kami-ito / paper thread

Japanese paper made of fibre from the kozo (paper mulberry) tree, crisp, handmade, strong

Fold and cut into 2-10mm strips

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Roll on cement blocks to soften and start thread formation

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Separate strands into one long thread

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Spin to add twist and turn into thread

Fold and cut into 2-10mm strips

Finish by boiling or steaming to set the twist. Dry and wind into skeins

shifu / paper cloth

Weave the kami-ito into cloth

Morojifu (paper thread warp and weft), handwoven, playing with density of weave

Shifu (paper cloth), dyed with onion skins

BloodLine

Shifu (paper cloth), cotton warp, paper weft and supplemental warp, dyed with madder and cutch

Another Way (Transcend)

resources for learning

Interested in learning how to make kami-ito? Take a class.

Books, articles, videos

A Song of Praise for Shifu by Susan J. Byrd, Michigan: The Legacy Press, 2013.

Kigami and Kami-ito by Hiroko Karuno, Kyoto: Shikosha Publishing, 2017.

“Paper Weight” by Stephen Szczepanek on Hiroko Karuno, Selvedge Issue 22, 2008.

Paper Threadmaking for Shifu by Susan Byrd, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtQFB1Ztb84

Rolling Paper Strips into a Thread by Susan Byrd, https://youtu.be/Qm8WPhowKwk

Video Moeki by Moeki Yamada, https://vimeo.com/380250543