Monday, November 2, 2009

MYSTERY STITCH! HELP!



For a change of pace, I'd like to pick your beady brains!

I know that someone out there knows this stitch! I made this rope years ago, learning the stitch from an online tutorial. From there, "mature memory" sets in! I can't remember the name of it, nor can I figure out exactly how I did it.

The copper beads are the only "solid" woven part. I do remember that I worked an inch at a time, slowly increasing the loose blue and green beads in number until I got to the center - and then I decreased back down the other side. The spiral began to show after a few inches.
It looks like a variation on peyote to me...but having made a number of little bead and thread messes, I still can't get it.

I'm dying to make something using this. Can anyone identify it? And point me to some instruction?

13 comments:

  1. African Helix? That's my best guess :P

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  2. Wait - I take that back! It's a Dutch Spiral - I found a tutorial at http://beadwork.about.com/library/weekly/aa021698.htm

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  3. I have no clue but I really like it! And the colors you picked are great.

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  4. Dutch Spiral, it's sort of like a Peyote tube, with some sections where you add a larger amount of beads. It's a fun stitch, can be done in so many variations. That's a lovely rope by the way! :)

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  5. Yup. Dutch Spiral. I do not write instructions, but I'm gonna take a whack at this because it's more interesting than the disaster of my new computer woes.

    String an even number of core beads, and add any number of floaters. Continue through all the beads again and tie a knot. Go through the first core bead and peyote stitch half the number of the beads you put on, so if you put on 8 core beads, take four stitches in peyote. String the floaters again, same number and sequence each time. Go through the first up bead in the peyote section and continue to stitch 4 peyote stitches each time and repeat the string of floaters. You will be automatically moving ahead one bead each time in the peyote secion, creating the spiral. Common mistake is leaving off the last peyote stitch, since you are moving ahead and it looks like you should be done. Takes me about an hour to do 3" of this. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28713733 I think I learned this stitch from an earring project in Bead & Button mag almost exactly 2 years ago, when I was a brand new beader. Good Luck!

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  6. A late thank you, Marsha...and a good explanation. I did find a good diagram and the stitch is very easy. Takes a while if you're increasing the floaters (which I'm doing)but it's pretty easy on the head to do.
    I'll post pics on flickr when I'm done this necklace.

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  7. Hey Linda, I left you a little surprise in my blog.

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  8. pardon my foggy brain cells, but...
    what the heck are "floaters"???????
    blessings- Peggy

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  9. Haven't the foggiest, but it's impressive. I love the color combination and how it reminds me of the ocean. Nicely done!

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  10. Not sure that this is dutch spiral, it looks different to me. But it a absolutely gorgeous! I especially love your color combination.

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