This is how the big boys do business, kiddies.

I'm only slightly bitter over this bead issue, sorry. I had control over the design process, yes, so the under-buying of beads was my own fault, but honestly. The lack of business acumen shown by the bead shops around here.... It's disturbing.

I had it pointed out to me that maybe the bead stores I contacted had minimum order requirements. All well and good, but.... They sell Miyuki beads. Like, as part of their regular stock. They've got a minimum order amount just in doing business, I'd think. Two or three extra tubes of smokey pewter shouldn't be that big a deal. If it is, the beading business is harsher than I thought. Or the market for Miyuki isn't as hopping as everyone tells me it is and they don't rotate their stock all that often. One or the other.

Anyway. Moving on. Success!

This, oh my children, is a 24 gram tube of Czech glass beads in metallic silver. Big Box Store (aka, Joann's, I have to give them credit for this one) is having a sale on bead supplies -- buy two, get one free! So I got:

Six for the price of four, which wasn't all that hazardous in a financial sense, really. I mean, I got these six tubes and a pull chain for my ceiling fan for the same amount I got the two tubes of Miyuki at a proper bead store.

Now, I'm not disparaging all bead stores. The original store I bought my beads at (Viking Fiber and Beads in Dayton, Ohio -- they had a name change, don't worry, that's the right link) was fabulous. They let me browse to my heart's content without pestering but still offered help when I looked up and did my lost puppy/shopper face. It's not their fault I did this backwards and have never designed with beads before. They also offered to order more of the same bead for me, if needed. Also not their fault they're two hundred miles away from my home, give or take, making their offer impractical to say the least. If I lived any closer, I would take them up on it.

Anyway, if you want my maths here, I figure I've got six 24 gram tubes of size 6/0 Czech glass seed beads. Considering glass seed beads of that size come in at 12 beads per gram, I've got 1,728 beads here, give or take. Which is more than double what I need for my project.


Awesome.

Oh, I should be precise and note:

I've actually got 1,727 silver beads and one blue bead. I suppose it's a bonus with every sixth tube or something.

At least now I can get working on my scarf. I've got it mapped out at 3" wide, which is my standard scarf width (I like them narrow -- that way they don't bunch up around my neck; I'm weird about things touching my neck), but it will probably stretch to closer to 4". Que sera, sera. I'll get over it.

Wish me luck.

And, by the bye, does anyone need two tubes of Miyuki 6/0 Duracoat Galvanized Smokey Pewter seed beads?
(Side note: I posted the Miyukis on Ravelry and had a buyer within an hour. God bless the Ravelers.)