Happy Spring! This year I thought I would out-smart the deer and I "planted" bright colored, deer-proof Pinwheel Flowers all over my front and back yards. What I didn't expect was another storm that would blow half the petals across the neighborhood and then bury my flowers! Deer-proof, yes.... weatherproof, no. It's snowing this morning. No kidding!

It has been a crazy and hectic month. Once again, I thank all of you for your generous orders and your special emails and notes that I appreciate so much. I really do love it when I receive pictures of things you have made and when you tell me that you are excited and "hooked" on Kumihimo. I honestly think to myself, "Well, that just made my day".

Kumihimo is growing in popularity at an exceptionally fast rate and the caliber of unique and artistic creations is incredible. Whether you braid with fiber or beads (or both), Marudai or disk, there are so many things you can do. This month I am showcasing the work of Sue Bye (Minneapolis, MN) and Ronda Rice (Denver, PA). Both of these women do exceptional work and I hope you will be as inspired as I am!

I introduced a "Raku & Ribbon" Necklace the middle of

April and it sold out very quickly. This necklace was made up of Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon and Petite Satin Cord. The color repeats of the KRR were matched to give the color changes you see in the braid. Just a suggestion ... check www.whataknit every now and then because, when time and ideas permit, I add new goodies. Also, if you "like me on Facebook" you'll stay apprised of new additions as well.

This months "Kit of the Month" is one that has been

requested over and over and over again. This kit is similar to the La Brique "Starting in the Middle" kit but instead of a "rectangular" shaped, handmade,

borosilicate flame worked bead, this necklace features a "round" borosilicate bead. Same bead, different shape. They are gorgeous. The new "Sparkle Focal Beaded Necklace " comes in 7 colors and has an adjustable closure. I hope you will enjoy these.

For those of you that "follow" www.whataknit.com, you know about and have taken advantage of my Spring Cleaning - Sale Goodies. Check it out!

Happy Braiding,

karen@whataknit.com

NEW! Sparkle Focal Beaded Necklace with Adjustable Closure - "Starting in the Middle"

The "Sparkle" Focal Beaded Necklace is an adjustable length, all-beaded necklace with a gorgeous hand made lamp-worked borosilicate glass focal bead. With this kit you will make an all beaded necklace, you will learn the "starting in the middle" technique and you will finish the necklace with an adjustable closure. These are techniques that can be used over and over again. The adjustable closure allows you to wear the necklace shorter or longer. I might wear it shorter with a scoop neck tee in the summer or I might like to wear it longer with a turtleneck! The finished length of the beaded portion is right around 15" to 15 1/2" (depending on beads and braider) and the braided tails are 6" (could be longer) on each end. You can wear this necklace as short as 16" and as long as 27" (or longer).

You will Need:

Kumihimo Disk, 9 Bobbins, Measuring Tape and Scissors. I recommend using a new disk with tight slots OR weighted bobbins. Consistent tension is important.

You Should Know:
Kumihimo Round Braid and How to Drop Beads (see Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a quick tutorial on how to drop beads).

Kit includes:

- 1 Spool C-Lon BeadCord

- 8/0 Toho or Miyuki Seed Beads

- 1 Boro "Sparkle" Focal Bead
(20mm, 3mm hole)

- 1 Barrel Bead for Adjustable Closure

- Wide Eye Needle

- Instructions with Photos
.

7 Colors

Cost $29.00

Kits available now!!

Kumihimo Artists of the Month

Sue Bye - Minneapolis, MN

One of this month's Kumihimo Artist of the Month is Sue Bye. Sue is a very talented gal and alot of fun too. She has been on MANY of the Knitting Basket Trips and it is always so rewarding to see the things she creates. She used my Kumihimo Corkscrew Bracelet pattern and did an absolutely gorgeous job adding her own unique creative flair and beaded end caps.

The Kumihimo Corkscrew Bracelet to the right is made with 6 ends of Petite Black Satin and 2 ends of a fancy variegated chenille. Sue made beautiful beaded end caps using 11/0 cylinder beads.

The Green/Purple and Chocolate/Peach/Red bracelets below are created with 8 strands of Petite Satin Cord and again she finished the ends with beaded end caps. I think her bracelets are STUNNING.

Sue has also done some fun modifications with the Edge Bead Necklace kit and has made great bracelets. The Edge Bead Necklace is a round braid made of satin (or other fiber) with beads along the edges. It is a round braid with a flat appearance in the beaded portion.

Do not confuse the Edge Bead Necklace technique (above) with the Beaded Petal Fringe Necklace (below). They are two different techniques, completely.

Ronda Rice - Denver, PA

Ronda must braid all the time. The necklaces she makes are gorgeous! Are these beautiful or what? Ronda purchased my "Beaded Petal Fringe Necklace Kit - Duo" in the Opaque Luster & Picasso color way (top photo). Once she had the technique down, she made another Beaded Petal Fringe Necklace - Duo in her own choice of beads and colors (middle photo - gorgeous) and then she experimented even further and created her "Polka Dot" Fringe Necklace (bottom photo) with faceted drops and she omitted the upper accent row of beads. Splendid. My mom says, "that's gallery quality".

I love what Ronda did and she exemplifies what I have in mind when I sell you a kit. I sell complete kits because the first time you make one of my designs I want you to use the sizes of beads, cords and findings that the pattern is written for. After you have learned what I have to share, I encourage you to experiment with these new techniques and create your own masterpieces (just like both Sue

and Ronda have done with their creations).

The What a Knit Kumihimo Project Kits are complete kits with all the things you need to make a completed project. (You only have to have the basic tools like a disk and bobbins)! Here's what Ronda said, "I do love your kits! It is the ability to sit down with one and know that I can complete it. Not only is everything included, but I know your instructions are well written and easy to follow. I do keep those extra beads in their packets, since they are so nicely marked, as samples when I'm rooting through my stash for another combination."

Kits available now!

NEW! Karen's Corkscrew Bracelet with KRR & Satin

This is a colorful twist for Karen's Kumihimo Corkscrew Bracelet. This bracelet is braided with 4 elements of petite satin cord and 4 elements of Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon. You have a choice of simply cutting your KRR as it comes off the skein for a more blended appearance or you can match the color repeats to get great definition in the color changes as seen in the photo of samples.

You will need: 6" Kumihimo Disk (not a mini), 8 bobbins, scissors, needle & thread and Glue (I like WeldBond - available at Ace Hardware Stores, online if not at Ace and at some craft stores).
You should know: Kumihimo round braid.

Kit includes: 1 package of Petite Satin Cord, 1 pkg of Kumihimo Rayon Ribbon, corkscrew bracelet wire, hammered barrel and instructions with photos

Cost: $17.50

Kits available Now!

Guatemala Knitting & Kumihimo Retreat - March 2015

Have you ever been to Guatemala? This is a beautiful country and a place one can see many, many times. Rich in culture and color, there is something magic about Guatemala. Bill and Irene York have planned yet another of their popular trips to Guatemala.

Dates: March 6 - 18, 2015

2 nights Guatemala City, 4 nights Antigua, 5 nights Lake Atitlan (Panajachel) and 1 final night in Guatemala City.

There will be lots of sight seeing, day adventures and excursions, free time, Knitting and Kumihimo. For more information contact: Bill & Irene York at billandireneyork@gmail.com.

Kumihimo Tip #23 - BEADED END CAPS

Beaded End Caps are alot of fun and a great way to embellish your Kumihimo pieces. I do not profess to be an expert by any means but I do enjoy adding beaded end caps to many of my braids.

Ann Benson's YouTube tutorial helped me alot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_j3kAbfjk.

Purchasing a magnifying visor also made it alot easier to work with those itty bitty beads. My beaded end caps are Flat Even-Count Peyote Stitch and then they are zipped together to wrap the braid. I wish there were more hours in a day! There is so much fun stuff to learn.

Kumihimo Tip # 24 - Design Seeds - Color Resource

Need help with color selections? I was taught by my mother, who has a gift for putting colors together, that Mother Nature is our best teacher. If you look at something beautiful in nature and then think about the different color elements, you will see some amazing color combinations. Another resource that I recently learned about, from a Kumihimo friend, is Design Seeds. This is a free resource that you can subscribe to and you will get "color boards" (like the one on the left) emailed to you each day. You can subscribe at http://design-seeds.com.

Whether you are looking to combine fiber colors or bead colors, this is a super tool. Take a look at the combinations below that Design Seeds helped me put together for Petite Satin and 6/0 Seed Bead Colors. Imagine...a new color palette, or two, from Design Seeds each day!

NEW! Czech Pressed Glass Leaves

Have fun with your Kumihimo and add some Czech Pressed Glass Leaves to you next masterpiece.

25 pieces/pkg
$3.00- $3.75/pkg
8 colors: Vitral Aquamarine, Iris Green, Iris Purple, Iris Brown, Hematite, Opaque Luster, Amethyst AB and Bronze.

Available now!

Kids + Kumihimo = Lots of Fun

Kids love Kumihimo too! More times than I can count, I hear the same thing about Kumihimo... "I'm hooked". Well, kids love it too and it and it's a great thing to do with kids. What a Knit has a kids kit with kid friendly instructions. I had the absolute pleasure of spending a couple of days (and slumber parties) with Olivia. She is 7 3/4 years old and we had a very fun "crafter-noon" (as she called it) doing Kumihimo. She loved it. My husband came downstairs one morning and quietly whispered, "you should go upstairs and check on Olivia". There she was, in bed, braiding away. Olivia liked Kumihimo so much that she thought a Kids Kumihimo Kit would make a great birthday present for her friend (her friend loved it). Kids take to Kumihimo very quickly. The Kids Kumihimo Kits come with a Mini Disk, 8 EZ Bobbins, 6 balls of fun colored yarn (60 yards total) and instructions with photos.
Cost $15.99
Kits available now!

SPRING CLEANING - SALE GOODIES!

Spring Cleaning feels good! First I raked about 500 pine cones in my yard, then I cleaned out the refrigerator & freezer, all the cupboards, the closet underneath the stairs, I recycled toner cartridges, took things to the thrift shop, swapped winter clothes for summer clothes and then I dove into my What a Knit goodies and put a few fun things on sale for you to enjoy.

Sale, Sale, Sale

Shopping

I have 8 "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.

Kumihimo Books
Kumihimo Czech Pressed Glass Leaves

Kumihimo Disks, Bobbins, Starter Kits
Kumihimo End Caps
Kumihimo Toho Seed Beads & Miyuki Cube Beads
Kumihimo Buttons, Barrels, Donuts etc.
Kumihimo Satin Cord, Hand-dyed Gimp & Rayon Ribbon and C-Lon Tex 400, C-Lon BeadCord
Kumihimo Project Kits

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.

April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014

All Newsletters 2013

All Newsletters 2012

All Newsletters 2011

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