h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm talking about those tiny colourful eensy weensy 'hippy beads'. You know, the beads about the size of couscous.

You see, many years ago in Salamanca I bought a long necklace made of those beads that were in my favourite *perfect colours* and it cost me 200 pesetas (about 1.20€). I loved it, wore it in the summertime for years and years, especially to the beach. Could either wear it long or double it up.

Then about six years ago my ate the necklace. Well, he chewed on it and broke the string, beads went everywhere and I was heartbroken. And ever since then I've been on the look-out for a similar necklace and have never found one.

Then yesterday I was walking around town and came across a small shop that sold jewellery-making stuff and I wondered if I could make my own fab 'hippy bead' necklace in all my favourite colours. So, I went in, found everything I needed and wanted, then came home and mixed all the various-coloured beads together in a dish.

Then I started to string them using the transparent 'fishing wire' stuff they gave me at the shop . . . and about fifteen minutes (and maybe about an inch and a half of necklace) later, I thought I was about to have a nervous breakdown.

So . . . is there some sort of fast beading technique I just haven't worked out yet or is it REALLY THIS MIND-NUMBINGLY TEDIOUS???


azahar

Yes, it takes a long time to string beads. I'm unsure of your technique, but are you using a needle on your "wire" or is it the equivalent of a needle anyway? You can also get plastic fishing-type line or special beading thread - which works best with a needle!

With the small beads you can get them lined up on the needle and then push them down the thread in batches rather than individually. Professionals might have some other technique that I don't know of course. Or they might just operate in sweatshops.

Traveller in Time listening to the radio
"I could send 'Waterrat' to help you, he would love to do it .

make sure your brain is doing something else, have good illumination and lots of space. As long as your mind does not has to pay attention you will notice your hands do the job. "

Well, they gave me the plastic fishing line thread at the shop and told me no needle was required. Really, the beads are so tiny I can't imagine a needle *plus* thread fitting through the eensy holes (how on earth are these beads made anyhow???).

Your advice is probably the best one, TiT. But it did make me wonder - as I bought this from a street vendor in Salamanca umpty years ago for 1.20€ - how much was the person paid who made it? Which is what initially made me think there *must* be a faster way of doing it. But maybe SEF is right and it's just cheap sweatshop goods.


az

Traveller in Time designing tools
"If you are going to make more then one it will be efficient to make some special tools. I bet a machine can do one every second.

However crafting bead allignment rulers and shooting the thread through is not a realistic option for one string.

You should see my son fiddling with the ironing beads, he can not get enough of it. I wonder how he can see them with glasses +8 , on the other hand I can manipulate the beads too, despite sausage fingers. "

> "I can't imagine a needle *plus* thread fitting through"

I restrung some fairly tiny ones for someone else last year. I selected a very fine small-headed needle for the task though.

I wonder if you could line them up if you had a (hexagonal profile) pencil broken in half with the lead out and then just poke the line through as many as possible.

Doing mind-numbing tasks to music does work though. Hence all those [probably banned word] and Russian work songs and sea shanties. Plus the more recent trends in marching songs and aerobics.

I'm not sure a needle would really make the job easier as the fishing line is fairly rigid and seems to pick the beads up okay, but lining them up somehow sounds like a good idea.

Perhaps I should try setting up a tray across my exercise bike handlebars and kill two tedious birds with one stone.

az

That sounds physically implausible - and not just trying to attach a tray. I thought people usually needed to hold and brace against the handlebars while pedalling hard (not counting the show-offs who let go of them during easy real cycling). Also I would have thought you would be joggling around too much for the delicate task. But, then, I haven't seen your particular exercise cycling style...

How about sellotape, or the lower-tackiness painters' masking tape, as something with which to line up beads?

Yes, you're right - it would be physically implausible. But I can dream, can't I???

Actually, I once seriously considered trying to find a way of balancing Noggin's laptop on the handlebars . . . that didn't work either.

Usually I read while I cycle . . . it's sooo you-know-Fwhat boring that one needs some sort of distraction. Some people I know watch tv, but I find that even more boring than staring at the wall. So reading works okay - I still manage 10 kms in about half an hour.

Just have about 8cm to go on the necklace. It's actually very pretty - all my favourite colours. Hope I can tie the ends up properly and then I want to start on making a few more.

The idea was to have three of the same colours (about 120 cm long each) and then maybe one other from a separate packet of beads I bought.


az