Bead Crochet Workshop

This workshop will cover the very basic things you need to know to
begin to crochet with beads

By: Kelly Dale

Off the Beaded Path
2019

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I love to bead, and I assume that since you picked up this workshop book, you love to bead too.
I had been beading for a few years before I picked up the awesome hobby of Bead Crochet. A
wonderful lady named Jo Harrison taught me how to Bead Crochet. Jo used to own a Bead
Shop called “Horse Feathers” and she was my mentor. Jo had some excellent advice when
teaching me how to Bead Crochet. First, knowledge of Crochet is not required. In fact,
sometimes knowing how to crochet can hinder you because you are used to doing crochet a
certain way and bead crochet is a whole different ballgame. Second, be patient! To truly be
good at it and to understand it, it will take you about 12-15 hours of practice. If you get
frustrated with it, sit it down and come back to it at a later date. Once you understand the
concept and are comfortable with it, it will be like riding a bicycle. You might not do it for a
while, but you’ll always remember how it’s done!

I didn’t believe Jo when she told me this, but boy did I soon learn! Bead Crochet is so amazing
and fun but until you get the hang of it, sometimes it can be more stressful than it is fun. The
biggest take away from this whole booklet is that persistence is key! Don’t give up. Just when
you think you’ll never get it, something will click, and things will all make sense.
Confession…after I made my first Bead Crochet bracelet I swore I would never make another.
Then about 6 months later I decided that I wouldn’t let it get the best of me and I picked it
back up again. This time everything fell into place and Bead Crochet finally clicked. I have
been Crocheting ever since. I hope that after reading all this information and getting lots of
practice you’ll become a Bead Crochet fan as well. Let’s get started!

A few things you’ll need to get started:

Crochet Hooks:
For many years I only used a Susan Bates size 6 (1.60mm) Crochet Hook. This is my favorite
all time hook and works great when using Cotton thread. Recently though I have tried other
hooks that I really like. Here are a few:
Clover #2 (1.50mm)
The Crochet Dude #6 (1.80mm)
Sometimes if using a smaller thread with smaller beads you may need to use a smaller hook.
But for learning purposes I strongly suggest the above-named brands and sizes.

When I first started to Bead Crochet, I needed a comfort grip on my crochet hook. When you
are learning to Bead Crochet, your hand and fingers will get tired fast so using a comfort grip
will help. A great tutorial for a DIY grip can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kucd1ulH0U

Stringing Material:
When using size 8/0 seed beads, a #8 or a #10 Pearl Cotton or Jean Stitch thread works great.
If you are using 11/0 seed beads Miyuki Bead Crochet thread works best. Some other Bead
Crochet artists like to use Nymo thread and this will work too! I recently tested using super
fine S-Lon cord. This is a waxed braid cord. I do not recommend this cording for a beginner
crocheting. The cord is very waxy, and your beads move a little too smoothly on the thread.
You will feel like you are spending more time moving beads out of the way then you are
crocheting.

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When first learning to crochet it’s best to use a light color thread that you can see very well. I
personally recommend Light Mocha, Cream, Light Pink, or Peach. These are colors that can be
easily seen. You do not want to use Black or Dark Brown cording until you have lots of
experience. Black and Dark Brown can be super hard to see especially if you drop a stitch.
Please heed this advice!

Suggested Bead Size:

When learning to Bead Crochet I suggest using 8/0 seed beads. 8/0 Seed Beads are easy to
string and can be seen a little better since it’s a larger bead. Also, I suggest using 6 colors to
start with. Using 6 colors will help you to know when you get to the end of each row. It will
also help you to know if you are picking up the correct bead in the correct spot.
Once you’ve got some practice under your belt and you are feeling comfortable with Bead
Crochet you can then move onto other sizes such as 11/0 seed beads.

It’s been my experience that it’s better to have more seed beads on your thread then you
think you will need!

Needles:
You will want to have a Big Eye Needle on hand. Before you can
even start Crocheting you will need to thread all your beads
onto your crochet thread. To do this, you’ll need a needle. A Big
Eye Needle is a double tipped needle that has a hole throughout
the length of the needle. This makes it really easy to thread.
I also recommend you have an embroidery needle handy. This
is a stiff needle that has a larger size eye. This needle will help
you to complete the ends of your bead crochet piece.

Bobbins:
Since Bead Crochet requires you to thread on
all your beads ahead of time, some people
prefer to use a bobbin. I, personally, am one of
those people. Putting your thread and beads
onto the bobbin makes it very easy to travel
and do on the go.

Awl or Safety Pin:

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Even the most experienced Bead Crochet Artist can drop a stitch while working. It’s
important to keep a Tulip Awl, Safety Pin, or straight pin accessible when crocheting. Having
one of these items handy will aid you in picking up your dropped stitches or mistakes.

A Tulip Awl will also come in handy in case you need to bust a bead that you have originally
threaded on in the wrong place. This is an easy mistake to make. To bust a bead without
harming your thread, simply slide the awl in the bead. Hold the bead and push the awl
forcefully through. This will shatter the bead without cutting your thread.

Bead Caps or Cord End Caps:

There are lots of ways to finish off Bead Crochet, but one very popular way is to use a bead or
end cap. This makes finishing off your piece super quick and easy. I have found when using
size 8/0 seed beads that a 12x16mm End Cap works best. You get a perfect fit when using this
size cap. I also like a 14x11mm End Cap, but it can be a tight fit.

How do I decide on a length for my project?

To figure out the length of a project is very simple. If you are making a necklace you will make
it the same size, you normally wear or want to wear. The easiest way to measure as you work
is to simply keep checking the length around your neck or a necklace sizer. Make sure to not
measure your length by a ruler. The diameter of your tube will change the size and a ruler will
give you a false sense of size.

When making a bangle bracelet you will want to ball up your hand into a fist. Using a tape
measure, measure around the widest width of your fist. This will tell you the length needed.

Will my piece stretch?

No matter what, bead crochet pieces will stretch over time especially if making crochet
bangles. It is recommended that after you crochet a rope you stretch it a little bit. Start in the
center and carefully pull outward. You will want to make the bracelet a little bit shorter than
your desired length so that when you stretch it, it will be a little longer. You will find that
ropes made with larger beads will stretch more than smaller beads.

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A note about tension. The tension you use will affect the final size and look of your piece. A
loose tension will yield a large piece and show more thread. A tighter tension creates a
smaller piece with less thread showing.

How many Beads will I need?

A rough rule of thumb to figure out how many beads you will need is to multiply the desired
length of bracelet/necklace times the beads in the round. For example, if you wanted a 7”
bracelet and you started with 6 beads in the initial round, you will multiply 6x7=42 inches of
strung beads. A quick reference for 6 beads in the initial circle is this:

11/0 Seed Beads – you will need 6” of beads to make 1” of finished rope. This is
approximately 18 beads per inch.

8/0 Seed Beads – you will need to string 5” of beads to make 1” of finished rope. This is
approximately 13 Beads per inch.

How much Thread will I need?

Bead Crochet requires that you string all of your beads ahead of time. Some people like to
string their beads onto the thread and wrap the beads around the spool they are working off
of. Personally, I like to use a Bob-eez thread bobbin when I crochet. When using 8/0 seed beads
it takes approximately 34 inches of thread to do 1 inch of bead crochet. I normally roll off the
estimated length and then add about 2 more yards to make sure that I have enough on the
bobbin to finish the project. Be warned though that I’m a pretty tight in my crochet so if you
are a loose stitcher you may need more length per inch.

Example: If I want to make an 8-inch bangle, first, I multiple 8 x 34 inches = 272 inches of
thread. I then divide 272 by 36 inches = 7.5 yards. This tells me that I need to thread at least
7.5 yards of thread onto the bobbin. I normally will add 1-2 more yards of thread for safe
measure.

Another very simple way to figure out your thread amount is to simply roll off 1 yard of
thread per inch of crochet needed!

***A note about Left Handed vs Right Handed Bead Crochet***

When doing Bead Crochet the rope will naturally spiral. Right handed people hold the crochet
hook in their right hand and they crochet in a counterclockwise direction. Left handed people
hold the crochet hook in their left hand and crochet in a clockwise direction. A left handed
beaders crochet will spin opposite that of the right handed beader. As long as you are
consistent in the stringing of your beads and you crochet in the same direction every time,
both left and right handed beaders pieces will turn out the same. In other words, if your left or
right handed, even though your ropes will twist opposite ways, both will turn out fine.

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How to Read a Bead Crochet Pattern
In these days and times, it’s super easy to find Bead Crochet Patterns. Pinterest and Google
have loads of them for free and you can find some great one’s on Etsy as well. A lot of bead
crochet artists originate from Eastern Europe but thankfully Bead Crochet patterns don’t use
a lot of words and can be easy to understand no matter what language.

Normal Crochet patterns are very short and will only fill up 1-2 pages with some being even
shorter. There are 4 essential parts to a Bead Crochet Pattern. Let’s look at the sample below
of a pattern I created to see those 4 parts:

1. A description of the pattern (top right). One of the most important things in this section is
the circumference of the tube. This tells you how many beads will be in your first row. You
can see from this pattern that the circumference of this piece is 6 beads just like I will be
showing you in this booklet. It’s important to note that the larger the circumference the
thicker your tube will be. Larger circumferences give you more pattern options, but it also
makes the tube larger thus limiting your use of some finishing findings.
2. A list of the materials you will need (middle right). Although the project doesn’t designate
a size or specific color name bead, you can use whatever size and color bead you would

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 like. The number next to the color boxes tells you how many of each bead you will need to
complete the project.
3. A sequence instructing how to place the beads on the string (bottom right). To read this
chart you start at the top left and work you way down. The number next to each color box
is how many of each color to thread on.
4. Three views of the crochet rope (left). The first view on the far left shows you line by line
how to thread on the beads if you don’t want to follow the chart. The center diagram shows
you the pattern. And finally, the last diagram shows what the piece will look like once
crocheted.

***A few notes about patterns***

1. Both patterns I show in this section were made to fit 8 inches of bead crochet rope. If
completed they would form a continuous bangle bracelet if you use a hidden join for
your closing technique, which we will talk more about.
2. You will notice on the green pattern above, it has a lot fewer beads to thread on verses
the pink pattern. This is because of the “row repeats.” If you look in the top right corner
of the pattern you will see a line that says, “Rows Per Repeat – 4 Rows and 2 beads.”
This means that the beads listed in your chart will make up 4 rows of crochet and then
an additional two beads. There are two easy ways to figure out the number of repeats

April 17, 2019 7

 you will need. The first is to take the number of rows (84) and divide it by the rows per
repeat (4). This will tell you approximately how many times you will need to repeat the
pattern of beads listed. The second easiest way is to simply count out the beads listed in
your “materials list” and keep adding them in the order called for until you run out of
beads. For example, for the green pattern you would count out 261 turquoise and 261
green beads. Add them to your thread as listed in your pattern and keep adding them
by the pattern until you run out of beads.
3. When I taught this workshop at my store there was some confusion about the
simulation chart of the pattern which is the diagram on the far left of the pattern
versus the “list of beads.” Looking at the two and trying to compare is very confusing.
You are supposed to read a simulation pattern starting at the bottom left and reading
from left to right. Then, going to the next row, you would read that row right to left. But,
you will see in the “list of beads” does not start out the same way. The simulation chart
starts with the end of your repeat. The “list of beads” starts with the first bead of your
repeat. Either chart you choose to read will work. Keep in mind though that if you go by
the simulation chart you have a higher chance of picking up the wrong bead in the
wrong spot of the pattern. Your best bet is to thread your beads on by the “list of beads”
chart.

If you get into bead crochet and really enjoy it you may want to make your own patterns.
There is a great free software program for bead crochet. The program can be found at
jbead.ch. Although the software is free to download, be aware that you can’t save your pattern
as a PDF. In fact, at the time of writing this workshop book, you can’t save the pattern in just
about any computer readable format. It’s best to take a screen shot of the pattern and then
save it as a JPG on your computer. This way you have access to a printable and sharable
pattern.

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First Row of Crochet
The first hurdle you will face when Bead Crocheting is figuring out how to hold your thread.
Holding your thread can be tricky and until you figure out your best way of holding the thread
it is going to feel weird and foreign. Here is how I personally hold my thread: My thread
comes up between my middle and ring finger, and then around and over my pointer finger.
Figuring out your best way to hold the thread will feel frustrating at first but stay with it
because after a while it will start to feel natural and it will click. Remember what I said in the
beginning…it’s going to take hours of practice to really get the rhythm of bead crochet. Don’t
give up!!!!

Your first round of Bead Crochet will be chain stitched. Each stitch, after the first few, will
contain one bead each. You will be chaining enough beads for your first row. For what we will
be doing, you will want to chain stitch 6 beads.

If you’ve never crocheted before I recommend practicing the “chain stitch” a little bit before
adding beads. To start you will need to make a slip stitch. Here’s how to make a slip stitch:

1. About 8-10 inches from the end of 2. Holding the Arch, twist clockwise.
your thread make an arch.

April 17, 2019 9

3. Spread open the loop with two 5. Slide the loop just made onto your
fingers. crochet hook.

4. Reach through the loop and pull the 6. Pull the thread to tighten around
right strand through the loop. your hook.

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You will now start your chain stitch. Loop
the cord around the hook once. Pull the
cord through the slip knot (aka existing
loop). This makes 1 chain. Continue in this
manner until you are comfortable with this
stitch. You will be holding the chain with
your thumb and middle finger. The great
thing about chain stich without beads is
that once you are comfortable with the
stitch you can pull it all back out to the first
slip knot to start again.
Now it’s time to add beads! It’s important to
note that for the right handed beader, the
left index finger will be the “bead feeder.”
This finger will help you maintain the cord
and bead position properly. If you’re a left
handed beader your right index finger will
be the “bead feeder.”
After you’ve made about two chain stitches,
slide a bead down to the crochet hook and
make 1 chain stitch leaving some wiggle
room for the bead. Make sure to keep a
loose tension on this first row. If not, when
you go to do the next row you will have a
hard time trying to get your hook inserted.
Repeat this for as many beads as you want
on the first row. For my example I will be
chaining a total of 6 beads. Your row of
beads will more than likely curve but if it
doesn’t that’s ok too.
April 17, 2019 11
You are now ready to connect the ends to complete your first row and close the circle. Flip the
beads so that your last stitch is at the bottom and the first bead you chained is at the top of
your hook.

Look for the V shape underneath the first bead added. Slip the hook under the V Shape. Slip
the yarn over the hook and pull through all loops on your hook to complete one beadless chain
stitch.

Slip your hook into the chain to the left of the first bead added in the round. If doing this
doesn’t push your bead to the right, you will need to push the first bead to the right. This will
lay it down and get it ready to accept the new bead.

Slide a bead down. The bead you slide down should be the same color bead your hook is
touching. Slip the yarn over the hook and pull through both loops on the hook. Your new bead

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 should now be sitting upright or vertical while the bead below it should be horizontal.

Slip your hook into the next chain to the left of the second bead of the previous round. Slide
the next bead down to the beadwork. Remember that the bead you are sliding down should be
the same color as the bead your hook is touching.

Slip the yarn over the hook and pull
through both loops.
Continue this technique until you have
added four more beads for your complete
row of 6. Once you get to the end of your
row your previous rounds should now be
easier to see.

You will now continue working adding one behind the bead you just flipped. If the
bead in each stitch just as you did the thread slips over to the front of the bead
previous row. The great thing about having your new bead will not lay correctly.
6 different color beads is that it gives you a
guide as you work. The bead you are sliding
down to add should always be the same
color as the bead your hook is touching and
to the left of.

One thing you will want to pay attention to

as you work is to make sure that when you
slip your hook into the chain and turn the
bead that you’re working thread stays

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After a couple of rows your tube of beads are doing something wrong and you will
should now be spiraling as shown below. If need to stop and check your bead work.
you don’t see a spiral effect it’s possible you

Once you have crocheted the desired length it should look something like this:

Now that you have your piece crocheted and ready for closure, refer to your accompanying
video to see all the different ways to finish off your bead crochet piece.

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 If you find that you really like bead crochet and get heavily into it, here is a list of books I
recommend:

Bead Crochet Basics by Candice Saxton

Bead Crochet Jewelry by Bert Rachel Freed & Dana Elizabeth Free
Crafting Conundrums: Puzzles & Patterns for the Bead Crochet Artist by Ellie Baker and
Susan Goldstine
Designer Beadwork: Bead Crochet Designs by Ann Benson

Also, if you go to amazon.com and search “bead crochet books” you will get a plethora of books
about the subject.

If you want a really good website to reference check out

Annbenson.com
or
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnnBensonBeading

I have followed Ann Benson and her Crochet adventures for years and I think you would
really enjoy her work and kits.

I offer a step by step video tutorial for anyone who takes this
workshop. To find the video check out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22c77A8p0Rw&t=5s

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