Rebecca Peapples shows you how to

weave and embellish an Ndebele rope

all at once. The gold rope at top left
illustrates the basic technique,
embellishing on the diagonal; the silver
rope sets the embellishment vertically.
The two ropes at right display
Rebecca’s two-step process. Directions
are given for the bronze and cream
necklace. The gold rope places more
plain rows between embellishments
and adds a vertical line of beads
between embellishment groups.
 Embellished
Ndebele rope
Stitch two layers at once on this easy herringbone necklace

by Rebecca Peapples

I stepbystep
enjoy the soothing rhythm of Nde-
bele herringbone weave and love the
fluidity and drape of the bead fabric
you can create with it. The stitch also
works well in a tubular pattern and
weaves up quickly and easily. While I
was playing around with Ndebele tubes,
I realized that you can easily add surface
embellishment as you go. I explain sev-
eral variations here, but there is really
no limit to the number of variations
that are possible once you understand
the concepts of tubular Ndebele, count-
ing rows by marking them, and going
down already-formed rope to embellish.
The fact that all these steps happen at
the same time makes the work interest-
ing and immediately gratifying.
To begin the Ndebele rope, use a
long thread and string 4 cylinder beads.
Go through all 4 beads again in the
same direction, leaving a 12-in. (31cm)
tail. String 2 more beads and go back
down through the previous pair and up
the 2 new beads as for a brick-stitch lad-
der (figure 1 and “Basics,” p. 106). Con-
tinue until your ladder has 8 pairs of
beads. (Note: all the necklaces shown at
left have 8 two-bead pairs, except the
silver one, which has 6.)
Join the ladder into a ring by taking
the needle up through the first pair of
beads and back down the last pair.
Come back up the first pair again (fig-
ure 2). The thread tail hangs down.
To work the Ndebele stitch, string 4
beads. Go down the next top bead to the
right and come up the next top bead
(figure 3). Repeat this step 3 times. At
the end of the row, you will need to
come up 3 beads to keep the work even
(figure 4). This is the first Ndebele row.
Repeat this step to make a plain Ndebele
rope or embellish as described below.
gold-embellished necklace
Join the ladder and work 3 Ndebele
rows (steps 1-3).
On the fourth row string a 150
marker bead after the first downstroke
and before the next upstroke. Repeat
after each downstroke on the row. Four

row 4
end
row 4
row 3
start
figure 1 figure 3 row 4
row 2

row 1
last pair

figure 2 first pair figure 4 figure 5

Bead & Button • February 2002 75


a d
b e
c f
marker beads sit between the columns
of Ndebele stitch (figure 5, photo a).
You will pick them up later.
Work 1 row of plain Ndebele.
To begin the first embellishment
row, add the first 4 beads, but after the
downstroke string the number of 150
beads you need to reach the marker
bead to the left of the marker bead
below the Ndebele column you’ve just
added (7-8 beads). Go through the
marker bead from right to left (photo
b). (Note: for the look of the silver
necklace at upper left, connect to the
marker beads directly below the Nde-
bele column and use 1-2 fewer beads.)
String 1 less 150 bead than in step 4
and work the upstroke to begin the next
Ndebele stitch (photo c). Repeat steps 4
and 5 around the row. The 150 beads
curve downward to the left.
Work 1 plain row of Ndebele, then
repeat steps 2-6 for the rest of the rope.
When the necklace is the desired
length, go up and down through the last
Ndebele row in the opposite direction
76
to close up the columns. Sew a decora-
tive bead to one end. String 1 seed bead,
the decorative bead, and 3-5 seed beads.
Sew back through the decorative bead
and the seed bead. Reinforce the attach-
ment until the seed beads are full of
thread. On the other end, sew a
reinforced loop of 150 beads that fits
over the decorative bead.
cross-stitch embellishment
Begin as described in steps 1-2 of the
gold-embellished necklace. Then work 3
plain Ndebele rows.
Start the next row with the usual 4
cylinder beads, but after the down-
stroke, string 4 150s, 1 3mm, and 3 150s.
Go through the marker bead in the col-
umn directly below the stitch you have
just made from right to left. String 3
150s, go back up the 3mm bead, and
string 3 150s. Go through the first 150
strung from top to bottom (photo d)
and complete the upstroke of the first
Ndebele stitch. Repeat step 2 for all four
Ndebele stitches, completing the last
beadandbutton.com
upstroke through 3 cylinder beads. If
necessary, adjust the number of 150s to
fit comfortably.
Work 3 plain rows of Ndebele.
Repeat steps 2-3 until the necklace is the
desired length. You’ve completed the
first layer of embellishment, as shown
on the bronze and cream necklace.
The first layer of embellishment on
the gold necklace is worked the same
way, except that you work 3 plain rows
of Ndebele after the first embellishment
row. Then work a marker bead row on
the fourth row followed by 3 more plain
rows before working the next embellish-
ment row (step 2).
After closing up the last row of Nde-
bele (step 7 above), work your needle
back down the tube to exit a 150 at the
top of the last embellishment row.
String 4-5 150s, 1 110 or smaller accent
bead (a pearl), and 4-5 more 150s. Go
through the bottom 150 on the next
embellishment to the right. Repeat the
stringing pattern and go through the 150
at the top of the next embellishment to
the right. Repeat this step through the
other two embellishments (photo e).
Position the needle to go right to left
through one of the as yet unused mark-
er beads on this embellishment row.
String 4-5 150s, go through the 110
(pearl), and string 4-5 150s. Go through
the next available marker bead on the
diagonal (photo f). Repeat around,
crossing through all the 110s (pearls).
Reposition your needle to cross
stitch the next embellishment row or
every other embellishment row, as on
the bronze and cream necklace. w
Contact Rebecca at 1021 Spring St., Ann
Arbor, MI 48103 or rspeapples@aol.com.
materials
• 20g Japanese cylinder beads
• 15g Size 150 Japanese seed beads, contrast-
ing color
• Decorative glass bead
• Beading needles, #12 or 13
• Nymo B or Silamide
For cross-stitch embellishment add:
• 100-200 3mm Beads: pearls, crystals,
stones, or round beads
• 100-200 2mm Beads or contrast-color 110s
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