Peyote Stitch Master Class: Tubular and Spiral Peyote

Now that we’ve covered all of the essential basics of working with peyote stitch, we’re moving on to some of the more exciting variations available for this versatile stitch. We’ve already tried out circular peyote by working skip-a-bead-add-a-bead in the round, so the next logical step is to go 3-D with the marvelously meditative tubular peyote.

Basic tubular peyote looks a lot like tubular bead crochet, and can provide some wonderful ropes for necklaces and bracelets. When worked in a single size of seed bead, the structure of tubular peyote stitch falls somewhere between bead crochet and tubular herringbone. It isn’t as supple and as crochet, but it is more flexible than herringbone. One downside is that the larger your tube is – or the more beads you start with – the more prone it is to buckling or collapsing along the tube. This is why many tubular peyote projects are worked over a form such as silk cord or latex tubing.

If you’re already familiar with the basics of peyote stitch, tubular peyote should be an easy transition. The key to getting started with this technique is not to worry too much about how your first few rows look. If you start out a little wobbly, you can always remove those stitches and reveal the cleaner beadwork within. Like with circular peyote, I recommend using size 11/o seed beads, and working without a stop-bead to get even tension. In the example piece, I’m using size 8/o seed beads for clarity, but you’ll find that size 11/o beads grip the thread a lot better and make it easier to get the stitch going.

You may want to have a dowel, knitting needle, or other form to stitch with. It’s not necessary, but if you find yourself crushing the beadwork while pulling new stitches taught, it can help protect the tube. A mandrel also makes it easy to keep the tail thread out of the way while you work. Once you’ve stitched about an inch of beadwork, it should be safe to continue without a form.

Basic Tubular Peyote Stitch:

1. On about 1 yard, or one arm’s length of thread, pick up an even number of seed beads. For a beginner rope, 8-12 beads is ideal.

2. Slide the beads down to the end, and stitch through all of them again. Pull snug to form a ring, leaving at least a 6 inch (15 cm) tail. Pass through 2 or more beads to secure the ring.

3. Pick up 1 seed bead. Skipping the next bead in the ring, stitch through the following bead and pull snug. Repeat all the way around the ring. You will add half as many beads as you picked up in step 1.

Do not try to force the beads into a tube shape just yet. Keep the tension loose so the first round will look just like a circular peyote start.

4. At the end of the round, you will need to step up. Skip a bead, add a bead, then follow through the first bead picked up in this round and pull snug.

5. Pick up 1 seed bead, and stitch through the following raised bead – the 2nd bead added in the previous round. Repeat for the rest of the round and step up.

6. At the end of the round, you can pull the thread snug to cinch up the beadwork and form the start of the tube. You can slide the ring onto your mandrel or dowel here if desired, making sure that the tail thread is pointing towards you. Turn the beadwork on the form as you work to add each new bead.

7. Continue adding 1 bead at a time, stitching onto the raised beads as usual. The beads will now rest evenly and the tube will continue to build. Step up at the end of each round. Weave in your threads once the beadwork has reached the desired length.

Even-count tubular peyote is ideal if you want to include any type of pattern or a spiral design in your rope. If you’re working with a single color or a mixture and aren’t concerned about pattern, you can also work odd-count tubular peyote. The best thing about this variation is that there is no step-up. You simply add 1 bead at a time continuously for as long as you wish. To make an odd-count tube, just string an odd number of beads in step 1, then add one bead at a time with peyote stitch until finished.

Odd Count Tubular Peyote Start

One easy way to enhance the structural integrity of tubular peyote is to work with at least two bead sizes. This creates a simple spiral and makes the tube much stronger by providing a balance in pressure points. Even if the beadwork does kink, it will be hidden within the spiral.

For our practice project, we’ll be working with spiral peyote in 2 bead sizes to make a bangle. This is a great design to make if you want to play with adding patterns to tubular peyote. Though the pattern here is very simple, you’ll be able to see the changes in the beadwork very clearly as the bead sizes reshape the tube. I’ve used size 15/o and 11/o seed beads, but you can also use size 11/o and 8/o. You’ll need at least one color of each size. I’ve used 2 colors (A and B) in the smaller size to help accentuate the spiral even more, and an 11/o mix (color C).

Spiral Peyote Bangle:

1. On a yard or one arm’s length of thread, pick up 2 color A beads, 4 B, 2 A, and 8 C. Slide all of the beads down to the end and stitch through them to form a ring, leaving about a 6 inch (15 cm) tail.

2. Pass through the 1st 2 A beads again. It is very important to start your beadwork here to establish a continuous pattern. Once the beadwork is complete, the opposite end will match up to the starting rows so that they can be zipped.

3. Pick up 1 color A. Skipping the next color B in the ring, stitch through the following B and pull snug.

4. Pick up 1 color B. Skip 1 B in the ring, and stitch through the following B.

5. Add 1 more B with peyote stitch, followed by 1 A. You will always add the same bead size or color as the one that your thread is exiting.

6. Add 4 C with peyote stitch, and step up through 2 A to finish the round.

7. For the remaining rounds, add 1 A, 2 B, 1 A, and 4 C. Cinch up the beadwork into a tube and place it over a mandrel if desired. Continue weaving until you have a spiral tube that is at least 8 inches long. Do not try to bend or curve the tube before you have reached the desired length.

8. To add new thread when needed, drop the working thread after stepping up. Secure a new thread in the beadwork and exit from the same bead as the previous thread. Park the new thread, then weave in the old thread before continuing as usual.

9. Thread a needle on the tail thread from step 1 and weave it in (or weave it a few rows away from the edge and park it for now if desired). Gently bend the beadwork and bring both ends of the tube together until the pattern matches up.

10. Using the working thread from the fresh end of the tube, stitch through the adjacent up bead at the opposite end to begin zipping up the beadwork.

11. Weave back and forth across the join, zipping the up beads together with peyote stitch. Pull snug after each stitch. Because there are so many different bead sizes and colors at work, it can be easy to lose your place and stitch through the wrong bead. Working carefully, one bead at a time, and always look for a bead that looks less ‘attached’ than those around it. This will be your next up bead.

12. When you reach the end of the round, you should have a seamless join. Check over the area carefully to be sure that the beads were zipped up correctly. It should be impossible to tell where the spiral ends or begins.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of tubular peyote, there are some very fun variations to try. One of the lesser-known spins on the peyote tube is the Dutch spiral, which adds a large increase to the rounds that turns into a fringe-like bridge.

Dutch Spiral Tube

One of the most popular styles of tubular/spiral peyote is the Cellini spiral. We’ll be practicing this technique in an upcoming Master Class lesson, but if you want to give it a go right away, the classic recipe to start a Cellini spiral is: 6 size 11/o, 4 size 8/o, 2 size 6/o, and 4 size 8/o. Remember to stitch through the first 2 size 11/o beads to begin the first round.

Cellini Spiral Bangle

Mortira

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Peyote Stitch Master Class: Circular Peyote

So far in our Master Class series we’ve developed muscle memory with two-drop peyote stitch, and learned the basic techniques for working with flat even-count peyote - including how to zip up flat peyote and 'stitch in the ditch'. Once you’ve mastered those essential basics, a whole world of possibilities opens up. The simplicity of peyote stitch makes it incredibly versatile, able to curve, swirl, and even make complex 3-D structures. One of the most fun ways to use peyote stitch is by working in the round. Incredibly gorgeous tubular peyote is built this way, but before we learn tubes, we’re going to practice the skip-a-bead-add-a-bead method in a flat circular format.

Circular peyote works in much the same way as flat peyote, but as the outer circumference of the beadwork increases with each round, adjustments to bead count are made throughout a piece to maintain a flat circle. It can take some practice to learn the best way to fill in the gaps in your 'up beads', and getting a feel for how the beadwork wants to form. One of the major differences between circular and flat peyote is that the stitching is continuous - there's no flipping the beadwork and adding a new row in a straight line. The rounds just keep growing and flowing.

In this example piece, I’ve used size 11/o Japanese round seed beads to get a nice, neat beaded medallion. I definitely recommend using Japanese rounds to practice so that you’ll get stitches of equal size each time. Try using a different color for each round in your first practice piece to help you see your stitches more clearly. Working peyote stitch in the round with an even-count start requires a step-up, so it’s important to keep track of what you’ve stitched.

Basic Circular Peyote Stitch:

1. Thread a needle on about 1 yard of beading thread or line. Pick up 14 seed beads and slide them down to the end. Stitch up through the first few beads again and pull snug to form a ring, leaving about a 6 inch (15 cm) tail.

Many instructions will direct you to attach a stop bead before beginning circular or tubular peyote, or to tie the thread in a square knot to form the base loop. My personal preference (when working with size 11 seed beads or smaller) is to secure the thread in the beads without any knotting, so that there is some wiggle room. This greatly helps with tension and will prevent buckling as you add additional rounds. Alternatively, if you’re starting with size 8/o or larger, a knot can help maintain tension by preventing the beads from sliding around as you work.

2. Pass through all of the remaining beads, a few at a time, and continue through the first few beads again. Pull the thread snug after each stitch until you have a neat ring of beads.

3. Pick up 1 seed bead. Skipping the next bead in the round, stitch through the following bead, and pull snug. You may need to nudge the new bead into place so that it rests side-by-side with the corresponding bead in the ring. Pull the thread snug again before continuing.

4. Pick up 1 seed bead. Skipping the next bead in the ring, stitch through the following bead and pull snug. Repeat all the way around the ring, until you have added a total of 7 beads to this round.

When adding the final (7th) bead, you will need to step up to complete the round and bring the thread in place to start the next round: stitch through the appropriate bead in the ring to add the final bead, and continue through the first bead added in this round, which will be a raised ‘up bead’.

5. In order to maintain a flat piece of beadwork, rather than a tube, you will need to fill the gaps between the ‘up beads’ as much as possible. In any given project, the number of beads will vary depending on the type of beads that you are using, the number of beads used in the base ring, and the number of rounds already added. You can eyeball the gaps, then pick up a few beads with your needle and hold them up to the space. When in doubt, always go with fewer beads as they will fall into place naturally – more beads can give you bumpy or warped beadwork if the fit isn’t true.

For this round, pick up 2 seed beads, and stitch through the nearest raised bead (the 2nd bead added in the previous round). Pull the thread just snug enough to lock the beads in place.

6. Continue adding 2 beads per stitch for the rest of the round, passing through the raised beads. In the 7th stitch, you will need to step up: pass through the final raised bead of the previous round, and the 1st 2-bead stitch added in this round.

7. Add 1 bead per stitch in the next round, passing through the 2 raised up beads of the previous round. If you’ve been using a different color each time in your practice piece, they should stand out nicely for you.

Step up through 3 beads to finish the round.

8. In the next round, add 3 beads per stitch, passing through the raised up beads from the previous round. At the end of this round, you will need to step up through 4 beads.

Be sure to maintain light, even tension as you work. Pulling too much on the thread can cause the beadwork to pucker as it tries to cinch up and form a tube.

9. In the next round, add 2 beads per stitch, passing through each set of 3 raised beads from the previous round.

Continue adding rounds as desired until you medallion has the desired size and shape. The number of beads needed to span each gap will increase as you work – remember to favor fewer beads when gauging each new round of stitches.

The number of rounds that you add will determine whether your beadwork has a rounded shape, or a star-like shape with the raised beads forming points. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can experiment with the different patterns that form naturally in the beadwork.

You can also incorporate different bead sizes into circular peyote for a variety of effects. For our practice project, I’ve created a variation of the Red Stone Pendant from the Ancient Rome chapter of Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, and the Cherry Blossom Pendant from the cover of the UK edition of Jane Lock’s The Art of Beadwork. It is one of my all-time favorite designs because of the way that the circular peyote medallions create negative space, and the woven connectors provide a fun way to play with your seed beads.

Red Stone Pendant

To create our necklace you’ll need a few grams each of size 15/o, 11/o and 8/o seed beads in any colors you like. You’ll also need 4 round 6mm beads to match your 8/o seed beads, and a clasp or button of your choice.

Asymmetrical Medallion Necklace:

1. Thread a needle on 1 yard of beading thread , and pick up 32 size 15/o seed beads. Slide them down to the end, and stitch through the first few beads again, leaving about a 4 inch tail. Pass through all of the remaining beads and continue through the first few beads again to form a ring.

2. Work 1 round of circular peyote stitch, adding 1 size 15/o seed bead per stitch. Step up at the end of the round.

3. Work 1 round of circular peyote stitch using 1 size 11/o bead per stitch, and step up at the end of the round. (Disregard the dropped stitch in the photo – be sure to add an 11/o seed bead to each 15/o up bead of the previous round.)

4. Work a final round of circular peyote with 11/o seed beads. Weave around the outside rounds to secure the thread, then trim. Repeat steps 1-4 with the remaining thread to make a second medallion.

5. Thread a needle on a new 1 yard length of thread. Pick up 48 size 15/o seed beads and stitch them into a ring. Work 1 round of circular peyote stitch with size 15/o seed beads, followed by 2 rounds of size 11/o seed beads. Keep your tension even as you work, and flatten the beadwork with your fingers as necessary if it starts to curl.

6. In the next round, add 1 size 11/o seed bead in the first stitch. Add 1 size 8/o seed bead in the next stitch. Repeat around the ring, alternating between 11/o and 8/o beads for the remainder of the round. Step up through the first 11/o.

7. In the next round, add 1 size 8/o seed bead in each stitch, and step up through and 8/o, then pass through the following 2 size 8/o beads.

8. In the final round, you will only need to fill in the gaps between each set of three 8/o beads. Pick up 1 size 8/o seed bead, and pass through the following 3 8/o seed beads in the ring. Continue for the remainder of the round, then weave in any remaining thread and trim.

9. Using your size 11/o and 15/o seed beads, create 2 beaded chains – one 4 inches long, and one 10 inches long. Do not weave in the threads. I’ve used single St. Petersburg chain, but you could also use spiral rope or another favorite stitch.

10. Remove the stop bead from one of your beaded chains. Pick up 1 size 11/o, 1 size 8/o, 1 round bead, 1 size 8/o, 20 size 11/o, an 8/o, a round bead, and an 8/o. String on one of your small circular peyote medallions.

11. Pass through one of the outermost size 8/o seed beads on the edge of the large circular peyote medallion. Pull snug and pass through a few more 8/o beads in the edge.

12. Turn the thread around by weaving back through the 11/o rounds, then turn again and weave through the 8/o beads to exit from the same bead you started from in the previous step. Your thread should be moving in the opposite direction. (Depending on the length of your threads, you could also weave all the way around the 8/o edge and skip the turnaround.)

13. Stitch up into the 8/o and round bead section again. Exit from the 2nd 8/o seed bead and pick up 20 size 11/o.

14. Lay your small medallion across the first set of 20 seed beads so that it passes under and over. Pass the needle through the medallion over and under so that the 2 strands capture the medallion between them.

15. Stitch through the 8/o beads and round bead, then continue into your beaded chain. Secure any remaining thread in the beadwork and trim.

16. Repeat steps 10-15 again with the second beaded chain, connecting your strand to the opposite side of the large medallion. Finish the chains and add a clasp as desired.

Once you’ve had a chance to play and experiment with circular peyote, you’ll have the necessary know-how to advance to even more complex peyote variations. One of the most popular ways to use circular peyote technique is for making gorgeous beaded bezels. We’ll cover this technique in an upcoming Master Class for further practice, then move on to tubes.

Mortira

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