Gunze thread and my newly found hobby :)

[MK Fine Pearls]

Hello Pearl People, my favorite crowd!

First is my question.
I know everybody likes Beaders Secret and I do too! Thanks to Pattye I have it and love it!
But for my first ever stringing projects I chose to use Japanese GPT thread from Gunze brand. I know Sarah from Kojima uses it for ages and my friend Elena in Moscow uses it, and many many others in Asia use it.
But I found it to be kinky and uncooperative every-single-step of my projects.
Yes, I know, I am inexperienced, but I did not have any of the aforementioned problems with a BS thread.
Still, I am thinking and asking that stupid internet question "is it only me?" or others also found it to be rather cumbersome albeit very very strong. I couldn't even cut it clean with a thread nipper, again, unlike a BS.


Thank you for reading it!
And here my first ever for me stringing projects, all finished!
My DIL came last weekend and was gracious enough to model my pearls. The lighting was perfect, so no filters whatsoever.
It took me 18 straight hours (with the first 8 simply struggling with a beginning and that stubborn Gunze thread!!!) to finish it. I used silicone spacers and a knot every 5-6 pearls







And my second project with GSS and hessonite facetted beads, which almost went like a breeze, hehe, it took me only an hour. Since this photo shoot, I restrung it with knots between every pearl and bead and liking it more.



Peeps, stinging and creating is FUN!!!

 

[Marianne]

Beautiful designs with your beautiful pearls, Masik! As far as thread for knotting goes, I have tried most of what is available and Pattye's Serafil thread is my favorite. PatriciaSaabDesigns.etsy.com

 

[pattye]

Masik,

Peeps, stringing and creating is FUN!!!

Would you say a little struggle makes the victory of stringing sweeter? Each rope looks amazing on your dtr in law, as I'm sure will on you also. (You are so fortunate to have a lovely model handy!) Love the hessonite garnets with the goldens, a bit unexpected, and the versatile rose clasp with the lustrous baroques! Great photos, too!

Many thanks, Masik and Marianne, for your positive comments about Beaders Secret thread! I'm delighted to know it's worked so well for you!

The Gunze thread (from Sarah) is also in my arsenal of stringing materials, very strong and slippery. I only have white at this time.

 

[BWeaves]

Masik: Those blues. I'm in love. Tell us more about that rose clasp. It's gorgeous.

I love garnets. What a great combo with the goldens.

I'm a Beader's Secret convert, too. I threw out all my knotting silks after I discovered B.S.

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

Beautiful designs with your beautiful pearls, Masik! As far as thread for knotting goes, I have tried most of what is available and Beader's Secret is my favorite.

Masik,

Would you say a little struggle makes the victory of stringing sweeter? Each rope looks amazing on your dtr in law, as I'm sure will on you also. (You are so fortunate to have a lovely model handy!) Love the hessonite garnets with the goldens, a bit unexpected, and the versatile rose clasp with the lustrous baroques! Great photos, too!

Many thanks, Masik and Marianne, for your positive comments about Beaders Secret thread! I'm delighted to know it's worked so well for you!

The Gunze thread (from Sarah) is also in my arsenal of stringing materials, very strong and slippery. I only have white at this time.

Masik: Those blues. I'm in love. Tell us more about that rose clasp. It's gorgeous.

I love garnets. What a great combo with the goldens.

I'm a Beader's Secret convert, too. I threw out all my knotting silks after I discovered B.S.

THANK YOU, Marianne, Pattye, and BW!
I still think it is my inexpereinced hands that makes it dificult to deal with Gunze, since so many real professionals swore by it. But I guess for an ocasional stringer as I am the B.S should be it, especially with an abundance of colors it offers and the easiness to get them.

Pattye, thank you for your compliments to my DIL, her aristocratic neck (and wrists) make it so easy and fun to showcase pearls! And to my humble job as a stinger. Thank you for your advice, given to me whenever asked for. xoxo

BW, thank you for your prise! I got the rose clasp (it is 925 solid silver) from Yokota pearls, along WITH 1/3 of the blues. The rest of the rope were soursed from Kojima and the Pearl Society. I was aming for a 100", but decided 82" would be enough for a start

 

[CBPearllover]

Wow, both of those necklaces are GORGEOUS! What a marathon 82 inches must have been, and that rose clasp is perfection. I love mixing gemstone beads with pearls, and would have never thought of mixing GSSP with garnets! I'm inspired now.... did you find any issues stringing the hessonite? Were they rough or snagging the thread? I can't believe you STARTED with these strands, who knows what you'll make with more practice!

 

[Katbran]

I don't want to even think about knotting something that long lol They look beautiful !!!

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

Wow, both of those necklaces are GORGEOUS! What a marathon 82 inches must have been, and that rose clasp is perfection. I love mixing gemstone beads with pearls, and would have never thought of mixing GSSP with garnets! I'm inspired now.... did you find any issues stringing the hessonite? Were they rough or snagging the thread? I can't believe you STARTED with these strands, who knows what you'll make with more practice!

Thank you, CBP!
Yeah, it was much longer than I expected but mostly because I struggle with a loooooooooooooong kinky strand at the beginning. I think I restarted it 10 times or more! I also broke quete a few of needles.

With hessonites, that I had on hand were no problems, but since it the softest kind of a garnet you do have to be gentle. I think I broke 3 beads before I gave in and switched from B.S. #20 to the darn Gunze #20, which is more like B.S. #30. The GSS also had very small holes, despite their sizes (10 to 15.5mm), so I HAD to use the Gunze. But the strand was "only" 36", so I was done within an hour.
I opted to add knots between the hessonite and pearls, neater look and extra protection for pearls.

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

I don't want to even think about knotting something that long lol They look beautiful !!!

LOL, Katbarn, I know, RIGHT?! But I was dying to get a blue Akoya baroque rope, so I rushed head first right in, once I had the supplies! ))

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

Masik,

Would you say a little struggle makes the victory of stringing sweeter? Each rope looks amazing on your dtr in law, as I'm sure will on you also. (You are so fortunate to have a lovely model handy!) Love the hessonite garnets with the goldens, a bit unexpected, and the versatile rose clasp with the lustrous baroques! Great photos, too!

Many thanks, Masik and Marianne, for your positive comments about Beaders Secret thread! I'm delighted to know it's worked so well for you!

The Gunze thread (from Sarah) is also in my arsenal of stringing materials, very strong and slippery. I only have white at this time.

you know I am coming back, right? I NEED the whole spools! And needles. Yes, needles. I am boasting with projects. Turquoise and Ts are waiting.

 

[CBPearllover]

Thank you, CBP!
Yeah, it was much longer than I expected but mostly because I struggle with a loooooooooooooong kinky strand at the beginning. I think I restarted it 10 times or more! I also broke quete a few of needles.

With hessonites, that I had on hand were no problems, but since it the softest kind of a garnet you do have to be gentle. I think I broke 3 beads before I gave in and switched from B.S. #20 to the darn Gunze #20, which is more like B.S. #30. The GSS also had very small holes, despite their sizes (10 to 15.5mm), so I HAD to use the Gunze. But the strand was "only" 36", so I was done within an hour.
I opted to add knots between the hessonite and pearls, neater look and extra protection for pearls.

You're so patient for restarting that many times! Huh, I never thought about the beads breaking on me. I've only experimented on a few kinds, but the ones I used had pretty small drill holes. Is that when they would break on you, when you tried to thread them through the needle? Ha, "only 36"! I've also broken TONS of needles (the long-eyed kind), I guess I keep trying to string through holes that are too small.

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

You're so patient for restarting that many times! Huh, I never thought about the beads breaking on me. I've only experimented on a few kinds, but the ones I used had pretty small drill holes. Is that when they would break on you, when you tried to thread them through the needle? Ha, "only 36"! I've also broken TONS of needles (the long-eyed kind), I guess I keep trying to string through holes that are too small.

I broke them when I tried to force a needle with 4 threads of B.S. #30 through them. That is when I gave up and returned to a tricky Japanese thread.
I'd say I am learning from my mistakes, lol. Hopefully, I will remember I made them and won't repeat them the next time

Yeah, 36". My first ever-ever strand was also a 36" died Akoya, that I took to a stringing class to practice on, so I am yet to work on a shorter necklace

 

[Happy Huku]

Wow! Congratulations!
Just love the golden/garnet combination.

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

Wow! Congratulations!
Just love the golden/garnet combination.

thank you, HH!