#1 - Organize my beads

This one has been a work in progress since the beginning of the year. I have been making mala necklaces & gemstone bracelets for a few years now and my collection of beads was ever expanding. It started when I wanted to buy a mala for my birthday and the second it came out of the package it fell apart. I was frustrated and realized I could have made one myself, so I did. From there I started to make malas as gifts for friends and then was using the jewellery as my main fundraiser for Africa Yoga Project. Last year I stopped loving the art of making malas. Every time someone told me theirs had broken it broke my heart. I kept buying better and stronger thread, and didn’t know what was happening to them. This put me off making them for almost an entire year.

On the way to a workshop last fall I put my tray of loose beads on the driver’s seat, knowing it was a bad idea. I had to stop suddenly and the beads spilt all over the car. This was last November and it wasn’t until yesterday that I fully cleaned them all up. We drove for almost an entire year with beads underneath the passenger’s feet.

I also found that every time I did a workshop the beads would just get thrown away and put away randomly, rather than where they were found. I spend a good 8 hours one day organizing them all. This didn’t last long as on the way to the AYP mala making fundraiser the beads spilt – this time all over my trunk. After that I gave up on having them organized perfectly and now just use them as I find them.

It wasn’t until this spring when I started to hand knot the malas that I fell in love with the art again. I spent most of my summer in various places making malas just for the fun of it. This was helpfyl as I couldn’t hike or be super active so I would hop in the hammock somewhere and start knotting beads. The best part was that I was able to use all the beads I had – the only thing I needed to buy was the string for it. I am loving the process once again, and I think that’s reflected in what I have made.

I am torn as what I should do with them. I feel like every other person is making and selling malas at the moment, and I don’t see them as unique or special anymore. Mirko and I are in the process of setting up an etsy store for his art and I’m wondering if I should try on there – or just start giving them away again?