Things I've Learned That Help Me

I thought I'd do this week's tutorial a little differently. Rather than give instructions on how to do a stitch, I'm going to give a few tips. While they work well for me, they might not for everyone, based on personal preference and how you like to hold your work, etc. I'm open to any other suggestions, too, from people who read this, so feel free to comment with your own tips.

• Even if the project doesn't call for it, I always leave enough of a "tail" at the beginning of my string that I can hold it between my index and middle fingers. This helps me to keep the thread taut. (I hold my work with my thumb and ring finger.)
• When using a stretchy or monofilament stringing material, I like these needles best. They'll stand up to the weight of the string better than anything else.
• Pulling the string very fast through the beads make it more likely to tangle. It won't happen every time, but for me, it's often enough that I find that having to stop every little bit to unknot the thread makes trying to stitch too fast no quicker. I've found it's best to work at a comfortable pace.
• When transporting your work, wrap the thread around something soft, eg., a rolled up napkin, just as if it were on a spool. This, too, will keep the string from tangling.