Originally Posted by jshepherd

You really only have to see one knot to "get" it.

You can watch a knot on double thread being made at http://www.lots-of-pearls.com/winkel...els_knopen.htm.
Scroll all the way down and play the video.

Sheila

Thanks for the link, Sheila!

It's difficult to explain without the video.

[Caitlin]

Great score, Sheila!

I am wondering about the start and finish shown. The start is clever, but how do you get the gimp on it? and the end is finished with a lighter? That must mean non silk thread.......

No gimp, the thread is knotted directly onto the clasp.
I will let you know when the 'how-to french wire' section is added.

The thread used contains nylon, when using silk you have to apply some jewelry-glue onto the final knot instead of melting it.

Sheila

[Caitlin]

In the spirit of illuminating stringing techniques......I am just noticing that that method of tying the pearl thread to the knotting string and sliding all the pearls onto the knotting string has been described here before.

It does not need a needle on the loop, so the clasp can be attached in the manner shown. This is very clever and would work for some people sometimes. It was appropriate for this demonstration. However, I can't see how one could get the gimp on the knotting thread using that string method.

Also, it presupposes that your pearls are in the correct order on the temporary thread. I can't think of a time I left the pearls in the original order on the temporary thread, since I like to rearrange pearls and often add other stones in between.

[Caitlin]

I also have some thoughts about using lighters to melt a thread near the knot, the main one being- use something else.

Back when I first started beading 40 years ago, I used monofiliment fishing line and melted the knots. It is tricky to get a lighter flame applied just so- Exhale on it and the flame could divert to the thread. If it melts through, and I had a few that did, one has to start over. Also it leaves black marks where the thread melted. I have used Nymo type multi-filiament nylon threads many times. The lighter works to keep it from coming apart, but is still messy and leaves a discolored place on the thread, no matter what. I eventually settled on silk or Softflex, depending on the project.

I am starting a new cycle in looking for non-silk threads. I am not happy with silk for klonks, wet-strung or not. In the process, I found a little thread zapper with a tiny point that super heats, so I ordered it to try on the newer threading mediums.

I ordered a spool of Detulon recently. It barely streched and feels and works like silk, and is less likely to tangle, but you have to be sure to pull both the threads all the way to get the tiny loops which occasionally form, out. This can slow you down and it is easy to miss a loop, if it is on the bottom.

Thus I researched online and found a couple of candidates to try. Power Pro spectra and Beadalon's Dandyline. Power Pro spectra is available as fishing line on much larger spools than the beading store equivalent. I never used Beadalon products, so I missed the Dandyline before. Both are claimed to be woven and do not stretch, or tangle, are completely water resistant and are very soft. they come in .005 and.006 thickness, about right to double on a wire needle. I live out in the country so I ordered online and have not received them yet.

Anyone else used these?