Terry designed this video to cover the topics that her students most often need explained and demonstrated. Her experience as an art teacher has informed the way in which she has presented the content with different learning styles in mind. Beyond what to do and how to do it, Terry shares her experience with yarn and color choice so that you can grow in confidence as you play with these elements, moving beyond following a "recipe”. The ten braids that are taught are available for download and include detailed information on numerous variations.

The more you braid the more you will return to this video as you begin to understand how braiding works. Whether you want to braid with beads, create unique garments, make slings, or whatever interests you, this video will teach you the foundation skills you will need.

Here is how the workshop is organized:

• Introduction and Chapter 1 Equipment: A brief introduction to the history of braiding on the marudai leads into concrete information on what equipment you need and why you would choose one marudai style or bobbin weight over another.
• Chapter 2: Yarn describes yarns that are friendly for beginners, those to avoid, and how to set up with those mysterious pre-cut kumihimo silk ropes.
• Chapter 3: Books looks at books by prominent braiding authors, how they are organized, and how their design pages are coded to give you a jump start on using them.
• Chapter 4: Preparing a Warp covers preparing your threads for braiding. This will make it easy to avoid tangles and make attaching bobbins quick and easy.
• Chapter 5: Setting up the Marudai teaches you how to attach the bobbins to your warp, and then attach and adjust the counterbalance. Making the three simple knots that are needed is demonstrated for both righties and lefties.
• Chapter 6: 8-strand Braid Designs covers making five braids from both the Japanese and Andean traditions. Variations are shown and described. Pdfs for all designs are available on Taproot’s website for download. (Free with streaming.) The design pages also show how to break down classic braiding diagram notation into simpler steps. This gives you a model that you can imitate when you are working on diagrams that seem confusing.
• Chapter 7: 16- and 20-strand Braid Designs presents four 16-strand braids and one cool 20-strand braid. The sequence of designs in Chapters 6 and 7 were chosen so that students experience the movements that are most common in making most braiding structures. This should make it easier for students to move onto more complex braids and to dig into those beautiful braiding books!
• Chapter 8: Finishes a few simple finishes are presented. For more detail on beginnings and finishes and to get to watch the master, please see Rodrick Owen’s DVD Japanese Braiding (Marudai) 1999.

Handouts are included for:

• 10 braiding designs each with several colorways and/or variations.
• A counterbalance weight chart to help you quickly find the information you need without using a calculator
• A resource list that includes books, equipment, and supplies

Please review the materials list to find out what equipment and materials you will need. It also includes recommendations for where you can purchase these items.