I enjoy the challenge of creating multi-strand necklaces. It doesn't matter whether it's graduated strands, or entwined, or braided. All necklaces are equations. The goal is for it to be balanced, hang the way it's supposed to and lay against the body like it's a part of the wearer. What's done on one side must balance the other side. Not necessarily mirror, but balance, just like a quadratic equation. I relish trying to give the illusion that the laws of physics have been defied.
I suppose my favorites are the entwined strands with lots of different sized and different shaped beads.
These necklaces can be particularly aggravating. They can take several attempts at laying them out and doing a temporary stringing. I don't do any knot-work until I have all the strands created, and I can see how it's going to hang.
The next part is to determine with what to string the final piece on. That has a lot to do with what is in the necklace: large or small-hole beads, glass or metal, the quality of the holes in gemstones (are they well-drilled or are the edges ragged, with nasty little holes?). I have about eight or nine different spools of small cord, various thicknesses of silk, and several types of kevlar. I think I've got about three different types on linen cord, too.
I have to file and smooth out the edges of the holes in some beads. I have a bunch of different kinds of bead reamers and pin-vise drill bits, probably fifteen or twenty. There are also several files of varying degrees of fineness. I have emery boards and a couple of diamond-grit nail files, just like are used for manicures.
Occasionally, I have to make to hole larger. This requires patience, and a steady hand, or a bead could be cracked. If they're precious stones, screwing one up is a costly mistake. Lots of swearing, cursing and praying occurs at this time. (If I've got a lot of that to do, then everyone gets out of the room! The cats go hide under the bed. My husband suddenly finds something very fascinating online.)
Of course, graduated strands can also be a pain in the ****. Nefertiti proved to be quite tedious. I knew exactly what the beads wanted. But it took over twelve hours, before I got it right. All the gemstone beads were so not the same size and weight. The serpentine strand damn-near killed me! And with Aventurine Dream, I actually had to get out my bead ruler, and measure some of the beads.
They call football a game of inches. This is a game of millimeters, or less!
