how to avoid carpal tunnel

i dislike twisting fringes as much as i dislike taking up hems. Especially when there are gazillion and a half very thin silk threads to twist together.
i have a manual twister and that was a lot better than nothing, but still time time consuming and stressful on my wrists.
Some time ago i located the hair braider pictured here and my life changed. Seriously.
It is one of the best gadgets i have, rival to my bread making machine.

Being battery operated the fringe twisting process, which is not a very creative one, is brushed out of the way pronto. The wear and tear on the wrist tendons is also minimised, and you notice no discomfort after a marathon session.

Operation is simple.
Take 2 bouts and secure them with the end clips, then push the button down and twist the bouts until they start curling on themselves. Then push the button up and the bouts ply on to each other. Finish by unclipping them and tyeing a knot at the end.
However, i find that for fine yarns i first twist and then secure both bouts to the same clip and ply the 2 bouts together, thus getting an untwist proof braid.
Do yourself a favor and get a braider.

Life is good :)

neki desu

finished

Shawl is already finished, with fringe twisted and all. How's that for a happy dance? Or two.
i'm very pleased with it because it was sheer joy to weave as the silk behaved, no broken threads and no problems. And i was weaving on a table loom!

Strange how actually manipulating the structure makes you more aware of what it does.

i'm also happy because the shawl came out looking like what i wanted, something simple and understated. It is very light, sheer and crisp, if you can tell from the photo. Feels as if one has wrapped oneself with a cloud.
The indigo dyed weft plays with the gold and brown from the kakishibu creating a bit of iridescence. The yarn irregularities and slubs add some sort of rustic charm.

Now i only need to go out this weekend and show off :)

neki desu

fujiro

Five dips in shikon and i only have fujiro, this light lilac gray.
i'm aiming for benikyou that beautiful, rich, dark purple. How many more dips?
How much patience?

neki desu