PI (π) Necklace: Color-coded 1000-digit Strand.

Hi everybody! Be ready for π day, March 14! This is a relatively quick project, with pretty simple supplies. I hope you enjoy it.

• 10 colors of seed beads. The colors should be distinct from each other but you should still be able to make a rainbow out of them.
• The size is up to you; I got # 10 beads.
• Letter beads to spell "PI", optional.
• Elastic string, the thickest you can manage for your bead size, i.e. 6mm for #10 bead size.
• Crimps to finish the necklace.
• Magnetic clasp.
• Pliers to squeeze the crimp.
• A list of π digits, easy to find on the Internet.
• A divided plate or paint palette to store your 10 colors.
• a bit of patience, good music.

This is the more important step aesthetics-wise. Once you've chosen 10 colors, decide on an order from 0 to 9. It's nice to arrange them on a rainbow. It's also important that they'd be the same sort: all shiny, all opaque, or all transparent, all mat, etc.

(If you're lucky, you live in a place where there are good bead stores around.

Otherwise there's Etsy: I even found glow-in-the-dark beads and made a special necklace where all the zeroes glow!)

Once this is done, label all numbers/colors on a palette.

Print the 1000-digit list and decide on a method: I string 3 digits then read the list and move a small ruler to keep my place on the list. At the end of each row, I put a dot so I know where I am.

If you've labeled everything correctly, you'll be able to find your place again since it's color-coded!

Start with the code, so you'll remember and you can show friends.

I still put one bead for zero since it's hard to represent nothingness.

1 bead for number 1, 2 beads for number 2 and so on until 9 beads to represent number 9.

Then string P and I, beware the direction.

String your 1000 digits. It's up to you to represent the decimal point. If you do, choose a neutral color that you won't use for the digits.

If you did it in one go, it would take a couple of hours. I usually do one in the span of a few days.

After the 1000th digit, insert a crimp, then half of the magnetic clasp. Pull the string back in the crimp, so you have 2 bits of string inside the crimp.

Pull on the string, but leave a tiny bit of leeway. Press on the crimp with your pliers hard, until the string doesn't move at all.

Cut the string. Do the other side.

You're done!

This necklace is quite versatile: it can be worn as a choker or longer and as a bracelet.

You can knot it to adjust the length; you can even wear it as a belt!

If you're not inclined, I also sell those on my SensitiveKnowledge store on Etsy. I make tau necklaces as well!

The magnetic clasp makes it easy to take off and show/explain to friends. You can start a conversation about randomness, irrational numbers and the magic of π in general!