Wow, I have almost forgot how to do this. Have a little patience with me and I will update my blog with a new look. Here goes for now.
Out of sheer frustration, I am starting to blog again.
I need an outlet for my ramblings about
my kumihimo creations. Let me digress
and bring you up to date.
After my breast cancer in 2010 and my chemotherapy in
2011, I was frustrated with my need to keep my hands busy. I had been making
braided wool rugs for years, but dog-gone-it, those huge rugs were hard to haul
around with me for all the chemo days. So I searched and searched and found
kumihimo, a Japanese braiding system, that could be used to make jewelry. So I
started to learn. The first book I bought on kumihimo was a beautiful book with
stunning photos, but when I got it home and really sat down to study the book,
it was all in Japanese. The book went back and my search continued.
Now, a year and half later, I think I have moved from the
novas state to the in-between state. I have no innate artist struggling to get
out. I have terrible hand eye coordination. My color sense is nonexistent. But,
I have searched out photos, books, instructions and such. I have studied what
women wore as jewelry. I took note of my cloths and what I felt comfortable
with. Let it be noted here and now that I don’t wear what I create. I just don’t
do necklaces, never really have. But, working the kumihimo braids has turned
out to be very therapeutic for me. No,
really. When I need to relax and unwind from the day, I have the kumi disk in
my hand and I am there. Now, after a year and a half, I can do the braid in my
sleep, my hands just move with the rhythm and I zone. I love it.
There is a problem with this whole set up. I make a
necklace a day. Then what do I do with the thing? When I was learning and not
quite sure of myself, I gave the products of my work away to anyone who would
take it. I asked my neighbors, friends and family their opinions on what I
created. If they liked it or liked something in my stash, it was theirs.
Without their help and creative suggestions, I would never have continued. Now when I see them wearing those necklace’s,
I want to yank it off and redo them. But no one will let me.
I am not being humble or wanting praises. I really have
no talent. Thankfully, kumi braiding is very forgiving. I don’t sit down and
draw it out and have it all thought out. I set up the colors I chose and start
braiding. If it looks good in the end, I keep it. If not, I take it apart and
try something else.
With all of that background, today I am ready to start
selling my love. Again, I am no business women, but if I want to be able to
keep braiding the necklaces, I need to move the things out and get money back
in to keep getting more beads and findings. Whenever I think about selling,
having people pay me for my work, I start to shake and get all nervous and
sweaty. Sorry for that picture. But, I really need this to work so I can keep
going on with my relaxation therapy.
Take today for instance. I have had this soft whisper variegated
yarn. It has been staring at me for weeks. Today I got out one of my books that
had information about variegated work, and off I went.
The yarn is a fun pink to green with brown and white in
it. I set it up with 3 long pieces of the pattern. I added a 4th
string of pink c-lon cord, and added pink beads to it. No idea how it will turn
out. But I hurt badly and needed something to do as I let the medication work,
so my hands are working the braid. I got about 8 inches done and went to show
Reese. He is my husband and a wonderful supporter. But he is like me, no artist
cell in his body. So he said what he always says, “It looks nice, honey.” Here I am telling you all about it, so
someone out there may understand my drive to do the work and have it stunning
in the end. Ok, I will settle for nice, but I no longer settle of ok. The
necklace has to meet some standard of niceness or I take it apart.
The photos are of my experiment for today. I will show you the complete project tomorrow.
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