What on Earth Did I Do Wrong?

Welcome back! I still have a full shoe box of Griffin silk cards and I feel like I have to use them first, LOL! Even though I hardly ever knot anything. Danachit and LisaC - good to see you posting here.
 
It's soooo good to see so many of you! Woo Hoo!! So this is what I've done. I went to my local Michael's and picked up some fresh G-S hypo cement glue. Love that teeny tiny pin drop point. Oh my goodness.....just being around all those tools brought back so many memories! I strung gemstone and pearls for over ten years and then I moved onto Financial Counseling and now work with the dept of defense to teach what I love which is financial literacy.

But goodness, do I ever miss having that creative outlet! And...I still have all of my pearls! I still have big 9mm round akoya for earrings on cards I bought from my sweet dear passed-on Mr. Chen. What on earth will I do with all my pearls! Strand after strand of black and white pearls and piles upon piles of loose pearls. Ugh....it haunts me at night.

Okay...so back to this necklace. Because all of my glue was way too old, nothing worked when I back-knotted through the last 3 pearls. I also realized I didn't have enough properly reamed out end pearls. I got new glue, cut up the one strand I had strung on Stringth and started over....on stretched, waxed silk.

Yall.

I just can't bring myself to put these expensive pearls on anything else! I know, I know....beaders secret for the WIN, but I don't have any beaders secret.

And I'm just **** obsessive (hahaha....the forum software deleted out the word before obsessive but I promise you I did not cuss. I used a word that started with a and ended with nal...go figure) to not be able to wait for B.S. to be shipped from a supplier. I want this necklace done yesterday or at least two minutes ago, so I had to go with what I had. I stretched and waxed up some #D Gudebrod white silk and off I went.

Wait. I had to ream out 12 pearls and that part is all messy and yet the most important part. So once that was done, I began knotting with my awl tool

So far so good. Because I am nearing the end part...those last 3 pearls and I'm about to back knot and place a wee drop of glue....THIS IS WHERE THE MISTAKE HAPPENED LAST TIME.

I'm re-watching a couple of videos. Leaning in close to make sure...MAKE SURE PEOPLE...that I'm doing it right.

Then on to make the second strand.

Big Breath!! I'm going in!!! :cool:
 
Hahahahaha, oh my GOSH...yall....I was sitting here enjoying my new Amazon alexa thing that I got so I can have video chats with my parents "Hey Mama! Mama why is your hair pink? You need to tell the hairdresser to brown it up next time. Daddy what was your blood sugar? Is that powdered sugar on your chin?" ;)

Anyway, I had just called out, "Alexa! Play Percy Faith Strings Bouquet album" and ahhhhh....there it was. Percy Faith and his string orchestra playing Autumn Leaves, Fascination.... I went back...it was 1964, I was wearing cotton footie pajamas and mama & daddy had just tucked me into bed. They put this album on the huge stereo piece of furniture and I was dreaming of drive in movies watching Flipper and Tammy and waiting to watch Lamb Chop on the black and white tv in the morning.

And then it happened..

I made two knots. Two. Knots. :mad:

I think it was somewhere between the station wagon and the drive-in movie memories.

Hmmm...what to do...what TO DO. I know!! I had a couple of extra reamed out pearls so I grabbed one with a bigger hole and shoved that baby down right over the extra knot. It fit! I knotted it tight into place and no one will know. NO ONE WILL KNOW PEOPLE! :rolleyes:

Okay...back to knotting. Here is what I have so far. I'm about halfway done with the last of the two strands.
(I'm laying the pearls on top of that Bon Appetit tart because seriously, who doesn't want to eat that??)

IMG_9479-2.jpg
 
Great save, using that pearl with the larger drill hole!

I have done, that but with Serafil or Beaders Secret you can undo the knot.
 
Last edited:
Pearl Dreams said:
Great save, using that pearl with the larger drill hole!

I have done, that but with Beader's Secret you can undo the knot.
Click to expand...

Hahaha, OF COURSE you can undo the knot! Okay, Okay...I give up! I placed an order yesterday on etsy from our esteemed seller and will do the next one on Beaders secret! :cool:
 
Okay.

Big Sigh *and maybe a choice cuss word...or two...or three*

Twice now, TWICE...I have had the french boullion somehow stretch out over about a inch area and then not come off. What the hay!?

I got down to the very last back knot...the end was in sight!...and that dagnabbit french slinky did it again! And then I couldn't get it off. I had to do all sorts of acrobats to work around it and get another one on. But it's done and the last tiny drop of glue is drying. But...I may have to cut it all up and do it again in the event of unevenness of the two strands. We'll see.

If I do...I'll be doing it another day. :p
 
I share a groan with you. I once stretched a piece of gimp and it was a royal pain to get off. I ended up having to clip it bit by bit with wire cutters and pull the snipped bits off the thread with tweezers.

I am now very careful to push it down the length of thread from behind, thus compressing it rather than stretching it.
 
After all your acrobatics, I really hope your strand turns out fine! And when you get the BS (which I hope you've ordered a few colors because that's fun in itself!), you may just decide to knot a few more strands. You'll be able to enjoy your music more too because you won't have that constant, "DON'T MESS UP!!!" fear!
 
Oh dear .. that can happen with the gimp. It can snag on a bit of the thread and if you are pulling is down...slinky mania. I'm glad you have given up and are leaping onto the Beaders Secret train, your entire life will get easier... everything.. prices will drop at the gas station.. the butcher will give you free steaks... you'll find oil when you dig a hole to plant a rose bush... EVERYTHING gets better with BS. ( well that might be BS ... but knotting gets easier with Beaders Secret )

I would toss that knotting tool... you can get a pointy metal awl and use that..far less cumbersome and your knots will be better. Or knot without tools... really it all turns out the same.

Good luck !
 
danachit, I can relate on the gimp slinky. Now I trim both ends carefully with a fine pair of manicure scissors to remove any pokies then do a pinch push motion while moving it down the thread into place. And yes, Beader's Secret from dear pattye will transform your knotting life!
Welcome back!!!
 
I have noticed that if I haven't cut the gimp with a very sharp tool it is more likely to snag on something. Last time I used a wirecutter, it didn't snag ones and I knotted 3 necklaces that day. Also I am being very careful when I put the gimp on the tread especially when the necklace is almost done since the silktread sometimes is a bit frayed around the needle. Yes I still use silktread, haven't got my hands on beaders secret yet since I live in Sweden. I know Pearlescence sell some, but she didn't have that many colors. Please Pearlescence get some more colors... The shipping to sweden via etsy is more pricey, best to make a bigger order (and then my favorite paying custum of 25% and a fee of 75 sek (about 8$) just because they have had to make you pay custom). Anyway, I am sure your necklace will turn out stunning Danachit.
 
Katbran said:
Oh dear .. that can happen with the gimp. It can snag on a bit of the thread and if you are pulling is down...slinky mania. I'm glad you have given up and are leaping onto the Beaders Secret train, your entire life will get easier... everything.. prices will drop at the gas station.. the butcher will give you free steaks... you'll find oil when you dig a hole to plant a rose bush... EVERYTHING gets better with BS. ( well that might be BS ... but knotting gets easier with Beaders Secret )

I would toss that knotting tool... you can get a pointy metal awl and use that..far less cumbersome and your knots will be better. Or knot without tools... really it all turns out the same.

Good luck !
Click to expand...

Hahaha, this made my day!

YES! I believe you! I have obviously been VERY late to the game and am the only person in the WORLD not using this wonderful thread! I can't wait for it to come and that will give me time to find and order a new clasp since I need one with a safety latch. I went ahead and finished my pearls and they are laying beautifully and nested just right, but....I forgot I had been using a sterling silver non-safety latch clasp and that is a no-no with such fine pearls.

So...off to find a new clasp! I'm looking at PP and also Bella. If anyone has any other suggested vendors I'm all ears!
 
So true about the gimp size. Firemountaingems carries gimp in different sizes, colors, and metal. I use .8mm mostly but have also been told that 1mm is better for toggles and S-type clasps as it is a bit sturdier.
 
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