Maru Wha'??

This is my beautiful maru dai, a Japanese braiding stool, made by my husband. The little things sitting on the base are my tama, or braiding weights. I made my own, using prescription bottles and polymer clay. The weights need to be adjustable because each braid structure needs a certain weight. Did you know that a penny weighs 2.5grams? I didn't think so. An 8 strand braid can require anywhere from 35 to 70 gram weights, depending on the number of individual silk threads, or "ends".

This maru dai was what I used to create the braid you saw in "The Better Living With Chemicals" entry. This braid requires eight strands; I used four black, three blue, and one green. Picture a compass, with north, south, east, and west. I positioned two strands at each compass point for a total of 8 strands.

The movements of braiding are described as hypnotic and relaxing. Two cross (one strand goes up and one goes down), change places, another two cross and change places, repeat. After crossing and placing the colors in their new places you need to reposition the four strands back to the compass points. Same motions, over and over again until the end of the silk threads.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? It can be if you aren't one who gets easily distracted, often described as "having the attention span of a flea". Yup, that's me. But I have developed the all-important skill of being able to un-braid, to go back to where I was somewhere else (in mind only, and even that's not all there), reposition the strands and hope that all goes well. While the structure of this braid is very simple, I have better chances of being hit by lightning than getting the placement right any time in the next hour. Oh how relaxing this is!!

And yet I look forward to making another braid just as soon as I start this one.(Did I mention that attention thing?)