PEARL KNOTTING/STRINGING

[Fly Girl]

Thank you for the necklace photos, fafa. They are gorgeous and look superb. Thanks for the close up on the French wire. It gives a very nice finishing touch.

 

[fafa]

Thank you Fly Girl for your compliement. Yes, the french wire really gives the necklace a nice look. Can''t wait to see everybody''s new creations.

 

[dh97]

After read and saw many beautiful strands, ropes from lowly beaders' club I decided to take a challenge to make a rope for myself.
I bought few strands from pearlluna to play. This is my first order from them. I am happy with my order.
Last night I made 3 strands for my mom, MIL, and daughter. They love them all. I don't have a chance to take pics of those. But I have pics of my rope that I freshly done this morning. It finish at 82", 336 beads.

 

[dh97]

I single knotted each pearl,

. It took me about 6 hours to finish this rope

.
Here is a neck shot.

Happy knotting

 

[Fly Girl]

Wow, that is so awesome, dh97! It looks stunning on you. I have a second order from PearlLunar on the way tonight, and when it arrives, my stringing projects can begin. I decided I wanted a longer necklace than the 16" strands that they sell, so it took some time before the auctions I needed came along.

 

[dh97]

Date: 9/25/2009 11:21:54 PM
Author: Fly Girl
Wow, that is so awesome, dh97! It looks stunning on you. I have a second order from PearlLunar on the way tonight, and when it arrives, my stringing projects can begin. I decided I wanted a longer necklace than the 16'' strands that they sell, so it took some time before the auctions I needed came along.

Thank you FlyGirl. I''m in love with this long rope. I find it has many ways to wear.

I hope your necklace will soon arrive.

 

[Lovinggems]

Beautiful work ladies.

 

[cellentani]

dh97 - thank you for posting your necklace, it''s beautiful! I ordered a strand from pearllunar on the 17th, and am still anxiously awaiting them - can''t wait to knot some more!

 

[cellentani]

I received my pearls from pearllunar - this is the vendor''s photo.

 

[cellentani]

My photo, taken with my Intergem pearl bracelet (that has seen some wear!). These are definitely off-round, and some of them are egg shaped, but they have decent luster. I don''t think they''re nice enough for a necklace, so I''m going to make another bracelet.

 

[cellentani]

I can''t decide between knotting, or putting spacers in-between the pearls, like this one:

 

[that_someone_special]

Everyone is so talented here!

What kind of supplies does one need?
My strands probably wont be here for 2 weeks, so I have time.

 

[cellentani]

Finished the pearllunar strand this evening - I think it''s about 15.5" long.

 

[cellentani]

I used a sterling silver toggle and attached with .6mm french wire.

 

[cellentani]

Next to my Chuyun necklace that I re-strung yesterday.

 

[D&T]

everyone is sooo talented!!!!!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/2/2009 7:54:03 PM
Author: swedish bean

Everyone is so talented here!

What kind of supplies does one need?
My strands probably wont be here for 2 weeks, so I have time.

Supplies are pretty simple, but it took me awhile to find thread that I was happy with. I tried Dandyline (synthetic), Griffin silk (comes with a pre-threaded needle on a card), and Gudebrod silk (spool). My favorite by far is the Gudebrod. Lots of people use powerpro fishing line, but I prefer to use a natural materal. I also use flexible beading needles, french wire (for attaching the clasp, but it''s not absolutely necessary to use french wire), and of course, a clasp. But that''s just for simple stringing. Making earrings or tin cup necklaces will require different things.

 

[cellentani]

my supplies:

 

[cellentani]

closeup of my two finished necklaces.

 

[cellentani]

another shot of the finished necklaces. I''m now on the hunt for some more interesting clasps!

 

[glitterata]

Cellantani (or anybody else), can you point me toward some instructional material (videos, books, faqs) about how to attach clasps? I think I understand the knotting techniques (in theory), but I don't have a clue about how to get the necklaces attached to the clasps.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/12/2009 7:00:24 PM
Author: glitterata
Cellantani (or anybody else), can you point me toward some instructional material (videos, books, faqs) about how to attach clasps? I think I understand the knotting techniques (in theory), but I don''t have a clue about how to get the necklaces attached to the clasps.

Do you want to use french wire or crimps? I use french wire, and can put together a series of pics for you - just give me a day.

 

[glitterata]

That would be awesome! Thank you!

I think french wires look better than crimps & I would love to learn to do them.

Meanwhile I'll practice knotting....

 

[cellentani]

Okay, I''ll get right on it! This''ll be fun!

 

[cellentani]

Okay glitterata, here we go: How to Attach Clasps 101

Keep in mind though, that this is just how I do it - if you find a method that's easier for you, by all means, use it. I learned that there are a zillion ways to string pearls/beads, and everyone has their favorite method.

Here's what I use: silk thread (pictured is Gudebrod size D, but these pearls really needed a size smaller), flexible needle (fine), and french wire. You can use scissors to cut the french wire, but I use nail clippers to save my scissors. I cut off about 1/4-inch piece, depending on how big the clasp attachment is.

 

[cellentani]

Step 1: Thread your needle with an appropriate length of thread. When doubled, my thread length is about 1.5 times as long as the necklace. Knot the double strand at the end, and thread 3 pearls, the piece of french wire, and half of the clasp onto it. Slide them all down by the knot.

 

[cellentani]

Now use your needle and go back through the last pearl, pulling steadily. The remaining 2 pearls should not be jammed up against the end knot, so leave yourself some room.

 

[cellentani]

Again, leaving some space between the other pearls, pull the thread tight so the piece of french wire will double over the clasp. If it's stubborn about bending, pull on both sets of threads. You'll now have the clasp attached to one end of the pearl, and 4 strands out the other end.

 

[cellentani]

Using the double strand that''s attached to the needle, make an overhand knot over the other 2 strands (or a half-hitch, if you know your knots).

 

[cellentani]

Cinch it tight, getting as close to the pearl as possible. Open up the double strand and pull on both pieces to really tighten it.