The Pattern Links to the following source for beading wire:  http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?skw=KWCORDOT...



The Pattern Recommends using Bamboo Needles.



You also need the following materials:

Glass seed beads, sizes 13 through 8; 55 per napkin ring (buy extra, you'll drop some)

Assorted larger glass beads, sizes 6-12mm; 11 per napkin ring (buy extra!)

Waste yarn

1 piece of dowel, 0.5 inch diameter, at least 8 inches long



From the pattern: "

Years ago my mother and I took a three week trip to Europe in late autumn. We were to stop by Venice for two days, but loved the city so entirely, we stayed for ten.

By day, we lost ourselves in back alleys and odd museums. By night, we found our way back to a little cafe whose specialty was seafood risotto. We were armed with little more than a rudimentary knowledge of Italian and a dictionary, but that trip still stands in my mind as perfect in every respect.

One day, while wandering an obscure back alleyway, we came upon an extraordinary gate. It was an abstract netting of wrought iron, with chunks of sea glass embedded among the strands of metal. There were blues, greens, reds, amber and clear pieces of every size. We stared open-mouthed as the afternoon light glanced across the glass, glowing and flashing.

The Venezia napkin rings are my homage, small though it is, to the beauty of that gate, still bright and clear in my mind after so much time. They are best used for seafood risotto, a little bottle of chianti and fond memories."