Spinning with beads -- Oh yes -- a way to include two of my passions. I love to Spin and I love Beads.
To begin this progress you need to think about what you will use to string your beads. Many spinners have been using sewing thread. That is okay if it is cotton and you are spinning with cotton or silk thread and you are spinning with silk, but if you are spinning with other fibers this is not okay.
You want your hand spun to look and feel the best it can so the fiber you are spinning is the fiber you want to use to string your beads.
Spinning with Soy Silk? Use the Soy Silk Infinity by SWTC. They also have the Bamboo Xie which is great for your bamboo fiber. These two yarns come in cones and they are perfect for size 11 or 10 seed beads. If you are planning on using larger seed beads it is good to use a thicker yarn. The color is also important. You can dye the skein after you have spun it and your colors match or look for the color that either fits or contrasts with the fiber you are spinning.
I use 20/2 wool for my beads while spinning wool. This is most important if you want to felt the hand spun because the wool with your beads will felt but thread will hang out of your felted project.
While planning Spinning With Beads think about spinning your yarn to string your beads with the same fiber. This works if you think about your bead size while spinning your fiber.
With thicker yarns you will are unable to use a bead spinner but that is okay, just use a needle large enough to fit the yarn through the needle hole and the beads will fit on.
This is just one step in the Spinning With Beads Process, but an important one.
Drop by my booth in Tuscon April 3 - 6, 2008 to see both Soy Silk Infinity and Xie Bamboo along with my Raggedy Ro Hand Spun.
April 3-6, 2008
in Tucson, Arizona,
at the Holiday Inn Palo Verde
"Fibers Through Time 2008 --
Connections With The Past”