I finally made it to the craft store yesterday! I’m kind of a color addict, so I’ve never used white beads in my beaded yarn before. Silly, right?

Mom suggested them for the white silk/Mikayla blend I’ve been spinning. The two fibers aren’t mixed completely so it has a nice variegated look.

To add the beads, I first string them on a strong embroidery thread, leaving it attached to the spool. When I ply, I hold the two singles and the thread in my left hand, using my thumb to hold the top bead. As the three twist together, I periodically let one of the beads through my fingers. The silk thread runs through all the other beads as the thread unspools.

These are silver beads on black silk thread. I use the bowls to hold the beads and a special needle to string them. Then I put the spool in one of the squares to hold it (bottom row, second from right) as I ply.

 I still haven’t decided what color of silk thread I’ll use in this particular yarn. The obvious choices are black or white. Any opinions? Let me know in the comments!