And so begins another hobby

[revchris]

teeka has decided to learn Kumihimo, so one of my today projects was to build a marudai. The mirror disk is a 10" x 1.5" semi-concave pine disk that was originally going to become the drive wheel for a small Charkha-style spinning wheel (I have two more disks, so Charkhas may still happen), and the stand is a bed-side table (I took the top off, and we're just using the support arm) we came up with years ago that was gathering junk in the basement.

Comments

[teeka.livejournal.com]

Well of course I have a new hobby. It's been like... I don't know when I last picked up a new hobby. A year or more, I think. So, it was time and then some. At least this one only took an hour or so to build and one trip to Susan's Fiber Shop to get me setup. That's what you get for letting me surf the intarweb at 1 in the morning.

Thank you for building my new toy, tho. Now I just need to decide which fibers and patterns to do. And root around in the basement to see if I really did throw away all that 3/2 cotton from my 'inkle loom phase' like I think I did, or if the obsessive hoarder in me set it aside 'somewhere safe'.

[alyska.livejournal.com]

while you're amusing yourself with new hobby (i love how those cords look when done!) can i have you look at making some beads for me?

email me, but they're semi-simple -- bicone-like translucent color base, wrap in rainbow dichro stringer, encase in clear. smoosh flat. basically like this bead, in multiple bright colors.

[teeka.livejournal.com]

I"m still really hit or miss in regards to dichro beads. When they work, they're really really good, when they don't, they're awful. Plus I don't have any rainbow dichro stringer. Plus, that there bead looks like it was made on a bent mandrel. Or slumped after the fact. But other than that, easy in theory, yes. Oh, and plus I don't have any translucent colors in 90 or 96, and the V's selection on 90 and 96 rods is pretty sad. I'd like to see that bead in person, tho, if it's possible. It'll help me figure out techniques.

[alyska.livejournal.com]

sure! it's in my regular market stock, so i'll try and bring it by when i'm back on saturday.

[bantrobel.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the spindle! How much do I owe you guys? and what in Gods green earth are you doing in this picture?

[revchris.livejournal.com]

I thought we had set the price at a boob-flashing.

The gadget that Maggs is working at is a Muradai, and it is used for the Japanese art of Kumihimo, or braid-making, which is commonly used today for decorative cordage, but was traditionally used for making ties for many things, including lamellar Japanese armor. Today, it's used for decorative cordage and Shibari ropes, mainly.

[bantrobel.livejournal.com]

Oh right, and that was a separate boob flash for each of you, right? Or I could just do it twice when you're both there. Or just generally wander around your house with my top off. We'll figure out the details... :P

That sounds really cool and looks really complicated. Mmmmmm...Shibari.

[revchris.livejournal.com]

Any of those options are probably acceptable.

From the book that Maggs had, basic braiding (8-cord, round or square patterns) isn't hard, as there's only a few basic moves.

Once you start getting up into the 20-cord 32-move patterns (which I have read about online but not seen the directions for), then, yes, it probably is complicated.

If you ask nice, we might let you try out (or, rather, let us try them out on you :) ) some of what she's made by then.

My peeps tell me that there are two Hispanic grocery stores in Madison that might have Ironbeer. I'll check them out Saturday when I'm running errands.

[bantrobel.livejournal.com]

*squeeee*!!!!! Oh, you make with the happy in many many ways.....

[revchris.livejournal.com]

<obligatory leer>

[alyska.livejournal.com]

hey, if she ever makes cording that needs a body to be tied up, i'd be happy to photograph it!