Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Some beads in my stash


Here's a comparison of some types of beads I often use. 

Bead size is written at the left, with 3 examples of that size in each row (round, faceted, and bicone shapes). 
Seed beads are between the lines at the bottom of the picture.

Size 20 thread and finer can fit through the hole of any of these beads. 

Size 10 Lizbeth thread is thicker, so the 3 mm beads and some 11/0 seed beads won't fit. I've taken to using Toho Takumi large hole beads when I want an 11/0 seed bead with size 10 thread, since they fit easily. Delicas (a brand of Japanese cylinder beads) will also fit on size 10 thread. They really are shaped like tiny cylinders.

Not on the list are a new arrival called "demi" seed beads. They're half the width of regular seed beads. I tried them on some dainty snowflake earrings in size 40 thread, and liked the delicate effect in the picots combined with a regular 11/0 seed bead on the core thread.
In hand dyed "Candy Mint" size 40.

Lizbeth size 40 in white.
The snowflake pattern is mine, "tweaked" and "upgraded" from a simpler original I blogged about in 2008, Quickie Snowflake Earrings.

10 comments:

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

Nice chart! I have lots of beads, but I have no idea what size they are. Luckily, most of them are in their original packaging.

God's Kid said...

Those are great snowflakes!!! :)
Thanks for the info about the beads!! :)

Madtatter80 said...

Love the chart nice to have around. And I found some size 14 I believe and was very nice in 40 and 80 and for embroider too. You snowflakes look like the daisy picots :) they are beautiful and will have to try in January since I gave up snowflakes for this year ha ha ha

muskaan said...

Love the chart you made !!! And cute earrings :-)

Jane McLellan said...

Interesting, thanks. It makes me realise why I never seem to have quite the right size bead handy!

Ninetta said...

Thanks for the chart, I'll save it. Thank you very much for all your tutorials and patterns. I have many 15/0 that I like with thread size 70 and 80. But your hdt is what makes all your lovely patters looking sooo pretty and unique! Beautiful earrings!

Margarets designer cards said...

Thank you for chart, very interesting, I will be saving it.

Michelle said...

Aha! This is wonderful! Thank you! And and thanks for the reminder about this great pattern!

Marilee Rockley said...

Thank, everyone. I'm glad this little chart is of some help.
@Ninetta and Madtatter80, when the snowflakes were in progress I was actually looking for size 15/0 seed beads at the bead shop. They didn't have any the right color, so I settled for the demi beads.

Eliz Davis aka Tatknot said...

Thank you for the chart. I know I'll find it very helpful. Love the update to the snowflake earrings, especially in Candy Mint!