I saw a cute little knitted beaded coin purse at Knittingpatterncentral.com and it calls for 800 beads for the coin purse. Is there an easy way to string these beads onto the #3 cotton that it calls for?
Jackie
I like to spin yarn and I’ve recently tried plying it with tiny beads strung on silk. Although I haven’t tried my new gadget for this yet (just got it) it’s called the Speedy Stringer for about $25 available thru Firemountain gems 800 355 2137. Maybe this would work for you. Beads of a certain size go into a wooden bowl fitted to spin around like a lazy susan I think and a special J hook needle is supposed to reel them in quicker than stringing by hand.
I also saw a tutorial on a blog somewhere to make one of these from a tub of margarine and something else to serve as a post. And yes, you do need a J needle to use it. The principle is that you put a good quantity of beads in the tub, then you hold the needle in it while you make it spin, and the beads “jump” on the needle.
There, I found the tutorial:
http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/beadspinner.html
And an article about using a bead spinner.
http://beadwork-jewelry-making.suite101.com/article.cfm/string_beads_with_a_bead_spinner
Never heard of such a device but how wonderful. I recall painstakingly catching beads on a fine needle tip before…one…two…three…very tiring and slow.
800 beads!!!:shock::shock::shock: better you than me!
I did a shrug that turned out beautiful, (from Interweave) and it only required um, forgot exactly how many but no more than 100. It takes time that’s for sure. I found if I put them in a bowl and just sort of swooped my Big Eye needle in there I’d get 5 or 6 beads. That bead stringer sounds interesting though…