Kumihimo
Silken threads,
Crimson, gold,
Fingers plucking
Like a lute
Makes music
Of rich colour.
Arpeggios
In flowing gold
Woven through
Harmonies
In crimson,
Fingers deftly
Plaiting silence
Into silken song.
One of my long-loved interests is working with textile creation. For me, to date, this has meant mostly handknitting and handspinning. However, weaving also fascinates me, though I have only done a little of it. Yesterday I discovered this video that thrilled my eyes and heart. So this morning I wrote a poem about it.
Kumihimo is a traditional Japanese form of braiding, or plaiting. Threads are finger-woven to form cords, ribbons, and narrow strips of cloth for sashes and such. In the video, we can see the threads being gathered, braided, and then beaten tightly, row upon row, as the piece is formed on the bias to make a supple fabric. This video shows the weaver working on a takadai to make a flat-woven strip in crimson and gold.
Here is the video that inspired the poem: