Hi, I'm new to the group and new to working with seed beads. I've seen a great sale on size 11 miyuki beeds and would like to stock up for some new adventures. I'm not sure if this is popular size. They look a bit small. Any thoughts?
Thanks. Lisa
Grab them!! (and then send them to me!)
If you do some bead weaving, you' really want these!
Lisa, size 11 is indeed small, but not the smallest. And they are pretty useful too, when stringing or especially in fringes. 11's are useful in Fashion Doll scale as well. Seed bead sizes refer to how many fit in an inch--11 in an inch are smaller than 4 in an inch.
Hi, Lisa: I'm new, too, so I may give you bad advice, but it worked for me. Delicas are WEENSY. They say they are 11/0, but I'm certain they are closer to 12/0, i.e. smaller. I started with 6/0s, quite large by comparison. It was easy to learn the stitches because you can easily see how they work. Also, a bracelet or whatever works up fast, so you get that feeling of accomplishment, and of making something beautiful, and that all- important positive feedback, much quicker. After making up a few of these, I graduated to 8/0s. For about 3 rows of weaving, they felt awkwardly small, then they were fine. After a few more bracelets, on to the 11/0s. (I'm still not ready for Delicas.)
11/0s have one great advantage that offsets their tiny size: the fabulous colors. Thousands of colors. Far more colors than are available in 8/0 and 6/0. Although....sigh....not as many colors as those weensy Delicas.If you follow this plan, you only need a few colors of 6/0 and 8/0. 2 or 3 "mixed" tubes will give you some pre-matched colors and won't be very expensive.
M
If you have my (lack of) manual dexterity (I sometimes joke that I became a programmer because computer keys are big enough to hit), 11/0s are as small as it gets that you (I) can handle. As colors go, you can find a lot of colors in the larger beads as well if you go a bit out of your way. Only because e.g. FMG doesn't have them doesn't mean they don't exist. The weight is higher, so transport is higher, so prices are higher, and some colors are more expensive than others.
Maren (definitely not a bead weaver) HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry
Tell her Kathy N-V sent you.
One problem: I have a customer who insists on Jablonex. - I don't buy seed beads for myself, really. I use what I have, which currently is about 50-60 lb of 11/0 and 6/0 Jablonex. -
FMG don't have what I'm currently after either. Good to know that it's not worth trying for things that they don't have in their catalog if they have the reputation to be out of what they do have. I currently have some in the mail to my Jablonex supplier to color match.
Aloha, Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry
One problem: I have a customer who insists on Jablonex. - I don't buy seed beads for myself, really. I use what I have, which currently is about 50-60 lb of 11/0 and 6/0 Jablonex. -
FMG don't have what I'm currently after either. Good to know that it's not worth trying for things that they don't have in their catalog if they have the reputation to be out of what they do have. I currently have some in the mail to my Jablonex supplier to color match.
Aloha, Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry
I second that! Charlene is great to work with and I recommend her on my website.
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