stringing beads

Boy, when a blogger says "post tomorrow" then she'd better do that post as promised or she takes all kinds of heat. Lesson learned. Next time I will say "in the next post." Whenever that may be will be implied.

So, onto the secret of how to string a bazillion beads! I am not using the term bazillion lightly. The metal-looking purse takes approximately 8,000 beads, despite its dimunitive finished size of 4½ by 3½ inches, and all of the beads have to be pre-strung on the silk cording before starting to knit.

Enter the answer to prayer bead stringer, or spinner—it goes by a variety of names, but the technology, such as it is, is the same.

A bead stringer can be purchased at most large crafting chains. It costs about $25, so it is the perfect item to use one of those coupons on. No matter what you spend, it is worth its weight in gold if you have to pre-string thousands of beads. Or hundreds. Or even 34.

In addition to the bead stringer, you will also need a J-hook. Buy a few extra, they are cheap and have a distressing tendency to get easily misplaced.

Pour an ample supply of beads into the bead stringer, place your hook in the bowl, and...

Never mind. Pictures don't do the process justice, so I made a video. Not particularly polished, because I was using my iPhone and filming myself without any help, but it should give you the general idea.



I made an error when giving the directions on the video. Make sure and thread your yarn or string into the slit at the bottom of the J-hook before you start adding the beads, because otherwise you might have trouble balancing the beads on that flimsy wire and getting the yarn through that tiny little orifice at the same time, and end up flinging the beads all over the floor when things take a wrong turn. I will leave it up to your imagination to figure out how I learned this, but the hard way is always a tough mistress.