I was pleased today to finish the beaded rope for my Rivoli Roses necklace. It's a simple herringbone rope but as I was eager to begin something new, I found it slow going.

It took a few attempts to get just the right rope for the design but the one I settled on fits the work just right. Its size means that the pendants can be slid to where you want them to sit and they stay in place. This level of precision is part of the joy of working with cylinder beads!

Of course I have set myself the challenge of beading two of these ropes to see how altering the number of beads I thread through, and therefore the tension, alters how the rope acts when worn. But with the first rope finished I decided to reward myself with starting a new project: a new version of Jaipur Jewels.

My previous version was threaded onto a metal neck wire and this new one will be on a beaded rope. So my first task before I begin the necklace is to work out the size of the rope it will thread onto... cue beginning a new rope almost exactly the same as what I had just raced to finish. Fortunately it didn't take long to decide on a size and be able to set the rope aside for another day. Then it was time to start the project proper.

I had thought I was going to bead the new necklace in exactly the same colours as the last one, just changing the sequins, and got started. But I soon realised that the sequins I was using, Volcano and Peridot, just didn't stand out as much as the Hyacinth ones I had used last time.  Cue huge colour rethink.

My first instinct was to use the lovely metallic bronze I have been using so much recently. But I worried that this decision might be based more on the fact they were sitting right there and also wasn't it a bit much to keep using the same colour when there are so many alternatives available?

So I set to thinking. I wanted a warm, colour which would act as a 'neutral' base for the sequins. The obvious neutrals I usually use (black, white or grey) were out as either too dark, already used and not worked, or too light. So I got my beads out and played around for a while making samples, including my also adored matte copper, but it soon became apparent that what worked best was the bronze.

So I gave in to my instincts and went with the bronze. Within a few minutes I knew it was the right colour and my new double-sized version is underway.

This design will be taught as a class in New York in November and Dorset next April.