[flycatcher]

Sueki,

Just to make sure it is clear... It was only four threads for about the first three inches after the beading needle. There are no more than two threads going through each pearl. The ends of the doubled thread are put through the eye of the needle about three inches and folded back.
Then I start to put the pearls on (after the clasp of course).

If I had to use four threads in each perl I would be a little poorer now for having paid someone else to do it for me. :-)

--Stephen

[john675]

Stephen, I'm impressed. I've been wanting to knot pearls into a necklace and your efforts inspire me, a fellow guy, to give it a shot. Someday soon...
John

[Sueki]

Oh, Stephen, all is very clear now.
Thanks.
But why don't you thread a single strand of silk (twice as long as you need) through your needle and use it doubled ?
I.E. Single strand of silk, thread through the needle and knot the two ends together; that way you only ever have two strands going through each bead and gimp.
Not criticising, just curious.

[Caitlin]

HI
Your method seems to work, but that is a poor choice of needle for knotting. If you get a twisted wire beading needle and cut a length of string 4 times plus 10 ", thread it through the needle so it is doubled and tie a knot. Put on one or two beads(pearls) add the gimp and clasp and go back through one pearl and make your first knot, then back through the second and knot, then string all the rest of the pearls on. Then slide one pearl up to the end with the clasp and knot it. Slide the next up and knot it. Leave the last two pearls unknotted add the gimp and clasp and pass it back through the last pearl, knot, the second to last, then knot. I didn't see how you got the clasp on, but congratulations on finding a method!

I use a thin flexible twisted wire needle- the thinest one because often it will double back after the clasp with no problem compared to a thicker needle. Your needle is very thick. Much more suitable for applying seed beads to a fabric.

I keep thin, medium and thick thread and use the one that will double back through the pearls for the clasp knots, yet is not too small that the pearls slip over the knots. Some people do use very thin thread and use two doubled threads knotted at the end. Otherwise the same techniques apply.

[flycatcher]

Caitlin,

The needle shown in the pictures was just to put the gimp onto the looped part of the string. I used a twisted wire beading needle as you described for the actual stringing of the pearls. Those pictures were intended to illustrate my method for putting the gimp onto the silk thread for the attachment of the first part of the clasp. I was unable to slip the folded thread through the gimp so I had to thread it over the beading needle and slide it down to the other end of the thread so that I could attach the clasp. I had a terrible time getting the gimp over the eye of the needle. Even after it had been put through a pearl to collapse the eye. I ruined a lot of gimp before I managed it. Afterwards, I came up with a method of putting the gimp on from the end opposite the beading needle. That method involved the use of a regular sewing needle and thread to pull the looped end of the silk through the gimp. Then attach the clasp as normal by looping the now gimped end through the ring of the clasp and passing the beading needle through the loop that sticks out of the end of the gimp and begin stringing the pearls on using the twisted wire beading needle. I don't know how to describe it any better than that so I am including a drawing of the layout showing how it was done. It is not the best drawing so I hope it does not confuse the issue further. As I hope you can see from the attached drawing, the doubled silk thread is put through the eye of the beading needle and folded back on itself for about 3 inches. With the thread waxed it stays in the needle quite well.

Sueki,

That drawing shows how my thread was used to attach the clasp. I used that method because that was the one that I found instructions for. I do not know how the attach the first part of the clasp any other way than to loop the folded end through the ring on the clasp and feed the free ends back through the loop made by the folded end and the gimp. If there is a better way to attach the clasp then I would love to hear it because that is why I am here (I came to learn). Hope this helps. Thanks!

--Stephen

[Caitlin]

That is a very ingenius and creative way to solve the problem.

[Caitlin]

BTW, how do you guys cut the gimp? I finally settled on a pair of fingernail clippers since they gave me the cleanest cut. Scissors and wire cutters just mangled the end when I tried it.

I want to try that. Sounds really good.....

[Sueki]

Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the diagram - now I really do understand. Sorry I've not any suggestions re. a better way to attach the clasp as I string altogether differently.
I agree with Caitlin that your method of attaching the gimp is very ingenious.