Wednesday, 1 April 2026

Bead Soup

 


Following on from my last post about having to redesign my phone wristers, I have made a couple more with the rosary links using various sizes of beads. I’ve been road testing them and they are comfortable and, more importantly, will take the weight of the phone even when suddenly expected to. I have been doing drop tests to make sure of this (over the bed, I’m not that daft).

These are made using smallish beads and somebody on Reddit said that they are very pretty and I will take positive reinforcement wherever I can get it.


 


 
Small medium and large beads, I am currently using the Goldilocks option in the middle as it is just right.


I have had to dismantle all the crocheted wire wristers that I’d made (sob) which is quite a pain in the hoop. I have been stabbed with wire, snipped with wire cutters and lost beads under the table (I think a goblin lives under there, it’s amazing how things dropped will disappear without trace). Worse, I have had to sort all the little beads out to put them away properly.

Le sigh

 

I was thinking about what I could make to use those smaller beads up and remembered the free-form bracelets I made a few years ago. I stopped making so much jewellery as I ended up with a massive box full of stuff that I’d made to sell rather than made because I liked it and it got a bit disheartening. I have since dismantled most of it to re-use the beads.

Imagine a crate filled with boxes like this one, each one filled with handmade jewellery all to be taken apart.

 
What a job! I think I actually wrote about this last summer.

These more free-form bracelets I did really like, they are comfortable to wear and don’t over-involve themselves in your day-to-day life by getting caught on clothing or making a racket whilst you’re on the phone while still making quite a statement.

I don't know why red always photographs as orange.

 



Also I really enjoyed making them and I like the finished article so that’s a win-win. I am currently sourcing toggle clasps that aren’t silver which is harder than you would think as I like using bronze and copper wires which look pants with a silver fastener.

I cannot wait to get started on them.