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Peyote Stitch Bracelet — Curing Beadweave-a-phobia

by Dwyn Tomlinson

You've admired beadweaving projects — that is, items made with seedbeads, using thread to stitch the beads together in patterns, but felt they were too hard. The instructions are confusing — the terms are weird. Well, this simple bracelet is a good way to dip a toe into the water. You might want to review last month's project (Ocean Splash Bracelet) as well, as this builds on what you learned last month!

This project is appropriate for the beader with a little experience, or the fearless beginner.

 

This particular pattern of putting the beads together is called "peyote" stitch. It is also known as gourd stitch. There are four main beadweaving stitches, the other three are "brick" stitch and "square" stitch, and "right-angle weave."

Supplies

  • Size 6/0 seed beads (Size E beads), in a mix of colors. About 10 - 15 grams is enough. You can buy packages pre-mixed, or, as they are fairly inexpensive, buy 3 or 4 colors and mix them together.
  • 1 drop bead, with a horizontally drilled hole, approx 12 - 15 mm.
  • 1 toggle clasp
  • beading thread, such as Nymo, PowerPro, or similar, in a neutral color

Tools

  • scissors or cutters for thread
  • beading needle, #10

Ready to begin

Unwind approximately 1.5 yards of thread. Use a good quality beading thread, or a light braided line.

Beading thread can seem a little tricky to work with at first - it tangles and snarls itself as if it were possessed! To prevent this, take the thread in short sections between your two hands and pull it out until it stretches a little.

Then pull it, again in short sections, across a warm (lighted) light bulb. This "irons" the thread and helps it lay flat and be well-behaved.


Start by tying the thread to one half of the toggle clasp.

Use a Surgeon's knot for strength. A Surgeon's knot is like an overhand knot, with an extra pass through the loop. (Picture below)

 

Start stringing your beads, in random order.

Leave the end thread for now, you will need it later.

Add beads until you have a enough length for a bracelet.

Count the beads and make sure you have an odd number of beads, i.e. 69, not 70. This is important! If you don't have an odd number of beads, then it won't work out smoothly as you go back and forth.

 

 
Tip: I keep a photocopy of a ruler handy when I am beading. I can write on it to note standard lengths, etc. And takes up no room and no weight when I travel!
Thread on the other half of the clasp, and go back through the last bead.
Add a single bead, and, skipping a bead, go back through the third to last bead.
Carry on, adding a single bead, and skipping a bead. Work back down the entire length of the bracelet.
You can hold the beads over your fingers like this to keep them straight and tight and tidy while you work.
Come out the end bead, and go through the loop of the clasp once more.

 

The first couple of rows of beading tend to look untidy and unstructured. Don't worry about it.

Now, go back through two beads: the one closest to the clasp, and the one you just added before that. This one is slightly offset from the first row.
Now, add a single bead, and go back through the next bead that is sticking out.

Continue adding a bead and going through a bead. This will fill in the gaps.

Now things start to look a little neater!
Continue to the other end.
Thread through the clasp one more time.

And back out through the bead closest to the clasp.

Now, you are going to go back down the line again, on the opposite side of the first row to the one you just worked.

Add a single bead. Go through a bead. Add a bead. (The beads marked with an X are the beads you are going to thread through, so you are still adding a bead and skipping a bead.)

Still with me? In and out, add a bead, skip a bead, add a bead, skip a bead.

All the way back to the end again.

 
Now, you could go on doing this, and make a wider bracelet, but for now, this is quick and easy and looks nice, so we will end it here.
Add a single bead, and the drop bead, and then go back through the last bead again.
Knot the thread back to the leftover tail from when you first started. Again, use the Surgeon's knot.
Thread the ends of the thread up through some of the beads to hide the ends, and cut the excess off. (Carefully, you don't want to accidentally cut the main thread!)

There, that wasn't too bad, was it? And, if the beads got away from you and didn't go in exactly the right place, then it still looks ok, because it is fairly unstructured.

 
Try a couple more until it seems easy and natural. Once you have mastered this with the relatively large size 6/0 beads, then the smaller size 10/0s and 11/0s don't seem so intimidating.
Here's a couple more bracelets in different colors.
This version has an extra row added. This gives a smoother edge.
Hope that helps with your beadweave-a-phobia!

Copyright 2004 Dwyn Tomlinson, All Rights Reserved. Used with permission by the Beading Times.

 

 

 

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