What the heck are hexagon and windmill braiding, what are they made of and what can be accomplished with them?

Hexagon braiding is one type of three-way braiding surface whose braiding strips bond to each other at an angle of 60 ° to each other to form triangles with a hexagonal void (hexagon) in the center.

Objects made with this technology have been found mainly in Asia, India and China, but also elsewhere such as the USA and Germany.

Hexagon weaving has been used in various storage baskets, e.g. in chicken carts, animal muzzles, snowshoes, fish traps, hats, food storage and cheese frames. Today, hexagon braiding is used primarily in preservatives and ornaments.

Hexagon braiding is a relatively new technology in Finland among braids. It can be made of a wide variety of materials, pre-strip-like or strip-processed. Various recycled materials such as packing tapes, packaging papers, newspapers, corrugated board, etc. are well suited. Especially good and easy to use in hexagon weaving is the Japanese Kami paper tape (Kamihimo).

The braiding can be inside with a little practice and the technology makes it possible to make objects of different sizes and shapes in a variety of ways. Once the technology has gotten inside, the fingers always itch just a new braid…

Windmill braiding is also a relatively new braiding technology in Finland. In this technique, the strips form a surface by tying two strips together. The node forms a square (windmill) made up of four smaller squares. The work can be done as a plane, but adding the edges gives a basket-like shape.

The materials used are the same as in hexagon weaving, but in addition, textile materials give a whole new dimension. A small summer bag can be braided with windmill braiding.

These techniques are available at the Hexagon and Windmill Braiding Weekend Course at the Southern Regional College of the Workers’ College (code 101420) 19.2. and March 20-21. If you are interested, ask for more information from the Office of the Workers’ College, tel. 09 310 88610

Seija-Sisko Mustonen

Outi Honkimaa, 17.2.2010