silk knotting adds such a special fluidity to your designs, and really showcases a special stone strand. use this technique on family pearls & new beads alike!
begin by making sure that your thread is the correct size for your beads.
unwind the silk from the card. tie a regular knot at the open end of the thread, about 1-2" from the end. string on one bead.
cut two matching pieces of French wire. we will use this to protect the thread from extra wear and tear on the ends. string one piece of the French wire on after the first bead. thread on the clasp of your choice. use the needle and go back through the first bead, pulling until the French wire loop is small around the clasp, but it can still move freely. tie another knot over your first knot. leave the thread tail for know, we will cut it at the end.
thread on your second bead, around 6" from the beads, use your hand to tie an open overhand knot. grasp the knotting tool in your non dominant hand, stick the awl of the knotting tool through the open knot. gently tighten the knot around the awl of the knotting tool, but not super tight. gently slide the knot closer to the beads while keeping the awl through your knot. you may find it easier to put your thumb onto the thicker silver part, above the wooden handle. once you have the knot as close to the beads as you need it, slide the thread through the yoke of the tool and push the silver piece up with your thumb.
thread on another bead and repeat the knotting process.
once you have your desired length, (ours is 21" long before the clasp) do not tie a knot between your last two beads. string on the second piece of French wire, and string on your soldered jumping or extender chain. use the needle to go back through the last bead, and now tie a knot between the last and second to last bead.
we will finish off our knots with a dab of super new glue. so as not to get glue inside your beads, drop a little bit onto a small plastic baggie, and use a piece of scrap wire to dap the glue onto the knots. wait for the glue to dry, 5-10 seconds. then cut both ends as close to the knots as you can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U36fxkujZPM&t=20s
materials you will need for this technique:
Silk Knotting Thread, we used beige size 8
French Wire, we used gold
15mm Gold Lobster Claw, similar to the style used
