Really, I love all these colors, but the pumpkin is its own category of wonderful. I have a lot of this particular bead, but they are precious because I love them, and because there are no more French seed bead manufacturers.

I’ve long admired Julie Powell’s beadwork, especially her collections of herringbone rope necklaces. I am modeling a necklace on her work, with multiple herringbone ropes. I’m planning on an 8-around herringbone rope with spots of color, this rope, another 6-around rope with wider stripes, and perhaps 3 4-around ropes of a single color. That’s my current thinking!

The clasp will be significant design challenge. Julie gathers hers to a single contact point for a clasp, and the ropes nest neatly inside each other. I don’t know yet what will work for this collection of ropes. Will I want them to nest or tangle? How long should it be? (And do I have anything I can wear this with?) Again, as always, what do I do for a clasp?