| Bead tips |
| I have known beadworkers who size–sorted bulk beads by hand. For those who would rather have some time
to spend with the family, beads in hanks seem to be more uniformly sized than bulk loose beads and delicas look
the most consistent. Otherwise, just enjoy the added texture and the authentic look of irregular beads. Ham-fisted people, er , excuse me, persons with more generously-sized hands and fingers may find size 9/0, 10/0 and 11/0 seed beads easier to work with. |
| Needle tips |
| Beading needles do not bulge around the eye, as other needles do, making it easier to fit one through the
holes in your beads. However their long length combined with their slenderness makes them easy to bend and break.
Be prepared to have several on hand. A shorter needle than the regular beading needle, a sharp doesn’t bend or break as easily. Having been the owner and sometime user of many shortened, blunt-ended, squiggley-shaped beading needles, I can tell you this is a real plus. They now make sharps in size 10/0 and size 12/0. |
| Thread tips |
| If you are passing through seed beads more than three times use 00 nymo or c-lon AA . Size "D" nymo can
be used for the warp in loomwork but be warned that it can stretch and put the finished piece out of true. Waxed thread is less likely to fray, rot, break or kink up and slides more easily through beads . You can buy beading thread pre-waxed, or you can buy beeswax to wax your own You can also thriftily use candle stubs for waxing thread. Always wax cotton threads, carpet or button thread, and quilting thread. Holding your needle eye in front of a light-colored background makes it easier to thread the needle. So does looking at it through a hands-free magnifying glass. If you are over 40, do both. |
| Seed Bead Size | Needle Size | Thread Size by Type | Extra Equipment Needed | |
| 10/0 or 11/0 | Beading needle size 10 Sharps size 10/0 | Size B or D nymo C-Lon. Size D Button and Carpet thread | wax | |
| 11/0 or 12/0 | Beading needle size 11 Sharps needle size 12/0 | Size A or B nymo C-Lon. Size D or AA Quilting thread | wax | |
| 12/0 or 13/0 | Beading needle 12 | Size A or B nymo C-Lon. Size AA | ||
| 13/0 to 15/0 | Beading needle 13 | Size A or O nymo C-Lon. Size AA Quilting thread | wax reading glasses | |
| 15/0 –17/0 | Beading needle 15 | Size O or OO nymo C-Lon. Size AA | magnifying
glass aspirin for eyestrain | |
| 18/0-24/0 You hate yourself, don’t you? | micro-surgery medical supplies | oiled spider silk | electron microscope therapist |
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