Just one of those nights.

[maryd]

Ugh. Just had to vent my frustration. I am working on a three strand necklace and as I am finishing up the third strand I realize that that row is too long. And what is worse it is 18" of 3 mm pearls. I am dreading taking it apart.

No chance there is anyway to shorten a necklace without starting over.

(thanks for letting me vent - my husband does not understand why I am cranky about this)

 

[knotty panda]

They have pearl shorteners. You could also make a decorative tassle in the back. If you tear it apart, don't knot each pearl individually. A knot every 5th pearl is just fine if you have fears of the strand breaking.

 

[laurenb]

Oh no! I'm so sorry. If you have a smaller project that's also in progress, you might opt to finish that one and let the frustrating re-do sit for a day or two.

I completely understand-- while photographing a ~36 inch strand of small freshwaters alternating with 2mm garnets today, I realized it looks like the garnets may be rubbing a reddish color treatment off onto the knots. All of the hundred or so. I'm OCD about perfect knotting and always having knots in between pearls and other pearls/stones, but I'm really dreading that do-over. Current plan is to put it up for sale, then take care of it if/when it sells.

Good luck!

 

[BeadersSecret]

Mary,

Big hugs I know how you feel - some multi-strand jobs can be a right pain to balance


When I thread multiple strands, I dont completely finish each strand as I go along - by this I mean leaving 4 - 7 pearls loose in each strand until all strands are essentially complete. In this way you have leverage to balance your pearls during the final finishing off.

If you have not cut your thread or glued/heat sealed it you may have a chance to unpick the thread.

 

[maryd]

Thank you ladies for making me feel better. I definitely need to step back for the moment and then begin again. It's weird that 90% of the time tying is therapeutic for me while that remaining 10% just makes me want to pull my hair out.

I think it is a Sangria for me and then to bed. That necklace can wait.

 

[maryd]

Mary,

When I thread multiple strands, I dont completely finish each strand as I go along - by this I mean leaving 4 - 7 pearls loose in each strand until all strands are essentially complete. In this way you have leverage to balance your pearls during the final finishing off.

Bernadette, I will definitely be using this technique in the future. Mary

 

[boo]

I think it is a Sangria for me and then to bed. That necklace can wait.

That sounds like the perfect way to deal with it - return to it when the frustration has faded a bit.

 

[pearlescence]

It depends on your character I suppose. I have to get stuff done, finished and over, otherwise it sits there looming at me all the time.
nag nag nag it says

 

[pattye]

Maryd,

Even when not knotting, redos happen for me all the time. Depends on how frustrated I am whether I tackle again same day or wait until morning! Have only done a few necklaces with multiples, have observed they can be tricky and thanks, Bernadette for the tips about leaving the strands adjustable until the very end of the project---------

 

[maryd]

Good morning all. I do feel much better after stepping away. I am heading to London today on business so the necklace will have to wait a week. I was hoping to finish the necklace last night and have the buyer pick it up while I was away. Good news is she didn't have a timeline and is fine with waiting.

But with Bernadette's trick I will definitely be in a better position next time.

 

[Nerida]

I haven't done a triple strand necklace before, but have done several bracelets, and I agree that Bernadette's tips work well... there is much to be said for temporarily stringing things first, too. I think Sueki does this always.

 

[pearlescence]

I have made a few triples, but I found that it is very difficult to get the hang and spacing right and then people don't want to pay a realistic price (three necklaces plus some extra kerfuffle for the spacing etc)
So I don't any more

 

[Sueki]

there is much to be said for temporarily stringing things first, too. I think Sueki does this always.

Indeed I do... Always
Simply because it saves me so much time and effort in the long run.

 

[knotty panda]

... and then people don't want to pay a realistic price ...

Reminds me of a girl I worked with. She had an Honora bracelet given to her by her boyfriend stationed in Iraq and it broke and she was positively heartbroken and could I please fix it and how much? It was two rows of pearls on a leather band. I told her $2 an inch on silver so she would never have to worry about it breaking again for a total of $24"$24! She exclaimed, but it's only six inches of pearls!" "You have two rows of pearls, 12", $24," I explained. Then she said, "I don't think my husband would approve of me spending that kind of money on this!"

I'm a little fuzzy on the numbers I quoted her, but the husband part I remember well.

The bend in the beadboard does a marvelous job of getting multiple strand lengths perfect.

 

[Caitlin]

I recently custom made a four strand collar of CF pearls for my daughter's friend. The kind that has two bars and the clasp. I did it on wire because with the knots factored in- there was too much room for error with such an exact fit to the friend's neck. It was 3mm nuggets dyed black, so no no great loss, if it came undone. I fitted each strand as I went, but before I crimped it, I had to take off a pearl here and put one there, even though the count became uneven, the necklace fits as a collar. I think I held my breath the whole time I was fitting it and crimping!

For a longer 3 strander. If you get the first strand the length you want it on wire, then clamp the two sides of the strand together, You have only to make the next strand so it fits to the first one and clamp it so the ends of the strands will match the first strand.

You can use the Bead number wizard to estimate how much longer the knots make the strand. LINK The rounder the pearls, the better the wizard works.

Here is a link to another thread with a similar question. The photo shows how it would nest better if you use the board. I took four beads off the first strand and added them to the second. It is clear that two beads were all that needed to be switched. For round pearls, that might be the formula. The the bead wizard is there, but not working.

 

[BeadersSecret]

Well done Caitlin, the more strands, the harder I reckon it can be to balance.

The one I really dread doing is choker length. The only way I will do these, is a personalised fitting to the neck.

Time and time again I was given a pseudo measurement only (they where never correctly measured) , or told to fit the pearls to your neck

oh - and Sueki - a woman of my own heart

 

[Sueki]

Cheers Bernadette.

One reason I temporarily string is because I long ago realised that my neck is different to my sisters, for example.
Necklaces that drape well on her don't on me and vice versa.
For instance, a double row has to have 1.5 inches difference in strand lengths for me, otherwise the two rows won't nest.
1 inch difference leaves the shorter row overhanging the longer row slightly.

I guess I've got a weird shaped neck....


And, of course, I like to check the finished look before I make the piece up.

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks for that info. It makes sense when I think about about all the sweating to get multiple strands to hang right.

I guess that's why I prefer a rope with a clasp, and maybe some kind of clampy thing that holds the strands where you want them.