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Where creativity & imagination go hand-in-hand... |
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Monthly Newsletter September 2013
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Dear Knitters and Kumihimo Braiders,
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Hello, hello!
Time flies. It's been an "indoors" month in Truckee with many fires sending smoke our way. Much gratitude is owed to the firefighters working so hard to keep us safe. At times like this I wish we would get drenched by one of those Arizona monsoons!
This month I have some fun new things to introduce including a new necklace kit called the Boro Glass Bicone Focal Bead Necklace Kit. This is an "all-beaded" necklace with a gorgeous handmade Boro Glass Bicone Focal. It's beautiful. I love all 5 color ways. The beaded sections of the necklace make use of 8/0 and 6/0 seed beads that are either metallic, silver lined or gold lined. The extra sparkle adds a nice luster and dazzle for the Fall and holiday seasons. Another great kit this month is the Kumihimo Square Knot Gimp Bracelet. If you haven't tried the Kumihimo Rayon Gimp, threat yourself to something fun. It's a great fiber with a classy look. I've also added the New Edge Bead Boro Routa Focal Bead Necklace Kit. Lot's of fun. Remember, kits are all inclusive so you have everything you need! They make great gifts - either made up or given as a kit.
 What a Knit SHOPPING will be on a brief hold while my husband and I take a 2 week trip to Vermont to visit family. Hopefully we'll see a bit of the leaves changing colors. I will be gone from September 18th to October 3rd. I will happily mail packages for orders received by September 16th and I will resume shipping on October 4th! Plan ahead.
There will be no Kumihimo night this month.
 And once again, thank you all for your wonderful emails and the orders you place. In addition to mailing packages to destinations all over the U.S., this month I also mailed packages to Sweden, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. I appreciate your enthusiasm and loyalty. Because of you, I get to do what I love and I am very thankful.
Happy Braiding,
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NEW! Boro Glass Bicone Focal Bead Necklace Kits
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 Just in time for the upcoming fall and holiday seasons this necklace utilizes the "starting in the middle" technique and showcases a gorgeous handmade Boro Glass Bicone Focal Bead. With accents of silver lined and metallic seed beads it's sure to add some sizzle. "Starting in the Middle" is a fabulous technique to have in your Kumihimo "tool box" and provides some flexibility when you have a focal bead with a small hole. With this technique, you actually start with your focal bead in the middle and braid from the middle and work your way out to each end. You'll be braiding half the necklace at a time. The beaded section is 15" and depending on the length of the "tails", at either end, the necklace can be as short or as long as you like. I like this necklace at 17". The instructions are written for up to 22". You can make it a lot longer if you cut your threads longer (more braid will show). You will Need: Kumihimo Disk, 9 Bobbins, Measuring Tape, Heavy Duty Thread, Needle, Glue (like WeldBond), Fray Check (optional). You Should Know: Kumihimo Round Braid, how to "drop" beads (check out Kumihimo Tip #14).
Kit includes:
1 Spool of C-Lon Bead Cord
6/0 and 8/0 Seed Beads
1 Handmade Boro Glass Bicone Focal Bead
1 Set 4mm All-in-One Magnetic End Caps
Instructions with Photos
Cost $28
 | Galvanized Silver & Black,
Teal & Black, Dk Rose & Pink |
 | | Teal & Black, Olivine & Matte Bronze, Black & African Sunset |
Click this link to see ALL Kumihimo Project Kits!
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"A Gathering of Friends"
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Kumihimo, by definition, is the "gathering of threads". To me, it is also a"gathering of friends". I cannot tell you how many doors Kumihimo has opened for me. I have had numerous great experiences and I have met some wonderful people. This month I had two inspirational visitors.
Betty is one of my customers that lives several hours away from me. She has placed many orders and we have talked on the phone. Earlier this month, she emailed asking if she could come to Truckee and meet me and do some Kumihimo. She arrived one afternoon and I knew the moment she got out of her car that I would wish we would have more time for our Kumihimo exchange. It turns out that this very talented, creative woman is 90 years old! She drove 3 hours so we could meet and I feel so honored. It was a very special way to spend an afternoon. Betty, THANK YOU!
My other visitor, Judi, lives about 10 hours from me. She is another inspiration. One day when she placed her order, she mentioned that she wanted to have her Kumihimo goodies in place for her recovery following an upcoming surgery. Weeks later, we connected again and I asked how she was doing. I turns out she had just had a below the knee amputation due to cancer. She brought me to tears with her amazing attitude. I could feel her sparkling personality. Lucky for me, she has a daughter in a town near me and when she came to visit her daughter, they planned a trip to Truckee. She walked right on into my workshop with her titanium prosthesis and it was an honor to meet her. She sparkles even more in real life. THANK YOU, Judi!
And so it is, Kumihimo is also a "gathering of friends".
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NEW! Kumihimo Square Knot Rayon Gimp Bracelet
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The Square Knot, also known as the Reef Knot, has been around for a very long time and first originated with sailors as a knot to tie down sails! The Square Knot, teamed with the Kumihimo Rayon Gimp, makes a great looking bracelet. You can use all the same color cording, like the kit, or you could use contrasting colors for another look! You can also experiment with satin, yarn embroidery floss, leather...have fun! You will need: Kumihimo Disk, 8 bobbins, tape measure, scissors, heavy duty thread & needle, Glue (I like WeldBond), Fray Check (optional). You should know: Kumihimo Round Braid
Kit includes:
- 1 Skein Kumihimo Rayon Gimp (10 meters)
- 1 8mm All-in-One Magnetic End Cap
- Instructions with Photos
- Kit makes one bracelet
Cost: $12
Click link to see all colors!
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NEW! Edge Bead Boro Routa Bead Necklace Kit
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The Edge Bead Boro Routa Bead Necklace Kit is great because it combines the techniques of "starting in the middle" and adding "edge beads". The main focal bead is a lustrous Boro Routa Bead and the edge beads "outline" the necklace. The necklace, as packaged in the kit, will make up to a 20" necklace. I prefer it around 17". If you want to make the necklace longer you can order an additional package of satin and 6/0 seed beads. This is a fun and easy project with a lot of pizzazz! This also makes a beautiful bracelet. Same technique, just shorter!
You will Need: Kumihimo Disk, 9 Bobbins, Measuring Tape, Heavy Duty Thread, Needle, Glue (like WeldBond), Fray Check (optional). You Should Know: Kumihimo Round Braid, how to "drop" beads (check out Kumihimo Tip #14).
Kit includes:
1 Pkg Petite Satin Cord (10 yards)
1 pkg Toho Seed Beads 1 Handmade Boro Glass Routa Focal Bead
1 Set 6mm All-in-One Magnetic End Caps
Instructions with Photos
Cost $21
Colors: Carmel Satin with Metallic Iris Brown Beads, Coffee Satin with Aqua Jonquil Beads
Click here! |
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Kumihimo Tip #20
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 This is a very simple tip but very worth sharing. Many of you may do this already. Several customers have written in saying that they use Fray Check (or a similar product) to prepare the ends of satin cord (as well as C-lon) for stringing beads. I have always used a dab of WeldBond. Well, the other day I decided to try the Fray Check and it works so well; especially with the petite satin. It's so clean and so slick. It dries quickly and with the Fray Check the beads slip right on. Most of the time I don't even have to trim the end of the satin to a point. You might get a tricky bead every now an then but I will say, The FRAY CHECK works GREAT. Thanks to all of you that have shared this with me. If you have any other tips you might want to share, please send me an email at karen@whataknit.com. |
| Kumihimo Artists of the Month | 
Judy Deshaies - New Hampshire
Here's what Judy has to say, "I live in New Hampshire and am obsessed with beads in almost every form. I am a member and immediate past president of the Bead Society of NH. The beads intertwined in the focal section and up the sides are 3 mm glass pearls added after the kumihimo was done".
The glass teardrops beads look great on the satin cord. Judy mentioned that she attached the pearl beads after the braid was finished. This is a great way to embellish a braid when the hole in the bead is too small for the cord.
Thank you Judy!
Barbara Edelstein - Honolulu, Hawaii 
The two necklaces to the left are Edge Bead Necklaces with spiral patterns. What I love is the way that Barbara attached her focal pieces. In her example, Barbara turned her focal bead to a vertical position and created an entire focal creation with it. Very nice.
The necklaces below are perfect examples of using the "starting in the middle" technique. Instead of one focal bead, she used several. Barbara did a great job of selecting seed bead colors to enhance her focal pieces. Thank you Barbara.
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| Plan AHEAD! | |
I have a hard time bringing myself to say this but NOW is the time to start planning your projects for holiday gift giving. Start planning and get an early start. I have lots of things and ideas that will make your gift making and giving a lot of fun.
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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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WHAT A KNIT ! Newsletter Archives
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For those of you that are new to What A Knit, you'll find some good info in the archived newsletters.
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