Page 92 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

86 THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF DECORATIVE KNOTS

there are cautions. It can be easy to ‘drop a stitch’ in making these braids or sinnets is kumihimo.
making multiple-strand sinnets, which, if you want There are many forms of sinnet throughout
your sinnet to look right, means you may have a lot the world, depending on the fibres used and the
of undoing to do if you want to correct it. For that final purpose of the sinnet. Fijian islanders have a
reason I highly recommend that you number or version called magimagi, named for coconut fibre
other wise mark the ends of your strands, so that you grown on the Lau group of islands in Fiji (magimagi
will always be able to see which strand is going to be means ‘thrifty’, which seems appropriate because
passed next. the sinnet uses an otherwise discarded fibre). These
There is almost no limit to the number of strands sinnets are used to cover the poles that form huts
that can be made or braided into a sinnet by hand. called mbure with a woven series of braided strands.
Asian braiders use a table tool with a hole in the Sinnets are also used to suspend jewellery like
centre to braid complex patterns with hundreds of carved wood, horn, ivory and bone fragments by
coloured silk strands into beautiful braided cord for both Fijian and other Pacific Islanders.
decorative purposes on kimonos, dresses, pillows, When you are making a sinnet for your own use,
and other decorative items of clothing and furniture. it may take a few practice sessions first to ensure
The strands are weighted and the finished braid is that you produce an even amount of tension in the
brought through the centre of the table, which is finished piece’s strands. Remember that the cord
known as a marudai in Japan. The centre (finished) surface will exert friction on the other cords and
braid has a weight attached to it so that it can be that friction is overcome by the amount you pull
pulled naturally through the marudai to produce on the individual cords. If you pull unevenly your
even tension in the finished braid as the individual sinnet may look lumpy and crooked and will vary
packets of coloured strands are being passed over in thickness. Overall you want to achieve an even
and under each other. The name for the practice of appearance for most decorative work, because the

Photograph of a main beam intersection to the roof framing of an mbure in Vulaga, one of the islands
in the Lau group of Fiji.