Wednesday Child - Crocheting With Beads

 Ladies and Gentlemen…start your engines!  Today I will demonstrate crocheting with beads.  I am using #10 crochet thread, 5 6mm beads, a collapsible big eye beading needle, 6mm glass pearls (This is just what I’m using.  You can use any bead you want as long as the hole is large enough.), and a vintage #7 Susan Bates steel hook.

For other projects, you need to know the amount of beads you will be using on your project; but if you don’t know, it’s better to have more than you will probably need.  For this demonstration you will need 5 beads. The first thing you will do is to string all of your beads onto the thread by using the beading needle (it’s a bother, but you will have to keep pushing the beads away as you work until you’re ready to start beading). A regular small eye needle will not work and it’s better to invest the paltry sum of money into the collapsible needles than to waste your time trying to make something else work.  I know from experience. 

For your reference: 

dc = Double Crochet

ch = Chain

sk = skip

st = stitch

sc = single crochet

Enough talk! Let’s do a very small sample:  Thread 5 beads and chain 12  

1.  Dc into the 4^th ch from the hook, *ch1 and sk 1 ch st, dc in next ch st*.  Repeat from * to*.  You will have 6 dc (counting the first 3 skipped ch st) and 5 ch1 spaces.  Turn.

2.  Ch1 (now here is where we start adding the bead to our crochet!), *slip your hook under the ch1, through the ch1 space.  Slide a bead down, yo the hook and pull the thread back through the ch1 opening.  You should have 2 loops on your hook.

Make sure to push the bead under the hook toward the front, leaving the two loops in back. Yo and pull thread through both loops. 

Sc in next dc* and repeat from * to *, sc in top of last ch3.  Finish off. 

You should now have 5 single crochet beads and 6 single crochets (counting first chain 1).

Here is a tutorial video that may be of help as well.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MbLCuyfv-M

I hope my pictures are more helpful than confusing.  If you need more help or want to add anything, leave me a comment.  I would love to hear from you.

If you would like to see or read about something in particular, let me know!  Have a great week and visit me next week on Wednesday’s Child when I might be showing off a new manicure!  Ha ha ha!