Peanuts

No, these aren't the edible kind but some peanut beads which I bought about a year ago but hadn't really got around to using them.  They are so called because they are more or less the shape of a peanut in its shell but quite small - roughly the size of two size 11 seed beads joined together and the hole goes through the narrow centre part so they sort of nestle together when threaded. Recently I came across this pattern for a bracelet which should in fact have had a second row alongside the first but I had insufficient 'peanuts' to complete another length. The beads along the outer edge of the strip are the peanuts and the others are rondelles and seed beads.

I've not quite decided if I like this enough to make it again but it was worth doing if only to use these particular beads in something rather than have them sitting around in their packaging.  Varying shapes of small beads do appear from time to time and sometimes I'm tempted to try them but I usually revert to using the more conventional seed beads which I think have more potential.  The latest ones to appear seem to have two holes in them and at the moment I can't really see how they would be used but no doubt some patterns will be in the bead magazines in due course and I might just be tempted again to try something different. As these beads have been lying forgotten in my stash I hope Judith won't mind if I pop this onto her Forgotten Friday challenge this week.