| Where creativity & imagination go hand-in-hand... |
| Monthly Newsletter June 2015 |
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Hello Braiders, 
Happy Spring! After several weeks of cold and rain, the sun is finally shining on our parts. Yesterday I looked at my weather app and when I saw illustrations of "suns" in the extended forecast, I went out and bought flowers to plant in my yard. Fingers crossed!
 We have announced our next Knitting and Kumihimo Trip for 2016. We are headed to Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende , Mexico for 12 days of fun and learning. See details below.
For those of you that follow What a Knit's Facebook page, you know that I re-stocked the "Ribbon & Satin" Enamel Teardrop and Sand Dollar Pendant Necklace kits. I got twice as many as the first time and they sold even faster the second time around so there are only a handful left. They are beauties. Snatch them up!
As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued support of What a Knit. I get the nicest emails from so many of you and let me tell you, "you make my day" so often. I feel like I have cultivated a circle of friends, far and near, and even though we haven't met in person, I feel like I know you! Thank you. You are the gift I receive from Kumihimo.
Happy Braiding,
karen@whataknit.com
530-448-3624
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4th of July Kumihimo Kits
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Let's celebrate in style and to help you get ready, I have a few new kits that sport our colors - RED, WHITE and BLUE!
8/0 3-Color Blended beaded Necklace Kit - 4th of July (2015). Some of you have already seen this kit. I had so many requests for this necklace and instead of holding off until this newsletter, I posted it as a sneak preview on Facebook. This is my Blended Beaded Necklace but done in 3 colors with 8/0 seed beads. I used my adjustable closure, which I see alot of people using now, and it is wonderful. If you are making the necklace for yourself, you can wear the necklace longer or shorter depending on the look you want. And for those if you that make and sell your Kumihimo pieces, the adjustable closure is nice. Since you don't usually know what length your buyer might like, the adjustable closure allows flexibility!
Kit includes: C-Lon Bead Cord (in red or blue), 8/0 Toho/Miyuki seed beads, barrel for closure, wide eye needle, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see Kumihimo Tip #14.
8/0 Painting with Beads (2105). This is a new Painting with Beads with 7 sections of beaded patterns with the adjustable closure. The colors and design are playful. This is a good "anytime" necklace but certainly great for the 4th of July!
Kit includes: C-Lon Bead Cord (in red or blue), 8/0 Toho/Miyuki seed beads, barrel for closure, wide eye needle, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see Kumihimo Tip #14.
Kit Cost: $34.00
Edge Bead Necklace - 4th of July (2012 & 2015). This
pattern has been part of the What a Knit
collection for a long time . There are two versions shown in the photo. The first, and newest addition to the Edge Bead Necklaces, has a matched arrangement of red, white and blue beads in a pattern along the opposite edges of the braid. The second Edge Bead Necklace has all white beads on opposite edges.
Kit includes: Petite Satin Cord (red & blue), All-in-One Magnetic Glue-In End Caps, 6/0 Toho/Miyuki Seed Beads, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see Kumihimo Tip #14.
 Cluster Bead - 4th of July (2011).
Simple design, easy to braid, quick and good looking. So many possibilities!
This is the 4th of July version but there are lots of other color ways too.
Kit includes: Petite Satin Cord (white & blue), All-in-One Magnetic End Caps, 6/0 Toho/Miyuki Seed Beads, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see Kumihimo Tip #14.
6/0 Painting with Beads - 4th of July (2012)
Another What a Knit classic but very popular this time of the year. This is What a Knit's Painting with Beads with 6/0 Toho/Miyuki Seed Beads.
Kit includes: C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, 6/0 T
oho/Miyuki seed beads, All-in-One Magnetic Glue-in End Caps Closure, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see
Kumihimo Tip #14.
12 Strand Ridge Spiral Necklace.
This is a fun twist on the Round Braid and you will enjoy braiding this necklace. It goes very quickly and it's always satisfying when you flip over your disk and look at the sweet success of your efforts! The style of this necklace is well suited for many lengths and there is plenty of satin to make this necklace shorter or longer. The instructions are written for a braid 21" long but with the satin cord supplied in this kit you could make the necklace quite a bit longer by cutting your original lengths longer.
Kit includes: 30 yards Petite Satin Cord (Red, White & Blue), 6/0 Toho/Miyuki seed beads, All-in-One Magnetic Glue-in End Caps Closure, instructions.
You need to know: Round braid (Kongoh) and how to drop beads. If you need a refresher click this link to see
Kumihimo Tip #14.
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Knitting & Kumihimo Trip - 2016
Guanajuato & San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
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The 2016 Knitting & Kumihimo Trip has been announced and we are going to Guanajuato & San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Feb. 28 to March 11, 2016).
Guanajuato is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a charming colonial-era city situated in a picturesque valley surrounded by the Sierra de Guanajuato mountains.
The historic center of Guanajuato has a distinct European flavor with hundreds of narrow cobblestone callejones (alleyways) running up and down the hillside. Shady plazas are dotted with sidewalk caf?s, museums, theaters, markets and historic monuments. The buildings throughout the city are fine examples of neoclassical and baroque-style colonial architecture. An underground network of tunnels runs beneath the city helping to control the flow of traffic. The University in Guanajuato keeps this city alive an full of energy. I once heard Guanajuato described as an Italian hill town in Mexico.
San Miguel de Allende is a culturally, historically and artistically rich community located in the hilly highlands of central Mexico.
San Miguel de Allende is a city that manages to be both quaint and cosmopolitan at the same time. Once an important stop on the silver route between Zacatecas and Mexico City, its historic center is filled with well-preserved buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. With its narrow cobblestone streets, leafy courtyards, fine architectural details and sumptuous interiors, San Miguel de Allende is arguably the prettiest town in Mexico.
We will spend 4 nights in Guanajuato before heading onto to our final 8 nights in San Miguel. 12 hours each of Knitting and Kumihimo Classes will be strategically interspersed into the agenda; a perfect mix of culture and creativity.
The 2016 Knitting & Kumihimo Trip was first announced to those that have participated in the past.
The trip was essentially filled to capacity (24 travelers) in a few days. Right now, if you are interested, you can put your name on the waiting list. Alot can happen between now and February, so the top of the waiting list is not a bad place to be if you are interested. For more specifics, please email me at
karen@whataknit.com
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These trips are, as many say, "trips of a lifetime" and once you go, you go again and again and again!
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Kumihimo Artist of the Month #1 - Bridgette Yeoh
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This month out Kumihimo Artist of the month comes from Singapore. Bridgette has been
 a customer for a long time. She lives in Singapore. I get her orders, fill them, mail them and hold my breath for the long trip overseas. One day, I asked Bridgette if I could see some pictures of the pieces she makes and I received a beautiful selection colorful of photos showing the beautiful things she makes. Bridgette was born and raised in Singapore, schooled in Optometry in Philadelphia and she is an Optometrist in Singapore specializing in fitting children with contact lenses. She affectionately says she feels like a zookeeper sometimes! She says that braiding helps calm her down after a long days at work.
I was touched by the story she told of Singapore and I look forward to exchanging visits with her someday.
Here's what Bridgette shared about her Kumihimo....
"I got into making friendship bracelets with DMC embroidery threads when I was 12 years old, influenced by my older sister who is very much more creative than I am. It has been a huge part of our life growing up because I'm always competing to do better than her. I'd even custom made bracelets for every guests that came for my 21st birthday party. And then school, growing up and work got in the way and I put that aside for years, until 3 yrs ago, when my sister Kim introduced me to a braiding website and showed me her Kumihimo work.
It lit a fire in me and got me going like I was writing a Ph.D. thesis. I started researching. I fell in love with working with my hands to make something I imagine in my mind and see it come to fruition. I started cross stitching, needlepoint, latch hook, painting and most of all knotting again and learning how to do Kumihimo and the endless possibility of creating with a foam disc. I researched every website and books I could get my hands on about Kumihimo and stumbled on to your website, which, besides selling products and kits, provides a wealth of ideas and tips and it's just a wonderful place for Kumihimo lovers. And then I started braiding. And I can't stop.
I have supplies cramped in every nook and cranny of my room and finished bracelets and necklaces laying in clear bags everywhere. I do not have a shop to sell my products although I plan to some day when I retire as an optometrist. My sister takes some of my work to sell on her Etsy shop but mostly, I give my finished work to my young patients to cheer them up. And to see them wearing it with a big smile warms my heart so much, it is not something money can buy. And this will keep me continuing to braid and create."
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Kumihimo Artist of the Month #2 - Christina Fulghum
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Christina Fulghum - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Christina sent me a picture of the Beaded Petal Fringe Necklace she completed and I loved her interpretation of the "adjustable closure" and asked if I could share what she had done. I think this is just lovely. Christina is a 26 year old mother of two. She shared that she has ovarian cancer and that the process of braiding and Kumihimo takes her mind off things. Here's what she had to say:
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I'm from Myrtle Beach, SC. My mother originally told me about Kumihimo when I started making loom rubber band bracelets. She told me to try Kumihimo. She even bought me a big starter kit and it wasn't long before I was already getting bored with the basic braid and started beading and learning new braid styles. Your Beaded Petal Fringe Necklace
was my first beaded necklace and it kept my mind off other things and even though I had to start over 5 times I didn't give up and it felt so good to complete my first beaded necklace that was a challenging one because I'm not the type of girl that starts out simple. I had already aced the basic beaded bracelet and thought well this can't be any harder and boy was I wrong but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and plan on continuing until I have completed everyone of your challenging items! I think the next one I want to do is the clunky, funky, and fun magatamas bracelet in red with the heart button. Kumihimo is a relaxing hobby, I enjoy everything about it. I'm a perfectionist so if I don't think it looks perfect I will start over, plus like I told you in the email earlier it keeps my mind off of my medical issues at the same time doing something that I may be able to sell to raise money for my medical treatment". Thank you for sharing Christina!!
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Kumihimo Tip #34
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Sometimes, some magnetic closure are not as intuitive to open as others.
I carry the Straight Magnetic End Cap in Antique Silver, Antique Brass, Antique Copper and Shiny Gold.
The Glue-In opening accommodates two 8 strand round braids (Kongoh Gumi) made up in Petite Satin(or similar size braid made in other fibers).
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Gentle Reminder!
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I speak for myself and several others. Kumihimo is busting at the seams. There are
creative ideas everywhere. We are inspired, all the time, by the things that we see. It's fun to experiment, it's fun to be proud of what you have created but if you are using somebody else's design, please give them credit for that inspiration. If you are selling those items on Etsy or another site, give the designer credit. If you decide you want to write a tutorial, make sure you write it with all of your own words.
Copyrighted patterns are not meant to be copied, shared electronically, given to friends & members of the guild or used for teaching purposes without express consent of the author. Thank you. Be respectful.
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Back in Stock - Czech Pressed Glass Leaves
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Czech Pressed Glass Leaves 12/7
Strings of 25 leaves / $3.00 to $3.75
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WHAT A KNIT ! Newsletter Archives
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For those of you that are new to What A Knit, you'll find some good info in the archived newsletters.
If you have any friends that might be interested in receiving this newsletter, make sure you forward them a copy. Click this link to |
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Shopping
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I have lots of "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.
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Please share this newsletter with your Kumihimo friends!
You can subscribe here or on my website www.whataknit.com
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