Lost in the Land of Beads

It's been a while since I've updated this blog and I have been busy. As I was sharing in my previous post about my back pain and it lasted longer than I thought. While I was sitting in the "Lazy Boy" chair which was the only place I could find some relief bored and not able to knit I had some beads near by and some yarn. I decided that maybe I could just string beads and maybe crochet something. Crocheting is a different movement than knitting.

I happen to have a ball of Noro Sock Yarn and 6 /0= 4.0mm ("e" beads) that I could reach. Slowly one by one I started to string the beads on to the yarn. Then I started to crochet chain one bring one bead down and the next thing I knew I had a bracelet. And so started the slippery slope or black rabbit hole of beading.

This necklace I call the "4th of July" for obvious reasons (next weekend is the 4th of July holiday). What I did here is crocheted around and existing leather necklace with a hook and chain fastener. Then I started to add beads, lots of lots of beads. Oh my who knew I loved doing this and am very pleased with the outcome.

Here is a video I watched and was inspired by:

Seed beads I love seed beads, I need more seed beads. My friend Brenda sent me a list of shops down town Los Angeles, now when to get the time to go.

Here are some of the shops that I like to go to, for beads:

1.) Athenian Fashions Main Store

820 S Maple St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 623-1289

Athenian Fashions Annex Store

416 E. 8^th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

213-489-2237

2.) Bohemian Crystal/The Bead Factory

810 & 812 So Maple Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

213-627-9553

(This is the place with the big bags of seed beads)

3. Beads & More

800 So. Maple Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90014

213-955-9000

4.) Shenoute

813 Maple Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90014

323-305-7051

5.) Berger Beads

Berger Specialty Co. Inc.
413 E. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Phone: (213) 627-8783

FYI

(I often put up information so if I need to access this stuff I can search my blog and it may help some of my friends to access the information I gather.)

Seed beads sizes are stated in aughts, (not millimeters) ~ as strung beads per 20 mm or 3/4 inch length.
The higher the number, the smaller the bead.

Conversions from aughts to millimeters, large to small:

1 /0= 6.5mm
2 /0= 6.0mm
3 /0= 5.5mm (pony beads, crow, roller)
4 /0= 5.0mm
5 /0= 4.5mm
6 /0= 4.0mm (popular "e" bead)
7 /0= 3.4mm
8 /0= 3.1mm
9 /0= 2.7mm
10 /0= 2.3mm
11 /0= 2.1mm
12 /0= 1.9mm
13 /0= 1.7mm
14 /0= 1.6mm
15 /0= 1.5mm
16 /0= 1.3mm
17 /0= 1.2mm
18 /0=1.1mm
20 /0=1.0mm

3/0 beads would be 4 per inch,
about 1/4 inch thick each.
(Crow rollers, pony beads)

6/0 beads would be about 8 per inch,
or 1/8 inch thick each.
(The popular "e" bead)

15/0 beads would be 18 per inch,
1/18 inch thick each. (Tiny)

Just remember, the higher the number, the smaller the bead!