Power Pro for Beading and Jewelry Making

I've never met a bead I didn't like, but I positively love bugle beads. Unfortunately, bugle beads tend to have sharp edges that will cut most beading threads. You can use wire with them quite well, but many designs call for flexibility and fluidity. I had heard that Power Pro fishing line is great with bugles, so I got my husband to get me some for a birthday present. I got the 10 lb. test moss green microfilament line. The moss green is essentially a gray and it blends in with most beadwork. It isn't inexpensive, but it was well worth the price and I'll never be without it again. Here's the package I got:

Power Pro is made from Spectra, which is a trade name for gel spun polyethylene. There are other brands of line made using this fiber, such as Dynema, Fire Line, Spider Wire, and Spider Line. It is usually sold as fishing line (mine came from the sporting goods section of Wal-mart), but sometimes it is sold as a beading thread. There are several weights available, all much stronger for their size than Nymo or other nylon threads. The 4 lb test can be used with size 15 beads and the 30 lb test can be used to the heaviest designs, with many intermediate weights for just about any beading purpose imaginable. It's important to get fused or braided line and not monofilament. Monofilament line is easily abraded and cut. The fused line is slightly more stiff than the braided line. The braided line can be cut with children's scissors, such as inexpensive Fiskars. Otherwise, it is practically impossible to cut using thread nippers, wire cutters, 'good' scissors, or sharp beads.

There are some points you should keep in mind:

• Power Pro is difficult to thread onto a needle (size 10).
• It will kink like wire if you bend it sharply.
• I'm told the fluorescent colors fade away upon exposure to ultraviolet light or sunlight.
• It does not stretch.
• Unlike many types of fishing line, Power Pro won't degrade in water and it isn't meant to biodegrade. This makes it great for designs that will get exposed to sunlight or the ocean.
• It knots very easily and holds a knot tightly. This characteristic means you can use the heavier weights as an alternative to using beading wire with crimp beads for heavy or sharp-edged stringing designs.

Power Pro is great, but I'm not throwing out my Nymo, nylon monofilament, wire, etc. Each stringing material has its own strengths and weaknesses. I won't deny I've done some cursing when trying to thread a needle with Power Pro. It isn't as fluid as nylon line or silk. For me, the Power Pro is indispensable for beadwoven designs made with bugles or cut crystal (e.g., Swarovski). I have yet to have a beadwoven ring break that has been made using it. Also, I find knotted Power Pro is more reliable than crimped wire for heavy designs. I think my designs made with Power Pro will still be in great shape decades from now, and that's an important consideration.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have comments about Power Pro or questions about my experience with it or if you want to share pictures of your designs made using this cool high-tech fiber.

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