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Knotted
Treasures
Lisa Kan
Originally published in
Beadwork February/March 2007

Knotted Treasures originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2007. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

publishers of Beadwork magazinejoin the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com

Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects!
page 1

techniques >> pearl knotting wireworking

Knotted Treasures

Lisa Kan

This rich lariat is meant to be worn wrapped twice around the neck with a
tiered effect; the double strands create a more substantial lariat with added texture.
This is a great design for using leftover beads in a complementary palette.

FINISHED SIZE 63"

Materials

4 light green size 11 Japanese seed beads

22 jonquil satin 3mm crystal bicones
24 jonquil satin 4mm crystal bicones
20 aquamarine 34mm faceted rondelles
20 citrine 45mm faceted rondelles
10 olive quartz 46mm faceted rondelles
30 olive jade 34mm faceted rondelles
6 olive jade 85mm faceted briolettes
5 serpentine 45mm faceted rondelles
5 serpentine 58mm faceted rondelles
5 serpentine 166mm faceted drops
1 kyanite 620mm oval drop
5 kyanite 106138mm rectangle chips
10 stitchite 6mm diagonal cubes
30 olive 4mm freshwater pearls
12 olive 8mm faceted freshwater pearls
5 olive 6mm keishi coin pearl drops
50 olive 56mm keishi pearls
15 light olive 53mm keishi pearl drops
10 olive 512mm keishi pearl drops
5 teal/chartreuse 610mm borosilicate
lampworked beads
1: Use 3" of wire to string the kyanite oval
drop and form a wrapped loop bail (Figure
1a). Use 3" of wire to form a wrapped loop
that attaches to the bail just formed; string
1 cornerless cube, 1 jonquil 4mm bicone,
1 spacer, 1 faceted pearl, 1 spacer, 1 jonquil
4mm bicone, and 1 cornerless cube; form a
wrapped loop (Figure 1b). Repeat entire step
using 1 olive jade briolette in place of the
kyanite oval drop.

Tip

156 antique gold 3mm daisy spacers

22 vermeil 6mm star bead caps
34 Thai vermeil 2mm cornerless cubes
4 gold-filled 4mm knot cups
24" of teal 6mm Italian mesh wire ribbon
24" of emerald 6mm Italian mesh
wire ribbon
48" of gold 6mm Italian mesh wire ribbon
48" of olive 6mm Italian mesh wire ribbon
157" (two packages) of chartreuse size 4
Griffin silk cord with attached needle
12" of gold-filled 24-gauge wire
G-S Hypo Cement

After unwinding the silk cord from its package, lightly iron it to straighten out any folds.

Tools

Wire cutters
Chain-nose pliers
Round-nose pliers
Knotting tool or awl
Scissors

2: Unwind a package of cord and tie a knot at

the end. String 1 seed bead and 1 knot cup so
that the bead is inside the cup. Dab the knot
with cement and allow to dry. Trim the excess
tail; close the cup. Tie an overhand knot, snugging it up to the knot cup (Figure 1c). Repeat
with the other package of cord and set aside.

Figure 1

3: Attach one of the knotted cups to the kyanite dangle. String sections of beads as follows, securing each section with a knot at
each end and spacing each section about 1"
apart (Figure 2a):

Knotted Treasures originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2007. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

publishers of Beadwork magazinejoin the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com

Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects!
page 2

1"

Figure 2

Section 1: 1 jonquil 3mm bicone, 1 spacer,

1 jonquil 4mm bicone, 2 bead caps (wide
ends together), 1 jonquil 4mm bicone, 1
spacer, and 1 jonquil 3mm bicone (Figure
2b).
Section 2: 1 olive jade rondelle, 1 spacer, one
4mm pearl, 1 spacer, 1 olive jade briolette, 1
spacer, one 4mm pearl, 1 spacer, and
1 olive jade rondelle.
Section 3: 1 jonquil 4mm bicone, 1 spacer,
1 lampworked bead, 1 spacer, and 1 jonquil
4mm bicone.
Section 4: 1 stitchite, 1 spacer, 1 olive 512mm
keishi drop, 1 spacer, and 1 stitchite.
Section 5: 1 serpentine 4mm rondelle, 1 spacer,
1 faceted pearl, 1 spacer, and 1 serpentine
4mm rondelle.
Section 6: 1 jonquil 3mm bicone, 1 spacer,
2 olive 56mm keishi pearls, 1 serpentine

5mm rondelle, 2 olive 56mm keishi pearls,

1 spacer, and 1 jonquil 3mm bicone.
Section 7: 1 olive 4mm pearl, 1 spacer, and
1 keishi coin drop. Snug the beads and tie
a knot at the top of the coin, 1 spacer,
and one 4mm pearl.
Sections 835: Repeat Sections 17 four
times.
Section 36: Repeat Section 1, then string 1
knot cup and 1 seed bead; tie a knot, glue,
and trim as before. Attach the knot cup to
the olive jade briolette dangle.

4: Attach the second knotted cup to the kyanite

dangle. Tie a knot 114" away from the knot
cup. String sections of beads as follows, securing each section with a pair of knots and spacing each section about 1" apart unless otherwise
indicated:
Section 1: 1 aquamarine rondelle, 1 spacer,
1 olive 512mm keishi drop, 1 spacer, and
1 aquamarine rondelle.
Section 2: 1 citrine rondelle, 1 spacer, 1 faceted
pearl, 1 spacer, and 1 citrine rondelle; tie a
knot to secure the beads in this section, then
pass through the beads in Section 3 of the
previous strand (1 jonquil 4mm bicone,
1 spacer, 1 lampworked bead, 1 spacer, and
1 jonquil 4mm bicone) before tying the next
knot 1" from the previous knot.
Section 3: 1 cornerless cube, 3 olive 56mm
keishi pearls, 1 spacer, 1 kyanite rectangle, 1
spacer, 3 olive 56mm keishi pearls, and 1
cornerless cube.
Section 4: 1 cornerless cube, 1 olive quartz rondelle, 2 bead caps (wide ends touching),
1 olive quartz, and 1 cornerless cube.
Section 5: 1 olive 4mm pearl, 1 spacer, 1 serpentine drop, 1 spacer, and 1 olive 4mm
pearl.
Section 6: 1 aquamarine rondelle, 1 spacer,
3 light olive 53mm keishi drops, 1
spacer, and 1 aquamarine rondelle.
Section 7: 1 cornerless cube, 1 citrine rondelle,
1 spacer, 1 olive jade 3mm rondelle, 1 serpentine 4mm rondelle, 1 spacer, 1 olive jade
3mm rondelle, 1 spacer, 1 citrine rondelle,
and 1 cornerless cube.
Sections 835: Repeat Sections 17 four times,
passing through succeeding beads of the first
strand between Sections 2 and 3.
5: Make sure both strands are the same length
and secure the end of the strand as before.

Knotted Treasures originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2007. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

publishers of Beadwork magazinejoin the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com

Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects!
page 3

6: Hold the gold and olive ribbons together

with the ends even and tie a knot around both
strands about 212" from one end. Trim the ribbons 12" from the knot and twist each end to
form a point and prevent fraying. Repeat every
1122" for the length of the lariat, alternating
the gold/olive ribbons (tied together as one)
with the teal ribbon (used alone); when you
reach the center of the lariat, use emerald
ribbon in place of teal.

Bead artist Lisa Kan draws her inspiration from nature,

ceramics, Japanese arts and crafts, and Victorian-era
jewelry. Her glass beads have been published in 1000
Glass Beads: Innovation and Imagination in Contemporary
Glass Beadmaking (Lark Books, 2004) and More Than You
Ever Wanted to Know about Glass Beadmaking (GlassWear
Studios, 1996). Visit Lisas website, www.lisakan.com.

Pearl Knotting
Pearl knotting is traditionally worked with
silk thread. Generally packaged with a
needle attached at one end, gently prestretch the silk by pulling it inch by inch
through your thumb and forefinger. Use
the needle to string a bead, then form a loose overhand knot. Place the needle (or
an awl or tweezers) in the knot and hold it next to the bead. Gently pull the thread
to tighten the knot around the needle and snug to the bead. Pull the needle out
of the knot and string the next bead.

RESOURCES
Check your local bead shop or contact: Lampworked beads: Lisa Kan Designs, www.lisakan.
com. Kyanite: C.Y. Lin Co., (415) 252-9658.
Citrine, aquamarine, olive jade, olive quartz,
and serpentine: Sunlight Gems, www.sunlightgems.com. Stitchite: Jewelry Depot, (415) 8167716. Faceted pearls and keishi coins: Lucky
Gems & Jewelry (wholesale only), (212) 2688866, www.lucky-gems.com. Other keishi pearls:
Pacific Pearls, (415) 383-3978. Other freshwater pearls: Evergreen Trading Co., (213) 6882723. Clasp, Thai vermeil, and bead caps: Anil
Kumar, (510) 498-8455. Italian wire mesh: Specialty Beads, (530) 582-4464, www.specialtybeads.com. Griffin cord, Swarovski crystals, bead
tips, and spacers: The San Gabriel Bead Company,
(626) 447-7753, www.beadcompany.com.

Knotted Treasures originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2007. Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved

publishers of Beadwork magazinejoin the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com

Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects!
page 4