zianuray: (working on it)
zianuray ([personal profile] zianuray) wrote2009-02-01 07:19 am

Hmmph

Attempting to learn to knot the cord between pearls on a necklace.  I keep getting a gap between the bead and the knot (and I mean a BIG gap).

Yeah, it takes practice...but right now I'm getting practice at picking up the beads after I get frustrated and throw them!

[identity profile] wren08.livejournal.com 2009-02-01 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I always use the needle to wiggle the knot very close to the bead before I draw it up tight and then make sure I'm pulling from the other side so that pulling it tight gets it closer to the bead instead of farther away.

It's difficult and slow... but so worth it! Besides, when your two yearold grabs your pearls and yanks them off your neck, you only have to find one pearl instead of running down the whole string.(Yeah... that happened.)

[identity profile] rowangolightly.livejournal.com 2009-02-01 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
That's exactly what I was just going to recommend.

Also, Fire Mountain has some good tutorials, just in case you didn't realize that.

[identity profile] cattinsley.livejournal.com 2009-02-02 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
I understand that! I think the worst one was when I did a necklace that took me an hour to string...and then I dropped one end of the sting and they went all over the floor.

[identity profile] gem-handler.livejournal.com 2009-02-02 01:35 pm (UTC)(link)
If you can, get the pearl knotting tool. I don't knot pearls without it.

Alternately, get a larger gauge needle to pull the knot down. It's much easier than a normal sewing needle, you're less likely to snag the thread. Maybe not as big as a leather needle, but a good size machine needle.