Software
Erin Weik’s husband made for her an online interactive colour planner for what appears to be the 8 strand kongo.
http://lythastudios.com/123bead/kumiplanner.html

Events
April 14-18, 2010
Sydney, NSW, AU
The first in a series of Stiches and Craft Shows in Australia is starting in about 2 weeks and the official web site is still a postcard.
Trish Goodfield will be teaching kumihimo there. (Hey, Trish, link the book image to a description or provide a description on the buy page, please? You’re killing the whole impulse buy urge by making me work too hard. 8)
http://trishalandesigns.blogspot.com/2010/03/craft-show-preparations.html

Fri , May 7, 2010
Seafoam Necklace
1 Stop Bead Shop, Columbus, OH
Taught by Sheilah Cleary
Seems to be the same class as the Bead and Button one (see below), but for significantly less cost.
http://1stopbeadshop.blogspot.com/2010/03/sheila-cleary-visiting-1-stop-bead-shop.html

Sat, May 8, 2010
Show it Off Kumihimo Necklace
1 Stop Bead Shop, Columbus, OH
Taught by Sheilah Cleary
Introductory kumihimo class taught on the marudai. A different braid than the Seaform Necklace is taught in this class.
http://1stopbeadshop.blogspot.com/2010/03/sheila-cleary-visiting-1-stop-bead-shop.html

Sun. June 6 • 7:00pm-10:00pm
Tue. June 8 • 7:00pm-10:00pm
Wed. June 9 • 4:00pm-7:00pm
Sun. June 13 • 9:00am-noon
Quick-and-Easy Kumihimo: Incorporating Beads (3 hours)
Bead and Button Show, Milwaukee, Wi June 6-13, 2010
Taught by Jill Wiseman
Introductory kumihimo class taught on the foam loom.

Thu. June 10 • 8:00am-3:00pm (with 1 hr. break) - (6 hours)
Fri. June 11 • 8:30am-4:00pm (with 1.5 hr. break) - (6 hours)
Seafoam Necklace
Bead and Button Show, Milwaukee, Wi
Taught by Sheilah Cleary
Introductory kumihimo class taught on the marudai.

Fri. June 11 • 8:30am-4:00pm (with 1.5 hr. break) - (6 hours)
Sat. June 12 • 9:00am-5:00pm (with 2 hr. break) - (6 hours)
Kumihimo Beaded Necklace with Focal Bead
Bead and Button Show, Milwaukee, Wi
Taught by Adrienne Gaskell
http://beadandbuttonshow.stores.yahoo.net/b10884.html

Wed. June 9 • 8:00am-3:00pm
Thu. June 10 • 8:00am-3:00pm
Kumihimo Boro-Bead Necklace (with 1 hr. break) - (6 hours)
Bead and Button Show, Milwaukee, Wi
Taught by Adrienne Gaskell
Kumihimo with borosilicate drop beads on a marudai.

July 10 - 11, 2010
Deland, FL
Adrienne Gaskell will also be leading a “kumihimo pajama party” with the North East chapter of the Florida Society of Goldsmiths.
http://fsgnortheastchapter.blogspot.com/2010/03/jewelry-making-workshops-for-spring.html

Things to make
A step by step photographic tutorial for finger weaving a diagonal/candy stripe pattern by Franco Rios
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2010/02/fwdiagtut.html

A how-to video for fill the gap en français.
http://en.kendincos.net/video-jhfptnff-kumihimo.html

Instructions for a few simple braids from mathematicians (where’s the math content?)
http://nrich.maths.org/5778

Reference
The Library Thing page for Catherine Martin’s Kumihimo: Japanese Silk Braiding Techniques (Basic Marudai Braids).
http://www.librarything.com/work/152651

“What is Kumihimo” (I thought What was on second…) is a Groupsite.com group that appears to have been started by Beth Kemp.
http://kumihimo.groupsite.com/main/summary

OpenKanjiDic on 組 (くみ, kumi)
http://openkanjidic.com/kanji/組/?page=4

A study of the kanji for string or cord (紐, ひも, himo)
http://kanjicards.org/kanji/2369.html

Books
Flower arranging and packaging for transport and gift giving. Kumihimo and mizuhiki (and origami and…) are some of the ingredients.
Japanese Flower Wrapping: The Beautiful Art of Hana Tsutumi by Misuko Kawata
(via)

Pretty pictures
A collection of braiding videos. Machines and people.
http://vidoemo.com/yvideo.php?i=LWlBZ09ucWuRpblRnMkk&c-braider

A nice video titled “Traditional braiding skills alive in downtown Edo”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL3Hex9q7Oc

A video tour of Adachi Kumihomo-kan (kumihimo shop in Kyoto) en français.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skEeirEimxo

Akiko Aoki’s Flickr set of a braiding machine
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akiko_photo/4365361428/

Lionsgater has an interesting kumihimo Flickr set.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50925312@N00/sets/72157623359642330/

Hallvan also has a Flickr set.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23852150@N08/sets/72157623265120613/

Blogs
Erika posts a picture of her 16 strand kongo braid and blogs about Makiko-sensei’s books.
http://erika.posterous.com/kumihimo-kongo-gumi-hana

LitaC2 blogs a kumihimo primer on the Beading Daily forum.
http://www.beadingdaily.com/forums/p/6540/65669.aspx

Followed by a walk through of the braiding process with beads.
http://www.beadingdaily.com/forums/p/6544/67907.aspx

Joan Langerfeld shows a number of kumihimo experiments.
http://beadbeat.blogspot.com/2010/02/kumihimo.html

“Sweet Freedom” blogs about making a 60 inch beaded kumihimo lariat.
http://sweetfreedom-designs.blogspot.com/2010/03/kumihimo.html

Becky Campion wonders how she should finish the ends of her silk cord, bead and wire bracelet.
http://www.jewelrylessons.com/gallery/finishing-kumihimo-silk-and-silver

BizeeBeeCreations blogs with nice pictures about her beaded kumihimo necklace.
http://bizeebeecreations.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-march-happy-birthday-dear-older.html

Katie Kent blogs with pictures about a kumihimo workshop she took (interesting legs on those marudais…)
http://theknittingmama.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-do-i-start.html

Marie Bastova shows us a necklace, bracelet and earring set that she kumihimo’d with beads.
http://www.beadersshowcase.com/photo/ive-followed-the-river

Linda Hubbard blogs about a beaded kumihimo bracelet she made for her daughter.
http://linda-hubbard.blogspot.com/2010/03/early-birthday-gift.html

Deborah blogs about being driven into a kumihimo workshop by snow.
http://deborahmpurdy.blogspot.com/2010/03/log-cabin-fever-and-kumihimo.html

Goddessences suggests teaching fill-the-gap braids to kids as a possible activity to be used while baby sitting.
http://justnshop.com/games/?p=308

Susan Jefferson of Let’s Bead! in East Rochester, NY briefly blogs about teaching kumihimo to kids.
http://blog.letsbead.com/2010/03/kumihimo-for-kids.html

Michele Ann L’Heureux blogs about committing to teach kumihimo to her quilting guild.
http://lheureuxart.blogspot.com/2010/03/no-more-excuses.html

Shams blogs about making a kumihimo necklace cord. Sadly, even the enlarged pictures don’t show any real detail of the braids. Pendant is nice tho. 8)
http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/2010/03/miscellaneous-photos.html

Slightly better pictures of a different braid here.
http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/2010/02/fun-with-kumihimo.html

NigatsuBebe blogs about her love for kumihimo.
http://nigatsubebe.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/kumihimo-love/

Textile Tragic has borrowed a marudai and now needs to make, borrow or buy some tama.
http://ztwistart.blogspot.com/2010/03/marudai.html

Things to buy
Rakuten, an online Japanese shopping site that has put a lot of effort into making sure the rest of the world can buy their offerings happens to sell haori-himo
http://en.search.borderless.rakuten.com/men_apparel/kimono/kimono/haori/
Rakuten kimono sash clip search
Rakuten obijime search

Nothing to do with braids, but usagi furoshiki!! Eeee!!! 8)
http://en.item.rakuten.com/furoshikiya/10000160/

A slotted wooden braiding disc made by Bodrighy Wood.
http://www.folksy.com/items/331693-Kumihimo-disc

I don’t usually note the transitory eBay postings and the like, unless they’re really interesting (as defined by me 8). This is a new shape (oval) for foam kumihimo braiding loom.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KUMIHIMO-JAPANESE-STRETCH-BRAIDING-KIT_W0QQitemZ290401350423QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Crafts_OtherCrafts_Spinning_Weaving?hash=item439d44f317