Materials comparison for kumihimo

I finally finished my long hemp cord! It’s 5’7” or so. I’m excited to work with other materials - filament silk and nettle are up next.

(Filament silk was what they made kumihimo with in Japan, and nettle is also documentable as a clothing fabric in Japan at the same time, though it’s not as high class and I don’t know if they’d use the same techniques with it.)

(Cotton also existed in Japan towards the end of the SCA’s period of study after western contact, but silk kumihimo very much predates it, and mercerization is definitely a technique from post-period: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercerised_cotton)

Here’s a taste of the comparison I’ve been planning.

Comparison of four kumihimo braids, with handwritten descriptions.

In case you can’t read my handwriting:

  • 16 strand, white cord, 70% bamboo viscose, 30% silk, 4-ply patons yarns (found in garment district NYC)
  • 28 strand, rainbow cord, mercerized cotton embroidery floss, 4-ply?, Caydo (Amazon)
  • 16 strand, green/white, 10/2 cotton, 1-ply?, WEBS
  • 16 strand, brown/green, hemp from Nepal(?), 1-ply, Miriam’s yarns and fibers (on FB)

I do not actually know how to determine the ply of a yarn but I looked at how many pieces each piece easily split into, so take with a grain of salt.