December 2014
As you can see from the cover of this book you know it's going to be packed full of different designs for you to try. Not only do you get easy to follow instructions you also get your own disk & plate to cut out. This book is an easy to follow guide to Japanese braiding. It covers everything from yarns or threads to use. How to arrange the threads on the disk or plate. How to braid with beads and how to finish off. There are an amazing mix of designs to make. Each looks more amazing than the last. Not only that you are given examples of how you can use the braids. I must admit that there were lots more ideas than I had thought of. To read the rest of this review and many visit Crochet Addict UK or follow this link. http://www.crochetaddictuk.com/2014/12/beautiful-braiding-made-easy-book-review.html
* Crochet Addict UK *
January 2015
Braiding is not just for hair anymore. Using a Japanese technique she discovered in Australia, textilist and author (Dyeing in Plastic Bags, for one) Deighan not only demonstrates how to use the Kumihimo disk and plate but she also incorporates two ready-to-cut-out versions on the book's front flap. (For library consideration, tape over the disk and plate with a note about where to order them online.) In all, about 30 patterns are featured, with the disk producing round braids; the plate, the flat version; and then, using beads in the designs. It's hard to envision, exactly, the process without selecting appropriate threads (usually thin) and simply beginning. At the end of each chapter, a gallery of finished patterns, with page references, appears for crafters; what would make this unusual method even more appealing is the addition of a fourth chapter-ideas for making braids a part of home decor, of clothing, of accessories.
* Booklist *