Emma Knaggs Isham recipe for Rose Beads”
Emma Knaggs Isham
1. Chose dark red fragrant roses, discarding all petals that are not fresh and crisp
2. Reduce these petals to a pulp by putting through a food chopper daily for nine days
3. They are then placed in a black iron pan. The older and blacker the better and are burned and stirred twice daily. If the pulp becomes too dry, so that it cracks when rolled, a little water should be worked in. Pinch off a piece of the pulp twice the desired size you wish for your beads.
4. Then roll them one by one into sound balls in the palm of your hands, and let them aside to dry and shrink
5. On the third day put them one by one in a little pitcher and roll them around and around until they become perfect spheres.
6. Then place them with great care on long hat pins to dry – piece each exactly through the middle – pressing each bead gently.Added by Midge Shufelt: The beads will be coal black, with a dull finish. Grandma usually strung them with two or three small seed beads between each rose bead, sometimes of a different color, for contrast. Blend the entire mixture with a large quantity of patience. Some of the beads, which we still have retain their musty, spicy fragrance and are known to be 60-70 years old.
Donated by Ginny Dean – originally written on Waterville Butter Co. letterhead of which Emma’ husband Torry was a stockholder