Silk Knotting

I learned another new skill. I took a class at my local bead shop and learned how to knot. It was first developed (I believe) for use with pearls. They were very expensive, and rare and a little fragile, so stringing them next to each other, where they would bump and rub, was not a good thing. If you strung them on silk and and then knotted between each pearl they would be protected. This technique can be used for any beads and with almost any stringing material. I find it very zen to knot. It takes less thought, I think, when actually doing it than weaving does, although it takes some planning before you start!

These three little bracelets are made from fresh water pearls. They are three different colors, pale plum, pale peach, and a pale green. While I was knotting them, I worked in some sweet little silver stars dangling from split rings. They are each knotted with a corresponding color of silk. They have Swarovski (c) beads at each end, and are fastened with a snap clasp. Sterling Silver and silver plate

Private collection

This next piece is knotted as well. It is one of my favorites. I have had these beads forever! They were a gift from my mother. They are vintage Czech glass in spring green, purple, turquoise, and a pinkish brown from the 1950’s. I fell in love with them. They are such great colors, and I love the well loved look of them, but I could not for the life of me figure private collection
out what to do with them, so I just hung on to them. After I took the knotting class, I knew I had it figured out. I knotted three strands in varying counts, ended each of them with Bali Silver spacers. Each strand is knotted on purple silk. The clasp is a three stand sterling silver slide tube that spaces out the stands quite pleasingly.