Gold, Gold Everywhere!

Craftsy Class 4: Gold Thread & Hex Bead Bracelet

If I thought I loved the hand painted silk floss introduced in Class 3, that was before I discovered this gold plated "wonder thread" in Class 4. What IS this fabulous stuff? Claudia describes it as a silk base with real gold fused to it. Whatever it is, it weaves up fabulously and really does in fact look like the real thing. That’s the good news. The bad news: Don’t let this happen to you:

Gold Thread...Before



Gold Thread...After



Really, I should have known better. After all the various yarns I’ve wound, skeined, unwound, untangled, got-so-frustrated-and-thrown-away, over the course of so many years, you’d think I would have done a better job with this one. And it’s not that I wasn’t prepared. “It’s got a mind of its own,” Claudia warns. Yep, it sure does. (It’s like letting a tightly wound spring out of a small box). And it surely is one of the finest threads I’ve ever encountered- it’s nearly invisible. So now I’m warning YOU: take your time and be patient with this stuff because it is all so worth it. Once you do get it wound and threaded on the needle, it’s a breeze to weave with. In fact it practically weaves itself. And it is also very forgiving as it fills itself in almost magically. Just be sure to keep those six plies together. As far as the hex beads are concerned, after using the larger size 8s for the Affinity Bracelets, these smaller beads seem a bit more challenging but you’ll see that it’s nothing unmanageable. Of course, I had to add my own personal spin to the finished product by adding a little bit of purple/pink mulberry silk between the gold and the beads. I kind of like it, what do you think?  



The finished bracelet



Weaving at the beach...the best of all possible worlds!



So, Class 4…Just stay calm, keep at it and you’ll get a truly beautiful result. And be prepared for lots of requests from friends for this one. It’s a stunner!

Now onto Class 5. See you there.

xxx, Karen