Disappointed In My 'Delicas'.

Q: I was trying to make the snowmen from the Dec. issue of 'Jewelry Crafts'. I purchased 'Delicas' because of their uniformity. The problem??? My 'Delicas' don't seem to be very uniform. Has anyone tried this pattern? I really don't believe the problem lies in my thread tension. Shouldn't 'Delicas' just lay together nicely? I'm really frustrated. I wanted to give these as X-mas gifts, but who wants lumpy snowmen?? What should I do now?

A: Are you sure you really have 'Delicas'? Some retailers don't label their beads properly, and although 'Delicas' are more uniform than a lot of other beads, you do still have to cull. Where'd you get your beads? Even if they are really 'Delicas' there will still be some problem with uniformity. Sometimes you get a "bad" batch, and there will be a lot of smaller beads, or broken beads. You will always have to cull - I put two on my needle and make sure they are the same size before I start weaving! Don't give up! It's just the nature of the bead...!