Play and Kumihimo

[Photo: Alison Irwin's 'O is for Ocelot'
Kumihimo braids]

When I think of the word play, I think of it having two purposes.  There is playful play, where you play around with something trying to learn 'it', to understand 'it', to be able to do 'it' (say, learning to play the piano).  There there is the powerful play, where you know 'it' so well, you have complete mastery and control that you can play with 'it', make 'it' do whatever you want (like composing new songs).

[Photo: My first sample, showing  various
geometric patterns, from the tip: a spiral, rake,
dark diamonds and lightning]

  I especially love it when someone takes a craft or an art form and plays with it,  gets to know it, tries this with it, tries that with it, really understand it and is able to create new forms, new uses, new functions, new knowledge of 'it'.  The 'it' in this case Kumihimo and the player is Alison Irwin who taught a group of us her Eight 'n Eight Kumihimo workshop - eight light threads and eight dark threads used to make 'Kongo Gumi' (hollow round) braids. A day inspiring me to want to play.