Seed Beads - sizes?

[wendymc]

Does anyone here know what the standard size is for the seed beads you buy in stores like walmart? They often come in little baggies attached to cards, and they seem to be a standard size, but patterns and things online refer to "size 8 seed beads" and I don't know what the ones I have are.

I'm wanting to make a beaded wrist warmer (like in Stitch n Bitch Nation) and I hope I can just use one of the thinner yarns I have (sock yarn for example) and some of my seed beads in my stash. Can anyone help me out?

[Oregonian]

I am not terribly experienced in using Walmart beads but I think - generally - the bigger beads sold in those packets are 6s or 8s. The pretty darn small ones might be more like 11s. I weave 11s on silk to make "bead fabric" - sort of in the tradition of native american beading. If you know those bracelets (usually they're like cuffs), you might have some idea of the size. I think of 6s almost more like kid's beads. (They have other uses, obviously. I'm just trying to give you an idea.)

I would think that it would be more important to get yarn that is appropriate for the pattern (I don't know that one but the one from the original SnB) - or do a lot of adjusting if you use a different yarn - than to get the correct size beads. As long as the yarn goes through the bead, I'd think that would be okay. No?

Anyway, I think this link on bead sizes might help you. It tells you about how many beads per inch a certain size would be.
http://www.beadworksboston.com/tips-...bead-sizes.htm

HTH!

Cheryl