the Kumihimo Disk Kit is a great present. Think about how much you enjoy Kumihimo. Wouldn't that be a gift worth sharing?
Happy Braiding,
Karen
P.S. Got something you want to share? Send me an email. I am looking for more Kumihimo Artists for our showcase. Email Karen
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New Stuff ! |
 Kumi For Kids - Disk Kit
Kumihimo spans all age groups and it's fun for parents to do with children, it's great for grandparents to do with grandkids, it's a fun activity for kids to do with other kids and this is the PERFECT kit. The " Kumi for Kids - Disk Kit" is also a super great gift. Kids love this. And with 8 skeins of Bonbons yarn - there is plenty of yarn to create with!
The Disk is 4.25" in diameter and a perfect size for smaller hands. The instructions are written to make braiding as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Kit includes:
- 4.25" Kumihimo Disk
- 8 EZ Bob Bobbins
- 8 Mini Skeins Bonbons Cotton Yarn (28 yards each skein)
- 4 Pages of Instructions with Step-by-Step photos
- 6 Color Coded Kumihimo Patterns with color photos of braids
- Instructions for Kids First Project - Friendship Bracelet
Cost: Kumi for Kids - Mini Disk Kit with 8 Bobbins $17.99
Kumi for Kids - Mini Disk Kit with 16 Bobbins $21.99 |
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"Bonbons" Yarn by Lion Brand |
 | | "BEACH" |
I am really excited about Lion Brand's Bonbons Yarn for Kumihimo. I have already made several bracelets and necklaces. This yarn is fun and comes in two great color palettes! Bonbons is scheduled to arrive August 9th! Bonbons is a 100% Cotton sport weight yarn and comes 8 mini-skeins to a package. $7.99 per package 1 Mini Skein = 10 grams or 28 yards
 | | "NATURE" |
" BEACH" collection includes: Seafoam, White, Orange, Turquoise, Yellow, Black, Purple & Red. " NATURE" Collection includes: Green, Dusty Rose, Palest Lavender, Purple, Chocolate, Tan, Cream & Lightest Yellow. .
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Large Hole Beads |
Sometimes it's nice to just make a beautiful braid and then embellish it with large hole beads. I discovered some fun large hole beads that pair well with 8 strand petite satin cord round braids. Slide the large hole beads on as a single focal bead or embellish with multiples - use your imagination. It's fun to mix & match or add in some silver beads too.
Cost:
85 cents to $3.50
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Small Hole Beads |
 These Small Hole Beads are great for bracelets and necklaces. They slide right onto 8 strand braids made with any of the 16 colors of Bonbons (see photo above)! Mix and match them with the metal spacer beads.
Cost: 40 cents to $1.65
Quantities Limited!
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Kumihimo Tip #14 | |
This is a MINI Kumihimo Disk. It consists of 3/8" dense foam and measures 4.25" in diameter (standard size is 6"). At first, I envisioned this as the perfect size for small hands, i.e. KIDS, but then I started playing with it myself. I have found that this mini-disk is quite useful for "bigger" hands too. I have used this for 8 to 16 strand satin, C-Lon and Bonbons braids. I use the small (1 7/8") EZ Bob bobbins and the "mini" accommodates 8 as well as 16 bobbins!
My tip is that you should have a few of these on hand.
They are great if you want to have more than one project going at a time or if you just want to experiment with colors and patterns. These little disks come in quite handy. And they are so stowable. You can take several of them with you at a time! You can also share them with friends.
I have a few friends that have given the "mini" a test drive and all reports have been good!
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Kumihimo "Artist" Showcase - Sharon Praetzel |
 Sharon Praetzel, Truckee, CASharon is one of our local Truckee Kumi gals and she came over one day to show me all the things she had made. I was envious of all of her apparent "creative" time and then she admitted to staying up til midnight so she could finish a few thing to show me. Sharon is about (if not the most) generous person I know. She makes beautiful Kumihimo jewelry and gives it to those that admire it. It came as no surprise when I draped her Williamsburg Blue /Milky Montana Blue Edge Bead Necklace around my neck she immediately offered it to me. I wanted to say "YES" but instead opted to make my own. I LOVE this necklace The tone on tone color palette is simple yet sophisticated. This necklace is beautiful. Thanks Sharon for making yet another Kumi creation that I could share.
Click here to see Edge Bead Necklace Kits (including this one)!
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WHAT A KNIT ! Newsletter Archives |
For those of you that are new to What A Knit, you'll find some good info in the archived newsletters. All Newsletters 2011 If you have any friends that might be interested in receiving this newsletter, make sure you forward them a copy. Click this link to |
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Shopping |
I have 5 "Kumihimo Shops" to meet all of your Kumihimo needs. All orders are through PayPal (or use the credit card option) and I ship orders via USPS First Class Mail. This has been amazingly reliable and incredibly fast. Most orders are shipped the same day I receive them.
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I have replenished the Furnace Glass Bead Necklace Kits several times now. Those of you that are on the What a Knit Facebook page are alerted when new batches come in and the kits are snapped up quickly! I have alot of new beauties. 
