I Bit The Bullet and Beaded Myself a Necklace

At the wonderful TU B'Av Micholilot Bacramim celebrations at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, early last week I ended up buying myself a couple of new necklaces. It's not that I don't have any necklaces. It's just that my necklace collection was inherited from my mother and is rather old-fashioned. I was getting awfully bored wearing them. I've been attracted to the funky ones you can see here to the right. I also got a simpler and less expensive one from a different crafts stand.

The more I thought about it, the more I knew that I had to start making them myself. A few years ago a friend had put together a little workshop one afternoon for some of us, and I had a great time. I'd even been trying to get her to do it again, but it hadn't worked out.

Then last Wednesday I found myself in Jerusalem with time to "kill," and I didn't want to go near my favorite clothing store. Also, I needed to plan a project for when the big grandchildren come to visit. I found myself near "Hobby," which is a craft store. I decided to take a look, and before I knew it, I had bought all the equipment needed to make necklaces with my older granddaughters. I also found beads in just the colors I wanted for myself.  Yes, the picture on the left.

Somehow on Friday before Shabbat I just couldn't resist making myself a new necklace. It took me just a few minutes. I was rather shocked that I bought exactly the right amount of black and white beads necessary. I didn't measure anything except to count the six red beads. And I debated with myself whether to make it symmetrical or asymmetrical.

The clasp had me most nervous. I was terrified that I wouldn't remember the salesperson's instructions, or it just wouldn't work right. It pays to be a remedial teacher, because I kept repeating the instructions putting it into clearer and more simplistic language. I found a logic in it, too, which helped me remember.

To save money I didn't buy a special tool to close all the parts of the clasp insisting that a tweezer that doesn't grab the hairs well could do the trick. It was a risky gambit for sure.

I also only bought one type of string, even though I had chosen a number of different types of beads. I think they called it fishing line. It's stiff enough as to not need a needle.

First you tie a knot at the end, and then you somehow get the smallest of those three parts on the knot. Make sure there's at least an inch, a few centimeters of line; it helps to control the knot. Squeeze with tweezers.

Then put the middle-sized piece, close it with the tweezers. Maybe I should get stronger reading glasses just for this fine work.

I got "screws" instead of "hooks." They were recommended and look nicer, especially on the thin string. The last step is to attach the clasp and close it well with the tweezers. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised that it was easier than I had expected.

From beginning to end, making this necklace only took a few minutes, and remember that I had never done a complete one before including clasp. Of course I knew exactly what I was going to do with the beads. They had been bought in the exact quantity needed.

What do you think?

Now I have to find better places for buying beads, since I wasn't all that impressed with the selection at Hobby, though I like beading as my new hobby.