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Aunt Molly's Bead Street
BEADWORK PROJECTS

Peyote Stitch Earring

 Part I: THE PEYOTE CYLINDER

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  1. Cut about 1 yard of thread and thread your needle.
  2. Pick up 12 white beads and tie them in a circle with a square knot, leaving about a 10 to 12 inch tail. (The tail will be used later to reinforce the top rows of the cylinder and to make the loop on which to hang the ear wires.
  3. Slide the loop of beads onto a short length of dowel, drinking straw, knitting needle, or nail. The fit should be slightly loose -- the core is just a temporary support.
  4. Bring the needle through the 1st bead a second time.
  5. For the next row, using white beads, pick up a bead and bring the needle through the 3rd bead in row 1.
    Pick up another bead and bring the needle through the 5th bead in row 1.
    Pick up a bead and come through the 7th bead in row 1.
    Pick up a bead and come through the 9th bead in row 1.
    Pick up a bead and come through the 11th bead in row 1.
  6. Pick up another bead and bring the needle through the 1st bead in row 1 and the 1st bead in row 2. From now on, you'll end each row by going through two beads: the 1st bead of the previous row and the 1st bead of the current row.
  7. To begin the next row, pick up a white bead and come through the 2nd bead in the previous row. Pick up another white bead and go through the 3rd bead in the previous row. Continue this process, picking up one bead at a time and going through one bead in the previous row, until you're ready to pick up the 6th bead.
  8. Pick up the 6th white bead and go through two beads: the 1st bead of the previous row and the 1st bead of the current row.

    By now you may have noticed that the 12 beads in the 1st row have shifted slightly, so that every other bead is lower than the rest. Although you've beaded only three rows, you actually have four, because the first circle of beads has split into two rows.

    Here's a tip for counting your rows
  9. Begin row 5 by picking up one D, one W, one D, one W, one D, and one W.
  10. Row 6: D D D D D D
    Row 7: D M D M D M
    Row 8: M M M M M M
    Row 9: L M L M L M
    Row 10: L L L L L L
    Row 11: L B L B L B
    Row 12: B B B B B B
    Row 13: L B L B L B
    Row 14: L L L L L L
    Row 15: L M L M L M
    Row 16: M M M M M M
    Row 17: D M D M D M
    Row 18: D D     D D D D
    Row 19: D W D W D W
    Row 20: W W W W W W
  11. Bead 3 more rows of solid white.

  12. Weave the end of the thread back up through the beads in the peyote cylinder to secure the last bead.

 

On to Part II: The Fringe | Back to the Starting Page


These instructions, the patterns, and all images are ©1997, Mary J. Tafoya.
Single copies may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial use only.