Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Biggie Delicas®! 10/0 and 8/0

Now for the biggies of the Delicas® world! 10/0 Delicas® are about twice the size of 11/0, which makes these cylinder beads about the width (perpendicular to the hole) of an 11/0 round. Of course like all Delicas® these are not round beads but cylinders with smooth sides and bigger holes than regular beads. 10/0 Delicas® can upsize an 11/0 Delicas® pattern to make a bigger piece, but now that there are 10/0 patterns out there, these bigger Delicas® have carved their own niche. Big enough to make their unique look known in rings, bracelets and earrings. With holes big enough for stringing materials (beading wire and Fireline®) and not just thread.

Then there are the real biggies in the Delicas® world - 8/0! These are cylinder beads that are more like a 6/0 round in size but taller along the hole. Remember, Delicas® are not square but usually are somewhat taller parallel to the hole. In 8/0 that difference becomes very noticeable, as does the bigger hole! These are substantial beads that move into the world of stringing with wire, Fireline® and bead cord. Useful also for bead crochet, bead knitting and macrame.

Like their smaller cousins, 10/0 and 8/0 Delicas® share those gorgeous Delicas® colors and coatings! 8/0 Delicas® also come in Hex Cut (6-sided cylinders rather than smooth sided). 8/0 Hex Cut Delicas® differ from 8/0 regular Hex Cut beads in several ways; 8/0 Hex Cut Delicas® have bigger holes, are slightly larger overall in size, come in special colors / coatings and are typically more expensive than 8/0 regular Hex Cut beads.

BTW, a note on compatibility of Toho Treasures® with Delicas: 1.8mm Treasures® are not quite the same size and shape as 11/0 Delicas®, which means that in loom / off-loom work or bead crochet where size / shape matters, they don't work that well together. 3.3mm Treasures® are more similar to 8/0 Delicas® but again, they are somewhat more square. You should always do a test when considering combining different manufacturers products when exact shape and size are important.

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