Hello everyone There is a good article in the latest OIDFA bulletin about the giant bobbins and cordstands used to make the cords for the apparel of the Franciscan monks. The article does not mention kumihimo braid-making, but the similarities to the braid stand, the maru-dai are remarkable. The bobbins resemble lacemaking bobbins on a giant scale. From the one photo, it doesn't look like they were held in the hand, as we hold bobbins to make lace. They had the thread/string wrapped around them and were heavy enough to function as weights. The cords were made by lifting the tether part of the thread, not the bobbin itself.
Intriguing - had earlier monks ever seen kumihimo, or was the cordmaking technique used elsewhere? -- Bev in Shirley BC, near Sooke on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
