Use this stitch to create a beaded rope to make a necklace or bracelet.
If you’re just starting out we recommend that you use Miyuki 8/0 seed beads as they are larger than 11/0 and therefore a little easier to work with.
Step 1.
Choose four colours of seed beads.
Step 2.
Thread a size 10 beading needle onto a 2 meter length of Fireline or or S-Lon beading thread.
Step 3.
You are going to begin by making a simple 2-row beaded ladder. Pick up 4 beads:
Step 4.
Leaving a tail in your thread of around 15cm in length (you’ll use this later on to attach your clasp), sew back through all four beads and arrange the beads so that they sit in two stacks, each 2 beads high:
Step 5.
Continue making the bead ladder until you have used all four colours of beads:
Step 6.
Join the two ends of the ladder together by sewing back up through the first two A beads:
Step 7.
Sew back down through the last two D beads:
Step 8.
Sew back through the first two A beads again to strengthen the join.
Step 9.
Begin the first row by adding two A beads
Step 10.
Sew down through the next A in the previous row and pull the thread tight:
Step 11.
Go through the next bead over in the same row (in this instance B)
Step 12.
Pick up 2 B
Step 13.
Sew back down through the next bead in the previous row (in this case C)
Step 14.
Go back up through the next bead in the same row:
Step 15.
Pick up 2 C
Step 16.
Go back down through the next bead in the previous row
Step 17.
Go back up through the next bead in the same row
Step 18.
Pick up 2 D
Step 19.
Sew back down through the next bead in the previous row
Step 20.
Sew back up through the next bead iand the first A bead in the last row – this is called “stepping up” and enables you to begin working on the next row.
Step 21.
Pick up 2 A
Step 22.
Sew down through the next A in the previous row:
Step 23.
Sew up through the next bead over in the same row and continue repeating steps 12-20 until your necklace or bracelet are the desired length.
