Channeling Rebecca Sower

Rebecca Sower posted a fascinating tutorial on her blog last week as part of her Red Thread Sessions. Where does that woman find the time while making her own art and running Haiti By Hand, and how lucky are we that she does!
The tutorial was about crochet and bead necklaces. Her instructions were great and she made it sound so easy. Of course I had to try it.

I am not a beader but I have accumulated a stash over the years. Those things happen. This was the perfect opportunity to finally find a use for them. I also had a little #10 ecru thread on hand so that is what I used for the blue necklace in the foreground. I just sorted through my stash and pulled out a pile in various shades of blue. I worked really hard at being random and not over thinking the sequence of the beads. Random is very difficult for me so I put all the beads in a saucer and did my best to just grab the next one.

I was pleased enough with the results to try another one. I had to purchase more crochet thread so I got #3 this time and used it for the blue and green necklace. Both sizes of thread have their pros and cons so, for future, I likely just base my choice on the size of the hole in the beads.

Since the necklaces are so long I didn't use a clasp at all. I just knoted the ends and woven in the tails with a needle. These are pretty long so they can loop two or even three times. Since I'm de-stashing I haven't spent any time so far on counting the beads and figuring out how to make them come out a specific length. Just using what I have.

The one in the wooden box is in progress and it is made from red and purple beads. I have pretty much exhausted the usable color combinations in my little stash and this is so much fun I might have to go out and buy more. Oh, oh. I wonder if that makes me a beader. No, I don't think so. Real beaders know what they are doing. 8+)