Beaded Square Project

     Isn't 2020 living up to that Chinese curse of living in interesting times!  Back in the Spring, the staff of the Museum of Beadwork in Portland, Maine announced that they were organizing a group project " which grows out of a desire to commune on a joint project while safely sheltering; marking this very particular time we are going through together, apart."  

     The parameters of a submission were that it had to be mounted on a rigid 6-inch by 6-inch square, needed to be at least 50% beads, and should employ jewel-tone colors.  Given everything else that was going on while avoiding COVID-19 in New York City, I passed on participating but then the project organizers extended the deadline to March 19th, 2020.  With more time, I had an idea.  I added a restriction of "make do," which is something we had to practice while it was dangerous to go outside and stores were closed or facing shortages.  In this case, it meant I couldn't order anything new, but who of us can't do a whole project from their stash?

     My contribution to the Beaded Square Project was based on my memory of life in the first major hotspot of the nation here in New York City.  I started with the 3 bead crochet hearts and then had to figure out the rest of the square.  My idea for the background was originally much darker but the square had other ideas as it told me what it needed to be to set off the bead crochet hearts.

     Here is my finished square entitled "Hearts in the Time of Coronavirus."  The required 2-sentence statement is " New York hearts: scared, faltering, stilled forever, broken, hopeful, battered but still beating, and eternally grateful to all those who stayed home, wore the damn mask, helped their neighbors, and went to work knowing the danger. We are all New York Tough, Smart, United, Disciplined, and Loving."

Side view of bead crochet hearts

     The project is open to beaders outside of the U.S.A., as well, so here is the link to the project information if you are interested in participating Beaded Square Project.  There is also a Facebook group to share ideas and ask questions: Facebook Group.  Perhaps I will see a square from you in the coming months.

     

     

Bead Crochet Stitches Revisted: Slip Stitch, Single Crochet, What's in a Name?

 My friend Judith Bertoglio-Giffin of Bead Line Studios contacted me recently to say that she had seen a new video entitled Double Euro Harness Bead Crochet and wondered if this was really a new stitch or if people were just adding names to established stitches.  I took a look and, indeed, people are adding names to established stitches, resulting in more confusion about bead crochet.

 So, let's try to lessen some of the confusion with an illustrated comparison of the 2 bead crochet stitches that masquerade under so many names. There are plenty of free tutorials on the web that take more time to teach you each stitch; my purpose is just to show the anatomy of each stitch so that we are all talking about the same thing.

When crocheting a tube with beads, there are 2 main methods of construction used today.  The one that most beaders in the U.S. learn first is:

                         SLIP STITCH BEAD CROCHET

My first bead crochet bracelets

   This is often just called bead crochet or tubular bead crochet, but a more accurate name in the U.S. and U.K.is slip stitch bead crochet.  Why do I mention the U.K.?  Because crochet stitches have different names depending on which country you are in; this stitch happens to have the same name in both countries.  For our purposes, here is the anatomy of this stitch:

1.  The foundation row is made by sliding a bead down close to the hook and doing a chain stitch over the bead.

Slide a bead down, wrap thread around hook

Pull thread through loop on hook

Foundation row completed

2.  Every other row is worked under the thread that runs through the hole in the bead.

Hook going under the thread that runs through the bead and

on the side of the bead that is farthest from your hand.

  Slide a bead down close to the hook

Wrap thread around the hook

Pull thread under both loops on the hook

Now let's compare slip stitch with single crochet with beads.

   SINGLE CROCHET WITH BEADS

Part of the confusion surrounding this bead crochet stitch comes from the fact that no common term has caught on.  When I was writing Bead Crochet Snakes, the stitch was know as bead single crochet, single bead crochet, and single crochet with beads.  To make things more confusing, the American single crochet stitch is known as a double crochet stitch in the U.K.  In the U.S., new bead crocheters without a foundation in plain crochet started calling this stitch European crochet because "they do it in Europe;" that term has apparently been shortened to euro bead crochet. 

The new video entitled "Double Euro Harness Bead Crochet" is apparently referring to the English term of double crochet.  I looked at the Russian video that calls the stitch "Harness Bead Crochet" and it seems that the phrase is a translation problem since the video also refers to the finished necklace as a harness (which is known as a rope among English-speaking beaders).  You can even find a video entitled "Knitting Harness Beaded Crochet."  What?

So what stitch do all these names refer to?  Let's look at single crochet with beads and see how it differs from slip stitch.

The foundation row is exactly the same as for the slip stitch with beads: slide a bead down and chain over it.

Slide a bead down, wrap thread around hook

Pull thread through loop on hook

Foundation row completed

Take a look at the back of the foundation row and notice the teardrop-shaped chains behind the bead: these are where the crochet hook goes in.  In this example, the stitch will be worked through the top thread of the loop.  More about that later.

Put hook through top thread of the loop behind the bead, slide

 bead down towards the hook, wrap thread around the hook

Pull wrapped thread through the top loop of chain behind the

bead so that you have 2 loops on the crochet hook

Wrap the thread around the crochet hook again and

  pull it through both loops on the hook

The stitch is complete

Some completed stitches seen from the back of the work.

Notice in the last photo (above) that you have made another row of teardrop-shaped chains behind the green beads; the next row is worked into the top of those chains, just like the 1st row.

Variations: 

You can actually work the single crochet with beads stitch 4 different ways depending on whether you go under 1 loop of the chains behind the beads or both loops and whether you bring the bead down before or after you make the 2nd thread loop on the crochet hook.

Each method results in the beads being in a different position, affecting the structure of the tube, how much the tube spirals, and what patterns you can work into your tube.  Here is a photo from Bead Crochet Snakes that show the same pattern done in each of the 4 different methods of single crochet with beads.

Photo from Bead Crochet Snakes showing 4 methods of single crochet

with beads

Which is better, slip stitch or single bead crochet?  Depends on what you want to do.  Slip stitch bead crochet has less thread showing between the beads and produces a sturdy (sometimes stiff) rope, but it is very hard to increase and decrease with this stitch.  The beads sit half a bead over from the previous row, resulting in a pronounced spiral, which restricts the type of decorative patterning you can do.

Single crochet with beads has more thread showing between the beads than slip stitch, but the "hand" of the finished tube is more supple.  You can do 3-dimensional shapes with this stitch because it allows easier for increasing and decreasing.  You can also do a different kind of decorative patterning with this stitch.

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion around tubular bead crochet.  Now I am going back to work on my pattern for a bead crochet rose.

  

Happy Beading!

Bead Crochet Class April 16, 2016

 

Here is one more reason why you should learn single crochet with beads: my latest experiments in making roses.  You can't think about making roses until you understand how to do this:

 

 

 

So join me on April 16, 2016 for the Earn your Stripes: Introduction to Single Crochet With Beads class from 10am-4pm for the Bead Society of Greater New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology.  Non-members are welcome.

 

For more information and registration, please visit Workshops.   Hope to see you in class.

Bead Crochet Question: Slip Stitch vs. Single Crochet

     A prospective student for my Earn Your Stripes bead crochet class on April 16, 2016 asked me about the difference between the slip stitch crochet bead that she knew and the single crochet that I would be teaching.  Here is the answer for anyone else that isn't sure.

                                                     Slip Stitch Bead Crochet
      This is the method that most people in the U.S. learn to make bead crochet ropes.  With this technique, your hook goes under the thread that goes through the hole of the bead; this changes the position of the bead so that the hole goes from horizontal to vertical.  You can see how the beads sit in the photo below of my beginner slip stitch pendant project.


Slip stitch pendant

Because, the thread is mostly encased in the beads, you can use a thinner thread for this type of bead crochet.  Also, there is less thread showing between the stitches than with single crochet.  Designs crocheted with slip stitch will usually spiral.  Judith Bertoglio-Giffin has some wonderful patterns for bead crochet, if you haven't seen her work.  One pattern is shown below.

 

 

 Single Crochet With Beads
With single crochet, your crochet hook goes into the chain stitches behind the beads and the beads sit in front of the crochet, like a skin.  The single crochet with beads also involves 1 more step of adding a thread loop to each stitch.
If you compare a slip stitch tube with a stripe pattern to a single crochet tube with a stripe pattern, they look pretty similar, but the difference shows up when you move beyond a simple stripe pattern.

A single crochet tube in a striped pattern looks similar to a slip stitch tube, unless you know what to look for.

 
     One big difference between the two methods is that single crochet allows you to increase and decrease beads with more ease, which allows you to make 3-dimensional shapes like these below.

Bead crochet beads with bugle beads

Bead crochet pine cones


Another difference is that single crochet allows you to do more complicated patterns, as Brigitte Ilander has done in her book.

With single crochet, you can combine more complicated patterns with 3-dimensionality to get a snake necklace like the one I made for a private client.

Single crochet also allows you to make large pieces that lie flat, like this cuff bracelet, shown below.

So you may have to start with a simple spiral pattern to learn single crochet with beads but once you are familiar with the technique, you open a whole other world to play in.

Earn Your Stripes: Intro to Single Crochet With Beads

Example of how to incorporate a bead crochet tube into a necklace

I was obsessed with exploring stripe patterns for my upcoming bead crochet class.  Now that I have some samples finished, here is the information:


EARN YOUR STRIPES: INTRODUCTION TO TUBULAR SINGLE CROCHET WITH BEADS

Date:  Saturday, April 16, 2014
Time:  10am-4pm
Location:  Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, New York

Here is your chance to learn single crochet with beads, the bead crochet technique used in my snake jewelry and the multi-patterned necklaces by talented German designers like Brigitte Ilander. 

I know that bead crochet seems challenging so I have made this class as easy as possible. Both projects will use size 8 seed beads and stripe patterns that allow you to tell where you need to crochet the next bead. You will also use white or light-colored thread.

First, we will start with a larger than usual tube so that you can see what you are doing and understand the construction of the crochet . You will turn this larger tube into a cute mini purse that can be used as a decoration or key chain.

Bead crochet mini purses

 

After that, you will move on to a more traditional-sized tube that can be turned into a bracelet or necklace. Although we will be sticking with easy to follow stripe patterns, there is no reason why the result has to be boring so we will discuss options for turning your bead crochet tube into an interesting piece of jewelry.

Another example of how to incorporate your bead crochet tube into a necklace

Previous crochet experience is required; we will be using the chain stitch and single crochet (double crochet in Europe) stitch.  You don't need to be an expert, but you don't want to be learning crochet and adding beads at the same time.

Bead crochet tubes with stone and glass beads on memory wire

To register for the class visit Workshops.

Hamburg, Day 4: Florencia Snake Class and the Botanic Garden

August 22 was my Florencia snake bracelet class, so I worked (if you can call teaching great students work) while Don continued exploring Hamburg.  Here I am helping Rita Lettau, my intrepid student who tackled a snake bracelet with no English.  Luckily, I had Marianne, a fabulous translator, to help with communication (plus notice Rita's phone with a German to English translation program on the table-we were covered!)

Photo by Freddie Ott.

The other advanced crocheters in the class were Joanne Ivey, who owns a bead shop called Cranberry in Australia, and Akiko Nomura from Japan.

My roommate for the  class space was Fran Griffith so it was a fun day all around.

Fran Griffith (photo by Freddie Ott)

 

 

Rita finished a snake soon after Beaders Best. 

 

Rita's photo of her finished snake

 

 

Akiko also finished hers and Joanne assures me she is not far behind.

 

Akiko's photo of her snake

 

I also took a few photos of some of the contest beadwork Friday night so here is a peak at some of the amazing beadwork.

 

 

 

I know the name of this artist who made the amazing necklace below, Kris Empting Obenland, because I was lucky enough to finally meet her in the real world. 

 

 

"Self Portrait" by Kris Empting-Obenland

 

 

 

This stunning necklace by Joanne Zammitis called "Atlantis" and yes, those are real sea urchins. 

 

Meanwhile, Don started his day by exploring a protected nature area that was about a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

 

 

 

He even found some mushrooms.

 

After that, he explored Planten un Blomen, the large green space in the city of Hamburg.  It has a lot to offer: plants (of course), lakes and ponds, fountains, a Japanese garden, miniature golf and more.

 

 

 

 

 

A vanilla ice cream cone that was so good it needed to be memoralized in a photo.

 

 

 

After the garden, Don joined me at the hotel and we had dinner there with many of our new and old beading friends.