When working with beads, many craftswomen probably faced the need to create a tight and wide tourniquet. There are several ways to weave it, and crocheting a bead cord is one of the easiest and fastest.
What material to choose
Among the huge assortment of beads offered by manufacturers, there are products of very different quality. Some species are characterized by high strength of plastic or glass, color fastness and, most importantly, the same shape and size of all elements. Their price is quite high, but many craftswomen recognize it justified.
Other species are uneven and unequal beads, the cost of which is significantly lower. However, their use for the manufacture of products with clear contours is not recommended. Such objects, as a rule, are based on geometrically regular forms, and for their weaving a certain number of beads is needed. Using different elements will make it impossible to create clear lines and silhouettes.
Crocheting with beads in a spiral refers precisely to the category of work for which compliance with the given parameters is extremely important. The diameter of the bundle must not be allowed to be uneven and the pattern distorted, so Czech calibrated beads become the best choice. The size may vary, for example 8/0 fits very well. This parameter indicates how many beads strung on a thread are one centimeter long.
Direct crocheting will require the use of a strong cotton thread (iris or other thin mercerized cotton) and a hook No. 1 or No. 1.5.
Set of beads
In order to make a tourniquet, one should collect beads on a thread. For training, 30-40 centimeters may be enough, but to create complete products, the length of the thread for the set needs to be calculated. The bead size indicated on the package helps in this . For example, to make a tourniquet with a length of 50 cm from 8 \ 0 beads, you need to collect beads on a thread 50x8 = 400 cm long.
If you work on a monophonic product, there will be no difficulties with the set. However, if crocheting with beads is used to make a bundle with an ornament, the correct set is crucial for the successful implementation of the ideas of the craftswoman.
The sequence of stringable beads is recognized by special schemes. Their observance guarantees the formation of the planned pattern.
The secrets of easy typing
Passing a relatively thick thread for knitting into the narrow eye of a bead needle is quite problematic. There are two ways to resolve this issue:
- Insert both ends of a small piece of thin line into the eye of the needle, leaving a loop on the back. In this loop, you should thread the thread for knitting, and then drag through the eyelet the fishing line together with the thread folded in half and continue to crochet with beads according to the pattern. If this method does not work, you should use the following.
- Tie the end of the knitting thread to the end of a very thin thread or fishing line. However, it should be connected so that the knot is formed only by a thin thread, otherwise it will not pass into the eye. Also effective is the method of forming loops from both threads, as shown in the figure.
Stringing beads on a thin thread, it can be easily moved to a thicker one.
Further instructions for creating a bead cord will be illustrated by a knitting workshop.
First row education
In general, knitting a tourniquet occurs in the same way as simple knitting in a circle with single crochet columns or half columns. Only here you need to pick up the bead and knit each column so that it remains outside the tourniquet.
First of all, you need to make the first air loop and fix it on the hook, then you should move the bead to the hook and for the next air loop grab the thread behind the bead. Thus, they accumulate as many air loops as are necessary for the formation of one row; this number is usually indicated in the upper right corner of the diagram.
For example, you need six loops, the seventh is done without beads, the hook is brought under the thread of the first loop and, with a half-column, they close the chain into a ring.
Crochet with beads tow of required length
Further work consists in sequential execution of single crochet columns with pulling up and fixing of each bead. It is important to observe the given number of loops in a row (in this case six), as well as the distribution of colors. If an error is found, crochet should be loosened until everything matches the pattern, and is tied.
An important tip: when forming columns without a crochet, the hook should be wound behind the internal “pigtail” of the previous column. In this case, the thread is in front of the bead, that is, knitting occurs on the inner surface of the bundle, and the beads should remain outside.
If all the actions are performed correctly, the beads should turn upwards with holes. They turn when knitting the next row, so when inspecting the tourniquet, you can see that the beads of the last row are turned with the holes to the side. This will change when their series becomes the basis for the next.
The result is such a tourniquet.
Use cases for colored beads
To get a beautiful tourniquet with a gradient color transition, the craftswomen use a very simple way: they use transparent beads and melange thread.
Making ornaments of any complexity becomes possible if you master the elementary crochet with beads. Patterns of many interesting patterns include two or more contrasting colors of beads.
You can experiment not only with color, but also with the texture of the material. The use of beads of different sizes allows you to get a voluminous, embossed ornament.
The so-called “blind” set is known, in which beads of different colors are strung on a thread interspersed. The finished tourniquet comes out mottled or mottled, depending on the contrast of the materials used.
The described workshop on crocheting crochets is universal. This is the basis for the formation of any color or plain product.