Andean Sling Braids: New Designs for Textile Artists

by Rodrick Owen & Terry Newhouse Flynn

Learn to make the decorative braids used in the sling-making traditions of Peru and Bolivia; this detailed guide, including 400+ step-by-step photos plus hundreds of diagrams, teaches the technique and over 100 designs for weavers, craftspeople, jewelry designers, basket weavers, and others interested in using braids for embellishment. In-depth instructions are given, along with clear diagrams; recommended braiding yarns for slings and kumihimo; detailed set-up instructions; and many fascinating contemporary applications. This book introduces a new piece of equipment, the core frame, and gives instructions for making it from wood and dowels. When the core frame is used with a braiding stand and bobbins, a wide variety of core-carrying braids become accessible to kumihimo braiders. Most of the braids, from 4 to 40 strands, can be made on the included 32-slot braiding card designed specifically for Andean braiding, and 50 patterns can be made on the stand without a frame.