Intro To Beadwork Tools and Equipment: Which Needle is Your Needle?
There are three main types of needles used in beading. You can use one or you can just stick the bead strait on the thread. I used to do that for years but I have found that it is alot easier to use a needle.
1)Beading Needles:
These are available in different sizes. They are also more flexable than a regular needle so you can bend them. They are useful for weaving beadwork, beading fringes, and making necklaces with nylon thread. I also use them on the nylon coated beading wire.
2) Sharps Needles:
These are shorter and more rigid than beading needles. They are used for beading beads and buttons. The higher the needles size the finer the needle. Fine needles also break easily. Needle size 12 is suitable for bead sizes 10 aught to 14 aught. Needle size 13 is suitable for bead sizes 10 aught to 15 aught. Needle sizes 15 and 16 are suitable for beads smaller than 14 aught. (after a bit I will tell you about bead sizes)
3) Twisted Wire Needles:
All I have to say is these needles are very flimsy and come apart very easily. They also are very flexible and dont always point the way that you want it to. They have a large eye so they are easier to thread than the other types of needles.
Bottom line sometimes you can get away with using regular sewing needles but they don't always work with smaller beads like seed beads. They are cheaper but I recommend beading needles. They are inexpensive and they are also usually the perfect type of needle to use. But then again every person is different.
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